Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

Agriculture

Boundary Waters algae blooms spark questions, concern

Boundary Waters algae blooms spark questions, concern

Blue-green algae is typically found in lakes with heavy nutrient runoff from nearby farms, lawns and roads. But researchers are now trying to figure out what’s causing the sometimes harmful blooms in more remote lakes in northern Minnesota, including in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
by Dan Kraker

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Competitive pumpkin growers gather at Stillwater Harvest Fest

Competitive pumpkin growers gather at Stillwater Harvest Fest

Competitive pumpkin growers made a beeline for the Stillwater Harvest Fest this past weekend. The annual gathering is now one of the largest festivals of its kind in the Midwest, with the pumpkin weigh-off as its centerpiece.
by Hannah Yang

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Digging into Minnesota's peat, an underappreciated climate superhero

Digging into Minnesota's peat, an underappreciated climate superhero

Meet a carbon-sequestering superhero: peat moss. Efforts are underway to better understand the role that peat bogs in northern Minnesota play in mitigating climate change.
by Dan Kraker

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Giant pumpkins draw big crowds in Stillwater, Minn.

The annual pumpkin growers gathering at Stillwater is now one of the largest festivals of its kind in the Midwest.
by MPR News Staff

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Barges grounded by low water halt Mississippi River traffic

Barges grounded by low water halt Mississippi River traffic

The unusually low water level in the lower Mississippi River is causing barges to get stuck in the mud and sand. That's disrupting river travel for shippers, recreational boaters and even passengers on a cruise line.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Foraging food from our landscape

Foraging food from our landscape

The temperatures have dropped. The leaves are changing. And people across Minnesota are getting outdoors to savor the season — but Alan Bergo really savors it. He goes by “The Forager Chef.” He’s built a career on plucking food from our landscape and turning it into gourmet dishes. He says you can do it, too.
by Catharine Richert and Megan Burks

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
CO2 pipeline proposal draws mixed reactions in SW Minn.

CO2 pipeline proposal draws mixed reactions in SW Minn.

Iowa-based Summit Carbon Solutions has positioned its CO2 pipeline project as a way to combat climate change. But some environmental groups and landowners say their safety concerns haven’t been answered.
by Hannah Yang

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Ducks offer clues to avian influenza risk

Ducks offer clues to avian influenza risk

The deadly avian influenza virus is once again showing up on Minnesota poultry farms. There's concern the fall waterfowl migration might bring a resurgence of the virus that killed millions of turkeys and chickens in the spring. There's a nationwide effort to monitor the virus in wild waterfowl, including here in Minnesota.
by Dan Gunderson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
The secret to farming on Mars? A bit of alfalfa

The secret to farming on Mars? A bit of alfalfa

Farming on Earth can be challenging enough with intensifying droughts and climate events. But a team of researchers is trying to figure out how to grow food on Mars — and they might have found a way. Pooja Kasiviswanathan joined Appetites to share her breakthrough research.
by John Wanamaker and Ngoc Bui

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

A fall tradition: Bringing in the wild rice harvest

This is the season for collecting wild rice across northern Minnesota. Ricers have been out in canoes harvesting the crop from lakes and rivers. To preserve that rice, and give it the trademark nutty, smoky flavor involves a process of parching, jigging, winnowing and fellowship.
by Dan Gunderson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!