Investigate Midwest
Early Morning Calls. Barren Chicken Barns. Millions in Debt.
After Tyson Foods closed four meatpacking plants in the Midwest, some contract chicken farmers faced business ruin. Here are their stories.
Droughts, Climate Change, Drive US Beef Herd to Historic Low
Persistent drought, complicated by climate change, have helped drive the nation’s inventory of beef cattle to a 61–year low.
Poor Regulatory Safeguards Leave Farmworkers Suffocating in the Face of Increasing Heat Waves
A fifth of reported heat-related deaths are agricultural workers. Advocates are calling attention to the impact of climate change on this group from heat waves.
With Corn Belt Inching North, Farm Diversification Gains Momentum
Climate change is redrawing the agricultural map of the United States. As corn becomes less economically viable with changing Midwestern weather patterns, farmers look to a more diverse future.
Foreign Investment in US Cropland Nearly Triples in Past Decade, USDA Data Shows
Foreign investment in U.S. cropland has nearly tripled in the past decade, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.