Amy Mayer
Reporter
Amy Mayer is Harvest Public Media's reporter based at Iowa Public Radio in Ames, Iowa.
Stories by Amy Mayer
For Farmers, Every Planting Season is a High Stakes Bet
Near Alexander, Iowa, on a cloudy spring Tuesday, Josh Nelson watches a bright red Case IH Magnum tractor pull a 24-row planter and crest a small hill, dropping corn seed at careful intervals. Nelson says his family farm dodged a weather bullet this week, but it’s just one of many hurdles this season promises. Planting…
Feeding Bacteria to Livestock Could Cut Antibiotic Use
On a cold windy morning, Kelly Nissen feeds the cows at the Iowa State University Beef Nutrition Farm north of Ames. Far from just tossing hay, he weighs out specific rations and carefully delivers them to numbered feed bunks. “When you’re feeding, you’re always double-checking yourself to make sure it’s going in the right lot,”…
There’s A Plague Of Locusts In Argentina. Could We See The Bugs Here?
The normally dry northern region of Argentina has a problem of biblical proportions. Farmers there are struggling with a massive outbreak of locusts. Dark clouds of the green-brown bugs cast shadows when they fly overhead and when they land, they cover the ground. “It is really, really, amazing when you see the locusts because you…
New Research: Humans Transfer Disruptive Bee Virus
The persistent decline of honeybees has scientists scrambling to understand what’s causing the problem and how to correct it. Humans may be part of the problem. U.S. beekeepers report losing about a third of their colonies each year and the figure increased from 2014 to 2015. Two new studies are helping shed some light on the problem,…
Detective Veterinarian Pursues Mysterious Globe-Trotting Virus
Editor’s Note: This is Part II of a two-part series from KCPT’s partner, Harvest Public Media, tracking the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea. To catch up on Part I, click here. Veterinarian and researcher Scott Dee doesn’t much look the part of a detective, in his jeans and company polo shirt. But when a virus never before seen…
Deadly pig virus remains a mystery – and a threat
Editor’s Note: This is Part I of a two-part series from KCPT’s partner, Harvest Public Media, tracking the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea. Look for Part II tomorrow, Sunday, Dec. 20th, here on Flatland. A fast-spreading virus never before seen in the United States hit the pork industry more than two years ago, racking up roughly $1 billion…
Choice Cuts: With lifesaving antibiotics at risk, farmers, veterinarians asked to curtail use in livestock
This is part three of Harvest Public Media’s week-long series Choice Cuts: Meat In America, examining how the meat industry is changing the U.S. food system and the American diet. The documentary on the subject will air 7:30 pm this Thursday on KCPT. One of the most important tools of modern medicine is in jeopardy. In the 20th century, antibiotics turned once-lethal…
Cheaper, Easier Monitoring Could Hasten Water Clean-up
Throughout the cropland of the Midwest, farmers use chemicals on their fields to nourish the plants and the soil. But excess nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients can wash off the fields and into streams, rivers and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. New tools can help farmers monitor their soil and water so they can become…
My Farm Roots: Farm Kid Without a Farm
In the Midwest, agriculture can be such a strong lure that there are some farm kids without farms. Ally Babcock lives with her family in a modern subdivision in Ames, Iowa. Tucked under the home’s back deck is a tiny barn space, enough room for her sheep and rabbits. “It’s a little difficult [not living…
Growing agriculture jobs far from the field
Listen to the story: Technology has transformed farming, one of the Midwest’s biggest industries, and while fewer people are now needed to actually work the farm field, new types of jobs keep many office workers tied to agriculture. Beyond operating a tractor and a combine, today’s farmers need to manage all kinds of information. From…
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