U.S. Department of Agriculture

Often described as the Nobel of food and agriculture, the $500,000 prize this year shines a light on the role of seed banks and their stewards, including some in the Midwest.

Missouri's 2025 state budget includes less than a third of the federal funding the state received for Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program grants. More than a dozen producers with selected projects are without funding for now.

Access to land is one of the biggest challenges that beginning farmers face. A new program in Missouri joins a nationwide effort to help.

New rules from the Biden administration will force most Kansas nursing homes to hire more staff, and owners aren’t happy. Plus: The USDA's new program SUN Bucks doles out $40 per month over the summer for each eligible child. However, 13 states turned down the funding.

The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states, and three dairy farmworkers have contracted the disease this year. Now Kansas is one of four states participating in a pilot program to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms.

Kansas is the latest state to pass rules against selling ornamental pear trees that spread aggressively in natural areas. They are just one of many invasive species taking over Midwest communities. Plus: A centuries-old agricultural technique that reduces agricultural waste and improves soil is coming back around as a modern climate solution.

As the country tries to meet its climate goals, tackling emissions from farming will be key. One climate-smart agriculture strategy sequesters carbon while recycling agricultural waste and improving soil.

The flu has been found in cows for the first time, but most cattle seem to be showing only mild symptoms and recovering from the illness. Officials say the pasteurization process means milk remains safe.

Missouri applied for the grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture after two straight years of drought forced some livestock farmers to reduce their herd size because they did not have enough food or water.

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.

Lincoln University in Jefferson City and Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla are two of the 33 campuses nationwide that will be part of a $262 million effort to recruit and train the next generation of agriculture workers.

Huge swaths of Missouri and Kansas have continued to be stuck in a months-long drought. But El Niño, a months-long weather pattern that typically brings warm winters and extra precipitation to the central U.S., brings hope.