farmers

National

'Speed Dating' For Farmers And Chefs: ISO A Perfect Local-Food Match

1:16pm January 24, 2017

by Dan Charles

Farmers are shy; chefs are ferocious. But they need each other to put local food on restaurant tables. A "speed-dating" event in Washington, D.C. matches farmers with chefs, aided by free beer.

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According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sweet potato consumption in the United States nearly doubled in just 15 years.

National

Why America Is Growing The Most Sweet Potatoes Since WWII

11:52am January 19, 2017

by Kristofor Husted

These sugary spuds are cheap and easy to grow, but the rise of postwar industrialization and processed foods made them less popular. Now, fad diets and trendy restaurants have sparked a renaissance.

Many large-scale farms rely heavily on immigrant labor. And many farmers are opposed to Donald Trump's strong stance against illegal immigrant.

Big Battles Over Farm And Food Policies May Be Brewing As Trump Era Begins

3:30pm December 28, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump hasn't said much about food and farm policy or named his choices for top food-related jobs. But the coming years will likely see profound battles over food and nutrition.

Who speaks for rural America? Farmers want international trade deals and relief from regulations. But small towns are focused on re-inventing themselves to attract a new generation.

Farmers Are Courting Trump, But They Don't Speak For All Of Rural America

4:59pm November 29, 2016

by Dan Charles

With Donald Trump's victory, rural America is enjoying some political prominence, and farmers are hoping to profit. But most rural Americans aren't farmers. Small towns have their own priorities.

The theme of Mike's Maze this year is "See America," which commemorates the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

With GPS And Graph Paper, Farmers Find A-maze-ing Ways To Bring In Cash

9:57pm October 31, 2016

by Laurel Dalrymple

Using technology and math, farmers are creating elaborate corn maze designs, from replicas of fine art to Internet kitties. Labyrinths help make ends meet — they yield more cash per acre than crops.

Environment

North Carolina Farmers Face Devastating Losses After Hurricane Matthew

6:00pm October 12, 2016

by Keri Brown

State agriculture officials are trying to reach farmers in eastern North Carolina that are dealing with flooding from Hurricane Matthew.

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The spike in demand for small-batch beers has infused new life into small, family owned hop farms that were teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

National

Hop Growers Cheer Craft Brewers For Saving An Ailing Industry

10:09am August 02, 2016

by Jodi Helmer

The spike in demand for small-batch beers has infused new life into small, family-owned hop farms that were teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

Andrew Heineman's twin brother, Marcus, pulls a cultivator across a different field where they will plant seed corn this year, another alternative they selected when the price of corn started to fall and a new seed corn plant opened up nearby.

To Survive The Bust Cycle, Farmers Go Back To Business-School Basics

10:41am May 26, 2016

by Amy Mayer

Farming is entering its third year on the bust side of the cycle. Major crop prices are low, while expenses like seed, fertilizer and land remain high. That means getting creative to succeed.

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Beh paw Gaw is a New Roots graduate and a Karen refugee from Myanmar. Now she has her own three acre farm which she runs with her sister Pay lay, who is also a graduate of the New Roots program.

National

Refugees Plant The Seeds Of A New Community In Kansas City

12:46pm April 11, 2016

by Oluwakemi Aladesuyi

A farming education program aims to help people fleeing violence and persecution establish new roots — figuratively and literally.

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Karen (left) and Katie — still young girls at the time this photo was taken — sit with their father, Vern, on the family's tractor.

National

Facing A Shaky Future, Nebraska Family Farm Ponders A Renaissance

9:30am April 10, 2016

by NPR Staff

Even as the American agricultural industry is dominated by big operations, small family farms like the Jantzens' wonder what's next. So Katie, the family's eldest daughter, is eyeing a reinvention.