Agriculture

This land is our land: States crack down on foreign-owned farm fields

As foreigners buy up American agricultural land, lawmakers want to keep certain countries out.

  • By Kevin Hardy , Stateline

With the farm bill set to expire, Congress is still months away from a new version

A looming government shutdown has slowed the process even more. Among the key areas of disagreement is the SNAP program, a huge spending portion of the bill that helps low-income families buy food.

  • By Allison Winter, Iowa Capital Dispatch

A GOP bill would ban California’s pig measure and others like it

The proposal, which is part of the farm bill, would block states from passing laws that could change how agriculture is practiced in other states. Critics say it could upend hundreds of state and local laws.

  • By Kery Murakami

Indiana, other states increasingly restricting foreign land buys

Indiana was the only state to enact a law restricting certain foreign investments in its agricultural land in 2022, but more are taking action by blocking specific governments or political parties.

  • By Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, States Newsroom

Nebraska, FBI Partner to Raise Awareness of Agriculture Threats

A two-day event seeks to highlight rising threats in the sector, including bioterrorism or biowarfare.

  • By Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner

These Four Challenges Will Shape the Next Farm Bill

COMMENTARY | Even if you don’t live near farm country, you’ve got a stake in the upcoming farm bill—including what kind of farms your tax dollars support.

  • By Kathleen Merrigan, The Conversation

In Rural America, Right-to-Repair Laws are Leading the Pushback Against Growing Corporate Power

Corporations restrict what farmers can do with their own seeds, as well as their farm equipment when it breaks down.

  • By Leland Glenna, The Conversation

A Tiny Wisconsin Town Tried to Stop Pollution From Factory Farms. Then It Got Sued.

"This is standard operating procedure for the Big Ag boys."

  • By John McCracken, Grist

Study: Warming Winters Will Thaw Frozen Manure, Further Polluting US Waters

Nearly half the country’s waters could see an increase in toxic agricultural runoff.

  • By John McCracken, Grist

The Corn Belt will Get Hotter. Farmers Will Have to Adapt.

The nation's largest corn producing region could soon be known as the Extreme Heat Belt.

  • By John McCracken, Grist

How 3 States Are Trying to Help Their Farmers Deal With Drought

Swaths of the country have baked this summer under hot and dry conditions, making it tougher to keep crops growing and livestock healthy. In some cases, state governments are stepping up work with their agriculture sectors in response.

  • By Molly Bolan

Rural Areas in 11 States to Receive $401M for High-speed Internet

The Agriculture Department says the grants and loans will help to improve service for 31,000 customers.

  • By Kery Murakami
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To Reduce Harmful Algal Blooms and Dead Zones, the US Needs a National Strategy for Regulating Farm Pollution

COMMENTARY | There is no shortage of solutions to this problem. What’s needed is technological innovation and stronger political will.

  • By Donald Boesch and Donald Scavia, The Conversation

New Program Aims to Help Rural America Tap More Federal Funding

The Biden administration initiative is starting in five states and there are plans to expand it.

  • By Kery Murakami

States Expand Efforts to Squash Spread of Dangerous Insect

The invasive spotted lanternfly kills many crops and trees and can cause a state hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Several states are sounding the alarm and quarantining more counties.

  • By Andre Claudio

Invasive Insects Will Kill 1.4M Trees Across the US

Replacing trees attacked by the East Asian beetle, which has invaded 35 states, could cost $900 million, one report shows.

  • By Andre Claudio

Murder Hornets in US Being Trapped With ‘Sex Spray’

The Asian giant hornet is killing honeybees in the west and may migrate east, which could have a devastating economic impact.

  • By Andre Claudio

With $1.4B in Awards, USDA Seeks to Loosen Grip of ‘Extraction Economy’ on Rural America

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said a new package of loans and grants is meant to help build wealth outside of cities and suburbs.

  • By Kery Murakami

Black Texas Farmers Were on Track To Get Federal Aid. The State’s Ag Commissioner Is Helping Stop That

Sid Miller is challenging a debt relief program that the U.S. Department of Agriculture saw as a way to correct historic discrimination. An advocate for Black Texas farmers says the challenge “pushes us back even further.”

  • By James Pollard, The Texas Tribune

Farmers Markets are Growing Their Role as Essential Sources of Healthy Food For Rich and Poor

COMMENTARY | Many farmers markets enjoyed their strongest-ever sales in 2020.

  • By Edna Ledesma and Alfonso Morales, The Conversation

Wisconsin Doesn’t Have a State Cheese, and Some Lawmakers Think That’s No Gouda

Colby, a cheese created in Wisconsin, could be the state’s first official cheese under a proposal under consideration in the legislature. But some lawmakers have reservations.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram