Agriculture

'Just a teeny little trickle': Checking in on maple syrup flows in unusually warm January
Jim Morrison, owner of Sapsucker Farms in Mora, drilled a hole and tapped his maple trees Wednesday morning to see if they are ready to flow.
Prisoners in the U.S. are part of a hidden workforce linked to hundreds of popular food brands
In a sweeping two-year investigation, The Associated Press found goods linked to prisoners wind up in the supply chains of everything from Frosted Flakes cereal and Ball Park hot dogs to Gold Medal flour and Coca-Cola. 
When it comes to climate warming, cow burps are no joke
Animal agriculture is the largest source of the climate-warming gas methane in Minnesota. Researchers are looking for ways to reduce methane at the source — a cow’s stomach. The science is promising, but a quick solution is unlikely.
Lawmaker: Raise fertilizer fees to help pay cost of nitrate pollution
DFL Rep. Rick Hansen says farmers should pay higher fees for nitrogen fertilizer, the source of the majority of nitrate contamination in southeast Minnesota. Farm groups oppose the idea.
Six months after HyLife shut down, former workers hope for ‘better life’ if plant reopens
Half a year after the plant closed at short notice, laid-off workers and the city itself await the reopening of the pork processor under new ownership. However, the local residents have more questions than answers.
The Hamas attack left many Israeli farms abandoned — some worry forever
In some of the farm communities hardest hit during the Oct. 7 attack, volunteers from Israel and around the world are arriving to fill the gap left by workers who are no longer there.
Minnesota farmers want help fending off voracious deer
Farmers across the state want the Department of Natural Resources to do more to curb damage from large herds of white-tailed deer. A DNR official said it would be difficult for the state to compensate farmers for all wildlife losses. But agency staff are drafting regulatory proposals to address the deer problem that they could unveil during the upcoming legislative session.