Agriculture

Candidates showcased their knowledge of agriculture policy and highlighted their rural connections during a pair of FarmFest virtual forums.

For more than a century, food has been getting more abundant, and cheaper. Yet people keep worrying about food shortages. Some economists say the fears actually create their own problems.

The annual FarmFest event was relegated to a virtual gathering during the pandemic, pushing a pair of U.S. Senate candidates from an open-air tent to a stilted debate via computer.

Farmworkers in Washington state have gone to court to demand overtime pay. Coronavirus outbreaks in agricultural communities have focused new attention on working conditions and pay on farms.

If you live near red pine trees — and in much of Minnesota, chances are you do — you may have noticed some dead, brown patches in the upper branches this summer. They're proof of a moth outbreak the likes of which the state hasn’t seen in more than 20 years.

A trillion dollars worth of American farmland will change hands in the coming years. Wealthy investors are likely to buy more of it, with the power to shape rural communities and the environment.

Minnesota’s northwest corner can’t catch a break from excessive rain. After a soggy last fall and spring flooding, heavy rains are damaging crops and roads.

The latest crop report shows more than 80 percent of corn and soybeans in the state are in good to excellent condition — a big jump from this time last year. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer checks in with a farmer in southwestern Minnesota about her crop and financial outlook.

Officials are warning recipients not to plant the seeds and introduce potentially invasive plants to the state. The Agriculture Department isn’t sure what plants the seeds are from, but warn they could pose a risk to farm crops or natural landscapes.

An urban garden in the Hawthorne neighborhood in north Minneapolis has been in the works for months. But after the police killed George Floyd, it has become a healing space — particularly for Black residents who often feel targeted and criminalized.