A police officer turned psychedelic mushroom farmer navigates his newly legal crop in Oregon.

Tripping Forward

Dan Egan’s latest book investigates how phosphorus fertilizer enables the world’s food system — exacting a great price from from all of us.

Of Hubris and Feces: The Human Story of Phosphorus

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide the entire fate of federal regulatory powers because of a seemingly niche case brought by two herring fishermen.

A Red Herring in the Supreme Court

In a push for increased sustainability, some high-end chefs are utilizing beef from old dairy cows. Yet for dairy farmers, a business case has yet to be made for promoting the product.

Old Cows, New Meat

Advocates are sounding the alarm — we’re losing millions of acres of farmland, and it’s an existential threat to our food supply. How worried should we be?

Is the U.S. Running Out of Farmland?

Farmers started what was arguably the most enduring — and angry — third party in American politics. Its legacy reverberates today.

Raise Less Corn and More Hell

The Wine of Wrath

For farm businesses with rigorous principles, Perpetual Purpose Trusts ensure your values are maintained even after you sell — or die.

When You Can’t Take It With You

The latest wave of avian influenza brought COVID-style modifications to the 2024 Pennsylvania Farm Show. 

Live Chick-Hatching in the Age of Plague

When Beth Hoffman and her husband moved from the Bay Area to farm sustainably in rural Iowa, they tried some things their neighbors had never seen. Did it ruffle any feathers?

What the Neighbors Think

Research and funding partners have now pulled support for the Darling line of transgenic trees, a significant setback for restoration plans.

A Lab Error Just Upended Years of Work on the GMO American Chestnut Tree 

“Fatwood” is a popular all-natural firestarter, created when broken old pine trees leave a resin-filled deposit behind. Is foraging enough to satisfy growing demand?

Light My Fire

“Phages” are predator viruses that efficiently destroy bacteria like E. coli and listeria. Globally they are used as a safe alternative to antibiotics — why not here?

A Viral Solution to Farming’s Antibiotic Addiction

Leasing land to hunters can be easy money for farmers — with enough ground rules in place.

Hunting in the Farm Fields

Scientists are trying to bring flavor back to the tomatoes sold in grocery stores. But how should they taste, exactly?

Do You Know How Tomatoes Taste?

Collagen is a cheap and abundant meat industry byproduct — so why is the supply chain so challenging?

Skin Is Tight

Swiss researchers have found a way to transform chicken feather waste into clean energy, but upending established industrial practices may prove difficult in the U.S.

Chicken Feathers Could Fuel the Future

The unlucky, unloved invasive lanternfly has one benefit: It’s leading to copious production of a new type of honey. 

The Unexpected Sweetness of the Spotted Lanternfly

Yoga is gaining ground in agriculture, even among traditional farmers who say it’s not for “people like them.”

Om on the Range

Our small but mighty team weighs in with their favorite stories of the year.