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Stephen R Ausmus/USDA Agricultural Research Service Office of CommunicationsFederal scientists are still scrambling to find new jobs or relocate across the country as Maryland’s Beltsville Agricultural Research Center’s last days of operation approach. Even as their personal lives upend, employees are concerned that BARC’s legacy of impactful research will be left behind. -
Skyler Rossi/Harvest Public MediaBeginning in December, new federal restrictions will make many hemp products illegal. Businesses in the industry are getting ready to close down most or all of their operations, while advocates hope there's still time to change course before the ban begins.
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The Natural Resources Conservation Service lost nearly a quarter of its staff nationwide in 2025 after the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal government. Many were local experts that help farmers with soil and water conservation efforts. -
The Trump administration has tried to lower beef prices for months, but demand, drought and a parasite have foiled its efforts. Some ranchers are frustrated with the administration’s latest moves. -
Hundreds of pesticides are legal, but that doesn’t mean that their impacts on health are fully understood. Cleaning produce before eating it reduces your exposure. -
Inflation in food prices can hit even harder for people in their 60s and older as they also juggle fixed incomes, health problems and changes in federal law. Experts say the age group is a “forgotten population” when it comes to food insecurity. -
More farmers are opting to repair old tractors, combines and other machinery instead of buying new upgrades. A tough farm economy and historically-high equipment prices are at least partly to blame. -
Fewer people are buying cotton thanks to the rise of synthetic fibers like nylon and polyester. Now, the U.S. cotton industry wants to boost demand for American-grown cotton with tax credits and marketing campaigns. -
U.S. Geological Survey researchers developed models to better understand the timing and sources contributing to nutrient pollution in streams and rivers. They say their findings can help guide efforts to improve water quality. -
The plains spotted skunk is becoming harder to find in the central U.S. states it calls home. As federal officials consider the skunk for federal protections, researchers and environmentalists are hoping to learn more about the long understudied species. -
Passing on the family farm to the next generation is typically an involved process, both financially and emotionally. A turbulent agricultural economy the past few years has made that transition even more difficult. -
Food safety experts say contaminated water in farm fields is a likely culprit. But questions still remain about the current outbreak.
