Agriculture

A $1.2 million federal grant will help Minnesota economists study the costs of transitioning from conventional to organic farming.
Traders far away from the farm influence crop prices
Federal officials will examine the role of large institutional investors in grain markets -- institutions such as pension systems and hedge funds. Their role in the grain trade has grown steadily over the past few years, and can lead to wide swings in the prices that farmers get for their crops.
Many wheat growers won't benefit from price jump
Most farmers' wheat was sold by the time prices skyrocketed, leaving the big profits to speculators who buy commodities on the futures market.
VeraSun not pursuing farmers it asked for refund
Midwest corn farmers who received official letters from bankrupt ethanol producer VeraSun Energy Corp. asking for money back can breathe easier.
Flooding puts soybean, corn harvest behind schedule
Officials are still calculating the damage, but some farmers are reporting heavy losses. Many fields are flooded and may not be harvested until they freeze.
In its weekly crop report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that Minnesota's corn harvest advanced only 1 percentage point from the previous week, to 2 percent harvested. That compares with a five-year average of 3 percent.
The number of certified organic farms is on the rise in Minnesota, and they're getting bigger.
In its weekly crop weather report for Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday it's receiving its first reports of corn and soybeans being harvested.
Farmers fear dust rules won't reflect rural life
farmers are watching a federal debate over whether to clamp down on one of rural life's constant companions - the dust clouds that farm machinery kick up in fields and along unpaved roads.