Agriculture

The man who put the ‘snap’ in Honeycrisp is stepping aside
Jim Luby, who has led the fruit breeding program at the University of Minnesota since 1982, is retiring. His is one of the researchers credited with developing such apples as the Zestar!, the SweeTango and, the giant among them, the Honeycrisp. He’s also developed many other fruits too. It’s involved a lot of hard work, experimentation and tasting thousands of apples.
Bringing back ‘bio supermarkets’: Program helps landowners restore vanished wetlands
Wetlands help prevent flooding, filter nutrient pollution, store carbon and provide wildlife habitat. But many have disappeared due to draining and filling. A partnership between the federal government and a nonprofit is helping willing private landowners restore wetlands in the Upper Mississippi headwaters.
The cost of senior care: Why aging farmers fear the nursing home
Small family farmers are often “land rich, cash poor,” and nursing homes and other types of long-term care are expensive. Many worry about sacrificing their land to pay for care at the end of life.
Grants will help create pollinator pathways in Minnesota
More than $1 million in grants to 10 local organizations will help expand pollinator habitat in Minnesota. The Pollinator Pathways grants are part of the popular Lawns to Legumes program.
Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging deer farm regulations
A federal judge rejected deer farmers legal challenge of new state regulations on the industry. On Wednesday the judge dismissed the lawsuit challenging new laws passed by the Legislature in 2023.
U.S. Senate candidates give closing arguments at Farmfest ahead of Tuesday’s primary
Farmfest, an agricultural trade show, has become a rite of passage for politicians to talk with rural constituents in farm country. The forum was the last chance for voters to see the U.S. Senate candidates on the same stage before Tuesday’s primary.
Minnesota Farmer’s Union president on stalled Farm Bill, weather extremes and Walz veepstakes
U.S. Congress has to pass — or at least pass an extension of — the 2018 Farm Bill by Sept. 30, but talks have stalled after months of party-line debate.
Growing people, not crops, is the goal of a Moorhead farm
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.
Cargill, U of M team up on oil seed crop expansion effort
University of Minnesota researchers and agri-business Cargill are joining forces in an effort to increase production of biofuel crops in the region.
Sheepish solar symbiosis: Two very different industries work together on the green energy transition
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.