Rural/Farming / Public News Service

Northern Plains Resource Council is holding presentations on soil health at farms and ranches across Montana. (Northern Plains Resource Council)

Friday, July 1, 2022

Montanans Learn About Healthy Agriculture with Soil Crawls

Montanans get a sense of what soil health is like on farms and ranches across the state with Northern Plains Resource Council's soil crawls. The …

Conservation groups want to restore vegetation in coastal areas such as Elkhorn Slough near Monterey Bay, which sequesters carbon in the soil, helping to slow climate change. (Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve)

Bill Moves Forward to Lock More Carbon In the Soil

California has seen a lot of proposals to reduce carbon emissions; now a plan to scrub existing pollution is moving forward in the Legislature…

Minnesota officials say conservation practices, through its Water Quality Certification Program, have reduced nitrogen loss on farmland up to 49%. (Adobe Stock)

MN Farmers Given Bigger Opportunity to Be 'Climate Smart'

From extreme drought to wet springs, Minnesota farmers are seeing firsthand the impact of climate change. To help address the growing threat…

The Petersburg Oasis CommUNITY Farm aims to offer fresh fruits and vegetables to the community via an on-site produce stand. (Adobe Stock)

Virginia Fundraiser Builds Support for New Petersburg Farm

A fundraising effort is underway for a new community farm in Petersburg. The Central Virginia Agrarian Commons aims to raise about $137,000 to …

Massive plumes of smoke rise from the Tamarack Fire, Nevada's largest conflagration of 2021. (U.S. Forest Service)

NV Experts Warn Conditions are Ripe for Large Fires

Fire season is now upon us - and local experts are speaking out on best practices for dealing with large wildfires, which seem to be Nevada's "new …

The latest report from leading climate scientists warned that greenhouse-gas emissions need to peak within three years, and then start going down, in order to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. (Adobe Stock)

Climate Summit in Lander Aims to Boost Awareness, Engagement

Wyomingites concerned about bigger and more frequent wildfires, prolonged drought, threats to clean air, water and wildlife can explore ways to …

The Nature Conservancy in Idaho manages a 30-acre teaching farm in Twin Falls, Ida. (Brad Johnson/The Nature Conservancy)

'Soil Health Curious' ID Farmers Explore Regenerative Agriculture

A kinder approach to the soil could be what Idaho farmers need to get more out of their land. The Nature Conservancy in Idaho has a demonstration …

Loss of rural populations to urban centers has caused many hospitals in Nebraska to reconfigure their budgets. (Adobe Stock)

Keys to Keeping Nebraska's Rural Hospital Doors Open

Without federal intervention, a new report warns, rural hospitals across the United States, including many in Nebraska, could be forced to reduce …

According to the Center for American Progress, low-income women and women of color are more likely to rely on infant formula. (Adobe Stock)

Virginia's Rural Mothers Face Long-Standing Access Issues for Infant Formula

Over the past several months, parents across Virginia and the country have struggled to find baby formula, particularly in rural communities…

A parcel of property called "40 Acres" in Delano, the site of the United Farmworkers' first headquarters, is part of the proposed Cesar E. Chaves National Historical Park. (Bobak Ha'Eri/ Wikimedia Commons)

Lawmakers Propose New National Monument Honoring Chavez

Congress is considering a new bill to establish a national historical park honoring union organizer Cesar Chavez and the farmworker movement he led…

In addition to funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, infrastructure dollars will also be coming into the Granite State for broadband. (Andrey Popov/Adobe Stock)

NH Gets $50 Million from Feds for Broadband Buildout

New Hampshire is getting $50 million dollars from the federal government to expand broadband access. According to the White House, the money…

Grover C. Dills Medical Center in Caliente is one of 13 critical-access hospitals in Nevada. They are spread out over 90% of the state's landmass but serve only 10% of the population. (NRHP)

Advocates Warn Rural Hospitals Face Big Trouble Once COVID Funding Ends

Rural hospitals in Nevada and across the country will be in dire economic straits once the COVID funding runs out, according to a new report…

