Now in its 50th season, the Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market draws hundreds of vendors each Saturday from May to October, as shoppers buy flowers, baked goods, spices and produce. It’s a festive atmosphere with street musicians on the corners and families and their pets threading through the crowds. But amidst the vibrancy of one […] The post At the Des Moines farmers market, tariffs and inflation squeeze vendors appeared first on Investigate Midwest.| Investigate Midwest
“Even though my body is tired and my thoughts torment me, this country will not humiliate me; I know God will give me refuge, even if this country leaves me with nothing.” St. Alexus parishioners in Beardstown, Illinois Spoken in Spanish during a short play written and performed by parishioners at St. Alexus Catholic Church […] The post Immigration crackdown shakes a rural Illinois town appeared first on Investigate Midwest.| Investigate Midwest
The latest forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture says net farm income will reach $179.8 billion in 2025, up 40% from last year. On the surface, that sounds like a big rebound. In reality, most of that increase comes from federal disaster payments, not from stronger crop or livestock markets. USDA says producers will […] The post Farm profits forecast to rise, but federal aid remains a big safety net appeared first on Investigate Midwest.| Investigate Midwest
Over the last four decades, America’s agricultural output has nearly doubled, as the production of livestock and crops has not only fed the nation but also fueled growing food demand in Asia and South America. But in the rural communities that have made the U.S. a global food power, residents are increasingly finding it difficult […] The post These rural communities feed the world. They’re also going hungry. appeared first on Investigate Midwest.| Investigate Midwest
Big Meat has been playing its “Product of USA” labeling con on the American public ever since Barack Obama was in the White House. Congressional repeal of mandatory country of origin labels created a loophole that allowed Big Meat to slap Product of USA labels on meat imported from foreign countries. What? Yup. That Product […] The post The ‘Product of USA’ labeling fight with meatpacking companies isn’t over. appeared first on Investigate Midwest.| Investigate Midwest
This story was originally published by The New Lede. Top regulatory officials met with agricultural and chemical industry representatives dozens of times in the first few months after President Trump took office in January, government records show — meetings that were followed by a series of regulatory rollbacks and a downplaying of pesticide concerns by the administration’s […] The post FOIA records reveal EPA leaders frequent meetings with industry lobbyists appeared first on Invest...| Investigate Midwest
The Trump administration’s goal to expel millions of immigrants laboring in the food system will likely increase the foreign workforce in the U.S., experts said Thursday. The administration has said it wants U.S.-born workers to replace the immigrants who harvest fruits and vegetables and cut and package protein. But the more likely outcome is that […] The post ‘We want workers but we don’t want people’: Trump’s immigration raids will likely increase foreign workers in US, experts...| Investigate Midwest
Rural Illinois is shrinking. Over the past decade, all of Illinois’ 21 farm-dependent counties – places where farming makes up a large share of jobs and income – have lost population. Meanwhile, the state’s rural areas tied to meatpacking and food manufacturing have seen immigration slow population losses and, in some cases, keep local economies afloat. […] The post Rural Illinois’ food economy depends on immigrants appeared first on Investigate Midwest.| Investigate Midwest
In Vicksburg, Mississippi, the south end of town near the municipal airport has no grocery stores, no food pantries. Mired in a federally recognized food desert, nearby families struggled to obtain healthy food. Then, in 2019, in a once-empty lot, a community garden sprouted. Families could pick their own blueberries, peas and okra. The nonprofit […] The post USDA’s DEI Purge: How Trump and Rollins are reshaping American agriculture appeared first on Investigate Midwest.| Investigate Midwest
Less than two months ago, the Environmental Protection Agency announced its intent to unconditionally register three new dicamba-based pesticides for over-the-top usage on soybean and cotton crops. To say EPA has a checkered history in trying to get dicamba registered is an understatement. The federal courts have twice revoked EPA approval of dicamba. In 2020, […]| Investigate Midwest
U.S. farmers are likely staring down another year in the red, faced with a familiar cycle: rising costs and weakening markets. After years of strong grain prices between 2021 and 2023, growing corn and soybeans is no longer profitable — a trend likely to continue and one that farm groups warn could spark a financial […]| Investigate Midwest
This story is supported by funding from the Chicago Region Food Systems Fund. Esta historia también está disponible en español aquí. In Beardstown, Illinois, the Cuban couple had spent the past year building a life they were proud of. Their arrival in the U.S. had followed a long and uncertain path: a northbound journey through […]| Investigate Midwest
