Agriculture

Agriculture
Attack of the killer... algae?
by Peter LaFontaine

update

August 9, 2019

A destructive storm can have a silver lining; Hurricane Barry seems to have lessened the Gulf of Mexico's dead zone. But this year's algae blooms are still hurting Minnesota's waterways.  >>

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NPR: As climate changes, taxpayers will shoulder larger U.S. payouts to farmers
by Trevor Russell

update

August 9, 2019

A recent National Public Radio story highlighted the risks that climate change may pose to both farm operations and Americans' pocketbooks in the years to come.  >>

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Self-inflicted brain drain at USDA threatens farm economy
by Peter LaFontaine

update

July 25, 2019

Leaders at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are plowing forward with the relocation of two major research agencies, a move that threatens to push out hundreds of career staffers and undermine scientific inquiry. The country can't afford this setback at a time when the farm economy is threatened from all sides and clear analysis of these threats is paramount.  >>

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Downstream damage in 2019: how the Midwest kills fish in the Gulf of Mexico
by Peter LaFontaine

update

July 19, 2019

Scientists predict the formation of an enormous dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico this summer, and some of the blame lies right here in Minnesota. Find out what links us to an ocean half a continent away, and how we can help.  >>

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MN's groundbreaking Groundwater Protection Rule goes into effect
by Trevor Russell

update

July 15, 2019

After decades of delay, Minnesota’s Groundwater Protection Rule aims to protect public health by addressing fertilizer contamination in groundwater. This is the first time our state has exercised its regulatory authority over cropland agriculture to protect water quality. >>

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Downstream damage
by Peter LaFontaine

article

July 10, 2019

Scientists predict the formation of an enormous dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico this summer, and some of the blame lies right here in Minnesota. Find out what links us to an ocean half a continent away, and how we can help.  >>

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Wall Street Journal: The world’s appetite is threatening the Mississippi River
by Trevor Russell

update

July 9, 2019

Early this month, the Wall Street Journal published a fascinating overview of the agricultural runoff challenges facing the length of the Mississippi River. And satellite images of the Upper Midwest in the Washington Post illustrate how this wet spring spells trouble for farmers and for the river.  >>

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