farmers

Kansas farmer Derek Klingenberg is using satellite images to capture cow art from space.

Have You Herd? Farmer Writes A Memoo Using Cows And Satellite Imagery

10:49am March 21, 2018

by Ben Kuebrich

A Kansas farmer is becoming somewhat of a celebrity for making agriculture-themed pop-music parodies and calling his cattle by playing Lorde's "Royals" on the trombone. Now, he's making space cow art.

In 2012, record heat throughout the U.S. farm belt curtailed crop production like this rotting corn on a farm in Bruceville, Ind. Farmers are now worried that the lack of rainfall this year could start the cycle over again.

Widespread Drought Across U.S. Stokes Fears About A Repeat Of 2012's Wrath

1:57pm March 01, 2018

by Madelyn Beck

If rainfall doesn't come soon, it could cost billions in devastation — a difficult fallout considering the USDA expects farmers' incomes to hit a 12-year low even if crop yields stay high.

The Theewaterskloof Dam is at just 13 percent capacity and is full of sand and dried tree trunks. About 85 miles north of Cape Town, the dam supplies both city and local farmers.

South African Farmers Lose Crops And Workers Amid Crippling Drought

10:15am February 04, 2018

by Peter Granitz

Agriculture generates hundreds of millions of dollars per year for this nation. But with water being diverted to Cape Town and expected to run out in April, farmers are preparing for the worst.

Queue Listen Now

A head of poor-quality malt barley taken directly from a field in Power, Mont. Heat and a lack of water resulted in small and light kernels. Grain rejected for malt barley often ends up as animal feed.

Montana Barley Fields Become Front Line For Climate Change And Beer

10:02am January 11, 2018

by Jackson Mitchell

Barley, the "king of malt," needs a precise recipe of water and sunshine to thrive — too much of either will cause it to wither and die. And amid a changing climate, that's exactly what's happening.

President Trump speaks at the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual convention in Nashville, Tenn., on Monday.

Trump Plants Seeds Of Rural Revival With Friendly Farm Audience

6:24pm January 08, 2018

by Scott Horsley

President Trump unveiled a task force report on reviving rural prosperity at a Farm Bureau convention in Nashville, Tenn., Monday. Rural voters were a key part of Trump's winning election coalition.

Sale Tambaya, a cattle herder in central Nigeria, grazes his cows. After his home state criminalized open grazing on Nov. 1, he and his family fled with their livestock to a neighboring state where grazing is allowed. Two of his sons died on the journey.

Health & Safety

Why It's Now A Crime To Let Cattle Graze Freely In 2 Nigerian States

2:48pm December 12, 2017

by Tim McDonnell

Herders have let their livestock roam. Farmers are furious over damage to their crops. Tensions have led to thousands of deaths. Will a government ban on grazing end the violence?

Jonathan Bethony bakes his whole grain breads in a wood-fired oven, heated to about 500 degrees, to help the weighty loaves rise.

'The Hardest Bakery Possible': Reinventing The Meaning Of 'Whole Grain'

1:19pm November 30, 2017

by Whitney Pipkin

A handful of bakeries are pushing the envelope of what's possible — and palatable — by leaving the bran and germ in freshly milled grains from local farmers, who also help drive the menu.

Hops internodes growing in a Petri dish in the SUNY Cobleskill biotech lab.

Can Science Change The Mildewed Fortunes Of New York Heritage Hops?

10:59am October 24, 2017

by Lela Nargi

Hops helped make vast fortunes for 19th century farmers and brewers in New York state before a mildew blight ushered in their demise. Now, undergrads hope to develop mildew-resistant heritage hops.

Damage to soybean plants and other crops has led to arguments and strain between neighbors.

A Wayward Weedkiller Divides Farm Communities, Harms Wildlife

2:44pm October 07, 2017

by Dan Charles

When a drifting weedkiller hit America's farming heartland this summer, it damaged crops and friendships. The chemical could also be bad news for other vegetation, as well as bees and butterflies.

Queue Listen Now

Migrant Justice activists gather to celebrate the signing of an agreement with Ben & Jerry's that took two years to negotiate.

National

Ben & Jerry's Signs Deal To Improve Migrant Dairy Workers' Conditions

2:21pm October 04, 2017

by Kathleen Masterson

Farmworker advocacy group Migrant Justice and the behemoth ice cream company have been negotiating for two years to agree on a worker-led initiative that ensures "just and dignified" practices.