agriculture

The tickborne illness alpha-gal syndrome affects what you can eat. For those who contract it, mealtime becomes a minefield. Plus: American agriculture depends on foreign workers, but President Donald Trump’s immigration clampdown is shrinking a farm workforce that many say was already too small.

Supply is expected to surpass traditional grain storage capacity in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Some elevators, including historic Ely's in Nebraska, are adding temporary storage.

Bats love to munch on insects like stink bugs and moths. Some farmers are now relying on the mammals for pest control – and ditching chemicals.

El cierre del Gobierno impide la administración de los subsidios agrícolas por parte del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos, (USDA) lo cual amenaza con un aumento de los juicios hipotecarios de las granjas. También retrasa la ayuda financiera que el presidente Trump había prometido a los agricultores afectados por los aranceles.

The traffic cones have all but left Main Street as the Streetcar Extension opens after more than three years of construction, but now drivers will face a new obstacle: transit-only lanes. Plus: Raising giant pumpkins is a labor of love for some Midwest growers, and the pumpkins keep getting bigger and bigger.

Thousands of volunteers in Missouri are trying to get enough signatures to force a statewide vote on a congressional map, which state lawmakers recently gerrymandered to favor Republicans. But state officials aren't making it easy for them. Plus: U.S. farmers are experimenting with short corn. It's corn, but shorter!

The government shutdown stops USDA from administering farm subsidies, raising the specter of growing farm foreclosures. It also delays a bailout President Trump had promised for farmers impacted by tariffs.

Giant pumpkins can top the scales at more than 2,000 pounds – and caring for these behemoths is often a full-time job. But for some growers in the central U.S., the dream of raising a world record-setting pumpkin is a tantalizing prospect.

Virtual fencing uses GPS collars, sounds and electrical cues to move cattle across a landscape. Along with saving ranchers time, researchers say this new technology can help protect, and create, wildlife habitat.

Through Kansas City’s land bank program, Jameson Hubbard bought 16 small lots along Highland Avenue and turned them into farmland. He sells produce at the Overland Park Farmers' Market and through a CSA program.

As food production and farming become increasingly computerized, cyberattacks are on the rise. Lawmakers and universities are encouraging more research into how to protect the industry from cyber threats.

Western Kansas has inserted itself into the corn belt, and even though there's better crop options for the climate, huge industries and government subsidies make it hard for farmers to switch. Plus: The average American eats more than 40 quarts of popcorn a year, but the snack isn't grown on that many farms.