Government As USDA updates the Packers and Stockyard Act, meat industry increases political spending, lobbying In the past 20 years, some meat industry groups tripled political spending as the federal government seeks to change how the sector operates. By John McCracken, Investigate Midwest / 30 May 2024
Data Harvest GRAPHIC: More cattle passing through largest feedlots Seventy-six feedlots have a capacity of at least 50,000 head. By Ben Felder, Investigate Midwest / 29 May 2024
iowawatch Iowa AG asked to pursue penalties against co-op that caused massive fertilizer spill Release of 265,000 gallons of fertilizer killed 750,000 fish in East Nishnabotna. By Erin Jordan, The Gazette / 29 May 2024
Data Harvest GRAPHIC: Highly pathogenic avian influenza spreading among commercial and backyard birds For the first time, the virus has spread to dairy cows and humans in the US. By Jennifer Bamberg, Investigate Midwest / 22 May 2024
TP::Opinion US Supreme Court hands a win to some property owners, but remains silent on bigger issue High Court should rule whether the takings clause is self-executing across the country, Dave writes. By Dave Dickey, Columnist / 21 May 2024
Data Harvest GRAPHIC: High-speed internet access for farmers varies by state A little more than half of all farms in America have access to broadband, according to the US Census of Agriculture. By Mónica Cordero, Investigate Midwest / 15 May 2024
TP::Opinion Response to avian flu in US dairy herd lacking CDC, state agencies and the dairy industry need to work together on latest outbreak, Dave writes By Dave Dickey, Columnist / 15 May 2024
Agribusiness What you need to know about Tyson’s former contract growers Investigate Midwest spent months investigating how the company’s decision to close plants across the country affected contract growers. By John McCracken, Investigate Midwest / 8 May 2024
Labor Early morning calls. Barren chicken barns. Millions in debt. Tyson Foods says recent plant closures ‘drove out waste from the business.’ Contract chicken farmers are now stuck with uncertainty and massive loans. By John McCracken, Investigate Midwest / 8 May 2024
TP::Opinion Money talks and ‘no antibiotics ever’ pledges walk Many in the chicken industry and fast-food chains reverse course on pledge, citing lack of consistency, Dave writes. By Dave Dickey, Columnist / 8 May 2024
Data Harvest GRAPHIC: USDA has received almost 1,000 complaints about operations selling ‘organic’ products without certification in recent years More than half of the investigations resulted in compliance or a civil penalty, according to newly released data. By Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest / 8 May 2024
Agribusiness Tyson Foods released 371 million pounds of pollution into U.S. waterways: report Meat processing company Tyson Foods released at least 371.7 million pounds of pollution into U.S. waterways between 2018 and 2022, according to a report released this week from the Union of Concerned Scientists. By Eric Schmid, St. Louis Public Radio / 7 May 2024
