Agriculture

Apple growers look forward to bountiful harvest
The apple harvest will be a couple of weeks late this year, but the orchards are full of sweet fruit and producers are looking toward an exceptional harvest. Minnesota apple growers are expected to produce nearly 20 million pounds of fruit this year.
Even though Minnesota's corn crop is doing well, the state's agricultural economy is facing a roughly $175 million loss from a projected smaller soybean crop.
Last year was one of the best in history for Minnesota farmers, and organic farmers shared in the bounty. The University of Minnesota’s Center for Farm Financial Management (CFFM) analyzed economic data from about three dozen organic farms around the state.   They showed a median net income for 2012 of just over $85,000,  more…
The Minnesota Agriculture Department holds the first of six public meetings this week on it's new nitrogen fertilizer management plan for state farmers. The plan's goal is to prevent or minimize the impact of nitrogen fertilizer on drinking water.
Blueberry bounty has growers feeling blue
The blueberries on your morning cereal are less expensive this year. That's because farmers are harvesting a bumper crop this summer. It's good news for berry lovers, but the bounty might wreck some blueberry growers.
Farmers could harvest second-largest crop in Minnesota history
Minnesota farmers are expected to harvest slightly smaller corn and soybean crops this fall than last year, in part because fields in some parts of the state have been hurt by too much spring rain, followed, by streak of cool temperatures.