Farms

The "farmer-led movement" aims to shape the agricultural landscape by strengthening soils and building community.

A new study of Christmas tree growers in Michigan and Oregon finds natural methods promote tree growth better than newer chemical efforts.

Higher costs and lower prices are squeezing farmers out of profitability. That’s led many to file for bankruptcy as a last resort to find aid.

Michigan has lost thousands of farms in recent years as farmers retire or sell their land. A new program connects aspiring farmers with farmers looking to retire so those farms might continue.

Virtual fencing uses GPS collars, sounds and electrical cues to move cattle across a landscape. Along with saving ranchers time, researchers say this new technology can help protect, and create, wildlife habitat.

While business interests express concern about a 17 percent tariff, the Michigan Vegetable Council says they hope it could spur on production.

A new rule removes race and gender considerations from federal farm programs. The move comes after the Trump administration terminated or paused millions of dollars worth of funding meant to support small farmers and ranchers, as well as diversity efforts.

The decades-old saying "knee high by the Fourth of July" is no longer the standard for many corn farmers as prices of goods increase and markets remain competitive. Michigan farmers say that more mature crops are required to get a profit during harvest in the fall.

Across much of the Midwest, the atmosphere is becoming warmer and retaining more water, leading to heavier downpours. A two-crop system called relay intercropping could help farmers buffer weather whiplash and boost profits.

The Michigan Supreme Court sided with state regulators this week in a dispute with industrial livestock farms.