Farm & Field
Old Midwest Barns Are Turning Into Hot Decorating Product
Larry Gerdes is having his barn taken down and disassembled in Malta Bend, Mo. It’s about the size of a three-car garage but stands much taller in a clearing surrounded by six-foot stalks of corn. The barn’s exterior is graying, part of its roof is missing and there’s a gaping hole looking out from the…
Read MoreDespite Changing Gender Roles, It’s Still Often Sons Who Inherit Midwest Farms
Growing up on a family farm in West Bend, Iowa, Haley Banwart and her brother were like other farm kids. They did chores, participated in 4-H, and even raised cattle together. “My brother and I have had the same amount of responsibilities. I can drive a tractor, I can bale square hay,” Banwart says. “But…
Read MoreWhat Are The Benefits Of Urban Agriculture In Kansas City?
Urban farms and gardens are popping up in cities all over the country, often touted as the key to a sustainable lifestyle, as creating healthy vibrant communities and promoting economic development. A new study by the John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future , however, says urban agriculture advocates need to be careful about overselling…
Read MoreThis Midwest Lab Breeds Pest-Killing Bugs
The Colorado Department of Agriculture is killing pests dead, without the aid of chemicals. Halfway down a dead-end road in the small farming town of Palisade, Colorado, is the research facility known as “The Insectary.” Scientists at the lab develop “biocontrol insects,” insects adapted to attacking bugs and plants harmful to agriculture. Colorado’s Insectary is…
Read MoreTo Bring Bison Back To The Plains, Ranchers Say We Must Eat Them
Massive bison herds used to be a staple of the Great Plains. That is until we almost hunted them out of existence. Now, with a new designation as the United States’ national mammal, bison ranchers argue that to conserve the species we have to eat them. It’s an idea called “market-based conservation,” and it contends…
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