agriculture

Mexico’s plan to ban all genetically modified corn imports has upset U.S. corn farmers, trade groups and officials. The two nations are in talks and have until April 7 to resolve it before the U.S. can take action under the free trade agreement between North American countries.

The Missouri General Assembly passed legislation in 2019 and 2021 to restrict counties from imposing regulations on industrial livestock operations.

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, abortion rights groups have been resorting to increasingly scrappy tactics in their quest to keep abortion accessible across the country. Thanks to volunteer pilots, some are flying into Kansas by plane. Plus: Midwest farmers have tripled their use of cover crops, and a new farm bill might make them even more popular.

A new study shows a threefold increase in Midwest farm acres using the offseason crops to help protect the soil and reduce runoff, but it still makes up less than 8% of all farmland.

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.

Legislation is being proposed at the federal and state level to restrict foreign ownership of farmland, especially by China. The scrutiny comes after a Midwestern project was scuttled by military concerns and the flight of a Chinese spy balloon across the U.S.

Genetically modified foods have been on supermarket shelves since the 1990s, but they’ve only required a label for the last year. The USDA says implementation and compliance with the program have been “successful,” while experts suggest consumers aren’t noticing the labels.

A Nebraska regulator is asking a news organization to pay thousands of dollars for the to compile a public records request.

Shayla Curts was pregnant with her third child when she was shot and killed in December. Her family says this might not have happened if Jackson County's child welfare system had worked like it was supposed to. Plus: The plan to conserve water in western Kansas and save the region from drying up altogether.

After decades of irrigation, the aquifer that makes life possible in dry western Kansas is reaching a critical point. Several counties have already lost more than half of their underground water. But a new plan could save more of what’s left.

Legislation and programs in states like Missouri and Nebraska are paving the way to welcome large livestock operations by limiting local control over the facilities. Some rural residents worry about the potential pollution and decreased quality of life that will bring.

Missouri saw flooding, drought, extreme heat and bitter cold in 2022. Meanwhile, in Kansas, drought-fueled wildfires are exhausting resources and adding importance to the fight to conserve water. We'll take a look at the biggest climate stories of the year.