Outside of market issues, agriculture experts say younger farmers feel pressure to maintain operations handed down by older generations of their families. (Adobe Stock)

Mixing Faith and Farming to Help Producers Cope with Stress

By Russell Lackey and Trisha Wheelock for Faith & Leadership via The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Iowa News Service reporting for T…

Historically rich organic matter in topsoil in America's heartland, called the A horizon, has been completely removed from approximately one third of lands across the Midwest. (Adobe Stock)

Restoring Soil Through Carbon Sequestering Benefits Farmers, Climate

With Nebraska farmers facing runaway costs for herbicides and fertilizers this year, a new Center for Rural Affairs report suggested adopting simple …

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department manages 22 elk feeding grounds in the northwest part of the state. (Wyoming Game & Fish Department)

Conservation Groups Call for Phase Out of Elk Feedgrounds

Conservation groups hope artificial elk feeding grounds near Yellowstone National Park are on their last legs. Six groups have sent recommendations …

Biologists at Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming Game and Fish and other partners have spent 10 years collaring mule deer, pronghorn, elk and other animals that cross roadways in western Wyoming. (Adobe Stock)

U.S. 26 Wildlife Crossings Advance in WY with Heavy Summer Traffic

Americans are hitting the road for summer vacation, and many will be headed to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks via U.S. Highway 26…

Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease that kills elk, deer and moose and spreads rapidly when large numbers of animals congregate. It has been recently documented in Grand Teton National Park and immediately adjacent to several state-run feedgrounds. (Adobe Stock)

Groups Urge Phaseout of Elk Feedgrounds to Prevent Chronic Wasting Disease

As the Wyoming Game and Fish Department enters the third phase of its elk feedground management plan, conservation groups are calling on the state to …

Farmer Steve Groff, left, and Mark Myers of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service prepare to bury some cotton underwear on Groff's farm in York County. The underwear will be dug up in 60 days and the level of decomposition will be an indicator of the soil's health. (Kelly O'Neill/Chesapeake Bay Foundation)

Underwear Underground? Campaign Aims to Educate PA on Soil Health

A campaign this month is challenging Pennsylvanians to learn about the health of their soil and neighborhood microbes by planting underwear in their f…

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wisconsin had 64,400 farms in 2020, down 500 from 2019. (Adobe Stock)

Help is Available for WI Farmers Facing Mental-Health Challenges

From inflation to climate change, Wisconsin farmers face numerous sources of stress that can't help but affect their health. And one program is …

A plan to update the Coos Bay port could make it among the top ten busiest in the country. (mdurson/Adobe Stock)

Infrastructure Funds for Port Could Boost Rural OR Community

Funding from the infrastructure measure Congress passed last year could benefit a struggling rural community in Oregon. Lawmakers in the state have …

RAFI-USA launched the Fresh Bucks consumer incentive program in 2015, in partnership with the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust. The Double Bucks incentive program began in 2019. (Adobe Stock)

NC Farmers’ Markets Double Buying Power for Food-Insecure Households

People in North Carolina who need to stretch every dollar spent on food can get double the value of fresh produce and other goods through government a…

Maine's Climate Action Plan cites supply disruptions during the pandemic as a wake-up call to improve the state's local food systems. (Adobe Stock)

Maine Seeks Proposals to Increase Access to Local Food

Maine is seeking proposals for a grant opportunity to support local food producers and production and assist low-income residents in accessing local f…

In New Mexico, 32% of roads are in poor condition and each motorist pays $767 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair, according to the 2021 Report Card for America's Infrastructure. (suwichanpralomram/Pixabay)

USDA Pilot Program Launches in Nine NM Counties

New Mexico will be one of the first states to receive help from the Rural Partners Network, a new government initiative aiming to reset the way …

Overtime pay will be phased in for farmworkers in Oregon over the next five years. (Bob/Adobe Stock)

Farmworkers Rights a Ballot Issue as OR Primary Approaches

Ballots are due for Oregon's primary election on Tuesday, and one key issue for voters is the rights of workers who grow the state's food. …

The pandemic and a strong job market have reduced college enrollment - but studies show college graduates will earn nearly $1 million more over the course of their careers. (viviandu/dailycal.org)

