Farming

Those fast planes diving over fields in Northern Colorado are crucial for taking care of crops. But a different type of agricultural aircraft is slowly, but surely, taking to the skies.

A new study led by the University of Michigan shows that large livestock farms are polluting the air across the U.S., including parts of the Mountain West. Researchers say these impacts are felt hardest by nearby communities, where people of color often live.

The Grassland Conservation Reserve Program allows the Farm Service Agency to pay ranchers to protect grasslands. But the program is facing significant cuts, which can harm wildlife habitat.

A program that offers mental health resources and support to farmers and ranchers in Colorado is on hold, after the Trump administration froze funding for it. We discuss the impact the program has had in the agriculture community, the unique stresses that farmers and ranchers face -- and what happens next.

The USDA cut two popular federal programs supporting local food systems.

Multiple groups are attempting to replant the forest and help undo ecological changes that made western Maui susceptible to devastating wildfire. Listen to "Morning Edition" host Michael Lyle, Jr. discuss this story with Colorado Sun reporter David Krause and then read The Colorado Sun story at the link below.

Farmers and ranchers face stressful challenges every day: From hail and drought to financial pressures. A new film explores those issues, and looks at why farmers don’t always ask for help. “Legacy” screens this weekend at the Breckenridge Film Festival. We talk with the film’s director talks about possible solutions for this silent epidemic.

Greeley farmer Sean Short has created a sustainable chicken farm with a mixture of fish farming and hydroponics. And he’s bringing at-risk young people into the fold to learn how. On today’s In the NoCo we listen back to a conversation about aquaponic chicken farming.

A farmer in Keenesburg, Colorado, won first place in the 2023 National Wheat Yield Contest.

A new report shows the federal government is paying billions of dollars to farmers who are losing crops to extreme weather – and the payouts keep growing.