Héctor Alejandro Arzate
Environmental and Agriculture Reporter, KCURI cover environmental and agriculture issues for Harvest Public Media. I’m based at KCUR, the NPR station in Kansas City.
Previously, I was a reporter at DCist.com and WAMU 88.5 in Washington, DC. There, I reported on the everyday lives of immigrant communities in D.C, Maryland, and northern Virginia. Before that, I worked at my hometown station, KQED, in the San Francisco Bay Area. I graduated from Cal Poly Humboldt with a degree in criminology and a minor in journalism.
My favorite kinds of stories are the “radio road trips” that help us better understand the world around us. When I’m not working — or racking up miles on my car’s odometer for a reporting trip — I enjoy cooking, fly-fishing, and reading books about magical realism.
Please send story ideas, tips, or just say hello at hectorarzate@kcur.org. You can follow me on Twitter/X @hectoraarzate.
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Beyond Pesticides is working to help cities phase out the use of chemicals like weed killers from public outdoor spaces. Advocates and organizers hope it will make communities healthier. -
Thousands of insect species use vibrations to communicate. Now, in part because of the foundational research of a Midwestern biology professor, more researchers are exploring insect vibrational communication to ward against pests and understand climate change. -
Organizations representing rural communities and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley have pushed back on a proposal that the U.S. Postal Service says could save it billions per year. -
Beekeepers say it can be especially challenging to raise honeybees in the Midwest. Parasites, pesticides and extreme weather like drought are contributing to colony loss. -
Midwest states are spending millions to manage invasive carp in rivers and lakes. If left unchecked, conservation experts say the fish could wreak havoc on local ecosystems and fishing industries. -
Fall is mating season for deer, which often causes them to cross busy streets and stand in roads. "One wreck can alter numerous lives, especially if you're not prepared, or not ready, or if you're just flat not paying attention," notes one county sheriff. -
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is projecting that egg prices will decrease in the coming months. But experts said that all depends on whether there are any further bird flu outbreaks. -
Researchers at the University of Missouri say they’ve created a new vaccine to protect cattle from bovine anaplasmosis. The disease is estimated to cost U.S. ranchers millions each year. -
Access to land is one of the biggest challenges that beginning farmers face. A new program in Missouri joins a nationwide effort to help. -
Many homeowners associations don’t let people raise chickens in their backyards. But a new Missouri law going into effect this month says HOAs must allow it.
