Soybeans

While corn and soybeans dominate the Midwestern landscape today, some farmers are integrating strips of native prairie back into their fields. This conservation practice has expanded to more than a dozen states.

River barges are an efficient way to move crops — 15 barges can hold about as much grain as 1,000 semi-trucks. But low river levels are driving up transportation costs for Midwest farmers.

The White House wants the aviation industry to switch to renewable fuel by 2050, but factories that produce it are rare.

The agriculture department’s annual projections show a slowing economy and lower crop prices for the upcoming year. The USDA also looks ahead to the next decade, showing rising crop yields but a competitive job market.

High food prices are affecting many in Kansas City, and there are two crops that play an outsized role: corn and soybeans. Plus, one rancher in Kansas is outfitting his cattle with GPS collars to save money and protect the grasslands.

Russia is a big exporter of fertilizer and its raw ingredients. As economic sanctions cut off that market, Midwestern farmers are feeling the effects.

The fertilizer applied to corn, soybean and hay fields are up to twice as much as they were a year ago, and it’s creating uncertainty as farmers approach planting season.