Agriculture

Intelligence Squared debate: Don't eat anything with a face
Under "stay-at-home" requirements, people are buying more groceries for cooking their meals at home and many of us are thinking more often about what we like to eat. The Intelligence Squared series hosted a debate about one thing many people like to eat — meat.
Meatpackers cautiously reopen plants amid coronavirus fears
A South Dakota pork processing plant took its first steps toward reopening after a virus outbreak among workers that was one of the worst in the nation. Smithfield Foods shuttered its Sioux Falls plant for over two weeks because of a coronavirus outbreak that infected over 800 employees.
As pandemic closes doors, Minnesota creamery charts path to open new ones
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt various supply chains in Minnesota, some farmers and small business owners are getting creative and adapting to the changing conditions. In some cases, a major pivot has opened new doors in getting products to the masses.
Bacterium with no known cure is killing millions of olive trees in southern Europe
The tree killer is a bacterium called xylella fastidiosa. It has killed millions of olive trees in Italy and is now threatening Spain and Greece. These countries produce 95 percent of Europe's olive oil.
Native nonprofit expands Minnesota farm, aims to scale up crop production amid pandemic
Dream of Wild Health has expanded its farm in Hugo, Minn., from 10 to 30 acres, and they plan to scale up production as they work to prepare the newly acquired land, which was previously conventionally farmed, for organic farming.
Belgians urged to eat more fries to help potato farmers amid pandemic-related glut
Belgian households typically eat one serving of fries per week. The head of the national potato processing association says one more won't hurt consumers or their health, and will help producers.
Healthy pigs being killed as meatpacking backlog hits farms
Officials estimate that about 700,000 pigs across the nation can't be processed each week and must euthanized. Most of the hogs are being killed at farms, but up to 13,000 a day also may be euthanized at the JBS pork plant in Worthington, Minn.
'Our contingency plan is panic': Farmers enter planting season amid low prices, COVID-19
Planting is getting underway in Minnesota, but the pandemic has knocked down crop prices — and the virus threat has farmers like Betsy Jensen on edge during the busy spring season.