Agriculture

It's been a tough year to be a Minnesota farmer trying to keep crops alive during the worst drought in decades. But many are using new tools and research to be smarter and more efficient about how much water they use, and when.

Meat prices are climbing fast and the White House says large meatpacking companies that control most of the country's supply are partly to blame.

Production of Kernza is growing in Minnesota and a Kernza cereal will be on store shelves starting this week. The perennial grain has been in development for decades and has several environmental benefits.

The drought has challenged many in Minnesota. But for grape growers, it’s the silver lining to a difficult 18 months.

As the drought lingers in much of the state, there is growing concern about mental health challenges faced by farmers and other people in rural Minnesota. 

Agency officials issued a final ruling on Wednesday saying chlorpyrifos can no longer be used on the food that makes its way onto American dinner plates. The move overturns a Trump-era decision.

For farmers, the summer of 2021 is the best of times and the worst of times. Big farms that plant corn and soybeans are coping with the drought. But it’s a different story for small growers.

Some farmers who work just a few acres of land without crop insurance or other programs designed to help much larger operations are facing the dual challenges of adverse weather and the ongoing pandemic.

The drought is drying up wells in some parts of the state, but that’s just one of the factors that have well-drilling contractors scrambling to keep up with demand, and some customers waiting months for a new well.

Sanderson Farms, the nation's third-largest poultry producer, is being acquired by Cargill and privately held Continental Grain for $4.53 billion as the price of chicken soars.