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More than a little dry

Inside the University of Missouri's drought simulator, or a massive greenhouse on wheels, where crop scientists are mimicking high temperature, low rainfall conditions to research a stronger, drought resistant plant.
Jessica Naudziunas
/
Harvest Public Media
Inside the University of Missouri's drought simulator, or a massive greenhouse on wheels, where crop scientists are mimicking high temperature, low rainfall conditions to research a stronger, drought resistant plant.

The second warmest summer on record is coming to a close, but states like Texas and Kansas are still gripped by high temperatures and extremely low rainfall. Now, the drought has spread north to southwestern Missouri where farmers in the parched Ozark foothills haven't seen real moisture since May. On this episode of Field Notes, it's drought served three ways: Harvest Public Media Reporter Eric Durban takes us to dry Kansas, Missouri buffalo farmer Carol Klein struggles to find a way out of a hot, dry summer (find her full story here) and part of the farming solution to intense weather in the University of Missouri's drought simulator project.

Jessica is Harvest Public Media's connection to Central Missouri. She joined Harvest in July 2010. Jessica has spent time on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday and WNYC's Soundcheck, and reported and produced for WNIN-FM in Evansville, Ind. She grew up in the City of Chicago, studied at the University of Tulsa and has helped launch local food gardens in Oklahoma and Indiana.