College Degree Increasingly Requires Part-Time Job

Many U.S. college degree programs can take years of full-time study, a serious time crunch for working adults. That's why more universities are …

Four meat companies - Cargill, Tyson Foods, JBS and National Beef Packing - control about 70% of the beef market in the United States. (agnormark/Adobe Stock)

Fed Funds for Small MT Meat Processors Fend off Industry Consolidation

Small Montana meat processors are on the front lines against the large companies that control the industry. Funding from the American Rescue Plan is …

Staff prepare to vaccinate North Carolina residents at a pop-up clinic run by the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO. (Christiana Wagner/FLOC)

Mobile COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Gears Up for Influx of NC Migrant Workers

An all-volunteer vaccine clinic run by a farmworkers' union says it's expecting an increase in demand from seasonal migrant workers who want to be vac…

Supporters of storing carbon emissions from ethanol plants underground tout the benefits in the threat of climate change. But opponents say it would likely result in greater reliance on fossil fuels. (Adobe Stock)

ND Landowners Build Opposition to Land Use for Carbon Pipeline

The list of North Dakota counties voicing concerns about a proposed carbon-emissions pipeline is growing longer. Several are now on record opposing …

In addition to herd losses, North Dakota ranchers say they used up extra resources to try and keep their livestock alive during April's severe snowstorms. (Adobe Stock)

In Snowstorm Aftermath, ND Cattle Producers Urged to Seek Aid

North Dakota ranchers are still assessing their losses from the spring snowstorms. They are being urged to tap into federal relief, and some are …

With access to land ownership and other barriers in place for America's small farms, cooperatives are seen as a way to give them back some of the market power they've lost over the decades. (Adobe Stock)

Fairness in Farming: Seed Money Sought for Starting Co-ops

Farmer cooperatives allow producers to pool resources together to get a better bang for their buck. While they have been around for generations…

Save the Children's elementary school-age literacy programs reached more than 12,500 children across rural America, including in Washington state. (Save the Children)

Ed Program Helps WA Kids Falling Behind from School Disruptions

School disruptions from the pandemic have threatened to leave Washington students behind, but there are efforts to ensure they stay on track…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Rural Hospitals Up Their Care Game for Stroke Patients

Despite a more challenging environment, rural hospitals still are finding ways to provide critical care. That includes stroke patients, and South …

Farmers face pressure to reduce harmful runoff through conservation practices. But a new report warns that, as factory farmers eat up more cost-sharing funds, smaller producers will be reluctant to apply for aid. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Most Farmers Shut Out by Conservation Programs

By Bryce Oates Broadcast version by Mike Moen Reporting for the Daily Yonder-Iowa News Service Collaboration Many farmers who apply for federal fund…

According to a news release, the total cost of acquiring and updating Lick Run Farm will be about $426,000. (Adobe Stock)

Fundraising Effort Seeks to Bring Fresh Produce to Virginia Food Desert

New farmers looking to enter the agriculture industry face significant barriers, but one fundraising effort hopes to provide enough funding to leap …

A storytelling project in the desert Southwest demonstrated the resiliency of local food production versus reliance on the industrial food system. (Courtesy Michelle Carreon)

Desert Southwest Shows Resilience in Feeding Families Amid COVID-19

When a nonprofit food center in the desert Southwest began a project to chronicle challenges of land and water access combined with climate change…

The Spire STL pipeline connects into the larger Rockies Express Pipeline, which stretches 1,700 miles across eight states. (Adobe Stock)

Pipeline Through MO in Limbo After SCOTUS Declines to Hear Appeal

A 65-mile gas pipeline through eastern Missouri is in limbo after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider reinstating federal authorization for …

It's estimated that every dollar spent at farmers markets generates $3 in economic activity, and tends to stay in Nebraska, unlike at grocery chains. (Adobe Stock)

Program Doubles Food Budget for SNAP Participants at Farmers Markets

One sign of springtime in Nebraska is the return of local farmers markets, and families participating in SNAP - the program formerly known as food …

