On a scorchingly hot day in the American Midwest, Tim Maxwell is voicing his fears about the future of farming.

The 65-year-old has worked the fields since he was a teenager. He now owns a grain and hog farm near Moscow, Iowa - but he's unsure about its prospects.

I'm in a little bit of a worried place, says Mr Maxwell, who wears a baseball cap bearing the logo of a corn company.

He is concerned that American farmers aren't able to sell their crops to international markets in the way they could in previous years, in part because of the fallout from President Trump's tariffs.

Our yields, crops and weather are pretty good - but our [interest from] markets right now is on a low, he says. It's going to put stress on some farmers.

His fears are not unique. US agricultural groups warn that American farmers are facing widespread difficulty this year, mostly due to economic tensions with China. Since April, the two countries have been locked in a trade war, causing a sharp fall in the number of Chinese orders for American crops.

As a result, the number of small business bankruptcies filed by farmers has reached a five-year high, according to data compiled by Bloomberg in July.

Despite this economic pain, rural areas might have shifted against Trump. Yet, polling reveals that he remains broadly popular in these communities. Rural Americans were a strong voting bloc for Trump during last year's election, outpacing his margins in 2020 and 2016.

Mr Maxwell expresses his continued support: I believe in our president. He underscores the sentiment that patience is required for the long-term benefits of the tariffs.

A visit to the Iowa State Fair illustrates how these farmers view the current situation. Conversations often center around the tariffs, with many suggesting that the administration's approach is a necessary bluff against China.

Others hope that Trump's strategies will lead to an eventual renegotiation of trade terms that could benefit them in the long run, despite the current struggles. Furthermore, officials note that the incentives for their loyalty may rely heavily on the outcomes of ongoing negotiations and the administration's response to the pressure on rural economies.

The situation remains precarious, as economic stress piles on psychological strains, prompting a warning from experts that rural America’s support for Trump is perhaps not unconditional and hinges on potential results in the near future.