Farm & Field
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…
Monsanto, world’s largest seed company, sets off a corporate ‘feeding frenzy’
Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company, is attempting to swallow up the chemical operations of Syngenta, the world’s largest producer of pesticides and other farm inputs. The proposed deal signals a change in focus for the agricultural giant, and could have ripple effects across farm country. By its own admission, Monsanto lags behind in chemistry…
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…
K-State, Future Home of Federal Biolab, Faces Federal Sanctions
Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., future home of a controversial Homeland Security biolab, got a dressing down last year from federal regulators over its handling of dangerous pathogens. State dollars are helping to support construction of the $1.25 billion lab, which will research hoof and mouth disease and other agriculture-related pathogens, when it opens…
My Farm Roots: Room to Roam
Listen to this story: The Matthew family farm, M&M&m Farms, outside of La Harpe, Ill., looks different from the farms surrounding it. It’s not filled with neat rows of soybeans or lines of corn that’s over-my-head high in late July. The Matthew’s place is a bit more disorganized and far more diverse. “A lot of…