Dust in the wind (spreads toxic algae)
Pristine lakes in remote parts of Minnesota — and around the country — are beginning to suffer from blooms of toxic algae, and scientists are piecing together a troubling answer as to why. >>
Potato fiasco turns even more rotten
According to new disclosures, an enormous scofflaw corporation is trying to skirt basic environmental regulations in order to make billions on ... potatoes. >>
Minneapolis parks are getting the wrong kind of blooms
The Parks Department is warning of potentially toxic algae blooms in some of Minneapolis's most-loved lakes. Here's what you need to know. >>
Bake for the river: Kernza in your kitchen
For the first time ever, home bakers can get their oven mitts on Kernza flour, a delicious and river-friendly perennial grain. Let us know if you try it out! >>
Uncertainty amid promise of agriculture climate solutions (Yale 360)
As policymakers and advocates look to croplands to sequester carbon, a recent article from Yale 360 points out that flows of greenhouse gases into and out of soil are complex, and outcomes can be uncertain. >>
Soil isn't a dirt-y word
You know it when you smell it — good soil is healthy! Here's an explainer for how soil organic matter can make a difference for plants, animals and downstream neighbors. >>
Why rivers flood
Community water supplies at risk. Sediment and pollutants washing downstream. Catastrophic floods right around the corner — A recent Star Tribune article reminds us of the growing threat high flows and erosion pose for the Minnesota River — and the toll that takes on our waters and communities. >>
Viruses, floods and an economic shoving match: All in a day's work on the farm
What does coronavirus have to do with the economic prospects of rural communities in 2020? In our endlessly entangled global market, it turns out that a public health crisis on the other side of the planet can have shockwaves felt here in Minnesota. We see this as yet another sign that it's time to shift our agricultural practices, for both the river and our farming communities. >>
You say potato, I say fiasco
Here's what one farmer's fight tells us about agriculture, public health and our state's exasperating approach to balancing priorities. >>
Report: One in eight Minnesotans drink groundwater with elevated nitrate
Drinking water for an estimated half a million Minnesotans is drawn from groundwater contaminated with elevated levels of nitrate, a toxic pollutant that is linked to cancer and is especially dangerous for infants, according to a recent Environmental Working Group analysis of federal and state test data. >>