Agriculture

What one horticulturist has to say about pesticide residue on produce
It can be confusing for shoppers to wade through the bounty of information about the differences between organic and conventional produce. An expert clears the air on some common questions.
Goats contract bird flu on Minnesota farm
Minnesota officials detected highly pathogenic avian influenza in several young goats on a farm in Stevens County. The infection is reportedly the first time avian influenza has been detected in cattle, sheep or goats.
EPA will allow farmers to spray dicamba after court blocks use
After a judge blocked use of the herbicide dicamba, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it will allow farmers to use existing stocks of the chemical this year.
Prisoners in the U.S. are part of a hidden workforce linked to hundreds of popular food brands
In a sweeping two-year investigation, The Associated Press found goods linked to prisoners wind up in the supply chains of everything from Frosted Flakes cereal and Ball Park hot dogs to Gold Medal flour and Coca-Cola. 
When it comes to climate warming, cow burps are no joke
Animal agriculture is the largest source of the climate-warming gas methane in Minnesota. Researchers are looking for ways to reduce methane at the source — a cow’s stomach. The science is promising, but a quick solution is unlikely.
Lawmaker: Raise fertilizer fees to help pay cost of nitrate pollution
DFL Rep. Rick Hansen says farmers should pay higher fees for nitrogen fertilizer, the source of the majority of nitrate contamination in southeast Minnesota. Farm groups oppose the idea.
Minnesota Farm Bureau seeks to engage urban ag producers
The Minnesota Farm Bureau is hosting its first urban agriculture conference this month in St. Paul. The century old ag organization is expanding efforts to advocate for farmers of all sizes.
Six months after HyLife shut down, former workers hope for ‘better life’ if plant reopens
Half a year after the plant closed at short notice, laid-off workers and the city itself await the reopening of the pork processor under new ownership. However, the local residents have more questions than answers.