agriculture

Missouri recently became the 28th state to pass the CROWN Act, banning discrimination against Black students' hair. We'll head to a Kansas City salon to hear how local teens are reacting. Plus: Farmers worry that Trump's on-and-off tariffs could hurt America's reputation with one of their biggest buyers, China.

The massive legislation extends tax cuts and increases safety nets for farmers who grow commodities, like corn, wheat and rice. But deep cuts to federal food assistance spending could hurt specialty growers who benefit from programs like Double Up Food Bucks.

Soil and Water Conservation Districts have worked with farmers for decades in every U.S. state to reduce soil erosion and promote conservation. After two years of funding cuts in Illinois, conservation advocates worry that soil health could suffer – and dust storms could become a greater risk.

Red crown rot stems from a fungus that lives in the soil. Its first confirmed case in Missouri was last year, and in one field, it cut soybean yields by more than half.

People across Missouri and Kansas are losing their starry views to light pollution. But the right lighting decisions can help preserve night skies and benefit animal and human health.

The CyberTractor Challenge is a weeklong event for university students to learn about cybersecurity for agricultural equipment. Experts say the threats are evolving and becoming more complex.

Specialty producers exporting to China have been hit just as hard as soybeans and beef. But they often have fewer alternative markets for their crops, worsening the impact of retaliatory tariffs.

The Trump administration wants Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to raid worksites in the agriculture and hospitality industries, despite an initial reprieve this month. Experts say the policy could hurt businesses that rely on immigrant workers.

Across much of the Midwest, the atmosphere is becoming warmer and retaining more water, leading to heavier downpours. A two-crop system called relay intercropping could help farmers buffer weather whiplash and boost profits.

Shoppers are seeing record high beef prices at the grocery store. That’s in part because the number of cattle in the U.S. is at an all-time low, while consumer demand has remained strong.

The Trump administration cut off nearly all funding for food and agricultural research at universities across the country as part of the Feed the Future Initiative. While some hope Congress will restore the funding, the global research continues on a much smaller scale, funded by private donors and individual universities.

A Kansas City gardener had a light bulb moment: If she chose native plants for her yard, it would be better for wildlife. Now it’s home to birds, frogs, bees and many butterflies. Plus: Farmers have been taking on more debt, while their incomes have been shrinking over the last few years.