Agriculture

The Ogallala aquifer is a critical source of water in western Kansas, and it’s running dry. It plays a major role in the daily lives of Kansans, even for people who don’t live on top of it.

The fertilizer was promoted as an environmental win-win for years. An untold number of farmers and ranchers across Texas have spread it on their land.

Local leaders and rural revitalization experts say Texas’ smallest towns can survive — despite a shift to urban and suburban counties — but it will take investments.

KERA's Katherine Hobbs reports that conservationists at the Fort Worth Zoo released a record-breaking number of Texas horned lizards in the month of October. Texas Parks and Wildlife says now is the time to plant wildflowers to help our pollinators. You can find more information on what to plant in your region from the Native Plant Society of Texas at npsot.org.

The dust and wind in West Texas conspire to keep front steps and porches coated in a layer of grit. But in Socorro and other rural communities near El Paso, another nuisance has plagued residents for months: red flour beetles.

The Texas Tech Innovation Hub recently hosted Red Raider Startup, a competition where teams pitched their ideas for a chance to win a thousand dollars while networking and gaining valuable experience in the process.

The EPA is currently facing a lawsuit on behalf of farmers from Johnson County, Texas, after the presence of PFAS in fertilizers allegedly infected crops and resulted in the death of livestock.

Millions of Texans would lose food subsidies and farm insurance if Congress doesn’t act before the end of the year.

According to grower Lucinda Mann, supporting local farmers and agriculture is important because without these farmers, there is no food. Employees at Idalou Harvest work to establish meaningful connections between families, farmers, and food.

After nearly a lifetime of working in agriculture, Lucinda Mann has found herself at Idalou Harvest, doing exactly what she knows best: nourishing the community. Our reporter, Olivia O’Rand, visited the farm ahead of the farm's Apple Fest this weekend.