Dan Charles

Dan Charles appears in the following:

Arkansas Tries To Stop An Epidemic Of Herbicide Damage

Friday, June 23, 2017

A weedkiller called dicamba, which farmers hoped could banish herbicide-resistant weeds, has become a plague itself in Arkansas. The state's regulators just voted to ban it for 120 days.

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Our Love Of 'All Natural' Is Causing A Vanilla Shortage

Friday, June 16, 2017

There's a global shortage of vanilla beans because big food companies now want natural vanilla, rather than the synthetic kind. Prices have soared, squeezing bakers and ice cream makers alike.

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U.S. Pays Farmers Billions To Save The Soil. But It's Blowing Away

Wednesday, June 07, 2017

Right now, the government rents farmland to help protect soil and water. But once the land is farmed again, the benefits disappear. Environmentalists want to change that.

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A Farm Journalist Tells Farmers What They'd Rather Not Hear About Climate Change

Friday, June 02, 2017

Journalist Chris Clayton writes for an audience filled with climate skeptics: farmers and leaders of agricultural businesses. He's telling them that a changing climate will disrupt their lives.

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How New Roots Are Driving An Apple Renaissance

Thursday, June 01, 2017

The apple renaissance of recent years has given us new varieties of fruit. But that's only half of the story, and half of the tree. Another revolution is happening below ground, in the tree roots.

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Two Scientists, Two Different Approaches To Saving Bees From Poison Dust

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Two scientists agree that pesticide-laden dust from planting equipment kills bees. But they're proposing different solutions, because they disagree about whether the pesticides are useful to farmers.

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Congress and Farmers Are Shocked By Proposed USDA Cuts

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

The Trump administration wants to cut both food aid to the poor and subsidies for the nation's farmers. Supporters of both programs are joining forces to fight the cuts in Congress.

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Government Confirms A Surge In Foreign Guest Workers On U.S. Farms

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Government statistics show a big increase in the number of foreign guest workers approved to work on American farms this year. It's up 36 percent over the same period last year.

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How Puerto Rico Lost Its Home-Grown Food, But Might Find It Again

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Amid the wreckage of economic crisis in Puerto Rico, a local food movement is taking root. Hopeful farmers are leasing long-abandoned land. But why was the land abandoned in the first place?

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PHOTOS: This Is What It Looks Like When A New Apple Comes To Town

Tuesday, May 09, 2017

This spring, orchards in Washington state are being ripped up to make room for a new apple variety called Cosmic Crisp. This is what happens before it hits store shelves.

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Washington Apple Growers Sink Their Teeth Into The New Cosmic Crisp

Wednesday, May 03, 2017

A new apple variety is on its way. It's called Cosmic Crisp, and farmers in Washington state are planting these trees by the millions. They're making a risky bet that consumers will like it.

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How Canadian Dairy Farmers Escape The Global Milk Glut

Wednesday, May 03, 2017

President Trump recently accused Canada of unfairly blocking imports of milk from the U.S. He was taking aim at a Canadian system that defiantly rejects the free market and protects small farmers.

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EPA Says It Will Allow Continued Sale Of Controversial Pesticide

Thursday, March 30, 2017

The EPA is not going ahead with a proposed ban on a pesticide called chlorpyrifos, saying there's still scientific uncertainty over its safety. Environmental groups say it can harm young children.

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EPA Decides Not To Ban A Pesticide, Despite Its Own Evidence Of Risk

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

New EPA administrator Scott Pruitt has decided not to ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide widely used on produce. That's despite evidence previously compiled by EPA showing it could pose risks to consumers.

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Fearful Farmers Rush To Find 'Guest Workers'

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Immigration lawyers are getting a wave of calls from farmers looking for foreign "guest workers." The farmers are worried that they'll lose their existing workers to an immigration crackdown.

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How To Make Farmers Love Cover Crops? Pay Them

Thursday, March 16, 2017

New satellite images reveal that few Midwestern farmers are planting pollution-preventing "cover crops." In Maryland, though, farmers are doing it, thanks to hefty subsidies.

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Emails Reveal Monsanto's Tactics To Defend Glyphosate Against Cancer Fears

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Internal emails show Monsanto executives scrambling to counter a U.N. agency's finding that glyphosate, the chemical in Roundup, can cause cancer. One email proposed "ghost-writing" scientific papers.

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Farmers Fight Environmental Regulations

Tuesday, March 07, 2017

Many of America's farmers are successfully fending off environmental regulation, from the Obama administration's Clean Water Rule to a lawsuit in Iowa that's aimed at reducing nitrates in rivers.

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Reviving Puerto Rico's Cocoa Farms, Centuries After Hurricanes Destroyed Them

Wednesday, March 01, 2017

Cocoa plantations in Puerto Rico were wiped out centuries ago. Now, local pride and the sheer love of chocolate are bringing back local cocoa.

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Sorry, Salad Lovers: We May Have No Mesclun Mix (For Two Weeks)

Wednesday, March 01, 2017

The system that delivers fresh greens to supermarkets is having a hiccup. There may be a nationwide shortage of salad mix in a few weeks. You can blame wet weather in Arizona and California.

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