Young Farmers and the Obstacles They Face
The American farmer is getting older. Most recent census data shows the average age is 57. And while that tells us who is farming now, it also shows who’s not. While the farming community continues to...
View ArticleThe 'Fort Knox' of Seeds: How Safe is It?
When genetically modified wheat was found growing in Oregon earlier this year, it didn’t take long for accusations to start flying. No one knew how the unapproved wheat ended up in the ground. A flurry...
View ArticlePrison Dairy Serves Up Buffalo Milk
Past the razor-wire fences, beyond huge metal gates, behind thick walls, you’ll find one of the most unique dairies in the country. The Four Mile Correctional Center in Cañon City, Colo., is home to...
View ArticleDevelopers Look to Farms to Sell Suburban Homes
For decades, housing developments in the suburbs have come complete with golf courses, tennis courts, strip malls and swimming pools. But make way for the new subdivision amenity: the specialty farm. A...
View ArticleColorado Imposes Food Safety Rules On Marijuana Industry
Colorado made history when it opened up licensed marijuana retail shops. Aside from just legalizing the purchase of smoke-able marijuana, it also means pot brownies have the potential to be big...
View ArticleClimate Change Could Benefit Some Invasive Plants
Most climate models paint a bleak picture for the Great Plains a century from now: It will likely be warmer and the air will be richer with carbon dioxide. Though scientists don’t yet know how exactly...
View ArticleWhile Farm Life Changes, FFA’s Blue Jacket Stays The Same
The blue corduroy jacket worn by high school students in FFA, formerly the Future Farmers of America, is an icon of rural life. To the average city dweller the jacket is a vestige of dwindling,...
View ArticleMutton Busting: A Rodeo Tradition
A furry beast, a brave rider and a roaring crowd make up the list of ingredients for the Western rodeo tradition known as “mutton busting.” Think of it as bull-riding, but for 6-year-olds, and the...
View ArticleNo Matter How Colorado Votes, GMO Labeling Debate Far From Finished
Voters in Colorado will decide whether or not they want the state to require labels on foods containing genetically modified ingredients, or GMOs . The 2014 ballot measure highlights a much larger...
View ArticleHemp's Legality Has Stunted Research, But That's Starting To Change
Humans have been growing hemp for centuries. Hemp-based foods have taken off recently. So have lotions and soaps that use hemp oil. Studies underway now are examining how different compounds in...
View Article'Prayer And Work' Go Hand In Hand At This Colorado Ranch
Many beer aficionados are familiar with the rare breweries run by Trappist monks . The beer is highly sought after, but it’s not the only food or drink made by a religious order. Many abbeys and...
View ArticleMad Cow Disease Detected In Alabama
A case of mad cow disease has been found in a cow in Alabama. U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists confirmed Tuesday that an 11-year-old cow found in an Alabama livestock market suffered from the...
View ArticleExamining The Sandy Soil Along The Proposed Keystone XL Route
TransCanada, the company behind the Keystone XL oil pipeline, is scheduled to go before the Nebraska Public Service Commission next week, the final hurdle before the agency decides whether the...
View ArticleDrop-In Centers In Rural Kansas Aim To Address Dangers Of Isolation
The social and health effects of isolation on some rural Kansas residents spurred three Catholic nuns to convert a storefront in Concordia, Kansas, into a drop-in center where women can find support...
View ArticleFighting Fires For Free, Volunteer Firefighting Units Struggle To Recruit A...
If you pull a fire alarm in any large U.S. city, it's likely that paid firefighters waiting at a nearby station will quickly respond. But seven out of 10 American firefighters are volunteers. They...
View ArticleHow These Colorado Farmers Banded Together To Save Their Water Supply
In the summer of 2002, water pumps in Colorado’s San Luis Valley stopped working. The center pivot sprinklers that coax shoots from the dry soil and turn the valley into one of the state’s most...
View ArticleGenetic Advances Hold New Promise For Sunflowers’ Profitable Future
Plant breeder Jessica Barb is on a mission to improve how sunflowers self-pollinate, a trait that'll be increasingly important to farmers are wild bee populations diminish. Her research tool of choice:...
View ArticleFewer Regulations Heighten Cities’ Concerns Over Water Quality, Cost To Clean...
There’s a city council election in Des Moines soon, and voters have questions about the rivers where the city draws its water supply. “Is (the water) safe to drink? Is it safe to consume?” candidate...
View ArticleKeep It Local: Rural Foundations Encourage Designating Towns, Counties As...
It’s a common story: Ambitious kids move from small towns to larger cities, never to look back. When their parents die, the family wealth that’s been built over generations through farming, ranching or...
View ArticleRural Broadband Experts: New Government Efforts Short On Money, But Show Promise
Since the George W. Bush administration , the federal government has doled out millions of dollars with the promise to expedite access to broadband service in remote parts of the country. President...
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