A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found working-age rural residents die from natural causes at a higher rate than their urban counterparts. And that gap has widened over the years.

As the country tries to meet its climate goals, tackling emissions from farming will be key. One climate-smart agriculture strategy sequesters carbon while recycling agricultural waste and improving soil.

The flu has been found in cows for the first time, but most cattle seem to be showing only mild symptoms and recovering from the illness. Officials say the pasteurization process means milk remains safe.

The U.S. has lost more than 2,800 newspapers since 2005, many of them in rural areas. Now some journalists are redoubling their efforts to provide local news and trying new models in a difficult industry.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced the first federal limits on PFAS in drinking water. Only two Midwestern states currently have limits on levels acceptable in drinking water.

Last year it cost more to raise a hog than it brought in at sale. This year is looking slightly better so far for pork production, but input costs—such as energy and labor—remain high.

Gray foxes, the only canine species in North America that can climb trees, are found across much of the U.S. But over the last two decades, populations in the Midwest have plummeted and multiple state agencies are trying to find out the reasons behind their shrinking numbers.

Towns in the path of the total eclipse could see millions of dollars flow into their communities to witness a few minutes of darkness when the moon passes in front of the sun.

Cockfighting, the practice of fighting roosters, has been around for centuries. In the U.S. it’s a federal crime and illegal in all 50 states. But in Oklahoma, there’s an effort to lower the penalties for cockfighting that breeders say simply protects their right to raise roosters, while animal rights groups are calling foul.

Biosolids — a type of treated sewage byproduct from wastewater treatment plants — are used as a nutrient-rich fertilizer on farms across the Midwest. But a group of toxic “forever chemicals” are slipping through the cracks and could be inadvertently contaminating millions of acres of farmland.