Rural/Farming / Public News Service

Some 899 of 936 public comments on the plan for the proposed West Fork Dam, or 96%, opposed the West Fork Battle Creek Dam project, according to a tally by Wyofile. (Adobe Stock)

Friday, September 20, 2024

Feds ask WY to recalculate cost of proposed West Fork Dam

A federal agency is requiring Wyoming to update cost estimates for a large proposed dam in Carbon County, which has been under feasibility studies …

According to the newly-formed South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative, over 100,000 South Dakotans experience food insecurity, including 24,000 children. (Yakobchuk Olena/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

New SD collaborative to address food insecurity

In observance of Hunger Action Month, a new statewide collaborative has launched to address food insecurity in South Dakota. Nearly 14% of U.S…

Environmental researchers say locally based-food growers tend to be more conscious about minimizing harmful runoff from their farmland. (Adobe Stock)

WI program serves up fresh produce, with a side of climate benefits

Access to nutritious food can be hard to come by for underserved populations. A Wisconsin program that relies on contributions from locally based …

More than 180 local and state elected officials from more than 40 states are coming together urging Congress to reject the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed ‘EATS’ Act could devour NY agriculture laws

A federal bill could spell trouble for New York farmers. The Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act would remove local and state governments' …

One cow can produce up to 264 pounds of methane every year, and it's estimated that livestock production is responsible for 30% of global anthropogenic methane emissions. (Adobe Stock)

How livestock farming fuels climate change

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

Federal lawmakers respond to WY wolf abuse, state's response

Following the torture of a wolf by a Wyoming man, a state panel is seeking a bill to protect the killing of predators with vehicles, but Federal …

A multistate outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cows was first reported on March 25, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

As USDA announces field trials for bird flu, UT veterinarian expects long process

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved field trials for bird flu vaccines among cattle, but one Utah State veterinarian says to his …

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources must report annual greenhouse gas inventories to the legislature and governor each year. (Adobe Stock)

Iowa releases 'Condition of the State' report on clean energy goals

Alternative energy advocates say Iowa is making significant progress on reaching its green power goals by 2035. The state has become a national …

The North Dakota Farmers Union said more frequent and devastating natural disasters place added pressure on farmers and more robust conservation programs in a new Farm Bill could help make agricultural landscapes more climate resilient. (Adobe Stock)

ND farmers: It's déjà vu as Farm Bill deadline inches closer

Congress is back from recess and lawmakers are hearing from producers about getting a new Farm Bill passed with the latest deadline looming…

Green chiles take center stage next month when New Mexico extension agents offer classes in preservation techniques. (Photo courtesy of NMSU)

NM experts dish up best techniques for preserving green chile

The growing season is winding down in New Mexico and experts want to make sure the people preserving green chile for the colder months are doing it ri…

Groups such as the National Barn Alliance, Iowa Barn Foundation and Friends of Minnesota Barns<br />spearhead major efforts to preserve America's historic barns and rural heritage in the Midwest and nationwide. (John Wilson)

Preserving MI barns, upholding community solidarity

By Cinnamon Janzer for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Chrystal Blair for Michigan News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Servic…

So far, 34 farmers markets, food hubs and retail locations across the state offer Colorado SNAP Produce Bonus. (Adobe Stock)

Pilot program makes fresh Colorado produce accessible to more families

As Colorado's fall harvest kicks into high gear, people participating in SNAP, the program formerly known as food stamps, can now get up to $60 per …

Lawmakers are considering a provision in the current Farm Bill to incorporate

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MA fishermen see opportunity as Farm Bill advances

Massachusetts fishermen said they are optimistic the next Farm Bill will provide greater support to smaller, community-based fishing fleets. The …

In response to the House Draw Fire, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department invited reports of injured wildlife to a hotline typically used to report poaching. (Adobe Stock)

WY communities pitch in on wildfire recovery efforts

Recent extreme wildfires in Wyoming burned nearly 500,000 acres and among those recovering are ranchers and their surviving livestock. Wildfires …

Sheep graze on a solar field in Garrard County owned by Silicon Ranch Corp. (Silicon Ranch)

KY communities consider solar zoning ordinances

As Fayette County considers approving industrial-scale solar operations on farmland, more communities in the Commonwealth are considering special …

Solar energy costs far less than fossil fuels. The International Energy Agency finds utility-level solar costs about $20 per unit less to produce than natural gas. (Adobe Stock)

Misinformation prevents VA from reaping solar-energy benefits

Although most Virginians support and prefer solar energy, misinformation is keeping more of it from being built. Several counties and cities have …

In a new national survey, people 65 and older were more likely than other age groups to think raw milk was less safe than pasteurized milk. (Adobe Stock)

Rural residents more likely to consider raw milk to be safe

By Tim Marema for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collaboration…

Weston Lombard, at his Athens County farm, uses regenerative practices funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. (Photo credit Sijie Yuan)

