Agriculture

Lawmakers look to boost funding to address farmer stress, suicide
The Minnesota House agriculture committee heard Thursday from a Kittson County farmer who lost her husband and from a counselor who gets calls seven days a week from those in need.
Ask a 'sotan: How did George Hormel, grandfather of Spam, get to Minnesota?
Hormel, the company that brought the world Spam (the eating kind) and other meaty meals, makes its home in Austin, Minn. The writings of a young George Hormel reveal just why this international food giant ended up here.
Don't panic: The government shutdown isn't making food unsafe
The Food and Drug Administration is inspecting less food these days, thanks to the shutdown. And while that has raised questions about food safety, the food business is largely carrying on as usual.
Beef-friendly Nebraska eyes regulations on the word 'meat'
More than four months after Missouri became the first U.S. state to regulate the term "meat" on product labels, Nebraska's powerful farm groups are pushing for similar regulations on veggie burgers, tofu dogs and other items that look and taste like real meat.
Nobody is moving our cheese: American surplus reaches record high
Americans consumed almost 37 pounds per capita in 2017, but that wasn't enough to reduce the country's 1.4 billion-pound cheese surplus. The stockpile of cheese started to build several years ago.
Chickpeas sit in silos as Trump's trade wars wage on
The largest importers of crops like lentils, garbanzos or peas — China and India — aren't buying because of trade wars and tariffs. But farmers already planted in anticipation of sales.
Minnesota Grown directory seeks new members
The state Agriculture Department plans to print 155,000 copies of the directory, which features growers and producers throughout the state.
Native American tribes win big in the new farm bill
A coordinated lobbying effort resulted in dozens of provisions increasing tribal authority over food and nutrition programs.