Pennsylvanians who suspect their poultry is infected with avian influenza can report concerns 24 hours a day, seven days a week to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic<br />Services at 717-772-2852, option 1. (Adobe Stock) — Pennsylvanians who suspect their poultry is infected with avian influenza can report concerns 24 hours a day, seven days a week to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic
Services at 717-772-2852, option 1. (Adobe Stock)

Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu Found at Lancaster County Poultry Farm

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has confirmed a positive case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a flock of commercial layer chickens …

According to the most recent data from the USDA, there were only 1,865 farmers of color in Virginia as of 2017, about 4% of the state's total. (Adobe Stock)

Panel Highlights Ways for Farmers to Tap Into Federal Aid

The federal Farm Service Agency provides loans and financial support to farmers across Virginia and the nation, and experts are encouraging farmers …

Private landowners in farming communities and environmental groups have mounted heavy opposition to proposed carbon-capture pipelines in Iowa. (Adobe Stock)

As IA Session Winds Down, Eminent-Domain Question Lingers

Iowa's legislative session could wrap up this month, but one of the unresolved issues surrounds landowner rights that intersect with proposed …

Just four meat-processing giants control more than 80% of the beef industry and more than 60% of the pork industry. A report says this enables them to dictate prices that both flatten returns for farmers and ranchers and inflate prices for consumers at the meat counter. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Corporate Profiteering Fueling Inflation

A new report confirms what it said CEOs have been telling shareholders for months: Inflation has been very good for business. Lindsay Owens…

The Summer Nutrition Program provides free meals and snacks to all Utah children 18 and younger when school is not in session. (Sandra Cunningham/Adobe Stock)

Looming End to Pandemic Waivers Puts Utah Kids at Risk of Hunger

Federal waivers put in place at the height of the pandemic allowed federal child nutrition programs more flexibility in delivering meals to households…

Save the Children has partnered with farmers to make boxes of fruits and vegetables available to low-income rural families. (Cavan/Adobeststock)

Rural Kids’ Food Programs Ramp Up for Summer

One might think that food insecurity would improve as California recovers from the pandemic - but advocates say hunger remains a significant issue…

The latest bird flu outbreak in the United States has forced farmers to kill several million chickens across the country. (Adobe Stock)

From Big Farms to Smaller Producers, Tracing the Bird Flu Impact

At least two dozen states are seeing the bird flu virus quickly spread through commercial flocks on poultry-producing farms. Iowa is at the center …

SD Farmers Brace for Bird Flu Impact

At least two dozen states, including South Dakota, are seeing the bird flu virus quickly spread through commercial flocks on poultry producing farms…

Taxpayer subsidies to the fossil-fuel industry have been used to fund disinformation campaigns on climate, and lobbying efforts to stall transitioning to clean-energy sources. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Not Too Late to Resolve Climate Crisis

Burning fossil fuels at current rates is expected to produce mass extinctions and other catastrophic outcomes, but a brighter future is possible if …

A new Colorado private-land conservation plan aims to align and integrate with other statewide plans that have climate action components that support water, wildlife, recreation and agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Private Landowners Key to Climate Resiliency

More frequent and exponentially larger wildfires and prolonged drought already are impacting Colorado's agricultural lands and regional economies…

Rising food costs have prompted a closer look at strengthening local and regional supply chain infrastructure for small farms across North Carolina. (Adobe Stock)

As Costs Rise, Opportunities Dwindle for NC Small Farmers

Advocates for small farms and ranches in North Carolina say the businesses are ready to bring local, affordable meats and produce to residents…

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the Public News Service (podcast)"
	"Hey Google, play the Public News Service podcast"
	"Alexa, play Public News Service podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the 2022 Talks podcast"
	"Hey Google, play the 2022 Talks podcast"
	"Alexa, play 2000 22 Talks podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the Yonder Report podcast"
	"Hey Google, play the Yonder Report podcast"
	"Alexa, play the Yonder Report podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app

PNS Daily Newscast - July 5, 2022

2022Talks - July 4, 2022

The Yonder Report - June 30, 2022

Rural/Farming