Harvest Public Media

Legal agreements govern the Great Lakes and some river systems in the U.S., but the Mississippi River doesn’t have a compact. Some mayors on the waterway think it’s time to change that.

The new strategy aims to pinpoint where bird flu exists in the U.S. and halt its spread. There have been hundreds of cases in cattle and dozens in humans.

Wild rice grows in shallow waterways in the Great Lakes region and parts of Canada. It’s a plant that holds important ecological and cultural significance, but it’s been on the decline since the early 1900s.

The clock is ticking for Congress to address the expired farm bill. Several groups are urging lawmakers to get an updated bill to the finish line before the end of the year.

A wood building material can be used in high-rise structures, giving it the potential to replace materials that are bad for the climate, while also locking carbon into buildings for decades.

Thousands of insect species use vibrations to communicate. Now, in part because of the foundational research of a Midwestern biology professor, more researchers are exploring insect vibrational communication to ward against pests and understand climate change.

It’s been a tradition to eat turkey for Thanksgiving since the 1800s. But one economic report suggests the custom has lost footing in recent years.

Deli meats, carrots and fast food onions are some of the products that were recently recalled across the U.S. Experts say improved detection strategies means regulators are able to catch more health risks.

Some Missouri farmers are growing perennial crops like elderberries that are good for the soil and require less labor. But getting those berries into the hands of consumers can take a lot of work. Plus: Farmers are increasingly working jobs away from the farm in order to stay afloat.

Drought has scorched much of the Midwest and Great Plains for the last four years. It has destroyed crops and sparked wildfires. Wildlife is also reckoning with the dry conditions – which can change animal behavior and even push species out of some regions.

Farmers are increasingly relying on off-farm jobs to supplement their farm income. Today about 84% of farm families rely on another part-time or even full-time job to stay in business.

Beekeepers say it can be especially challenging to raise honeybees in the Midwest. Parasites, pesticides and extreme weather like drought are contributing to colony loss.