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Zach Weakland is a co-founder of High Hops Brewery in Windsor, Colo., which takes the farm to glass mantra seriously. (Luke Runyon/Harvest Public Media)
Growing a local beer, farm to glass

With craft breweries sprouting up all over and local foodies looking for a beverage equivalent, "farm to glass" beer makers are starting to take root.

Welcome to Rocky Ford, Colo., “Sweet Melon Capital.” Struck by a listeria outbreak in 2011, many growers in this famed melon region are re-vamping their food safety practices. (Luke Runyon/Harvest Public Media)
Rocky Ford cantaloupe growers come cleaner

After several deadly foodborne illness outbreaks tied to cantaloupe, melon growers in the Colorado growing region have been trying to repair their image and keep an outbreak from happening again.

Iowa farmer John Berdo stands atop one of the terraces that helps control water flow on his crop fields. Terraces are one of many conservation measures Berdo employs. (Amy Mayer/Harvest Public Media)
Conservation acres harder to come by

For 27 years, the popular federal Conservation Reserve Program has been transforming small parcels of land, contributing to cleaner water, more habitat for migrating birds and less soil erosion. But the program has been enrolling fewer acres in recent years and it’s not just budget cuts that could make it smaller still.

Thad Huenemann of Nebraska Game and Parks steers his boat down the Missouri River with Nebraska City, Neb., in the background. The economic interests of cities and businesses along the river are often at odds with the ecological interests of endangered species. (Grant Gerlock/Harvest Public Media)
Missouri River home to endangered pallid sturgeon

More than 20 years after joining the endangered species list, the pallid sturgeon is treading water. Any effort to rebuild the population in the Missouri River, though, can’t come at the expense of the vital agriculture industry.

Kendra Short (center) works with students on a dance number at her studio in Belleville, Kan. Short and her husband Shannon have applied for the Rural Opportunity Zone program in Republic County, and are building a house. (Photo courtesy Rebecca Brown)
Kansas seeks turning point for rural communities

With rural populations declining, the state of Kansas wants people to know that it pays to move to rural Kansas — literally. In 2011, the state launched a one-of-a-kind program offering financial incentives for settling in one of 50 designated counties.And despite cuts across the state budget, these Rural Opportunity Zones have lots of support.

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Welcome to Harvest Public Media

Growing a local beer, farm to glass

With craft breweries sprouting up all over and local foodies looking for a beverage equivalent, "farm to glass" beer makers are starting to take root.

Rural Latino workers say they face discrimination, isolation

Across rural America, one in two new neighbors is Latino, according to a recent study. Many work in the dairy industry, including west central Wisconsin.

Rocky Ford cantaloupe growers come cleaner

After several deadly foodborne illness outbreaks tied to cantaloupe, melon growers in the Colorado growing region have been trying to repair their image and keep an outbreak from happening again.

Conservation acres harder to come by

For 27 years, the popular federal Conservation Reserve Program has been transforming small parcels of land, contributing to cleaner water, more habitat for migrating birds and less soil erosion. But the program has been enrolling fewer acres in recent years and it’s not just budget cuts that could make it smaller still.

Dairy farmers anticipate immigration reform

Many dairy farmers, some of whom depend on immigrant farm labor, are looking warily at Washington as lawmakers continue to debate immigration policy.

Report questions crop insurance structure

Taxpayers are contributing billions more than necessary for farmers’ crop insurance, according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The report raises questions as Congress debates safety net policy in the farm bill.

Missouri River home to endangered pallid sturgeon

More than 20 years after joining the endangered species list, the pallid sturgeon is treading water. Any effort to rebuild the population in the Missouri River, though, can’t come at the expense of the vital agriculture industry.

Kansas seeks turning point for rural communities

With rural populations declining, the state of Kansas wants people to know that it pays to move to rural Kansas — literally. In 2011, the state launched a one-of-a-kind program offering financial incentives for settling in one of 50 designated counties.And despite cuts across the state budget, these Rural Opportunity Zones have lots of support.

Exploring the secret life of plants

As climate change continues to wreak havoc on weather patterns, crop scientists have been working to engineer plants better suited to extremes. But some researchers think we might be overlooking plants’ own solutions.

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