Rachel Cramer
Harvest Public Media ReporterExpertise: Telling stories about agriculture, environmental issues and rural communities
Education: Masters degree from the University of Montana, Bachelors degree from Iowa State University
Favorite Iowa Destination: Yellow River State Forest
Experience:
- Has written features on native prairie agriculture, management of bird flu and other disease outbreaks in animal populations, the agricultural industry and sustainability efforts in small towns in Iowa
- Served as a fellow with the International Water Management Institute in Sri Lanka, contributing to a photo story feature with The Guardian, about using latrine waste for compost in Bangladesh
- Launched Cobs & Spikes, a podcast focused on explainers, stories and conversations with experts innovating in the fields of agriculture, food security and nutrition
- Has reported and written features on the challenges and opportunities facing states with aging populations and state values and beliefs as it relates to voting
- Has produced features for Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Here & Now and Native News
- Served as a fellow with Crossing the Divide, a cross-country reporting road trip from WGBH and The GroundTruth Project
- Is an award-winning reporter, including a Best Spot News Coverage award from the AP in 2019 for "Threatening Video Tests Emergency Response Plan at Belgrade Schools"
My Favorite Stories
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While corn and soybeans dominate the Midwestern landscape today, some farmers are integrating strips of native prairie back into their fields. This conservation practice has expanded to more than a dozen states. -
Gray foxes, the only canine species in North America that can climb trees, are found across much of the U.S. But over the last two decades, populations in the Midwest have plummeted and multiple state agencies are trying to find out the reasons behind their shrinking numbers. -
Tyson Foods is shuttering its pork processing plant in Perry on June 28. Community leaders are trying to make it easier for workers and their families to stay in the community and find new opportunities.
My Latest Stories
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In the November election, Republicans are hoping to defend a strong majority in the Iowa House while Democrats are looking to regain seats. -
An Iowa landowner who was sued by Summit Carbon Solutions for refusing to grant access to his property is appealing the decision at the Iowa Supreme Court. -
Income from agritourism in Iowa has more than doubled in recent years. Farmers are getting more creative to draw in the crowds. -
Decades of data show nitrate levels in rivers often drop during dry years and spike when rain returns. Experts say more conservation practices in and around farm fields could help smooth out the sharp peaks to protect drinking water and downstream impacts. -
The Iowa Arboretum and Gardens near Madrid in Boone County celebrated the opening of its $2 million Adele and Dean Bowden Treehouse Village Wednesday. -
At the Farm Progress Show in Boone Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the next phase for a bird flu vaccine for dairy cows and more funding to expand domestic fertilizer production. The former Iowa governor also discussed the USDA’s forecasts for a downturn in on-farm income for 2024. -
Iowa recently gave the greenlight for what could become the largest carbon capture and sequestration project in the world. But regulatory hurdles, lawsuits and questions remain there and in neighboring states. -
A long-anticipated connection between the Raccoon River Valley and High Trestle trails in central Iowa opens on Saturday, Aug. 17. -
Restoring oxbow wetlands is gaining momentum in the Midwest. While it started largely to support a federally endangered fish, conservation experts say these floodplain habitats offer a host of benefits, including cleaner water downstream. -
Over the last two years, several large pork packers have closed plants in California, Minnesota and most recently Iowa. For some pork producers, this means additional miles and more money to deliver hogs on top of tough economic times.
