Agriculture

Volunteers are needed for the statewide bumble bee survey
The Minnesota Bumble Bee Atlas wants to expand its statewide survey of bumble bees, but needs more volunteers to do the work. The ambitious project aims to expand the knowledge of where bumble bees are found in Minnesota.
Update on bird flu in Minnesota as pathogen spills into other populations
Millions of birds around the country are being culled by farmers as an outbreak of avian influenza, or bird flu, continues to spread — and infect other species like cattle.
Minnesota lawmakers assert protections for public waters
Legislators passed language clarifying that a waterway that meets the legal definition is a public water, even if it’s not on a decades-old state inventory. Its passage followed a lengthy legal dispute over Limbo Creek, the last free-flowing stream in heavily-farmed Renville County.
Limited testing of raw milk for bird flu leaves safety questions unanswered
An avian flu outbreak in dairy herds has stoked tensions between the federal government and raw milk advocates. Milk testing could provide assurances and useful data, but some farmers oppose it.
New online tool allows for close-up look into Minnesota’s changing climate future
University of Minnesota researchers are launching a new online tool today that allows people to visualize how a future climate will look and feel, down to a 2.5 mile scale. The goal is to help engineers, farmers and others better plan for a climate-changed future.
RD Offutt Farms sues White Earth Nation over water permits
In a lawsuit filed Friday, RD Offutt farms asked a federal judge to issue a judgment that the White Earth Nation does not have the authority to regulate potato farmers’ groundwater use. RDO is challenging a White Earth ordinance requiring growers to get a tribal irrigation permit.