Harvest Public Media

The leaders of both congressional agriculture committees say federal lawmakers will move back farm bill negotiations to December. The current law expires Saturday, but experts say there should be little peril despite the blown deadline.

Federally subsidized crop insurance made record-high payouts last year. While climate change is making farming more risky, the federal program often shields producers at taxpayer expense. Some argue it’s time that the fast-growing program encourages farmers to mitigate their risks.

Ranchers across the Midwest are battling black vultures, a federally protected bird that has a reputation for killing newborn livestock. While the birds play a major ecological role, their expanding population is becoming a big nuisance for producers.

A multi-university research team is developing technology that can detect salmonella contamination in a matter of minutes. Researchers aim to take the results from sensors and pair them with other data to strengthen the safety and resilience of the chicken supply.

The EPA has completed less than 5% of its Endangered Species Act caseload in reviewing pesticides. Now the agency is proposing a new strategy for scrutinizing agricultural chemicals’ effects on listed species.

Growing interest rates, high crop prices and rising transportation costs are making it more expensive to store grain — a critical step for many farmers. Economists and grain merchandisers say the market conditions leave them and farmers in an awkward place.

A slowdown in the agricultural industry is "going to put a strain on farmers." But analysts say the rural economy in the Midwest and Great Plains is still doing well.

A group of Midwestern shrimp farmers is on a mission to provide Americans with better-tasting, sustainable shrimp. The industry struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, but farmers remain hopeful that the industry will come back stronger than ever.

Crickets chirp faster when it’s hotter outside, according to an old scientific observation. As parts of the world experience record-breaking heat, they’ll be especially busy this summer.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture gave two companies the green light last month to produce and sell their cultivated chicken meat across the country. But it could still take years before people can buy the new meat at grocery stores.