Trimble Farms' cows play a key role in providing families with access to fresh, locally produced milk. (Katecey Harrell/ Tyler Morning Telegraph)

The natural beauty of East Texas draws admiration, but for many, it’s more than scenery — it’s a way of life shaped by hard work, perseverance and a deep connection to the land.

In Texas, where family farms are the foundation of agriculture, hardship may be looming on the horizon, but East Texas farmers are hopeful the incoming Trump administration will push the agriculture agenda forward.

Dairy farmer Bobby Trimble has been on a farm since he was 10 years old, adding up to over five decades of dedication. Now at 64, he continues to work the land that has been his life’s passion.

“My dad retired about 21 years ago, and I took over the farm,” Trimble said. “I started doing a different type of farming as far as dairy goes – selling raw milk, grass-fed beef and things like that, instead of the commercial dairy farming that we were used to all those years.”

Trimble Farms in Big Sandy offers a healthier product with transparency. Customers know their milk comes directly from the farm and the cows. Unlike store-bought milk, which can come from thousands of cows, their beef is grass-fed and farm-raised, avoiding feedlots and hormones.

“We built up a really good customer base over the years. It just continues to grow because more and more people are wanting to eat healthier, and they want to know where their food comes from,” Trimble said.

Trimble Farms runs beef cattle, keeping around 30 head on hand to sell, along with about 40 milk cows at any given time. It also sells a variety of products like fresh baked goods and raw honey at the farm stand.

For farmers like Trimble, challenges are increasing costs of cattle, equipment, supplies and labor. “But farmers, they’re not looking for handouts,” Trimble said.

Texas’ agricultural economy is struggling with drought, inflation and global supply chain disruptions. In November, nearly 49% of the state faced drought, with 13% in extreme conditions, according to the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University.

Farmers and ranchers continue feeding the world, year after year, without seeking recognition. They simply do their job, said Blake Bennett, an associate professor and Extension management economist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas.

“The farmers and ranchers are – and always have been – survivors,” Bennett said. “I have the utmost respect and admiration for every single farmer and rancher that’s out there because they’re doing a very tough job, and it is not a job that produces a lot of profits.”

The United States Department of Agriculture projects imports will hit $212 billion in 2025 – an $8 billion increase driven by higher imports of horticultural products, sugar, and tropical goods. Exports are expected to fall to $169.5 billion – a $4 billion decrease due to lower commodity prices and reduced beef exports from shortages.

If accurate, the trade deficit will reach $42.5 billion, up $12 billion from 2024.

Farmers are facing strong competition from international markets, along with fluctuating commodity prices, changing global demand and a projected stronger dollar. A stronger dollar tends to hurt exports, and since agricultural products are a major export, it puts additional pressure on U.S. farmers, Bennett said.

“Exports mean demand, and demand for agricultural products – because we cannot control price – helps dictate price. Whenever we see exports down, we do get a little bit worried,” Bennett said.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said America has always been the breadbasket of the world, growing enough food to feed itself and sell to others. However, under the Biden administration, the U.S. has lost all of its customers for the first time in his lifetime, he said.

Miller said the country will import about $45 billion more food than it exports, a trend that is unsustainable. If the country can’t feed and clothe itself and depends on foreign powers, it risks losing its freedom.

America must turn things around, bring back customers and explore new markets, Miller added.

To regain customers, the U.S. will likely continue trading with Canada and Mexico – its top agricultural export markets – while also eyeing opportunities in East Asia, especially Japan.

Southeast Asia, with its growing middle class and appetite for high-quality food is another key market. Countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are all part of this expanding market.

Brazil remains a strong competitor, particularly with soybeans, cotton, poultry and beef.

Miller said 96% of farms in the U.S. are small family operations, producing nearly 90% of the country’s agricultural goods. These farms, he added, are the backbone of rural Texas, driving local economies and showcasing the resilience of agricultural communities.

“You’ve got less than 2% of the population that’s engaged in production agriculture, and yet, every single day, every one of us eats. We live in a house and we wear clothes. We’re engaged in agriculture, every single one of us, and we depend on those farmers,” Bennett said.

When asked how small farms like his contribute to the local economy, Trimble said it’s a cycle of spending and reinvestment.

“The money we receive, we have to spend it on things. The feed we use is expensive, the equipment we use is expensive,” he said. “We generate income, and that goes right back into the economy. We pay people to work for us, and we buy things, even things we’d rather not have to buy, just like everybody else. The money just keeps circulating, like in any business.”

Many of these farms are multi-generational, deeply rooted in heritage.

Miller pointed out the importance of recognizing century farms – those that have been passed down through generations. He said the Family Land Heritage Program honors these farms each year, celebrating families who continue farming for over 100 years.

“At some point these families no longer own the land, the land owns them, and so we look forward to recognizing those farmers,” Miller said.

The USDA’s 2022 Census reported 2,495 farms in Smith County, a 15% decrease from 2017, with around 4,366 farmers. The report also showed a negative total net cash farm income, reflecting a 54% increase in losses from the previous period.

Smith County’s growing population has led to fewer farms and the expansion of urban areas, often at the cost of agricultural land, according to Bennett. However, the average farm size in the county has grown from 93 acres in 2017 to 101 acres in 2022, showing that farms are getting larger over time.

