Farmers are set to take on a growing number of challenges in the face of climate change.
Agriculture
Michigan food industries enthused about Biden “Buy American” order
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President Joe Biden’s recent “Buy American” executive order could provide future employment and economic growth for Michigan, food processors and agricultural industries, experts say.
Agriculture
As much as a third of the topsoil in the corn belt may be gone
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Conventional farming practices have eroded much of the topsoil from a region of the Midwest known as the corn belt, according to a recent study.
Land
Chicago could adopt garden registry soon
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Chicago environmental groups are pushing to protect urban gardens from fines levied for having too many weeds.
Land
Farmworkers need more off-site housing, Michigan task force says
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As farmworkers from other states and countries come to work in Michigan, the need for safe and affordable off-farm housing options is becoming increasingly important, a recent task force report said.
Agriculture
Higher prices, pandemic payments help Michigan farms stay afloat in 2020
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In 2020, Chapter 12 farm bankruptcy filings fell by 7 percent.
Agriculture
New state plan has Michigan hemp growers uncertain about the future
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Growers worry that higher license and testing fees will push an already high cost of operation even higher.
Land
Chicago activists and artists color environmental justice
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The idea is to showcase a vision of transforming communities in a way that prioritizes employees, children and the planet’s well-being, organizers say.
foraging
Foraging for medicinal plants gains popularity
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Foraging for medicinal and indigenous foods is a prehistoric practice that not only has boosts immune systems, but has gained increased attention due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Agriculture
Midwestern farms suffocating Gulf of Mexico ecosystems
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Fertilizer runoff from seasonal heavy rainfall on Midwestern farms is traveling down the Mississippi River and creating a “hypoxic zone,” or low oxygen zone in the Gulf of Mexico, a recent study by Iowa State University scientists warns.
Agriculture
New nutrient trapping program takes off
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A newly funded project in Ohio’s Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District aims to reduce water nutrients and sediments that flow into Lake Erie, causing excessive growth of algae.