Agriculture

MN beekeeper: Feds must tighten rules on insecticide-coated seeds
A federal lawsuit filed today seeks to force the EPA to label the seeds as a pesticide. The change would curb use of the pesticides that beekeepers say are inadvertently killing their colonies.
How one Minnesota chicken producer kept the bird flu out
As avian flu swept across Minnesota this spring, Gold'n Plump managed to keep every one of its hundreds of central Minnesota chicken barns virus-free. Now, poultry producers nationally are taking notice.
For farmers, great harvests can bring on hard times
Record crops are causing prices to drop. Most farm sectors are struggling to make money.
Farmers have been enjoying the fruits of bee labor for 9,000 years
Beekeeping plays a vital role in modern agriculture. New research shows farmers have been fostering a sweet relationship with honey producers for at least 9,000 years, much earlier than previously thought.
MN turkey growers want bird flu vaccine, but it's no cure-all
Minnesota turkey farmers are clamoring to vaccinate their flocks this fall against avian flu. But while initial tests in chickens are encouraging, the vaccine has plenty of downside.
Farmers, feedlots chafe at consumer demands for change
Rapidly shifting consumer preferences are helping produce huge changes in the food business. That's causing visible fractures within Minnesota agriculture.
Drones helping Minnesota farmers see the light
University of Minnesota researchers say drone technology is still limited, but the potential benefits are huge. Agriculture is expected to be the first big user.
Bird flu quarantine lifted in hard-hit Kandiyohi County
The decision means farmers in the western Minnesota county with flocks unaffected by the virus will be able to move poultry on and off their land without restrictions.
USDA: Bird flu vaccine works on chickens; testing on turkeys
The vaccine strain has tested 100 percent effective in protecting chickens from bird flu and testing is underway to see if it also protects turkeys, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday.