The Red River Valley is well known for large farms growing an abundance of corn, soybeans and sugar beets. But there’s a unique farm near Moorhead that’s finding success by focusing on a very different kind of growth: human skills and knowledge.
New players are entering the field to help with the green energy transition by literally chowing down on the fields. It’s through the growing collaboration between solar developers and sheep farmers.
University of Minnesota professor Don Wyse, a proponent of sustainable agricultural practices, died Tuesday. Wyse co-founded the Forever Green Initiative, a project to research new, more sustainable crops for Minnesota farmers.
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.
“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.”
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.
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.