Agriculture

Minnesota gets much-needed rain — but needs more to break drought
Farmers and gardeners were among those rejoicing as a wide swath of Minnesota saw much-needed rain on Sunday. But meteorologists say the state will need to see more rounds of steady rain to climb out of its current rainfall deficit.
No money to help stretch SNAP dollars at farmers markets in state budget
A program that helps Minnesotans with low incomes buy produce at farmers markets could be a victim of budget negotiations at the state Capitol, and some legislators are scrambling to find a way to save it. 
'Apple detective' rediscovers varieties of apples thought to be extinct
There are well-known types of detectives: narcotics, homicide, cyber. Add "rare apple," thanks to a Washington state retiree who recently rediscovered seven kinds of apples, including the Almota and the Eper.
How Midwest dairy farmers are cashing in on California's clean fuel standards
Minnesota state lawmakers are trying to hammer out a deal on clean car rules. Meanwhile, Midwest dairy farmers are cashing in on California's clean car standards by supplying the state with perhaps the smelliest clean fuel out there.
Talking farming with Minnesota farmers of color
Host Angela Davis spoke with a Somali American farmer, a Hmong farmer and one of the state's assistant agriculture commissioners about the experiences of farmers of color and the barriers they face.
Debt relief for Black farmers and other farmers of color
This month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is poised to give money to farmers of color for debt relief. Some say it’s an unfair stimulus. Others say it’s a much-needed form of reparations, after decades of systemic discrimination.
Buried alive in Mongolia's worst sandstorms in a decade
Even the rescue teams could not go forward during one of the fiercest of many sandstorms this spring in Mongolia. Herders have lost their animals — an estimated 1.6 million livestock — and their lives.
USDA rejects request for faster pork slaughterhouse speeds
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declined a request by the pork industry to increase the speed at which pigs can be processed into meat, delivering a victory to slaughterhouse workers who had raised safety concerns about the plan.