Eva Tesfaye
Reporter, KCURI report on agriculture, food and water issues for Harvest Public Media and the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. I’m based at KCUR in Kansas City, Missouri.
I previously worked at NPR’s daily science podcast Short Wave as a producer, where I also reported and hosted episodes about horticulture and energy. Before that I spent a year as an NPR Kroc fellow during which I produced for the newsmagazine Weekend Edition, reported national stories for NPR, produced for a WFIU podcast and reported for the Gulf States Newsroom from WBHM in Birmingham, Alabama.
I graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in English. I’m an Eritrean-American who grew up in South Africa before moving to the United States.
Contact me at etesfaye@kcur.org or on Twitter @EvaRTesfaye.
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Food waste takes up space in landfills and produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Composting that waste can reduce climate impacts and save municipalities money on landfill fees, but concerns about bad smells and pests sometimes get in the way. -
Four towns and one county have received funding to upgrade their water and wastewater infrastructure, an urgent need across much of the rural U.S.
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Una quinta parte de las muertes de trabajadores relacionadas con el calor registradas entre 2017 y 2022 fueron trabajadores agrícolas, según datos de la OSHA. Académicos, especialistas en salud ocupacional y grupos de defensa están llamando la atención sobre el impacto poco reportado del cambio climático en este grupo por las olas de calor.
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A fifth of reported heat-related deaths between 2017 and 2022 were agricultural workers, according to OSHA data. Academics, occupational health specialists and advocacy groups are calling attention to the under-reported impact of climate change on this group from heatwaves.
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A slowdown in the agricultural industry is "going to put a strain on farmers." But analysts say the rural economy in the Midwest and Great Plains is still doing well.
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The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities voted to increase electricity and water rates for Wyandotte County, but residents say they are already overburdened by high utility bills.
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Congress expanded work requirements for food assistance during the debt ceiling negotiations, a move that would normally happen in the Farm Bill. Shortly before that, the state of Kansas made similar changes.
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The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities is proposing to increase electricity and water rates for Wyandotte County, but many say the hikes would hurt low-income residents.
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Tribes in the Midwest and Great Plains are embracing and sharing traditional agricultural knowledge with both Native and nonnative farmers to improve the soil and water for everyone.
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The United Nations has declared 2023 the International Year of Millets — a type of small grain mostly grown in parts of Asia and Africa. The highly resilient and cost-friendly grains could make them the next crop for U.S. farmers in the midst of climate change.
