After a quiet summer, bird flu is back in the news. North Dakota has confirmed cases of avian influenza in a commercial turkey flock in Dickey County—the first such outbreak in the U.S. since early July. Officials are monitoring birds in the[...]
Section: Farm & Ranch
News |
Farmer talks decline in ND dairy farming
Fewer cows, fewer farms, and a quiet shift in the heartland — North Dakota’s dairy landscape is changing. From more than 2,000 family-run dairies in 1985 to just 21 today, the decline reflects tough economic realities and the end of long-held traditions.[...]
News |
Since Aug. 1 tariffs, ND farmers struggle to sell soybeans
For North Dakota soybean farmers, this harvest season brings more anxiety than relief. With China pulling back from U.S. purchases after new tariffs, markets have dried up and prices have slipped, leaving families like Christie Jaeger’s wondering how long they can hold[...]
News |
Bison eradication stripped western grasslands of nutrients, Yellowstone research shows
Yellowstone’s bison don’t just symbolize the wild—they actively shape it. A new study in Science shows that their seasonal migrations enrich the park’s grasslands, boosting protein in forage by more than double through the simple cycle of grazing, fertilizing, and moving on.[...]
Curio |
From barn to table: How agritourism is reviving rural South Dakota
Just outside Sioux Falls, a barn with a wood-fire oven and rows of zinnias is helping define South Dakota’s newest growth industry: agritourism. At Good Earth Farm near Lennox, Friday nights mean farm-to-table pizza under the prairie sky, part of a wider[...]
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‘The bees are just not surviving’: Local honey producers losing colonies at alarming rate
In the heart of America’s honey belt, beekeepers are facing losses that threaten both tradition and the food supply it supports. Families like the Hulls in west-central Minnesota, who have kept bees for more than a century, are watching half their colonies[...]
News |
Sunflowers are a bright spot for ag in 2025, as well as on the landscape
Sunflowers are having a moment. New USDA data shows U.S. farmers planted 24% more acres than expected this season, with North Dakota leading the way and South Dakota posting the biggest jump. Strong prices and steady demand for sunflower oil have driven[...]
News |
Tariff escalations trigger another decline in US farm exports to China
America’s farmers are once again caught in the crossfire of a trade fight with China. After tariffs first shifted soybean and corn markets toward South America in 2018 and 2019, a second, broader trade war is now weighing even heavier. Over the[...]
News |
Agriculture conference focuses on indoor farming
In North Dakota, fresh vegetables in midwinter have long meant a truck ride from far away. Now, new greenhouse and indoor farming technology is changing that. At the Controlled Environment Agriculture Conference in Bismarck, growers and innovators shared how advanced greenhouses and[...]
News |
EPA administrator announces power-loss ‘fix’ for diesel exhaust fluid systems
The EPA is changing how diesel exhaust fluid systems work, aiming to prevent sudden breakdowns that have long frustrated farmers, truckers, and construction crews. Announced by Administrator Lee Zeldin at the Iowa State Fair, the new guidance will require 2027-model trucks to[...]
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Sawyer greenhouse defies ND’s weather-challenged growing season
While extreme weather has battered much of North Dakota’s crops this year, a greenhouse in Sawyer is proving resilient. Farmer Quinn Renfandt grows tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and more in a controlled environment that shields his plants from hail and wind — even[...]
News |
Farmers consider the good and bad of incorporating artificial intelligence on the farm
Artificial intelligence is making its way into agriculture, but farmers aren’t embracing it without questions. At a recent panel in Morgan, Minn., industry experts discussed how AI is already helping with tasks like spot spraying, combine adjustments, and rapid decision-making — and[...]
News |
Tariff tensions: North Dakota ag feels the heat
New tariffs on imports from Canada and dozens of other countries are rippling through North Dakota’s farm economy, raising equipment and fertilizer costs while stalling key export orders — especially from China, the state’s largest soybean customer. Local ag leaders say the[...]
News |
Record US farm trade deficit fuels legal fight over Trump’s tariff powers
America’s farm exports once anchored our global trade position—now they’re showing a growing weakness. The U.S. is on track to post its largest agricultural trade deficit ever, a $49.5 billion gap that reflects more than shifting numbers. It’s a warning light in[...]
News |
Dinner on the Prairie connects community to local farmers
More than 100 people gathered in South Prairie for Dinner on the Prairie, an event that connected consumers with North Dakota agriculture producers. Attendees sampled locally grown foods and learned directly from farmers and ranchers about the process behind the products. With[...]
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Thinning herd, heavier cattle reshape Missouri’s beef supply chain
Beef prices are climbing, but so are cattle weights—and that’s no coincidence. With herd numbers at a 73-year low, ranchers are leaning into genetics and economics to breed heavier cows that can fill the gap. The result? More marbled meat and higher[...]