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Not-so-mean weed-eating machines

Greenfield Robotics, a Kansas-based company, developed robots to take on a labor-intensive process: cutting weeds down. Plus: The fur industry has a long history in the state of Missouri, and trappers want to make sure they're conserving the state's resources and traditions.

Three yellow, bug-like creatures crawl in perfectly straight lines across the dead grass of a flat, brown February field in Cheney, Kansas. These are the namesake of GreenField Robotics. Celia Hack with the Kansas News Service explores why GreenField CEO Clint Brauer is attempting to move away from the use of herbicides by way of farming robots.

More than 100 people gathered for a recent auction at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in mid-Missouri. Fur trappers from all corners of the state brought their wares from last year’s trapping season, including the pelts and glands of raccoons, otters, beavers and bobcats. KBIA's Rebecca Smith has the story of how Missourians are keeping the state tradition of fur trapping alive.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Anna Schmidt and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox and Gabe Rosenberg.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

As a newscaster and a host of a daily news podcast, I want to deliver the most important and interesting news of the day in an engaging and easily understandable way. No matter where you live in the metro or what you’re interested in, I want you to learn something from each newscast or podcast – and maybe even give you something to talk about at the dinner table.
Anna Schmidt is the fall 2023 intern for KCUR Studios. She recently graduated from Kansas State University, where she was the Opinions Desk Editor for the Collegian student newspaper and took over the role of podcast host. You can email her at anna.schmidt@kcur.org.
KCUR serves the Kansas City region with breaking news and award-winning podcasts.
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