Water
Pesticide levels in rivers may threaten fish, insects
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Levels of pesticides didn’t exceed the benchmark for human health, but farm runoff remains a concern for fish and insects in many streams and rivers.
Land
Ohio farmers point to algae law loophole
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Ohio’s new fertilizer certification law may be a step toward better management of algae threats to drinking water. But critics say its voluntary nature, delayed implementation and failure to address manure are significant flaws.
Land
Michigan farmers adjusting to climate change
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If you’ve found yourself putting on a sweater or light jacket on cool evenings this summer, you’ve probably wondered what’s going on with the weather. The polar vortex that visited us so harshly last winter made a return visit a few weeks ago, dropping temperatures below normal. It turns out that there’s at least one upside to climate change; one that could help our farm economy. At the end of June, the US Department of Agriculture published its crop acreage report. It showed a record number of acres of corn, soybeans and wheat were planted this spring in Michigan.
Land
Planted acres increase in region; warming climate among reasons
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It allows for earlier and longer growing season.
Land
Decades-long research values ecosystem services to farming, environment
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The research recently reported in BioScience magazine also shows the public’s willingness to pay for such services.
Nearshore
Mr. Great Lakes: Dragonflies, beach wellness, Farm Bill help
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Mr. Great Lakes explains new Great Lakes help from the 2014 Farm Bill and the search for an endangered dragonfly. More from Jeff Kart here.
Land
Researchers look to spin grass into beef
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They hope to overcome climate and other hurdles to produce leaner cuts increasingly demanded by consumers.
Land
Manure spraying under scrutiny
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Spraying manure on farm fields while rare now has taken on new urgency as more large dairy farms consider the practice.
Land
Emory University tests Michigan residents exposed to PBB
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The concern is whether contamination left by the Velsicol Chemical Co. in St. Louis, Mich., has longterm health consequences for the county’s residents more than 40 years later.