Economy Mar 23 Immigrant workers face routine injuries, lack of protections on U.S. dairy farms By John Yang, Harry Zahn, Andrew Corkery
Nation Nov 12 Watch 8:04 Historically low water levels on the Mississippi River cause shipping woes The Mississippi River is a superhighway for American agricultural products, but a warm fall and extreme drought conditions have contributed to its water levels dropping to record lows. Special correspondent Megan Thompson reports from Missouri on what conditions along this… By Megan Thompson, Melanie Saltzman
Nation Aug 13 Watch 4:55 Rural Montana factory closure disrupts local economy, farming community Farming can be an uncertain endeavor, at the mercy of the weather, pests and blight. But another sometimes unexpected factor for farmers around the country are the business decisions at the companies they rely on. In one small Montana community,… By Stan Parker, Montana PBS
Nation Jul 23 Watch 6:32 ‘Gaining Ground’ highlights Black farmers’ efforts to reclaim lost land In 1910, about 14 percent of U.S. farmers were Black, owning more than 16 million acres. Now, according to the latest Census of Agriculture, only one in 100 farmers is Black, owning less than 5 million acres. A new documentary… By John Yang, Kaisha Young, Juliet Fuisz, Marconja Zor
Science Sep 18 Watch 4:12 How farmers are using cover crops to absorb carbon emissions The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today is more than 50 percent higher than it was during the pre-industrial era. In an effort to fight climate change, many industries are grappling with how to reduce or offset their… By Dana Cronin, Illinois Public Media
Apr 23 Watch 5:13 Rising tides could threaten farming along Virginia’s coastline Water levels around Southeast Virginia have risen nearly 20 inches over the past century and they are estimated to keep rising. These rising tides could pose a threat to farming, which has always been a part of coastal Virginia’s economy. Continue watching
Dec 07 Watch 9:01 Historically denied ‘pivotal’ loans, Black farmers still struggle to get support By Fred de Sam Lazaro, Simeon Lancaster For decades, Black farmers have been excluded from federal farm programs — a systematic pattern of discrimination that the U.S. Department of Agriculture acknowledged decades ago. Yet proposals to compensate farmers for past wrongs have languished in controversy and red… Continue watching
Feb 18 Trump delivers on water pledge for wealthy California farmers By Ellen Knickmeyer, Adam Beam, Associated Press Conservation groups say they fear the changes will deplete water supplies and speed extinction of endangered native fish. The administration denies that. Continue reading
Oct 12 Watch 12:34 Can sustainable farming save Iowa’s precious soil and water? By Mark Bittman, Melanie Saltzman, Megan Thompson Iowa is a powerhouse producer of corn and soybeans. But all the industrial farming has come at a cost to the environment. Today, there's a growing number of farmers adopting more sustainable practices in a bid to save Iowa's precious… Continue watching
Apr 26 After devastating Midwest floods, crisis resources gear up to support distressed farmers By April Simpson, Stateline This spring's devastating Midwest floods increased concerns about the mental health and well-being of farmers who already were struggling with years of economic uncertainty. Continue reading