Harvest Public Media
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Entomologists say insects are declining at alarming rates — one major study estimates we’re losing 2% in total insect biomass every year. Now, the National Academy of Sciences is preparing to embark on a study to understand insect trends across North America.
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Drought has affected several pumpkin-producing states, including Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. But rain arrived at the right time to produce a bumper crop in parts of the Midwest.
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Native American communities often lack the resources to upgrade drinking and wastewater infrastructure. The Santee Sioux Nation in Nebraska is an extreme example — living without safe drinking water for four years.
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Midwest farmers aren't allowed to fix their own tractors. And many right-to-repair bills are stalledFarmers and ranchers across the Midwest say regulation is the only path forward to fixing their own equipment. But there’s been strong opposition to right to repair legislation, as manufacturers argue they’ve provided pathways for quick repairs.
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Growing interest rates, high crop prices and rising transportation costs are making it more expensive to store grain — a critical step for many farmers. Economists and grain merchandisers say the market conditions leave them and farmers in an awkward place.
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Last year more than 378,000 workers were authorized for H-2A visas, or temporary agriculture positions, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Labor. In 2012, it was less than a third of that.
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Three companies are proposing pipelines across the Midwest that would carry carbon dioxide captured from ethanol plants to underground sequestration sites. The plan is to inject the CO2 deep into rock formations under Illinois and North Dakota, but some landowners are pushing back.
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After the end of pandemic-era free meals, schools are reporting rising school meal debt and fewer kids in their free and reduced price programs.
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Rural areas are losing grocery stores to consolidation faster than their urban counterparts — but some communities have come up with innovative solutions.
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After the deadly bird flu hit egg-producing flocks, the supply of eggs shrank dramatically. That’s led to historically high prices for consumers.