Agriculture

Indian business makes energy on Minnesota prairie
Even before Gov. Pawlenty's trade mission to India, a few Indian companies dot the landscape in Minnesota.
A plant that produces engineered strand lumber used for houses will close indefinitely, and officials are blaming a slow housing market for the move.
Ethanol industry braces for tough times
After several years of unprecedented profits, the ethanol industry has taken a downturn. The main problem are low prices for the raw product.
Whistleblower highlights concerns about atrazine
Science got tangled up in politics at the state Capitol Wednesday. It was a hearing on atrazine, a herbicide used on corn fields. One of the people who testified was a former state researcher who has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the state.
Hungry for workers, harvest crews look to the other side of the globe
Farm employers can't get enough people to show up for work. That's true for custom harvest crews, who do about one-fourth of the nation's grain harvesting work. Many crews are looking halfway across the globe for help.
Ethanol prices are falling while corn prices go up
The price of ethanol is falling, even while corn prices are hitting near record highs. Industry observers say that's putting some U.S. ethanol companies on the brink of bankruptcy.
Prosperity sprouts in Minnesota farm  fields
The best news this harvest may be strong grain prices. Corn has attracted most of attention, but other crops including soybeans are moving higher.
Small towns turn to alternative power
Municipal utility companies are finding that in some cases renewable energy may have a price advantage. They're under state pressure to diversify their energy sources.
Fall harvest looks stronger than expected
The latest crop report contains a couple of surprises: The size of the corn crop will be even bigger than expected, and grain prices are moving higher despite that news.
Drought recedes in southern Minnesota
An updated map issued Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that abnormally dry conditions are over across roughly the southern fourth of the state.