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Tennessee
‘We’re price takers at the end of the day’: Tennessee farmers grapple with rising costs, falling prices amid tough harvest season
HURRICANE MILLS, Tenn. (WKRN) — On a bright October afternoon, it looks like another steady harvest season in rural Humphreys County. Up close, it tells a different story.
Eric Mayberry farms more than 1,000 acres on the land his family has worked for generations. He’s also president of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, which is the largest in the nation.
You can say he knows the risks of farming better than most.
“It’s a gamble,” Mayberry said. “You put a seed in the ground and hope Mother Nature cooperates and that there’ll be a price high enough to make it worth it. You’ve got to have a leap of faith.”
This year, that leap feels longer.
Mayberry said he’s seeing record corn yields — more than 200 bushels an acre — but even that’s not enough to break even.
“Any other time that would be a somewhat joyous situation,” he said. “But it’s not really this year for us because we have so much money invested in this crop-per-acre that we’re going to break even or maybe even lose money on this farm.”
Across Tennessee, farmers are confronting the same reality: input costs that remain far above pre-pandemic levels and grain prices that continue to slide. Global demand for American crops has softened, and exports have slowed, leaving many with less income heading into winter.
“That’s just hard to absorb,” Mayberry said. “We pay full retail for our inputs and then we’re price-takers at the end of the day.”
He said this is his third year in this exact situation. Only this time, it’s worse.
It’s not just a Tennessee problem. Inflation, trade tensions and now a government shutdown have squeezed producers across the country.
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“Generally speaking, if you say tariff to a farmer, he’ll start shaking his head,” Mayberry said. “It is not good in the short term. It may be good in the long term.”
According to the Tennessee Farm Bureau, the state’s agriculture industry has lost an estimated $430 million this year alone and nearly $730 million over the last two years. Many farmers, Mayberry said, are holding off on buying new equipment or delaying repairs.
Still, despite the numbers and the worry, Mayberry isn’t giving up.
“I get frustrated with the political systems sometimes, but if you look around the world at some countries and the things they have to deal with, we’re still very fortunate to be Americans,” he said. “And I sure love being an American farmer.”
Tennessee
Is Taco Bell open on Easter? What’s open and closed in Tennessee
How countries around the world celebrate Easter
Easter is marked very differently around the globe.
unbranded – Lifestyle Vertical
If Easter Sunday snuck up on you and your fridge is empty, you’re not alone, and many restaurants will be open, providing convenient options for a holiday meal without the stress.
Amidst egg hunts, church services, and family visits, preparing a full Easter meal isn’t always feasible. However, this doesn’t mean the day has to be dull.
Most restaurants choose to stay open on Easter Sunday, but several choose to close instead and let employees enjoy the day. There are also restaurants closed every Sunday, so don’t expect any fresh chicken minis from Chick-fil-A in any Easter baskets.
Here are the restaurants that will be open and closed on Easter Sunday in Tennessee.
When is Easter 2026?
Easter Sunday will fall on April 5 in 2026.
The earliest date Easter can be is March 22, so while it may feel early this year compared to last year’s April 20, the holiday is right on time.
What restaurants are open for Easter 2026?
Most national chain restaurants will remain open throughout the state. For smaller chain eateries or popular local spots, it is advisable to call in advance to verify their Sunday operating hours.
What fast-food restaurants are open on Easter 2026?
Most national chains will still be open across Tennessee for the holiday. As for smaller chains or local hot spots, it is recommended to call ahead to confirm their hours on Sunday.
Are any restaurants closed on Easter?
While not many chain restaurants and fast food spots close on Easter Sunday, there are still a few you won’t be able to dine at:
Jordan Green covers trending news for The Commercial Appeal and Tennessee. She can be reached at jordan.green@commercialappeal.com.
Tennessee
Watch Reese Chapman’s unbelievable catch for Tennessee baseball vs LSU
Tennessee baseball right fielder Reese Chapman made one of the most unbelievable catches of the season to rob LSU of a home run.
In the top of the fifth inning, LSU’s Steven Milam smoked a 1-1 pitch from Landon Mack to deep right field. Chapman sprinted toward the wall.
The ball was headed out of the ballpark when Chapman leaped, caught the ball and slammed into the wall. He held on to end the inning, triggering a wild celebration by Mack and the UT dugout.
It was a critical play for the Vols midway through Game 1 of their LSU series on April 3 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
“I don’t know if we’re going to see a better one than that, boys,” said ESPN analyst Chris Burke, a former Tennessee baseball player. “It’s not just the play that he made.. It’s the complete disregard for your own body.”
Chapman almost single-handedly put Tennessee in the driver’s seat. He not only robbed LSU of a home run in the fifth, he also hit a home run to put the Vols ahead.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Blake Grimmer blooped a single to left-center. Then Chapman pulled a 0-1 pitch over the right-field wall for a two-run homer. It was his third home run of the season, putting Tennessee ahead 3-1.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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Tennessee
Americans would be ‘up at night worrying’ if they knew the truth about alien life, Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett says
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said the American people would be “up at night worrying” if they knew what he’s been briefed on about extraterrestrial life.
“I’ve been briefed by just about every alphabet agency there is. And, I’ll just say this, if they were to release the things that I’ve seen, you’d be up at night, worrying about, thinking about this stuff,” Burchett told Newsmax host Rob Finnerty on Wednesday.
Burchett — a member of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets — recalled that he was briefed two weeks ago “on an issue” about extraterrestrial life that “would have set the Earth” on fire and “unglued” the country if released.
“They would demand answers,” Burchett said without going into further detail.
When Finnerty played a clip of former Rep. Matt Gaetz alleging knowledge of alien-human hybrid breeding programs, Burchett stopped short of directly addressing the explosive claims.
“I’m still a member of Congress, so I can’t really comment too much on what Matt said,” Burchett told Finnerty.
“Wait, seriously?” Finnerty slightly pushed back.
“I’m being 100% serious,” Burchett replied.
Burchett said that he has advocated for “full disclosure” despite the potential impact the truth could have on the public.
“The public has a right to know, dadgummit, it’s your tax dollars. Let’s get it out there,” he said.
Burchett also said that the people handling these sensitive matters are at the heart of the issue.
“When I’m in a meeting, in a closed-door meeting, and I ask about the president’s points on these. And then I’m told by some arrogant, unelected bureaucrat that the president is on a need-to-know basis. I think that says everything it needs to be said about what’s going on,” he told Finnerty.
The congressman said he’s described the handling of sensitive information to President Trump as “layers of the onion,” with each peeled away revealing “another one underneath.”
“When I sit in a meeting, and some little punk with a man bun is sort of running the show, and you have decorated officer military officers in the meeting there that are basically unallowed to say anything, and you can read their faces,” he shared.
Burchett also weighed in on the alarming string of disappearances and deaths among the country’s top researchers in the field — including the mysterious disappearance of retired Air Force Gen. William McCasland in February and his former colleague, rocket scientist Monica Reza, eight months earlier.
“There are no coincidences in this town. These folks have disappeared or died mysteriously,” he said. “I think overall, I think there is a connection there. People just do not disappear … not in this day and age.”
“For the record, I’m not suicidal, and I don’t take risks,” he added.
Burchett’s remarks follow President Trump’s vow in February to direct the Pentagon and other agencies to release files on UFOs and “alien and extraterrestrial life” to the public.
“Based on the tremendous interest shown,” the president wrote, “I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.”
Since the president’s statement, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has registered the domains aliens.gov and alien.gov, according to People.
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