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Late potato planting could affect french fry supply

Apr 2, 2019
Availability of french fries depends on the weather in Washington, Oregon and Idaho this spring.
Potatoes scoot by on belts at Balcom and Moe, Inc. in Pasco. The potatoes are rinsed, sized and put in bags destined for America’s supermarkets. The potato farmer and packer-shipper has been in business since the 1920s.
Anna King for Marketplace

Midwest suffers extensive flooding and damage

Mar 27, 2019
There's been catastrophic flooding across the Midwest, thanks to a "bomb cyclone" weather event that hit mid-month.
An aerial shot of Hamburg, Iowa, on March 22, days after mass flooding forced evacuations, closed Interstate 29 and racked up losses in the billions.
Peggy Lowe/KCUR

As loans come due, farmers feel the financial squeeze

Mar 25, 2019
Some farmers are “quietly exiting” because they can’t make a profit.
Farmer Tom Giessel stands in front of a corn pile near Larned, Kansas. The corn was grown in 2017 and because of a market glut, it still hasn’t sold.
Peggy Lowe/KCUR

"It's a mess": Midwest flooding leaves small businesses reeling

Mar 18, 2019
Heavy rain and melting snow have brought historic flooding to parts of the Midwest. Around 200 miles of Missouri River levees in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas have been compromised, according to the Associated Press, and flood warnings are still up for at least a dozen states. At least two people have died, thousands have […]
Floodwater covers a famer's field near Plattsmouth, Nebraska.  Damage estimates from flooding in Nebraska top $1 billion. Midwest states are battling some of the worst flooding they have experienced in decades as rain and snow melt from the recent "bomb cyclone" has inundated rivers and streams. At least three deaths have been linked to the flooding.
Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

The government dropped grazing fees again. Are ranchers getting a good deal?

Mar 5, 2019
Grazing fees on public lands were dropped to the lowest amount allowed under federal law.
Grazing fees on public lands were dropped to the lowest amount allowed under federal law.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Rookie farmers in California are turning to nonprofit groups to boost their business savvy

Jan 29, 2019
“Beginning” farmers operate a quarter of U.S. farms, according to the USDA.
YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / Getty Images

Farming during a government shutdown

Jan 7, 2019
Between unresolved tariffs and a partial government shutdown, it's a tough moment for American farmers.
A hog is prepared for showing at the Iowa County Fair in July in Marengo, Iowa.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Pacific Rim nations ring in new year with a trade deal shutting out U.S. farmers

Jan 2, 2019
As of this week, there are some tariffs around the world that are falling. Six Pacific Rim nations, including Japan, Australia and Mexico, are lowering tariffs for a number of products and services, with five other countries set to join in once their governments formally ratify the deal. Notably absent from the party? The United […]
RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images

In the age of climate change, farmers weigh their options for the future

Dec 27, 2018
National climate change report says the business of farming could dramatically change if global warming isn’t addressed.
A pasture of pure blue stem prairie grass, never touched by a plow during the 150 years the Teske family has owned this piece of northeast Kansas.
Peggy Lowe for Marketplace

As cider market grows, a push to appeal to higher-end consumers

Dec 12, 2018
Cider sales in the U.S. have grown over the past decade. But some cider makers say the the market still isn’t valuing their product for what it’s worth.
Orchards in Lebanon, New Hampshire belonging to Steve Wood, of Farnum Hill Ciders, where he grows apples specifically for cider making.  
Britta Greene for Marketplace