Ohio reacts to Biden's investment targeting rural electrification

President Joe Biden has announced a landmark $7.3 billion investment, the largest since the FDR New Deal, aimed at electrifying rural America…

Brazil and Vietnam are currently the largest coffee-producing countries in the world. Production is increasing in China and even in California and on the Gulf Coast. (Somchai20162516/Adobe Stock)

Climate solutions for the future of coffee

By Anne Connor for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public Ne…

The Center for Rural Affairs said if all forecasted solar in the Midwest was developed on prime farmland, it would occupy only 1.45% to 2.9% of such farmland in this part of the nation. (Adobe Stock)

Tractors, barns and solar panels: Renewables help reshape MN ag land use

Minnesota has plenty of prime farmland, with some of it being converted in the transition to clean energy sources such as solar. The movement has …

Independent agriculture producers are asking Congress to consider small family farmers in the next Farm Bill, which has yet to be debated in the nation's capital. (Adobe Stock)

Family farmers call for a level playing field

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering new rules, seeking to level the playing field for independent farmers in Iowa and across the …

Meatpackers are able to lower the cost of processing each animal by running bigger operations compared to smaller facilities. (Dragosh/Adobe Stock)

AR ranchers want a bigger cut from beef industry

The price of beef could be on the minds of Arkansas farmers and ranchers when they go to the polls in November. Currently, just four companies - …

Practical Farmers of Iowa is offering landowners incentives to restore habitat to low-yield areas. (Adobe Stock)

Incentives for farmers work to restore Iowa habitat, protect soil

Practical Farmers of Iowa is looking for landowners who want to help restore natural habitat on their property, and get help doing it. It's part of …

Research shows South Dakota had the fifth-highest rate of cropland abandonment between 1986 and 2018, trailing Texas, North Dakota, Kansas and Montana. (Adobe Stock)

Former croplands could be ‘sweet spot’ for renewable-energy production

Researchers mapped American croplands that have fallen out of production in hopes of inspiring new uses for them, such as renewable energy. Roughly 3…

Seventy U.S. Supreme Court decisions and 17,000 lower court decisions have relied on Chevron, a 1984 case that set precedent and that the Supreme Court overruled in June. (Michele Ursi/Adobe Stock)

U.S. Supreme Court decision could shape animal farm regulations

By Marlena Williams for Sentient.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service …

A mega-dairy concentrated animal feeding operations can produce as much waste as a city without the benefit of an advanced sewage treatment system. (ArtemZakharov/Adobe Stock)

NM group seeks moratorium on new factory farms

By Lena Beck for Modern Farmer.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for New Mexico News Connection reporting for the Modern Farmer-Public News Service Colla…

Every five years, the Farm Bill expires and is renewed through a lengthy process of proposal, debate, and approval by Congress, followed by the President's signature to become law. (JackF/Adobe Stock)

MO livestock producers seek fairness in consolidated meat industry

Missouri livestock producers are pushing Congress to restore country-of-origin labeling for beef in the next farm bill, believing it'll boost their …

Last year, the U.S government issued more than 300,000 visas for migrant agrucultural producers around the world. (Ralph/Adobe Stock)

Nonprofit looks to improve conditions for Eastern Shore ag workers

A nonprofit is looking to improve the living and working conditions of migrant farm workers in Virginia's Eastern Shore. Every year, hundreds of …

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, lower courts usually define a

MN livestock producers may take concerns to the polls

Concerns about consolidation in the meat industry could drive livestock producers to the polls. Just four companies process about 85% of American …

Health effects from exposure toxic algae include skin rashes, headaches, vomiting, pneumonia and more, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. (Adobe Stock/AI-generated)<br />

Toxic algae blooms are on the rise in WV, industrial farming a driving cause

Harmful algae bloom events are increasing, according to a recent analysis of EPA data from the advocacy group Environment America and have occurred …

Health effects from exposure to toxic algae include skin rashes, headaches, vomiting, pneumonia and more, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. (Adobe Stock/AI-generated)<br />

Factory farms cited as one cause of rise in toxic algae blooms

According to the latest Environmental Protection Agency data, harmful algae bloom events are increasing across the country - including in Wisconsin…

More than 80 percent of Oklahoma's wastewater sludge ends up in crop fields, according to an analysis by Investigate Midwest. (Losonsky/Adobe Stock)

Concern grows over 'forever chemicals' in biosolid fertilizers

By Ben Felder for Investigate Midwest.Broadcast version by Will Walkey for Oklahoma News Service reporting for the Investigate Midwest-Public News Ser…

A field of sunflowers is shown on fourth-generation Koelling land in Ord, Nebraska. The Koellings grew their sunflower oil business with the help of the USDA's Rural Energy for America Program. (Photo courtesy of Alan Koelling, Simply Sunflowers)

Federal funds back renewable energy, efficiency upgrades for NE ag, small business

