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Mississippi River

In the barge business, this year has been "consistent, predictable and profitable"

by Kai Ryssdal and Sofia Terenzio
May 1, 2024
At Golding Barge Line in Vicksburg, Mississippi, volume and demand are stable, but rising prices continue to pose a challenge.
"Our equipment is more expensive than ever, to repair it is more expensive than ever," says Austin Golding of Golding Barge Line. "The ability for me to grow is really inhibited by that cost structure."
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
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Is shipping goods by barge good for the environment?

by Eric Schmid
Sep 18, 2023
Barges can move cargo with less fuel than a truck or train. But environmental experts are skeptical of emissions calculations.
A 15-barge tow approaches a lock and dam complex near Granite City, Illinois. Environmentalists say the carbon emissions generated by transit through locks and dams need to be better understood.
Eric Schmid/STLPR
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For a profitable barge line on the Mississippi, it is "still too expensive to grow"

by Kai Ryssdal and Sarah Leeson
Jul 25, 2023
"Even though our business is good, we're not seeing any growth," said Austin Golding, CEO of Golding Barge Lines in Mississippi.
Golding has also been working to improve work-life balance for his employees, saying, "When I ask you to come live at work, and work floats around the country, that's a big ask."
Mario Tama/Getty Images
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Low Mississippi River water levels drive up shipping costs

by Lily Jamali
Nov 15, 2022
The river is a critical pathway for all kinds of agricultural products, including grains and soy beans.
Barges, stranded by low water, sit at the Port of Rosedale along the Mississippi River.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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Farmers feeling the effects as drought slows shipping on the Mississippi

by Savannah Maher
Nov 9, 2022
Since the river isn't as deep as it normally is, some barges have had to lighten their loads.
Barges stranded by low water sit at the Port of Rosedale along the Mississippi River on Oct. 20, 2022.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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Despite drought, this Iowa farmer had a record harvest

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban
Nov 8, 2022
April Hemmes was in the "Goldilocks spot" when it came to weather.
April Hemmes on her farm in 2019. This year, she had a record soybean harvest despite a drought earlier in the year.
Ben Hethcoat/Marketplace
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Low water levels in the Mississippi River are disrupting the supply chain

by Kai Ryssdal and Anais Amin
Oct 24, 2022
Austin Golding says his family's barge business was able to plan ahead, but it's still costing the company money and productivity.
A tug pushes a barge down the Mississippi River through St. Paul, Minnesota.
Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images
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Life on America's rivers

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
May 10, 2019
"They hate her when they're with her and they miss her when they're gone" said Melody Golding, author of a new book about America's riverboat pilots.
Cannelton Locks on the Ohio River
Courtesy of Melody Golding
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Trade showdown

What its like to ship all the goods slapped with tariffs

by Kai Ryssdal and Bennett Purser
Aug 8, 2018
At the intersection of trade and tariffs ... the Mississippi River has seen it all.
A loaded barge is seen near the Mississippi River port of Memphis, Tennessee, on Aug. 15, 2012.
Robert MacPherson/AFP/GettyImages
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Midwestern farmers are tied to a Gulf dead zone

by Annie Baxter
Oct 9, 2017
Minnesota is trying to limit runoff carried by the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.
Soybeans are harvested near Worthington, Minnesota.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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