An ongoing investigation by The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting has found the oversight of migrant housing is a fractured and ineffective system despite decades of reforms.
Investigate Midwest takes a look in a series of reports at U.S. renewable fuel policy, corn ethanol and advanced biofuels, all important topics in Iowa.
Months after a handful of senators called for better food-safety regulations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed new standards for cut up poultry. Currently, agencies only monitor whole poultry carcasses for pathogens.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources finalized fracking rule in November after a nearly year-long process. The Chicago Tribune recently reported, however, that not a single company has filed for a fracking permit in the past three months.
As companies and landowners continue to settle on agreements to begin fracking, a handful of federal reports and studies have suggested fracking for gas and oil may present certain health risks.
Southern Illinois farmers and landowners have started leasing their land to major fracking companies to draw additional income. In just one southern Illinois county, Wayne County,property owners have signed more than 3,000 leases with oil and gas companies in the last two years, though some leases m
Feeding the world by 2050 will be challenging, as the world’s population is expected to peak at 9 billion by then. But today’s strategies of research, technology and education to meet that demand are facing challenges too, experts said.
At least eight food products had to be recalled so far this month, federal food-safety agencies reported. Recalled products include tomatoes possibly tainted with Salmonella and bagels potentially covered in glass.
Sexual assault and harassment is a common problem when it comes to migrant farm workers. Attorney Karla Altmayer has worked to fight sexual assault in the workplace since 2010. Recently, she held a workshop in Kankakee, Ill., for migrant workers.
Experts predict that the agriculture industry may soon account for roughly half of all drone flights in the United States. As part of that trend, farmers from across the country gathered in central Illinois this week for the Precision Aerial Ag Show, a showcase of unmanned aerial vehicles, otherwise
More than four-dozen people became sick after eating E. coli and Salmonella-contaminated foods last month, federal food-safety agencies announced. The E. coli illnesses trace back to clover sprouts and ground beef, while the Salmonella threat links back to the seed-based chia powder.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported an estimated $6.2 billion in improper payments in 2013, according to an Office of Inspector General’s April report. The report's findings come after a previous Office of Inspector General report concluded that the USDA overpaid farmers by hundreds of milli
