Shuttered offices, potentially high fertilizer costs: Here’s what the situation in Ukraine means for U.S. agriculture
As Ukraine continues to fight against Russian forces, experts warned of potential fallout for the U.S. agriculture industry. On Feb. 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine, and Russian troops stormed into the country. Reportedly, tens of thousands have died, and about half a million people have fled their homes, according to […]
It takes tons of water to put meat on Americans’ plates. But most meat companies don’t ensure conservation in their supply chains.
Water is critical to America’s meat habit. Cows, pigs and chickens drink it. Farmers clean barns and cool animals with it. Meatpackers sanitize plants and wash their product with it. But, most importantly, water grows the crops needed to feed the millions of animals raised and slaughtered each year that end up on Americans’ tables. […]
‘A pretty big sea change’: EPA says it will consider endangered species when approving new pesticides — without the threat of lawsuits
Before approving new pesticides for use on crops or around homes, the Environmental Protection Agency is supposed to determine what impact they’ll have on endangered species. But, for decades, usually the only way to ensure the agency would start the process was to sue. In January, however, the EPA announced it plans to assess whether new […]
The American Farm Bureau Federation claims it’s the ‘Voice of Agriculture.’ These groups beg to differ.
This story is a collaboration between Investigate Midwest and Watchdog Writers Group. The newsrooms are continuing to cover Farm Bureaus and their influence. Is there an aspect of the Farm Bureau you think is underreported or not getting enough attention? Please contact Sky Chadde, sky.chadde@investigatemidwest.org, or Madison McVan, madison.mcvan@investigatemidwest.org. The American Farm Bureau Federation calls itself the “Voice […]
The People Who Pick America’s Fruits And Vegetables Are Getting Older
The average age of farmworkers born outside the U.S. steadily increased from 2008 to 2019, while the average age of U.S.-born workers has stayed about the same over the same period. Foreign-born farmworkers are on average 5 years older than their U.S.-born counterparts. An analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Environmental Research Service attributes the […]
‘Unique Historical Fear’ Of Carle Billing Practices May Lead Some To Skip COVID Vaccine, Health Officials Worry
CHAMPAIGN — Eight years ago, Terry Maher, a professional bassoonist living in Champaign, was unexpectedly charged a hospital “facility fee” for allergy shots that she had received from her local doctors’ group, Carle Health, every three weeks for years. “I freaked out,” Maher recalled. “I had to pay co-payments on these things and they said […]
Illinois Billionaire Shahid Khan Investing In Thousands Of Acres Of The State’s Farmland
Illinois billionaire Shahid Khan is known for building the automotive parts company Flex ‘N Gate, based in Urbana, IL, into a global manufacturer with 69 facilities around the world. He also is known as the owner of the National Football League team Jacksonville Jaguars and the UK’s Fulham F.C. soccer team. In addition, he has […]
Popular Flea Collar Linked To Almost 1,700 Pet Deaths; The EPA Has Issued No Warning
Rhonda Bomwell had never used a flea and tick collar before. Pierre, her 9-year-old Papillon service dog, was mostly an indoor animal. Still, her veterinarian recommended she purchase one, so Bomwell went to the pet store near her home in Somerset, New Jersey, and selected Bayer’s Seresto collar. A day later, on June 2, 2020, […]
DOL Watchdog: OSHA’s Virtual Inspections During Pandemic Likely Led To Dangerous Workplaces
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s decision during the COVID-19 pandemic to conduct many inspections virtually — instead of onsite — risked worker safety, the U.S. Department of Labor’s inspector general concluded in an audit report released Tuesday. The report does not specifically mention OSHA’s enforcement at meatpacking plants, which quickly became COVID-19 hotspots last year, but […]
Industry Lobbying Left Nursing Homes Vulnerable In Pandemic
Published in collaboration with the Investigative Reporting Workshop. Even before COVID-19, aides caring for elderly and disabled people in nursing homes often were overworked and underpaid, doing everything from changing linens to helping residents eat to physically rotating them to prevent bedsores. Ashley Ford often was one of four aides for as many as 42 residents […]
Bayer’s Rejection Of Quick COVID-19 Testing Resulted In Delayed Isolation For Migrant Workers, Officials Say
RANTOUL – At least eight migrant workers who were infected with COVID-19 waited several days before isolating because the company they worked for, Bayer, declined to pay for expedited tests, Champaign County health officials said. The company’s rejection came after its occupational health team had agreed to pay about $5,000 in quick testing for about […]
Reports On “Recovered” Covid-19 Cases Inconsistent And Incomplete
As Covid-19 surges again in the U.S., the high percentage of “recovered” cases might be cited as a sign that a vast majority of those infected quickly rid themselves of the virus. But the “recovered” statistics are incomplete, inconsistent and call into question the accuracy of any total number of recovered cases, according to a […]
Farmers’ Struggles With Mental Health Increase Amid Pandemic
CHAMPAIGN — Meg Moynihan knows what it’s like to struggle. In 2016 she and her husband, who own an organic dairy farm in Minnesota, found themselves without a processor, which turns farm milk into a consumer product. Their farm was too far a drive for too little milk, they were told. They didn’t find another […]
Controversial Herbicide Dicamba No Longer Legal, Federal Court Rules
Farmers can no longer spray the controversial pesticide dicamba over-the-top of genetically modified soybeans and cotton, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday. Dicamba is a weed killer that skyrocketed in use in recent years after agribusiness giant Monsanto introduced genetically engineered soybean and cotton seeds that resist the herbicide. The ruling means […]
Processing Plant Hit With Covid-19 Under Scrutiny Since March
The meat processing plant hit with a coronavirus outbreak came under scrutiny by health officials in March before it was cited for being more than 90% out of compliance with infection control practices last week. Public health officials said they visited Rantoul Foods – which had 47 confirmed cases of Covid-19 as of May 5 […]
