agriculture

Corn and soybean harvests are starting just as the fuel farmers need to reap is shooting up in price. Plus, older Americans on fixed incomes are hit especially hard when food costs spike.

After trade talks between the countries fell apart last month, the Trump administration and Canada's leaders have rolled out new tariffs on everything from dairy products to machinery. Experts say farmers will likely feel the squeeze on both ends.

There’s a chance your next bowl of cereal or protein shake will include milk that came from Kansas. Dairy production in the state has quadrupled over the last couple decades, and that growth rests on the shoulders of immigrant workers in rural Kansas.

Birdwatchers in Kansas might notice tiny, yellow birds in their backyards, a songbird that only recently started breeding in Kansas. Plus: Midwest prairies are turning into woodland. Ranchers are trying to stop this change, but it’s an uphill battle.

Midwest lawmakers have tried and failed to ban paraquat, a toxic weedkiller that’s been tied to Parkinson’s disease. One state senator plans to keep fighting. Plus: The federal government has released new rules controlling how farmers can use the controversial herbicide dicamba.

More farmers are opting to repair old tractors, combines and other machinery instead of buying new upgrades. A tough farm economy and historically-high equipment prices are at least partly to blame.

Lawmakers in 13 states have proposed banning or restricting paraquat, a toxic herbicide that researchers have tied to an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease. But efforts to outlaw it have failed across the Midwest.

U.S. Geological Survey researchers developed models to better understand the timing and sources contributing to nutrient pollution in streams and rivers. They say their findings can help guide efforts to improve water quality.

Passing on the family farm to the next generation is typically an involved process, both financially and emotionally. A turbulent agricultural economy the past few years has made that transition even more difficult.

Experts say affordable housing and a lower cost of living are driving people back into the Midwest. Plus: Many farmers are worried whether they'll see a profit this year thanks to high supply costs.

A new type of wheat dotting Kansas fields has a special use: making pasta. Wheat acres have continuously declined in Kansas. The noodle-focused wheat variety could change that.

For 150 years, silos have been a fixture of the Corn Belt, but efforts to preserve them have been haphazard.