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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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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
It is peak bird migration season in Kansas City, and unfortunately, that means more bird collisions with buildings. To help solve the problem, some groups are taking note of where they find dead birds. -
The trucking industry is estimated to have a shortage of nearly 80,000 drivers. While the problem is expected to get worse before it gets better, industry groups are trying to pave the way for more people to get a commercial driver’s license. -
A new report from the Environmental Working Group found targeting the U.S. Department of Agriculture's conservation funding to the Mississippi River region would have huge benefits to water quality and the climate. -
The Inflation Reduction Act provides funds for clean energy, transportation, electrification and more for rural communities, but small towns with few resources and staff may have trouble accessing those programs. -
Tar spot, a fungal disease, first appeared in the U.S. in 2015 with reports in Indiana and Illinois. Since then, it has been spreading across the Midwest. -
Kansas City’s water was last tested for toxic chemicals by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in 2013 and found to be safe. But the new EPA rules would set higher standards for what is considered “safe.”
