Agriculture

Controlling wild pigs can work if it’s a group effort

Feral swine are found in at least 35 states in the U.S.

Teaming groups of private landowners with federal efforts yielded measurable success, at least in terms of defending cornfields.

What data on 11K farms reveals about the country’s factory farm hotbed

Sentient Media reports Iowa has the most factory farms, producing 170 billion pounds of manure annually, leading to severe water pollution and health risks, including cancer.

Cyclospora spreads through human waste – so how did it get on food?

US sewage treatment plants likely don’t get rid of all the disease-causing protozoa, and monitoring discharged wastewater for it is difficult.

Who shops at farmers markets in the US?

Only about 1 in 5 of the Americans surveyed shop at farmers markets because they care a lot about food and enjoy buying, preparing and eating fresh food.

Agriculture news from Around the Nation

Farmers hope to make New Jersey the hazelnut capital of America

A small but widening group of pioneers are working to make hazelnuts as much of a signature New Jersey crop as tomatoes and corn.

Iowa crops rated well despite heavy rain, damaging storms

Damaging storms, one of which reached derecho status, spread across Iowa over the past week, but the state’s crop conditions remain stable, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in a news release Monday that severe storms damaged crops and homes in eastern and southern Iowa during […]

Pseudorabies eradicated from Iowa, state ag department reports

Pseudorabies, a disease that primarily impacts swine, is again considered eradicated in Iowa, after the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship confirmed a spring outbreak did not spread to other farms. The virus was detected April 30 in a small Iowa herd that was later depopulated, per U.S. Department of Agriculture protocol. According to […]

A voter guide to Alabama’s primary runoffs

Voters across Alabama go to the polls Tuesday to select party nominees for the 2026 midterm elections in five statewide and six legislative primary runoff elections. Sample ballots for all 67 counties can be found on the Secretary of State’s website. Alabama has open primaries, so voters can ask for a Democratic or Republican ballot […]

Schools, nonprofits try to keep WV kids fed this summer amid grocery price hikes, welfare changes

The West Virginia Department of Education is working with local partners this summer to provide statewide feeding sites for those 18 years old and younger, working to put together nutritious meals while navigating surging food costs.

Environmental News from around the web

A spreader sprays sewage sludge, which is rich in phosphorus, across a farm in Oklahoma.

Why too much phosphorus in America’s farmland is polluting the country’s water

Plants need phosphorus, and other nutrients, to grow. But soil tests can’t tell if there’s too much.

American farmers face a changing future for their businesses.

American farmers, who once fed the world, face a volatile global market with diminishing federal backing

The US government used to have American farmers’ backs, but that support has been dwindling for decades. New subsidies signal big changes for farmers.

A biologist maintains a large population of black soldier flies for protein farming.

Genomics can help insect farmers avoid pitfalls of domestication

Considering how easily bird flu swept through chicken farms, it’s clear that domestication has downsides. Lessons from the past paired with modern genomic technology can help with farming insects.

This dairy farm in California's Central Valley has installed solar panels on a portion of its land.

California farmers identify a hot new cash crop: Solar power

Solar is helping farmers in California save water and secure reliable income in the face of drought and economic pressure.

The Louisiana fishermen refusing to go down with the ship

Atmos reports on Louisiana fishermen struggling against the impacts of a massive LNG plant in Cameron, which destroys their fishing grounds and livelihoods.

Come hell or high water: How a small town became a blueprint for building climate resilience

Atmos reports on Machias, Maine, a small town facing extreme flooding due to climate change.

A rural county banned renewables. It’s having second thoughts

The Daily Yonder reports Bannock County, Idaho, faces a pivotal vote to potentially reverse an ordinance banning utility-scale solar and wind development.

5 key decisions to make before building an ADU

(BPT) - Are you considering or in the midst of planning to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU)? If so, you're part of a fascinating trend that's meeting multiple housing needs across the United …

America’s air monitors are disappearing. So is your power to expose polluters.

Floodlight reports America's air monitors are declining, limiting public ability to detect pollution.