Agriculture
As Regulations Vanish, One Missouri County is Ground Zero for Factory Farming Debate
The state eliminated local control over large animal feeding operations. Some rural residents want that power back.
The Giving Grove’s Little Orchards Cast Long Shadows
The Giving Grove is empowering communities in Kansas City and several other cities to plant orchards to combat food insecurity.
Food Waste Piling Up More Than Ever
Americans are really good at wasting food. In fact, we’re wasting more with every passing year. Here’s what you can do to help prevent food waste, or at least put it to better use.
Shivered Timbers: Cold Season Brings Surging Demand for Firewood and Real Christmas Trees
Christmas tree and firewood demand is up, as the pandemic forces people to celebrate the season from their own homes.
Goodbye Big Bird: Pandemic Thanksgiving Drives Demand for Small Turkeys
The COVID-19 pandemic is prompting families to downsize Thanksgiving feasts, which is driving demand for smaller turkeys.
Big Mood Swings Down on the Farm
A Purdue University study finds farmers are optimistic about 2020 harvest, thanks to a big crop, higher prices and government checks. But a Biden Presidency could change things.
Sweet Surrender: A ‘Bee Experience’ Chases Away Pandemic Blues
Circle Back Farm in Drexel, Missouri, has embraced the “bee experience” to encourage agritourism in support of the crucial pollinators.
Farm-to-Tablet: TikTok Farmers Shine a Light on Rural Life
While the United States and China fight over the fate of TikTok, farmers are embracing the social media platform to share their lives.
Farmers Also Getting Government Help During Pandemic
Just as individuals got stimulus checks and businesses tapped the Paycheck Protection Program to survive the economic shock caused by the pandemic, farmers are getting cash to compensate for steep drops in crop prices.
Seeds of Despair: Hundreds of Farmers are Dying by Suicide
Mounting financial pressures, social isolation and a lack of access to mental-health care are contributing to a suicide crisis in rural America.