Tariff Tangle: Why Your Food is in the Crosshairs

Tariffs aren’t just political strategy—they’re shaping what you eat, how much it costs, and whether the farms that feed you can survive. In this episode, we walk through the on-again, off-again tariff rollercoaster of March and April 2025—from Liberation Day declarations to global retaliation to quiet backpedaling—and explore how it’s impacting food prices, trade relationships, farm viability, and campaign promises.

You’ll hear directly from New Hampshire farmer Jeremiah Vernon on how grain tariffs from Canada are putting pressure on livestock farms, and why small farmers are bracing for higher input costs and tighter margins. Plus, a breakdown of the biggest U.S. agricultural imports and exports, how tariffs work, and what to watch for next.

Key Topics:

• What the U.S. exports and imports in food and agriculture
• Why China’s retaliatory tariffs hit U.S. soy, pork, and dairy
• How uncertainty is paralyzing farm planning and investment
• Why grocery prices are expected to rise—again
• The contradiction between tariff policy and campaign promises to lower food costs
• What you can do right now to support a resilient food system

Sources:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov)
• USDA Economic Research Service (ers.usda.gov)
• Reuters, AP News, New York Times, Financial Times
• The New York Times: [Tariff Chart Snapshot]
• OBIE original interview with Jeremiah Vernon, Vernon Family Farm