Nebraska ag producers and small businesses have until Sept. 30 to apply for the latest funding round of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural …

In the summer of 2024, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers visited rural communities to discuss the progress of a new state program to help agricultural areas fund road improvement projects. (Photo courtesy of Evers' office)

Roadwork ahead in WI farmlands

As the fall harvest season inches closer, Wisconsin farmers are hoping for promising yields but if the rural roads around them are crumbling…

University of Minnesota officials said a new climate change prediction tool means information gathering is not just for the research community but by the broader public as they prepare for possible scenarios. (Adobe Stock)

Wanna know what climate change looks like in 50 years? MN tool can help

From government planners to farmers to residents, those wondering how climate change will affect Minnesota in the decades to come can now get the …

The recipients of the USDA's Discrimination Financial Assistance Program include more than 23,000 individuals who have operated farms or ranches, receiving assistance up to $500,000. (JackF/Adobe Stock)<br />

Mississippi minority farmers to receive USDA discrimination payments

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing direct payments to Mississippi minority farmers and ranchers who faced past discrimination and there …

The proposed Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets rule ensures that livestock and poultry producers would

Proposed USDA rule defines “unfair” meat industry practice

A proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture would clarify fair practices in the American meat industry. The Fair and Competitive …

There is a 50% chance a chick hatchling will be male but the males hatching in egg-laying operations are often destroyed because they are not profitable to be raised for meat. (Adobe Stock)

Animal advocates call for chicken egg gender testing

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration Eve…

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management considers an agricultural business a concentrated animal feeding operation if the farm meets or exceeds animal threshold numbers including 2,500 swine above 55 pounds, 55,000 turkeys or 700 mature dairy cows. (Adobe Stock)

IN farms have stricter rules for CAFO operations

A new study shows more than 1 million tons of animal waste is produced every year in the U.S. Consumers' desire for more animal protein and better …

According to the Center for American Progress, Black farms today are much smaller on average, representing just 0.4% of all farm acreage. (John Coles / Adobe Stock)

Farmers want clarity after USDA issues discrimination funds

The Biden-Harris administration is awarding 13 grants to Utah farmers, ranchers and forest landowners through the Discrimination Financial Assistance …

Black American farmers lost more than $300 billion worth of land in the 20th century, in part due to the USDA's discriminatory practices, research showed. (Lou W/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Farmers want more transparency on USDA discrimination payments

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is doling out direct payments to minority farmers and ranchers who the government had previously discriminated …

The latest version of the Farm Bill would incorporate precision agriculture technologies into water conservation and irrigation efficiency practices, incentive contracts, and conservation innovation grants, according to the National Agriculture Law Center. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Stalled Farm Bill could see Conservation Title changes

Progress on the new Farm Bill remains stalled as members of Congress argue over price increases for commodity crops and proposed cuts to the Supplemen…

On Tuesday, each candidate for Lieutenant Governor presented a distinct vision for Indiana, setting the stage for a heated race. (Adobe Stock)

IN Lt. Governor candidates present starkly different visions

In a debate in the race for Indiana's next Lieutenant Governor, the candidates clashed over the future of the state. Micah Beckwith, the Republican …

In 2017, the average full-time white farmer brought in $17,190 in farm income, while the average full- time black farmer made just $2,408, according to the Center for American Progress. (Adobe Stock)

USDA awards funds to minority NV farmers after years of discrimination

The Biden-Harris administration has announced 103 grant awards to Nevada farmers, ranchers and forest landowners through the Discrimination Financial …

Just like meat processing, the agricultural industry has come under scrutiny over fears corporate consolidation is limiting a farmer's options in seeking equipment repairs. (Adobe Stock)

MN farmers feel left out by new 'Right to Repair' law

The fall harvest is around the corner and Minnesota farmers hope their equipment holds up. Advocates said a new state law, intended to level the …

U.S. dairy production supports more than 3 million jobs, including workers on dairy farms who regularly handle milking equipment. Sick cows are still being milked, which means workers on farms where the virus is spreading are continuing to be exposed to the virus. (Credit: Molly Condit / Sinergia Animal / We Animals Media)

Milk production may lead to more human infections of bird flu, study finds

Public health officials continue to monitor the spread of bird flu, with it passing from chickens to cows to humans. A new study found the virus can …

Concentrated animal feeding operations often house thousands of cattle at a single location. (Lukas Vincour/Zv�rata Nej�me/We Animals Media)

Report: CA factory farms perilously close to your produce

By Gabriella Sotelo for Sentient.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collab…

Algae blooms can clog up sewage and drinking water systems, create foul odors and hurt wildlife. (Rospoint/Adobe Stock)

Climate change is making harmful algae bloom events more frequent, experts say

By Aman Azhar for Inside Climate News.Broadcast version by Will Walkey for Virginia News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Pub…

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Rural/Farming