In some red-state pockets of the U.S., farmers are embracing regenerative practices to shore up against an uncertain future. Just don’t ask them to make it political.

Where Soil is Holy, and Climate Change Is Seldom Mentioned

New research flags air pollution from agriculture and wildfires as a dementia risk.

Is Dirtier Farm Air Giving Farmers ‘Smoke Brain’?

Could a warming climate prove a boon for California orchards?

In Defense of Frost

The benefits of new habitats planted near agricultural fields might outweigh the risk of pesticide exposure in monarch butterflies — but don’t assume that’s true for all insects.

For Monarchs, Milkweed Matters More than Pesticides

Forest farming opens new opportunities beneath the canopy.

Made in the Shade

Letting “nature’s engineers” do their work can help mitigate drought, improve biodiversity, and help curb the spread of wildfires.

From Foe to Friend, (Some) Ranchers Are Welcoming Beavers Back

Strategically placed rocks can help shelter wildlife and maintain healthy ecosystems — but good luck convincing farmers to like them.

Learning to Love Rocks

Unhealthy sagebrush habitats threaten ranching and endangered species, while fueling more frequent and intense wildfires. Incarcerated people in five Western states are helping restore these habitats.

Prisoners Are Saving Western Rangelands

As climate change intensifies, contamination from floods can pose hazards long after the waters recede.

Rising Waters, Sinking Prospects

To repopulate land with specialized native flora, it’s not as easy as visiting the seed store.

Everyone Wants to Repair Our Damaged Ecosystems — But Where Are the Seeds?

It’s all hands on deck in the West’s open rangelands to try to eliminate this wildfire kindling. But as it fuels more intense fires that kill off native grasses, that’s getting harder to do.

Is the War on Cheatgrass Unwinnable?

Funding for the water quality sensor system that monitors ag-related pollution has been axed, making it harder to hold the industry accountable, and nearly impossible for citizens to check the quality of their drinking water.

Iowa’s Water Crisis Isn’t Drying Up Anytime Soon

New research investigates how nitrogen in farmland soils responds to recharge floodwaters.

Farmland flooding could help with both extreme weather and depleted aquifers. But will it contaminate drinking water?

A new study measuring rare, cosmic atoms shows that soil erosion in the Midwest is orders of magnitude worse than we thought. 

What Explosions in Space Tell Us About Agricultural Erosion 

For 40 years, a group of wild cattle have grazed the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. In efforts to remove them, the Forest Service is using lethal measures — leaving many in the ranching community upset.

Shooting Feral Cattle From Helicopters

New research from the Texas Department of Agriculture makes a case that state policies have largely not acknowledged — climate issues are a threat to agriculture and the local food supply.

In Texas, Climate Change and Food Security Are Closely Linked

On a frigid, remote island that used to import 100% of its fresh vegetables, one American chef set out to keep it local.

 Polar Farming: Growing Produce in the World’s Northernmost Town

The future of cranberries in Massachusetts and New Jersey will need to be managed very carefully to survive.

Will Rising Temperatures Force Cranberry Production to Move North?

Central Oregon’s irrigation canals, a vital lifeline to the region’s farmers, lose 30 to 50% of their water due to seepage and evaporation. Modernization is coming.

Some of Oregon’s Irrigation Systems Are More Than 100 Years Old, and It Shows

New research reveals that climate change is leading to more “rain-on-snow” events, which means more soil erosion, pollution, and toxic algal blooms.

Winter Rain Keeps Increasing — And It’s Exponentially Increasing Toxic Farm Runoff

Banned in Europe, this class of honeybee-harming pesticides is facing a possible ban in New York. Some researchers see a downside.

Some States Are Moving to Ban Neonic Pesticides. Is This the Best Way to Support Pollinators — and Farmers?

As the Great Salt Lake shrivels amid a historic drought, fish farmers around the globe face an impending baby food shortage of their own.

One of the World’s Strangest — and Most Critical — Fisheries Is in Serious Danger

A case study on the integration of animal farming and conservation may hold lessons for American farmers and policymakers.

Environment