Harvest Public Media

Meteorologists and climatologists often have a tough job explaining climate change to the public, especially in places where audiences may be more skeptical of the science. In the Midwest and Great Plains, strong resistance has pushed some out of the field.

As some states move to put stricter regulations on the meat and eggs sold within their borders, the agricultural industry and lawmakers are figuring out how to respond. That’s after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld California’s law earlier this year on animal confinement for pork sold in the state.

A new study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children was underutilized. In 2021, it served only about half the number of people that qualified.

Farmers got a slightly smaller percentage of what consumers spent on food last year than the year before, according to the most recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In most cases, Thanksgiving staples return cents on the dollar to farmers.

Are you serving pumpkin or sweet potato pie this Thanksgiving? A look at the history and cultural ties that influence why Americans may prefer one or the other.

Recent studies have found elevated levels of nitrate in drinking water correlates with health issues like cancer and thyroid disease — even below what current federal standards deem as safe. But health research necessary to take federal action is slow-going, and some environmental health experts are concerned officials aren’t acting fast enough.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture published its new standard for organic livestock production. Industry groups say that this will help producers compete and promote trust in organic products for consumers.

Thousands of competitors come to the American Royal Livestock Show in Kansas City, Missouri, each year to show their best livestock. The competition includes children as young as 7 years old, who take part in a long tradition of raising and showing their animals.

Drought has affected several pumpkin-producing states, including Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. But rain arrived at the right time to produce a bumper crop in parts of the Midwest.

Chronic wasting disease — which affects deer, elk and moose — continues to spread throughout the Great Plains and Midwest. Just this year, authorities in western Oklahoma detected the state’s first case in a free-ranging deer.