Kristofor Husted
Stories by Kristofor Husted
Can The Buzz Of Bees Predict Success For Farmers?
See a bee; hear a buzz. That is what researchers studying the declining bee population are banking on. A new technique based on recording buzzing bees hopes to show farmers just how much pollinating the native bee population is doing in their fields. Vegetable and fruit growers depend on pollinators to do a lot of…
Without Big Trade Deals, Missouri Farmers Worry They’ll Lose Out
President Trump made campaign promises to pull the U.S. out of big international trade deals and focus instead on one-on-one agreements with other countries. But that has farmers worried they will lose some of the $135 billion in goods they sold overseas last year. Two years ago, Missouri rancher Mike John expected the U.S. beef…
Why We’re Growing The Most Sweet Potatoes Since WWII
Sweet potatoes are undergoing a modern renaissance in this country. While they have always made special appearances on many American tables around the holidays, year-round demand for the root vegetables has grown. In 2015, farmers produced more sweet potatoes than in any year since World War II. War Effort “A lot of things were hard…
Should Organic Food Be Grown In Soil?
There is a battle going on in the organic industry over hydroponics, the technique of growing plants without soil. The debate gets at the very heart of what it means to be “organic” and may change the organic food available to grocery store shoppers. To be labeled as organic, fruits and vegetables are required to…
Food Program Gap Can Put Entire Families At Risk
Chantelle DosRemedios was pregnant with her second child when she and her husband both lost their jobs in Rhode Island. Like millions of others, she depended on a federal program designed to aid in early childhood development to keep her children fed. Moms and kids who qualify can participate in a federal program called Women,…
Watching Our Water | Researching New Ways Farmers Can Fight Gulf’s ‘Dead Zone’
Farming in the fertile Midwest is tied to an environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. But scientists are studying new ways to lessen the Midwest’s environmental impact and improve water quality. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts the so-called “dead zone,” an area of sea without enough oxygen to support most marine…
Missouri Farmer Enlists Bugs And Chickens In Battle Against Pests
In an effort to turn away from chemical pesticides, which have the potential to damage the environment, some farmers are looking in a new direction in the age-old, quiet struggle on farm fields of farmers versus pests. They’re warding off intruding insects and noxious weeds with bugs and chickens. Gary Wenig and his wife bought…
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…
Midwest Farmland Is A Tasty Buffet For Snow Geese, And That’s Not Good For Everyone
The big flocks of snow geese flying over the Midwest each spring and fall may make for a pretty picture, but the booming population of those fluffy, noisy, white birds is creating an environmental disaster in Canada. And it’s partially thanks to decisions made by Midwest farmers. “The birds have grown exponentially, almost now to…
Why Do Cows Moo? Here Are a Few Reasons
We all learned it as kids: Old MacDonald has a farm and on that farm he has a cow that says “moo.” But why? Why do cows moo? Whenever I’m out reporting in the field I can tell many ranchers have a powerful connection with their cattle – they can almost understand them. But researchers today…