Agriculture

The new book, "Sea of Grass," traces the history and future of the American prairie, laying out the stunning loss of grassland in North America and meeting the people fighting to bring it back.

More than 50 wagyu beef farms in Missouri are listed with the American Wagyu Association. Because Japan stopped exporting genetically pure wagyu cattle in 1997, most American farmers crossbreed the cattle with Angus beef cows.

Farmers who were promised funding through the federal Regional Food Business Centers have been left in limbo after the Trump administration shut down the program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will honor grants the program already approved, but it’s unclear when.

Red crown rot stems from a fungus that lives in the soil. Its first confirmed case in Missouri was last year.

Specialty producers exporting to China have been hit just as hard as soybeans and beef. But they often have fewer alternative markets for their crops, worsening the impact of retaliatory tariffs.

The Farm Bureau aims to reach an underinsured population, but without government oversight.

Farmers continued to take on more debt through the first quarter of 2025, prolonging a trend from last year. That’s as farm incomes have shrunk over the last couple of years, and some worry President Trump’s tariffs could make economic conditions tougher.

Despite efforts to develop markets and genetics, Missouri's industrial hemp industry is at its lowest point in years.

The $3 billion initiative funded agriculture research and programs across the nation. Over $1.2 billion went toward 36 programs that involve Missouri.

Urban farmers in Spanish Lake and parts of Florissant could receive over $3 million in funding from the St. Louis County Council to help scale their operations to grow more food that would feed thousands of north county residents.