Harvest Public Media Group

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OUR MISSION:   Global demand for food is rising, and the push and pull for resources has serious ramifications for our country’s economic recovery and prosperity. Today’s emerging agenda for agriculture is headlined by energy and climate change, food safety, biofuels, animal production and welfare, human health, water quality, and local food systems. By examining these local, regional and national issues and their implications, Harvest Public Media has created a rich multimedia resource devoted to food, agriculture and rural issues.

HOW WE REPORT:   Most Harvest Public Media stories begin with radio — regular reports are aired on our six member stations in the Midwest. But Harvest also explores issues through online analyses, television reports, podcasts, photography, video, blogs and social networking.  

FUNDING:   Harvest Public Media is a collaboration of public media stations across the Midwest and is funded by those stations. Initial funding was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

PARTNER STATIONS: KCUR inKansas City (lead station); Iowa Public Radio; Nebraska Public Media; WILL in Illinois; St. Louis PUblic Radio; KOSU in Oklahoma City

Series

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2 Pieces

For the Midwest farmer, every year is unique. Early spring. Long, cold winter. Sizzling heat wave. Mother Nature throws up constant curve balls. So, honestly, what’s the big deal about climate change? Well, that’s what we’re exploring here at Harvest Public Media in our ongoing series “Climate Pains: America’s Breadbasket braces for change in the weather.”

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5 Pieces

In a five-part special report, Harvest Public Media asks: Just who will be the U.S. farmer of the future?

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6 Pieces

Americans seem to be spending a lot of time talking about how and what they eat. Credit the local food movement for much of this discussion. From home gardens to farmers markets to a concern about food miles, Americans are connecting to food in new ways. Some “lovacores” even advocate for food systems to be rebuilt on the premise of a local food advantage.

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5 Pieces

In this five-part series, Harvest Public Media explores the American ethanol industry and its impact on consumers and rural communities. The first three parts of this series aired on NPR’s Morning Edition, and the entire series is free for download and broadcast. You can find an online package HERE; please link back to this on your station’s site should you air any part of this series. Doing so will help support Harvest’s mission to produce high quality agriculture and biofuel journalism for public media.


Pieces

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Advocates for giving farm animals a little more breathing room have scored another victory: North America’s largest food distributor, Sysco, is the...

Bought by KLCC


  • Added: Aug 14, 2012
  • Length: 04:55
  • Purchases: 1
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When a cow is stressed from the heat, it affects a producer’s bottom line. The animal eats less, meaning less mass in beef cattle. For dairy farmer...

Bought by NPR Illinois, WFIU, and WAMC Northeast Public Radio


  • Added: Jul 27, 2012
  • Length: 04:15
  • Purchases: 3
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Crops are not the only things wilting in the sweltering summer of 2012; the largest animals on the farm are also under stress. Some cattle producer...

Bought by WAMC Northeast Public Radio and WFIU


  • Added: Jul 27, 2012
  • Length: 03:58
  • Purchases: 2
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Drought has spread across a wide swath of the Country. But all along the Arkansas River drought has been torching crops, depressing tourism and thr...

Bought by KBGA 89.9 FM, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, and WFIU


  • Added: Jul 27, 2012
  • Length: 07:43
  • Purchases: 3
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Even though lots of corn and soybean farmers are taking a beating because of drought this summer, it’s not likely to drive many out of business. Th...

Bought by WAMC Northeast Public Radio, NPR Illinois, and WFIU


  • Added: Jul 27, 2012
  • Length: 03:34
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: The Neill family – Julie, Callaway, Carter and Eric – all pitch in to keep the Neill and Sons Dairy humming. , Credit: Frank Morris/Harvest Public Media
The number of very small farms and very large farms have increased dramatically in the last few years, U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics sh...

Bought by KUER, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, and KUOW


  • Added: May 22, 2012
  • Length: 04:53
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: hris Boeckmann grows turkeys for Cargill on his Loose Creek, Mo., farm. But he also raises grass-fed all-natural beef for his private label. , Credit: Peggy Lowe/Harvest Public Media
Agriculture is a big business fueled by big businesses. And although farmers themselves still come in many sizes, the distinction between corporate...

Bought by KUER, KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio, KFAI Minneapolis, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, and KUOW


  • Added: May 22, 2012
  • Length: 05:24
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: William Powers family owns Dary Springs Farm near Lincoln, Neb. , Credit: Jessica Naudziunas/Harvest Public Media
It seems every farming operation today professes to be "sustainable." We may not know if that’s true until decades from now, but farmers' choices t...

Bought by KUER, KZYX, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, and KUOW


  • Added: May 22, 2012
  • Length: 04:37
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Brent Ware, a member of the robotics team at Kansas State, stands next to a planting robot that won a national competition. , Credit: Jeremy Bernfeld/Harvest Public Media
With automation already popular on many farms, how far will technology go? Will the farmer of the future be a human farmer at all?

Bought by KUER, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, and KUOW


  • Added: May 22, 2012
  • Length: 05:30
  • Purchases: 3
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While some of the rural Midwest is hollowing out, regions like Sioux County, Iowa, are actually growing, thanks largely to immigrant populations mo...

Bought by WRFA-LP, KUER, KRZA, KVNO, WAMC Northeast Public Radio and more


  • Added: May 22, 2012
  • Length: 05:26
  • Purchases: 6