The writing is on the wall. Should John Deere choose to defend itself in court rather than attempt to reach a settlement, it very much may be handed a massive spanking by the Justice Department, which alleges the company’s repair restrictions violate federal and state antitrust laws. See here, here and here. In a nutshell, […]| Investigate Midwest
As Jill Trapp steered her pickup truck down the red dirt roads of southeast Oklahoma, she raised a hand to greet a passing neighbor — a calf roper who once made it to the National Finals Rodeo. She drove on, passing a modest cowboy church where Sunday sermons share space with country music and the […]| Investigate Midwest
Every year, hundreds of thousands of foreign workers come to the U.S. to fill temporary agricultural labor shortages through the H-2A program — a system first introduced in 1986 to address shortages in farmwork. From 2011 to 2024, the use of the program grew more than 400%, with nearly 90% of visas going to workers […]| Investigate Midwest
A new report linking pesticide overuse to children’s health issues has ignited a battle within President Donald Trump’s circle of support, pitting powerful agrichemical giants against some organic food advocates. Last month, the Make America Healthy Again commission, chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., published a report on declining childhood […]| Investigate Midwest
This summer, Investigate Midwest has welcomed two interns who bring fresh eyes and sharp skills to our work covering food, agriculture, and rural America. Our interns are supported with generous funding from David Jackson via the Gary Marx Journalism Fund. Melissa Dai is Investigate Midwest’s 2025 summer reporting intern. She’s a rising senior at Northwestern […]| Investigate Midwest
This story was originally published by The New Lede. Agricultural operations across Iowa are a leading cause of significant water pollution problems in the state, posing dire risks to public and environmental health, according to a new scientific report that is sparking heated debate in the key US farm state. The 227-page “Central Iowa Source Water Research […]| Investigate Midwest
The April posting in the Federal Register by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was a bombshell. The feds are proposing to eliminate the regulatory Endangered Species Act’s definition of “harm.” Full stop. The ESA declares that it is illegal to “take” any member of a protected species […]| Investigate Midwest
BELZONI, Miss. — For Pepper Roberts, running a successful farm comes down to managing risk and planning for potential challenges. While other farmers sold their crops last fall, Roberts used grain bins to store half of his corn harvest, betting that he’d get a better price once corn supplies grew scarce. In January, Roberts sold […]| Investigate Midwest
For April Hemmes, a fourth-generation farmer on land her family has worked for almost 125 years in north-central Iowa, life is guided by a simple philosophy: “Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” It’s a mindset that has helped her navigate extreme weather, market shocks and trade disputes. But this year, Hemmes said, […]| Investigate Midwest