Harvest Public Media

Over 100 billion pounds of food goes to waste every year in America. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm to Food Bank is trying to cut down on that waste by connecting local farmers and food pantries, but it’s future depends on how much funding is included for the program in the next farm bill.

Meteorologists and climatologists often have a tough job explaining climate change to the public, especially in places where audiences may be more skeptical of the science. In the Midwest and Great Plains, strong resistance has pushed some out of the field.

Are you serving pumpkin or sweet potato pie this Thanksgiving? A look at the history and cultural ties that influence why Americans may prefer one or the other.

Entomologists say insects are declining at alarming rates — one major study estimates we’re losing 2% in total insect biomass every year. Now, the National Academy of Sciences is preparing to embark on a study to understand insect trends across North America.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture published its new standard for organic livestock production. Industry groups say that this will help producers compete and promote trust in organic products for consumers.

Thousands of competitors come to the American Royal Livestock Show in Kansas City, Missouri, each year to show their best livestock. The competition includes children as young as 7 years old, who take part in a long tradition of raising and showing their animals.

Drought has affected several pumpkin-producing states, including Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. But rain arrived at the right time to produce a bumper crop in parts of the Midwest.

Chronic wasting disease — which affects deer, elk and moose — continues to spread throughout the Great Plains and Midwest. Just this year, authorities in western Oklahoma detected the state’s first case in a free-ranging deer.

Speaking to Missouri farmers during a roundtable discussion Friday, Arkansas Sen. John Boozman said he’d like to consider a one-year extension to pass the bill.

Farmers say Title One — a farm bill program that sends money when crop prices or harvests get low enough — isn’t working as a buffer against tough years. Yet others argue the nearly 100-year-old safety net is costing billions of dollars with few strings attached.