Amy Mayer

Most of the country's lettuce and leafy greens come from California, where 13 atmospheric rivers hit this winter. Farmers both welcome the water and sometimes suffer from the deluge.

The parade of storms that have pummeled California this winter caused hundreds of rockslides around the state. Now, geologists are out assessing new risks and shoring up protections.

Sea otters were hunted to near extinction along the U.S. West Coast. During the century they have been away, a lucrative shellfish industry has grown in the waters where restoration would take place.

The meatpacking industry has slowed down due to the coronavirus outbreaks at the plants. Meatpackers warn that it could lead to meat shortages and stores limiting purchases.

Winters are warming faster than summers in many places, and colder parts of the U.S. are warming faster than hotter ones. The warming winter climate has year-round consequences across the country.

American farmers rely heavily on selling their goods overseas. As the trade war heats up again, many Midwest soybean farmers have huge surpluses and are receiving government aid.

The Department of Agriculture publishes the price, sales and inventory of the country's many agricultural products. Because of the partial government shutdown some of those reports aren't happening.

The partial government shutdown means farmers and other rural residents will be waiting for services they can usually rely on.

A daunting trifecta is threatening many Midwest farmers' profit margin: wet fields, stubbornly low crop prices exacerbated by a trade war with China — and some twists from the new tax law.

One farmer says he has seen hog prices drop to the point where it may cost some farmers more to raise a pig than they can sell it for — and he worries about lower sales.

Many agriculture companies rely on the island's climate for the research and development of commercial corn, soybean and other seeds grown in the U.S. But the storm wiped out needed infrastructure.

Sam Clovis has a doctorate in public administration, is skeptical that humans have a role in climate change and pushed theories suggesting former President Barack Obama was born in Kenya.

Some farmers are grazing different types of animals on the same land in a carefully controlled pattern, which ideally will enhance animal welfare and also help regenerate the landscape.

If confirmed, agriculture secretary nominee Sonny Perdue confronts an industry in search of stability. In the Corn Belt, farmers wonder about the government programs they rely on.

The people working on farms and elsewhere in agriculture often don't reflect the nation's demographics. Changing that is becoming a priority, in hopes that new people will bring fresh ideas.

Because of unstable milk prices, small-dairy owners are also selling artisanal cheeses to help them stay afloat. The idea is catching on — in Iowa, the number of on-farm cheese-makers has doubled.

Traditional gender roles on farms are changing, but slowly. While men are typically still in charge of operations, women are beginning to take on greater leadership.

The Student Organic Farm at Iowa State sends out CSA boxes to the local community — and of course, it gives students a chance to enjoy the (fresh, organic) fruits of their own labor.

Farming is entering its third year on the bust side of the cycle. Major crop prices are low, while expenses like seed, fertilizer and land remain high. That means getting creative to succeed.

Researchers are trying to figure out whether probiotics — the stuff we like to eat in yogurt to keep our guts healthy — could also help pigs, cows and chickens thrive.