The federal government is making it easier for farmers to grow food as the nation faces record inflation and supply chain issues.

The USDA is allowing farmers to insure a second crop planted and harvested on the same piece of land — a practice known as double or relay cropping.

One farmer in Iowa started planting a second crop back in 2016.

Until this week, it was illegal to insure his second crop — soybeans.

"That's why we have these meetings to help other farms understand what we're doing. That's why we push so hard with the insurance program. I went on my own without insurance. I could handle that, but I know for other farmers to transition they need that crutch," Loran Steinlage said.

The USDA said the goal is to help avoid a food shortage.

Watch the video above for the full story.

Humans aren't the only ones coming down sick ahead of the holiday season.  

"Just like people get the flu, birds get the flu. Some strains are a lot worse than others. In this case, it's really bad. It kills the birds," said David Anderson, an economist at AgriLife. 

Across the country, avian flu outbreaks are taking a toll on the turkey and chicken industry, leaving farmers scrambling as they try to protect their birds. 

"We started off the year as normal at our normal time with 600 birds. They had not even left the rooting barn yet; the bird flu came into the area," said Cathy Cabalo, the owner of Cabalo's Orchard and Gardens. "When we're looking at 600 turkeys, that are bread and butter to the season, we didn't dare let them outside."

As of November 1, 43 states had at least one confirmed infected flock according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture — with Iowa being one of the hardest hit states in recent weeks. Officials estimate that nearly 48 million birds in the U.S. have been affected so far. 

Out of the 585 flocks confirmed to have cases of Avian flu, 333 are backyard flocks – with the CDC advising folks raising their own birds to do so with caution. That means wearing protective equipment like goggles and masks especially when handling sick or dead birds. 

SEE MORE: Bird Flu Spreading Across The Country, Detected In At Least 29 States

The avian flu is not just an American problem, in the U.K, poultry farmers have been ordered to keep birds indoors as the country has recorded its largest spread on record more than 200 cases. In Japan, 40,000 chickens were ordered slaughtered following positive tests. 

As case numbers rise, businesses are struggling to keep up with holiday demand. 

"Between Avian influenza and high feed costs, right there you have the recipe for higher prices. We see right now at the store, whether wholesale or retail prices," said Anderson. 

Greg Schmidt is the manager of Tower Chicken Farm. 

"My supplier lost over 100,000 birds just in the month of August," said Schmidt. 

Add in inflation and shoppers are feeling the pinch in their wallet. According to Auburn University, turkey prices are 25% higher than they were this time last year — with turkey production estimated to decline 6.4% in 2022. The price of a 15 pound turkey is now nearly $21 compared to $15 last year. 

"Right now we're seeing a little bit of a shortage in the bigger sizes," said Scott Podd, co-owner of Ray's Butcher Shop. 

And if you are looking for a big bird for your Thanksgiving table, industry experts warn that the sooner you purchase or order your holiday bird, the better off you'll be adding that last minute shoppers might find themselves out of "cluck." 

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BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — Dozens of chickens at Aspen Moon Farm in northern Colorado provide eggs for thousands of people in its community.

Every week, the eggs are sold through the county’s farmer’s market. Farm Manager Josh Olsen says ordering food through the market is a great way to support your community.

“It’s going directly into the family’s pocket and to the local economy,” Olsen said.

Considering farmers markets are typically a place where many people gather, a lot has changed since the start of the pandemic. Boulder County Farmers Markets went online.

“All of the sudden instead of having the vegetables speak for themselves, photos had to be taken, descriptions had to populated into these online platforms,” Olsen said.

Going online is something Boulder County Farmers Markets Executive Director Brian Coppom says they always intended to do. Along with it, curbside pickup, and a lot of logistics to figure out.

“It took purchasing box trucks, refrigerated trucks, we had to purchase walk-in coolers, freezers, tables, sanitation equipment, PPE, we had to invest in simple things like thermometers and pulse oximeters to check the staff on a regular basis,” Coppom said.

Through many months of trial and error, Coppom says they’ve nearly perfected the process. He’s eager to share their success with other farmers across the country. That’s where Farmers Market Coalition comes into play.

“We really like to create this network for farmers market operators to communicate with each other," Farmers Market Coalition's Hannah Fuller said. "And we’ve heard from a lot of those operators that that network has been really important for sharing expertise but also just not feeling alone in this really unique position in running a farmers market.”

Hannah Fuller says the coalition conducted a survey last summer and found approximately one fourth of farmers markets had moved their operations online. Others have continued in-person shopping with social distancing and sanitation protocols. Stephanie Fenty, who is also with the Farmers Market Coalition, says farmers' resiliency became clear when there was a shortage of food at grocery stores.

“A lot of things weren’t available just because the food chain was basically failing during a national emergency," Fenty said. "And that really showed the importance of local food systems because at that time, we saw local food sales dramatically increase.”

There’s more than one silver lining. In Boulder County, going online has opened a wide range of possibilities. A season that would typically end in October has continued throughout the winter months. Now people can order and pick up all year round.

“There are root vegetables – storage crops – crops that keep during the winter," Coppom said. "So there’s onions and potatoes and radishes, and daikon radishes and rutabagas.”

Coppom says farmers markets have grown a lot from the pandemic and he hopes the new systems continue even after we get back to some sense of normalcy – giving more people access to healthy and delicious local food.

“The closer we are as a community to the source of our food, the more we’re tied together and the more meaningful those dinner parties become,” Coppom said.

For decades, Black farmers say they have been at the mercy of historically discriminatory lending practices by the U.S. government and banks that do not treat them fairly.

“Farming is really hard for white males, and if it’s really hard for white males, then it’s dreadful for anyone else,” said Zephrine Hanson, an urban farmer who grows small crops she then sells to artisan shops.

Hanson and others say the practices have led to a precipitous decline in the number of Black farmers in our country.

According to the Census of Agriculture, there were roughly 1 million Black farmers in the United States in 1920, comprising around 14 percent of the total number of farmers in the United States.

In 2020, according to the same data, the number of Black farmers in the U.S. had fallen to 45,000, comprising only 1.4 percent of all farmers.

“You know, when you take a man’s farm, it’s not like he’s going down to work at McDonald’s,” said Dr. John Boyd, CEO of the National Black Farmer’s Association. “You break his spirit. You take his history, and dignity, and respect, and you crush him.”

Boyd says he founded the NBFA in the 1980s after he and four other Black farmers would experience discriminatory practices at the hands of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) when they would go into the office and ask for loans.

“At one particular time, [the director of the local USDA] spat on my shirt,” said Boyd. “He tore my application up and threw it in the trash can. I was pleading for $5,000, and this white farmer comes in, during my time when I’m supposed to be getting this loan, and he passes [the white farmer] a government check for $157,000.”

We reached out twice to the USDA for comment but have not gotten a response.

Boyd says, today, discrimination is less blatant. It can be something like pleasantly-worded letters saying loans cannot be processed and a farmer will have to try again next year. But to farmers of color, it is difficult; federal loans are often their only funding option outside of predatory lenders and suppliers who charge outrageous interest rates.

Otherwise, in a business built on credit, Black farmers are pushed out and forced to sell their farms.

“I’ll be honest, I hope the USDA changes, but I’m not waiting,” said Hanson. “That’s definitely something they’ll have to want to change.”

In 1997, more than 400 Black farmers filed a class action lawsuit against the USDA in what became known as Pigford vs. Glickman, charging the agency with discrimination against Black farmers. The government settled for more than $1.25 billion, the largest discrimination settlement ever paid by the federal government.