How A Niche Market Saved This Farmer's Pork Business
There’s more than one way to sell a pig. And when the hog market plunged to 8 cents a pound in 1998, Iowa producer Randy Hilleman decided it was time to» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleMy Farm Roots: Lessons From The Farm Crisis
I met Mark Kenney on his family’s farm in Nevada, Iowa, when I was working on a story about farmer taxes. He turned out to be perfect for that—a farmer» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleThe Difficult Business Of Handing Down The Family Farm
Driving out of the western Iowa town of Panora, the winding roads offer broad vistas of rolling hills. Many of the mailboxes along Redwood Road show the» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleHow Prairie Plants Help Restore Farmland Soil
The world’s soil is in trouble, even in the fertile Midwest. Some experts warn that if degradation continues unchecked, topsoil could be gone in 60 years.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleMy Farm Roots: Winning Respect
Danelle Myer owns a small vegetable farm and like many other small farmers, she’s passionate about the kind of operation she wants to grow: a small, local» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleCongress Still Playing The Farm Bill Game
The farm bill is, once again, entering a critical stretch. As was the case last year, the current law expires at the end of September. There’s no election» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleMysterious Exploding Manure Has Hog Owners Worried
Howard Hill pulls his red Chevy pick-up truck up to a barn near Union, Iowa, that houses 1,000 of his hogs. In the truck’s bed is a 55-pound bag of» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleHow Microbes Can Help Farmers Feed People
Farmers and scientists have long understood that what lives beneath the soil affects how crops grow. Often, they work to fight plant diseases—warding...» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleBring Home The Bacon: Virus Cutting Pork Supplies
Bacon-loving shoppers prepare yourselves: A virus that has devastated piglets for nearly a year is causing lower pork supplies and higher prices. Farmer...» E-Mail This
View ArticleIs Corn Dust Killing Bees?
Nathan Anderson stops his red pick-up truck alongside a cornfield on his farm near Cherokee, Iowa. The young farmer pulls on a heavy brown hoodie,...» E-Mail This
View ArticleOn Front Lines, Farmers Struggle Against Chemical-Resistant Weeds
A fast spreading, crop destroying weed may be coming to the farms near you. Palmer amaranth, which has plagued southern farms for decades, has been...» E-Mail This
View ArticleMy Farm Roots: Carrying On A Farm Family Legacy
In his home in Forest City, Iowa, Riley Lewis has the original warranty deed for his farm, signed by President James Buchanan and issued to one Elias...» E-Mail This
View ArticleNew Poultry Rules Meet Mixed Reception
Change is coming to the poultry industry, but not everyone is happy about it. Until now, inspections have been governed by a law written in 1957. It’s...» E-Mail This
View ArticleTechnology, Infrastructure Cut Down On Food Waste On The Farm
On a wet, grey day in Grinnell, Iowa, the rain beats a rhythm on the metal roof of a packing shed at Grinnell Heritage Farm. Crew member Whitney Brewer...» E-Mail This
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