In an ongoing review of agricultural policy claims in Midwest political debates, PolitiFact investigated a statement by Iowa Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek asserting that Iowa currently leads the United States in farm foreclosures. Turek made the remark during a televised candidate debate while criticizing federal farm policies, arguing that economic pressures and high operating costs were disproportionately bankrupting local family farming operations.
PolitiFact analyzed official bankruptcy records from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts alongside agricultural financial data compiled by the United States Department of Agriculture. While farm insolvencies under Chapter 12 filings have ticked upward in several Midwestern agricultural belts due to fluctuating grain prices and interest rates, court filings reveal that states including Georgia, Texas, and Wisconsin recorded higher numbers of farm bankruptcies than Iowa. Consequently, the claim was rated mostly false because it overstated Iowa’s comparative position in national agricultural distress rankings.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
Stabel is AI and can make mistakes.
Sources: