Agriculture

Struggling with falling demand for farm equipment, Deere & Co. announces nearly 600 layoffs
Deere is laying off nearly 600 workers as the farm equipment manufacturer deals with declining demand. Deere said the production positions being cut are concentrated at two factories in Iowa and one at its home base in Moline, Illinois, where 280 employees will be laid off effective Aug. 30.
Heavy rains and climate change challenge Minnesota agriculture, farmers of color
“It has been a tough season,” said Marcus Carpenter, founder of an organization that supports greater racial and ethnic diversity in farming. “When you have farmers of color who have very little acreage to deal with in the beginning, having an entire washout can be detrimental for them, both economically … and from a community perspective.”
In Grant County, more than 280 grazing goats provide sustainable solution to buckthorn
Each month, MPR senior economics contributor Chris Farrell takes us inside a local business. This time he visited a farm in Grant County that is using their goats in a unique way.
Robots with hoes show farmers possible future of weed control
Weeds are becoming resistant to herbicides used by farmers, leaving few good options for controlling unwanted plants that can quickly take over a field. This summer, weed-killing robots are patrolling fields near Moorhead, offering a glimpse of a high tech future on the farm.
Volunteers are needed for the statewide bumble bee survey
The Minnesota Bumble Bee Atlas wants to expand its statewide survey of bumble bees, but needs more volunteers to do the work. The ambitious project aims to expand the knowledge of where bumble bees are found in Minnesota.
Update on bird flu in Minnesota as pathogen spills into other populations
Millions of birds around the country are being culled by farmers as an outbreak of avian influenza, or bird flu, continues to spread — and infect other species like cattle.