Agriculture

Cargill tests robotic cattle driver as a way to improve worker safety
Hundreds of injuries — and some fatalities — are caused by cattle each year. But a new robot might be able to emulate some sounds and actions of workers, keeping them safe from kicks and attacks.
Increased dairy production, coupled with stagnating demand, have kept prices low. At the same time, trade scuffles have made it harder for farmers to reach new consumers overseas.
Thanks to science, you can eat an apple every day
After harvest, apples can be stored for months in controlled atmosphere storage rooms where the temperature, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and humidity levels are adjusted to put them into hibernation.
Minn. farmers have most to lose if conservation cut from farm bill
House and Senate negotiators are trying to work out a deal on the farm bill before the end of the year, but one key difference between the House and Senate versions of the bill is the fate of the Conservation Stewardship Program, which gives farmers credit for maintaining practices that reduce soil erosion and improve water quality.
Gobble, gobble? U.S. turkey production growth slowed in last decade
After decades of booming growth, demand for turkeys began to flatline in 2008. While a number of factors are at play, it could also be that Americans are changing the way they celebrate Thanksgiving.
Dirt rich: Healthy soil movement gains ground in farm country
It's an approach to farming built around four basic rules: Never till the soil. Use cover crops so soil is never bare. Grow a more diverse mix of plants. And use fields to graze livestock.
Wet weather worries Minnesota farmers
Two months of prolonged rain and damaging winds have delayed harvests and threaten crops.
From the front lines of NAFTA, more relief than rejoicing
The new deal to replace NAFTA includes modernizations and improvements. But the biggest benefit, for many sectors, is simply that there is a deal — reducing the uncertainty of previous months.