This story is the first in “Tough Times,” a Harvest Public Media series looking at the economic stress that many American farmers are facing in 2026.

Rows of green corn blanket Pat Mullooly’s farm in southern Wisconsin.

After months of preparing the ground, planting seeds and adding fertilizers and pesticides, much of his work for the season is already done.

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“Now, the crop is a little bit in Mother Nature’s hands,” said Mullooly, who is the sixth generation of his family to operate the farm just north of the border with Illinois.