Tag: agriculture

farmer cattle

Federal drought relief policies leave some farmers out to dry

  Programs that provide drought relief to farmers use the U.S. Drought Monitor to determine eligibility, but some experts say it doesn’t always capture local conditions.   On a recent fall day, as Wilburn Harris did the rounds on his cattle farm in the Missouri town of Drexel, he was met with brown grass, cracked

eggs

Bird flu outbreaks made egg prices more expensive. Here’s what to know

  The U.S. Department of Agriculture is projecting that egg prices will decrease in the coming months. But experts said that all depends on whether there are any further bird flu outbreaks.   Outbreaks of bird flu earlier this year are making eggs pricier. The wholesale price for eggs peaked at $3.30 per dozen in recent months,

cattle

Cows produce planet-warming gases. What does that mean for a beef-lover’s diet?

Cattle contribute more greenhouse gases than other livestock. The reasons behind that have some ranchers trying to address environmental impacts, while experts say there are also ways for you to curb your plate’s climate footprint.     From her home in eastern Nebraska, Angie O’Brien does what she can to help the environment. She reduces,

Supporting Illinois’ Family Farms: A Community Discussion

Illinois Public Media hosted an advance screening of the film, “Greener Pastures” on September 15, 2023 at The Virginia Theatre with collaborator, The Land Connection.  The film premieres on PBS stations March 25, 2024. Greener Pastures trailer: The post-film discussion has been edited for length and clarity.  Kimberlie Kranich  Good evening, everybody. Welcome. I’m Kimberlie

Illinois congresswoman says U.S. farmland is under threat of foreign control

CHAMPAIGN – Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL15) on Monday introduced a bill that would place a five-year moratorium on U.S. land purchases by foreign nationals. The Saving American Farms from Adversaries Act is Miller’s first bill of the 118th congress. According to Miller, foreign investment in U.S. farmland has tripled during the past 10 years. She

When it comes to chemical fertilizer – less is more, new study says

Farmers can use far less chemical fertilizer — which can be expensive and harmful to the environment — and maintain high crop yields, according to a new study. The findings of a new, long-term academic study may lay some farmers’ fears to rest: farming regeneratively, or farming in ways that benefits soil, water and air quality, doesn’t

The effects of bird flu ripple through one Iowa county, the hardest hit in the nation

https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s60/audio/2022/06/0617bvbirdfluweb.mp3 Nearly 5.5 million chickens and turkeys have died or had to be destroyed in Buena Vista County, Iowa, during the latest bird flu outbreak — more than in any other county in the nation. That’s impacted producers, as well as workers and their families. Colin Johnson has been around turkeys for nearly seven decades.