Human-caused climate change is having varied and unpredictable effects on maple harvests in Wisconsin, Iowa and elsewhere, experts say.
Author Archives: Brittney J. Miller / The Gazette
As a kid, I couldn’t decide between being a writer or being a scientist. It wasn’t until college that I realized I could combine these passions through science journalism. After graduating from the University of Florida, I moved to the West Coast for the University of California, Santa Cruz’s Science Communication Master’s Program. And now, I’m thrilled to be serving The Gazette as a corps member for Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. I’m also a journalist on the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, a regional collaboration between 10 newsrooms that covers agriculture, water and related issues throughout the basin.
Posted inEnvironment
Latest farm data ‘a wake-up call’ as Midwest farmers face ever steeper challenges
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.
Posted inEnvironment
Heavy snowfall that walloped Midwest could bring drought relief
Several winter storms have barreled through the Midwest since the start of the year. As the snow and ice melt, water will bleed into parched waterways, helping restore stream flows decimated by drought.
Posted inEnvironment
Lost in translation: How USDA barriers leave immigrant farmers and ranchers behind
Federal agriculture funding is a vital resource, but immigrant producers face language and cultural obstacles to benefiting from it.
Posted inEnvironment
Lo que se pierde en la traducción: Como las barreras producidas por el USDA dejan abandonados a los agricultores y los ganaderos inmigrantes
Los fondos federales para la agricultura son recursos esenciales, pero los productores inmigrantes se enfrentan con barreras lingüísticas y culturales que no les permiten sacar provecho de ellos
Posted inEnvironment
Mississippi River floodwaters swamp upper Midwest
A very wet winter is bringing major spring flooding along the upper Mississippi River. In some communities, the floodwaters are among the top three on record. Though the water is expected to crest and start receding in most places by next week, its impacts will linger.
Posted inHealth & Welfare
Record bird flu outbreaks contribute to surge in egg prices
Consumers face higher grocery and restaurant bills as the egg industry recovers from a deadly avian influenza outbreak. But prices may have peaked.
Posted inEnvironment
What is the Farm Bill and why does it matter? Here’s what to know.
The next Farm Bill is scheduled to come in 2023. It will affect a wide swath of rural America and people in food assistance programs.
Posted inEnvironment
Making room for the river: Mississippi River communities examine nature-based solutions
Solutions might make river communities look different in 100 years: greener, safer and more sustainable. But they’ll need resources to do it.
Posted inEnvironment
Research seeks ways to grow solar and crops together in the skeptical Corn Belt
Much Midwest land that could be used for solar power is tied up in row crops. Researchers examine how to build solar panels without taking out cropland.