The Census of Agriculture: what it's for, why it matters

Feb 6, 2023
The USDA sends its survey out every five years to create a snapshot of American agriculture, divvy up funds and make policy decisions.
The government uses data from the USDA survey to target resources and inform policy decisions.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

These NY farmers are building a space to teach Black people about farming

Jan 12, 2023
Ashanti Williams and Arian Rivera of the Black Yard Farm Collective talk about moving their farm to a new location and working with kids.
"It's a just kind of getting reacquainted with — or getting acquainted with — new land and building infrastructure," Ashanti Williams says of relocating the Black Yard Farm Collective.
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What to expect from the 2023 Farm Bill

Dec 28, 2022
Advocates for everything from nutrition programs to tribal food sovereignty to climate and sustainability initiatives will be keeping an eye on the bill next year.
Above, a sign alerting customers about SNAP food stamps benefits — which are funded through the Farm Bill — is displayed at a Brooklyn grocery store.
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Water managers float idea of paying farmers to reduce use of Colorado River

Dec 19, 2022
The seven states have until late January to agree on massive water conservation measures or the feds say they’ll impose cuts. 
Officials have proposed using federal money to pay Colorado River basin farmers between $100 and $400 per acre-foot of water conserved. Above, a stretch of the waterway in Arizona.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Farm income projected to rise again

Dec 5, 2022
The USDA anticipates high commodity prices and other factors will push U.S. farm income up nearly 14% for 2022 over last year.
The war in Ukraine caused a global grain shortage that drove up prices for wheat, soybeans and corn.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

To fund climate-friendly agriculture, farmers seek financial support from restaurants

Nov 28, 2022
Some restaurants have joined an effort to support regenerative farming with a 1% charge on sales.
Cows graze at Nick DiDomenico's farm located in Longmont, Colorado.
Rae Solomon/KUNC

Low Mississippi River water levels drive up shipping costs

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

For public good, not for profit.

Inflation drives up hay prices, forcing some horse owners to sell

Nov 9, 2022
Inflation is driving up the cost of things like fertilizer, which drives up the cost of growing hay and feeding horses.
Tom Johnston takes the tarp of his hay stack to prep it for customers. He sells his hay to customers across the country.
Caitlin Tan

Despite drought, this Iowa farmer had a record harvest

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

Low water levels in the Mississippi River are disrupting the supply chain

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