Demand for raw milk is strong, even as bird flu in cattle adds new concerns about health risks
Raw milk continues to grow in popularity, despite bird flu in dairy cattle bringing increased scrutiny from health experts.
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Pork producers face longer drives and higher costs after tough years lead to packing plant closures
Over the last two years, several large pork packers have closed plants in California, Minnesota and most recently Iowa. For some pork producers, this means additional miles and more money to deliver hogs on top of tough economic times.
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Peaches are bountiful again after last year’s poor crop. But it’s more mixed in one Midwest state
The peach crop across the U.S. is much better this summer than it was last year when cold temperatures affected crops in Georgia and South Carolina. Yet in southern Illinois, while some orchards are getting a bumper crop, others are having yet another year of low production.
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A big start to wildfire season could mean another smoky summer in the Midwest and Great Plains
Drought and some holdover wildfires from last year in Canada are already sending smoke into the Midwest and Great Plains.
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Grass lawns are a landscape staple, but an environmental reckoning may change that
The first English word for “lawn” dates back to the early 1500s, described as an “open space among trees.” Lawns today are a far cry from that description, but they’ve come to dominate our physical — and cultural — landscapes. Now concerns over environmental impacts are propelling yet another redefinition.
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Drought lingers in parts of the Midwest and Great Plains. ‘You have to have some hope’
Planting is well underway across the Midwest, but farmers are still grappling with dry conditions that led to lower than normal corn yields last fall. It’s the third year of a near historic drought for parts of the Corn Belt.
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Wool prices are so low, Midwest sheep producers have to find new uses — or raise sheep without it
A strong spring wind rattles the metal, corrugated barn on the Cory Family Farm where inside, a few dozen sheep cluster next to a wall. Across the barn on the opposite wall, shearers are at work quickly removing a year’s worth of shaggy, white fleeces from ewes and rams. The shorn sheep emerge, looking sleeker…
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Cutting SNAP benefits is ‘not the right policy’ for farm bill, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack says
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — the food program for low-income individuals — has become one of the hottest topics in farm bill negotiations, as congressional Republicans seek more changes. As Farm Bill negotiations hit full force in Washington D.C. in the next few weeks, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he’s not on board…
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Biochar — an ancient farming method — is finding new life improving soil and burying carbon
Nick Cuchetti is mixing up something special in a bucket on his family farm in Luebbering, Missouri. The dusty substance looks a lot like charcoal, but scientists who study it bristle at the comparison. This is biochar — a soil amendment and a hot topic in sustainable agriculture. As Cuchetti pours the biochar onto his…
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Bird flu is spreading in dairy herds. Midwest farmers say they’re vigilant but not alarmed
The flu has been found in cows for the first time, but most cattle seem to be showing only mild symptoms and recovering from the illness. Officials say the pasteurization process means milk remains safe. Midwest farmers and others in the dairy industry say they are staying vigilant but are not overly alarmed as bird…
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Raising roosters is big business. Now a push to ease penalties for cockfighting is ruffling feathers
There are rows and rows of small white structures housing individual roosters on Troy Thompson’s farm in southern Oklahoma. “You know, some people like pigs, some people like horses — I like chickens,” Thompson said. These breeds of colorful Hatches and Kelsos are said to derive from jungle fowl and have historically been bred for…
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This farmer’s livelihood was ruined by PFAS-contaminated fertilizer that few Midwest states test for
Biosolids — a type of treated sewage byproduct from wastewater treatment plants — are used as a nutrient-rich fertilizer on farms across the Midwest. But a group of toxic “forever chemicals” are slipping through the cracks and could be inadvertently contaminating millions of acres of farmland. Jason Grostic comes from a long line of…
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Most veterinarians are women, but they still face sexism in rural areas where they’re most needed
When Dr. Bailey Lammers started her veterinary career nearly a decade ago in her home state of Nebraska, she joined a minority of women practicing in rural areas. At first, Lammers said clients were hesitant of her ability to care for their livestock. “There would be times where they would call in and be like,…
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Ag groups and lawmakers warn of a monopoly in the fertilizer industry with one plant’s sale
The sale of a fertilizer plant in southeast Iowa to Koch Industries is shining a spotlight on consolidation in the industry. Several groups are asking the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to carefully review the deal. When Koch Industries announced a $3.6 billion dollar deal in December to buy OCI’s Iowa Fertilizer…
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Aging farmers and fewer farms in the new agriculture census should be a ‘wake up call,’ says Vilsack
The average farmer in the U.S. is now 58 years old, according to the Census of Agriculture, released Tuesday. There are also fewer farms in the country than there were in the last census. The average age of farmers in the U.S. is continuing to increase while the number of farms declines, according to new…
