Harvest Public Media

Drones flying over Midwestern fields are likely to become a more typical sight. Farmers are finding that the remotely piloted aircraft can do everything from spraying fields to monitoring livestock.

Getting a new farm bill across the finish line in 2024 is likely doomed against a ticking clock, hot-button issues and election year politics.

Over the last two years, several large pork packers have closed plants in California, Minnesota and most recently Iowa. For some pork producers, this means additional miles and more money to deliver hogs on top of tough economic times.

The Biden Administration is proposing a new rule that aims to help protect about 36 million employees, including agriculture workers, from extreme heat. Advocates say the rule is long overdue.

Soil science is a relatively new field and becoming more critical in the work to keep soil healthy and productive. The discovery of century-old soil samples at a land-grant university could offer big clues into how soil has changed over time. (This story first published July 22, 2024.)

Four months after the first reported cases of bird flu in dairy cows, the price of milk and demand for it have largely remained unchanged. Industry experts say whether that remains the case will depend on how far and how quickly cases spread.

Bayer is asking Congress to include language in the upcoming farm bill to protect it from lawsuits over the weed killer, Roundup. The company sought similar legislation in several states, including Missouri and Iowa, earlier this year.

Humans transport some non-native species on purpose. Others arrive by accident. The vast majority don't hijack landscapes. But those that do comes with high stakes.

Scientists want to know how well bees are coping with habitat loss. But first, they need to be able to tell nearly identical species apart.

The peach crop across the U.S. is much better this summer than it was last year when cold temperatures affected crops in Georgia and South Carolina. Yet in southern Illinois, while some orchards are getting a bumper crop, others are having yet another year of low production.