“The number of farmers decreasing is not surprising. The average size of farms is increasing. That suggests that, yes, you’ve still got a very viable industry there,” Bennett said. “In terms of net cash for income decreasing in Smith County, that’s what we’ve got across the entire nation.”

Dairy and beef cattle prices have skyrocketed, and every product needed to maintain those animals has also become more expensive. To stay afloat, Trimble said costs must be passed on through higher prices for their products, although most customers understand the necessity.

Five years ago, a top-quality milk cow or heifer might cost around $1,400 to $1,500, but today, prices can reach as high as $3,000 – a significant jump in just a few years, Trimble said.

USDA Economic Research Service projections for 2024 indicate a $12 billion decline in net cash farm income, a 7% decrease from 2023. Net farm income is expected to drop by $6.5 billion, or 4.4%.

Economists cited factors like U.S. crop production, South American weather and planting, China’s economy, and policy changes after the election as key influences on crop prices.

Fortunately for Trimble, the outlook for livestock and animal products are more positive. Dairy farm businesses are expected to see the largest increase in average net farm income, with a projected rise of 47.2%.

Economic threats to small farms today are a lack of exports and limited market access, Miller said. He explained the challenges vary depending on the type of agriculture, such as bird flu for poultry farmers, swine flu for hog producers or screw worms for cattle ranchers.

Trimble said finding farm laborers is tough, as fewer people are willing to work. He pointed out this issue isn’t limited to dairy farming, but affects nearly every business.

“It’s a lifestyle. It’s a lot of work. It’s seven days a week,” Trimble said of farming compared to a corporate job. “I would much rather be here taking care of the farm, keeping the farm clean and keeping the farm in the family.”

When it comes to resources to help small farms adopt new technologies or upgrade equipment, Miller points to federal programs like those from the USDA. While the state doesn’t provide these services, farmers can connect with the USDA’s Farm Service Agency or take advantage of programs through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

The goal is to make farming viable, which is why the USDA has a Young Farmer Grant to help young individuals and couples get started in agriculture. He said farming can be tough starting out, but programs like this are designed to give young farmers a leg up.

Looking ahead, Miller is optimistic about the role of small farms in Texas’ economy. He sees programs like the young farmer grant initiative as vital for ensuring the next generation of farmers can thrive. These efforts, aimed at providing young people with a start in agriculture, are essential for making farming a viable career in the future.

“It’s a way of life. It’s a love of the lifestyle. You have to love it. You have to be engaged with it,” Bennett said. “It’s just in your blood. If you have it, you have it, and you cannot get away from it; you cannot run from it.”

Trimble said the incoming Trump administration could benefit businesses, including farming, especially since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was appointed to the Department of Health and Human Services, given his support for raw milk and healthier eating.

Such changes could benefit his business, but Trimble also pointed out it’s hard to predict whether anything will actually change, considering how challenging it is to get things done in government these days.

Miller said the current administration’s focus on climate and diversity, equity and inclusion will likely end on Day 1 under Trump’s leadership. He believes all executive orders addressing those topics will be reversed, leading to less oversight and fewer regulations.

In his view, this would streamline processes for small and mid-sized farms, easing the burdens. He’s optimistic about trade agreements and tariffs, noting Trump used tariff revenue to support farmers during his first term.

After the U.S. raised tariffs on Chinese imports, China retaliated, leading to a sharp decline in U.S. agricultural exports.

“A tariff is a tax on goods coming into a country, and if another nation has to pay a tax or a tariff, then they’re not going to [export] as much,” Bennett said. “If a retaliatory tariff happens, then that’s going to impact the demand for our product, and that’s exactly what happened before.”

The Trump administration allocated roughly $30 billion to aid farmers in 2019, a response to its trade policies, according to Forbes.

The Council on Foreign Relations confirmed in an article from its Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies that Trump’s China tariffs cost U.S. companies billions in new import taxes, while payouts to farmers hit by Chinese retaliation consumed over 92% of the trade-war tax revenue.

“I’m not saying that the tariff is bad or that it’s good, understand the policy use of it,” Bennett said. “Pure economics would say any trade restriction is bad, that the consumer is ultimately the one that suffers.”

A January 2024 study led by MIT economist David Autor on the National Bureau of Economic Research website found the 2018-2019 U.S. import tariffs had little impact on employment in newly-protected sectors, yet retaliatory tariffs from other countries hurt jobs, particularly in agriculture, despite subsidies to affected farmers.

Trump’s decision-making experience should be helpful, Bennett said. However, the global situation today is far different from four years ago, with unrest around the world creating market uncertainties that affect farmers and ranchers.

“It’s my hope that the new administration can calm some of the uncertainties down, open new markets, expand current markets. They’ve got the work cut out for them,” Bennett said. “What I see from current data right now, it suggests some trying economic times might be on the near horizon, and I don’t think the data cares about who won or lost in November.”

Despite the challenges posed by tariffs, farmers remain hopeful the Trump administration will support them by lowering prices and attracting more workers to the industry.

“Businesses like mine are growing. There’s more and more of an interest in this, the longer I’ve been in it,” Trimble said. “I think that’s going to continue, and it’s a good thing for young people to look into if they are interested in agriculture…It’s a good life for people that don’t mind the lifestyle.”