The latest Ag Census data show alarming trends in the upper Mississippi River basin, one of the most intensive agricultural areas in the U.S.: Less diverse farmers, more and more farms are going out of business, and farmland is being consolidated, making it even more difficult to get into the industry.
Author Archives: Mónica Cordero / Investigate Midwest
Posted inEnvironment
Farm conservation programs offer solutions to climate threats, but they’re vastly underfunded
The Biden administration has called the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s farm conservation programs a “linchpin” in the nation’s climate strategy, yet they remain vastly underfunded.
Posted inEnvironment
Poor regulatory safeguards leave farmworkers suffocating in the face of increasing heat waves
A fifth of reported heat-related deaths between 2017 and 2022 were agricultural workers, according to OSHA data. Advocacy groups are calling attention to the impact of climate change on this group.
Posted inEnvironment
These states are leading the country in agriculture emissions
Texas and Iowa lead the country in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Wisconsin ranks No. 10. Meanwhile, climate change continues to disrupt farming.
Posted inEconomy, Environment
Farmers endured a rough year, but fertilizer companies cashed in
Even though some farmers could not afford the rising costs of fertilizer, the commodity’s prices have massively boosted company profits in 2022. One major player saw net earnings over the first nine months of 2022 jump more than 1,000% over the same time period in 2021