agriculture

Last year more than 378,000 workers were authorized for H-2A visas, or temporary agriculture positions, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Labor. In 2012, it was less than a third of that.

Legislation is being proposed at the federal and state level to restrict foreign ownership of farmland, especially by China. The scrutiny comes after a Midwestern project was scuttled by military concerns and the flight of a Chinese spy balloon across the U.S.

After the deadly bird flu hit egg-producing flocks, the supply of eggs shrank dramatically. That’s led to historically high prices for consumers.

Many ag industry and farm worker advocacy groups had high hopes that farm labor reform would make it through Congress last year. Now the future is murky.

High prices for products like eggs and grain are expected to lead to a record windfall for farmers this year, overcoming drought, bird flu and costly inputs. But the profit margin is thinner for small producers and those hit hard by dry conditions.

Federal funding for agriculture research has fallen by a third over the past two decades, sinking to 1970s-era levels. Researchers worry that could hinder the country’s ability to maintain the domestic food supply in the midst of climate change.

As part of a massive investment in sustainable farming, the University of Missouri's Center for Regenerative Agriculture will help farmers across Missouri adapt methods like cover crops, agroforestry and grazing.

The Farm Bill, that sets important policy on everything from crop insurance to SNAP benefits, is up for renewal next year. But the results of the midterm elections may not shed much light on how that legislation will end up.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture spent $7.4 billion dollars on two of its conservation programs in recent years, but a report from an environmental group found a very small percentage of that money went to practices that help fight climate change.

New research shows how increasingly intense solar flares could disrupt the GPS satellite connections that have made Kansas farms more efficient.