Drought in South Texas has farmers worried about their crops

Oct 17, 2022
In South Texas, two reservoirs supply water to both sides of the border. For the past few years, they’ve struggled to remain half-full.
Above, a cotton field post-harvest near Waxahachie, Texas, on Sep. 19. Farmers across south Texas are grappling with historically dry conditions.
Andy Jacobsohn/AFP via Getty Images

Black farmers' lawsuit points to limited remedies for past discrimination

Oct 13, 2022
A program to address USDA discrimination against Black farmers was revised after white farmers said it discriminated against them.
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Hurricane Ian spares fertilizer plants but sends a warning to the U.S. industry

Sep 29, 2022
A direct hit would have been bad news for a world already struggling without enough fertilizer.
The commission, formed by the Biden administration to look into discrimination against minority farmers, released its first report last week.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

How inflation and "wild weather" are affecting one family farm

Sep 27, 2022
Anne Schwagerl, co-owns and operates Prairie Point Farm in Minnesota, where she's experimenting with new crops.
At Prairie Point Farm, Anne Schwagerl says they'll harvest soybeans, then corn. Above, soybeans are planted on a farm.
Phill Magakoe/AFP via Getty Images

Nevada farmers shake up traditional water rights with a new way to fight scarcity

Sep 23, 2022
Growers agreed to a plan that requires all irrigators to reduce their water use over time, instead of using a senior water rights strategy.
Marty Plaskett, a hay farmer in Diamond Valley, Nevada, stands near one of the irrigation pivots that waters his alfalfa field.
Kaleb Roedel/Mountain West News Bureau

The Corn Belt is facing smaller yields, but higher prices are keeping this farmer's hopes up

Sep 15, 2022
Drought has made the last few years tough for farmers like Keith Alverson of Chester, South Dakota. But higher corn prices are keeping him optimistic.
Farmers in the Corn Belt have endured two years of drought.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

What might it take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture?

Sep 15, 2022
The USDA is doling out about $3 billion to projects that provide incentives for sustainable farming and forestry practices.
The Biden administration plans to invest billions into battling greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the carbon footprint.
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Early signs indicate weaker than expected U.S. corn crop

Sep 9, 2022
Smaller U.S. grain yields could put pressure on an already-strained global food market.
A below-average corn crop could have global implications.
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Farm tourism puts vacationers to work — and they love it

Sep 5, 2022
On a Minnesota egg farm, visitors embrace a more intimate agritourism experience — in which they sleep and even work on the farm.
This small outbuilding at the Locally Laid Egg Farm in Wrenshall, Minnesota, is one-third chicken coop, two-thirds vacation rental — separated only by panes of glass.
Dan Kraker

Horses are again working in French vineyards

Aug 4, 2022
The animals can work land that is inaccessible to tractors, and vineyard owners say they improve the soil for grapes. But they raise costs as well.
A horse named Diva at work at Chandon de Briailles, one of many French vineyards that use horses instead of tractors.
John Laurenson