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Agriculture

Hurricane Ian spares fertilizer plants but sends a warning to the U.S. industry

by Stephanie Hughes
Sep 29, 2022
A direct hit would have been bad news for a world already struggling without enough fertilizer.
The commission, formed by the Biden administration to look into discrimination against minority farmers, released its first report last week.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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My Economy

How inflation and "wild weather" are affecting one family farm

by Andie Corban
Sep 27, 2022
Anne Schwagerl, co-owns and operates Prairie Point Farm in Minnesota, where she's experimenting with new crops.
At Prairie Point Farm, Anne Schwagerl says they'll harvest soybeans, then corn. Above, soybeans are planted on a farm.
Phill Magakoe/AFP via Getty Images
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Nevada farmers shake up traditional water rights with a new way to fight scarcity

by Kaleb Roedel
Sep 23, 2022
Growers agreed to a plan that requires all irrigators to reduce their water use over time, instead of using a senior water rights strategy.
Marty Plaskett, a hay farmer in Diamond Valley, Nevada, stands near one of the irrigation pivots that waters his alfalfa field.
Kaleb Roedel/Mountain West News Bureau
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The Corn Belt is facing smaller yields, but higher prices are keeping this farmer's hopes up

by Kai Ryssdal and Nicholas Guiang
Sep 15, 2022
Drought has made the last few years tough for farmers like Keith Alverson of Chester, South Dakota. But higher corn prices are keeping him optimistic.
Farmers in the Corn Belt have endured two years of drought.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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What might it take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture?

by Savannah Maher
Sep 15, 2022
The USDA is doling out about $3 billion to projects that provide incentives for sustainable farming and forestry practices.
The Biden administration plans to invest billions into battling greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the carbon footprint.
Getty Images
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Early signs indicate weaker than expected U.S. corn crop

by Justin Ho
Sep 9, 2022
Smaller U.S. grain yields could put pressure on an already-strained global food market.
A below-average corn crop could have global implications.
Getty Images
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Farm tourism puts vacationers to work — and they love it

by Dan Kraker
Sep 5, 2022
On a Minnesota egg farm, visitors embrace a more intimate agritourism experience — in which they sleep and even work on the farm.
This small outbuilding at the Locally Laid Egg Farm in Wrenshall, Minnesota, is one-third chicken coop, two-thirds vacation rental — separated only by panes of glass.
Dan Kraker
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Horses are again working in French vineyards

by John Laurenson
Aug 4, 2022
The animals can work land that is inaccessible to tractors, and vineyard owners say they improve the soil for grapes. But they raise costs as well.
A horse named Diva at work at Chandon de Briailles, one of many French vineyards that use horses instead of tractors.
John Laurenson
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How natural gas cutbacks in the EU could impact U.S. farming

by Lily Jamali
Jul 28, 2022
Natural gas is used to manufacture ammonia, which is a key ingredient in fertilizers.
A view shows a facility of German chemical giant BASF at the Alsachimie industrial site in Chalampe, eastern France, Jan. 17, 2022.
BENOIT TESSIER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
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For farmers, it's not just today's inflation that matters. It's next year's too.

by Kai Ryssdal and Sean McHenry
Jul 27, 2022
"We're wondering what this next crop year brings," said Brian Duncan. "But farmers are price takers, and that puts us in a really tough spot."
Brian Duncan at his farm in Polo, Illinois. "We have some opportunities right now," he says. "Prices are good. The challenge we have is how to keep costs in line."
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
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