Agriculture
Your food probably traveled a long way before reaching the grocery store. Here’s why
The interest in local food systems, like farmer’s markets and direct farm-to-consumer sales, is on the rise. But the U.S. is still more reliant on imported foods than ever before.
USDA canceled a support program for small businesses. This Midwest grower may lose her farm
Farmers who were promised funding through the federal Regional Food Business Centers have been left in limbo after the Trump administration shut down the program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will honor grants the program already approved, but it’s unclear when.
Will Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ help farmers in the Midwest and Great Plains? It depends
The massive legislation extends tax cuts and increases safety nets for farmers who grow commodities, like corn, wheat and rice. But deep cuts to federal food assistance spending could hurt specialty growers who benefit from programs like Double Up Food Bucks.
Already in the red, rural hospitals across the Midwest brace for Medicaid changes
Health care leaders worry rural hospitals could be hit hard by Medicaid spending reductions in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” In the Midwest and Great Plains, Oklahoma and Kansas could face the highest risk of hospital closures and service reductions.
USDA’s end of diversity efforts in farm programs will mean ‘less food for the community’
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will no longer take a farmer’s race or gender into consideration for many of its loans and benefit programs.
Drought means ‘drier than normal.’ How will climatologists define drought if the new normal is dry?
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is developing a framework for assessing drought in a changing climate. It’s a difficult task, as what’s considered drought is often situational.
Some farmers are using this new, experimental practice to help prevent flooding
Across much of the Midwest, the atmosphere is becoming warmer and retaining more water, leading to heavier downpours. A two-crop system called relay intercropping could help farmers buffer weather whiplash and boost profits.
Beef prices are at an all-time high. Here’s why it’s gotten so expensive
Shoppers are seeing record high beef prices at the grocery store. That’s in part because the number of cattle in the U.S. is at an all-time low, while consumer demand has remained strong.
Chinese researchers charged with smuggling ‘agroterrorism weapon’ to infect Midwest crops
The FBI and Department of Justice hailed the arrests and charges as crucial in protecting national security and public safety.
Federal funding for these ag research labs ended. Now the search is on for new support
The Trump administration paused funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development in January, followed by a near-complete dismantling of the agency this spring, including the Feed the Future program.
Ranchers may have to relearn how to fight an old enemy — the New World screwworm
New World screwworms used to be a constant concern for ranchers, until they were eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960’s. Now that they’re on their way back, those who remember dealing with them have warnings about their impact.
A federal bill would make it easier for farmers to kill protected black vultures
Black vultures have a reputation for killing newborn livestock, which can be a problem for ranchers in the Great Plains and Midwest. Legislation efforts aim to remove permit requirements for farmers to shoot or capture the birds.