Recent content from Christopher Vondracek
Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford named to Time's list of 100 influential people
Last year, the leader of the Arden Hills-based agribusiness and food giant, was recognized by Time for sustainable agriculture work.
Minnesota farmers welcome spring rain: 'There's nothing like the chemistry of rainwater'
The Land of 10,000 Lakes (and farms) slipped back out of drought last week and Tuesday's rains helped, too, good news especially for farmers.
Fields softened early this year, but corn farmers await April 10 to kick off planting season
Baseball has Opening Day. Anglers have the Fishing Opener. Corn farmers have federal crop insurance day.
Minnesota farmers saw income drop 76 percent last year from plunging commodity prices
A survey of Minnesota's top-earning farmers suggests sagging pork, dairy and crop prices led to a 76% drop in farm profitability in 2023. The short-term future doesn't look bright, either.
Is bird flu coming for Minnesota's dairy cows next?
The devastating avian virus has already infected baby goats in Stevens County. Now Minnesota ag officials brace for what feels like the inevitable.
Farm out your groceries this summer with a CSA subscription
Community supported agriculture offers big-time nutrition and local produce, as long as you're willing to cook — and eat — whatever your farmer provides.
White House yet to release sustainable jet fuel tax credit rules; corn farmers eager to mix in ethanol
The lucrative federal tax credit created by the Inflation Reduction Act could be a boon for corn farmers, if it's ever released.
![A school bus driving Austin's basketball teams to Rochester drove past the Hormel Foods plant, which employs much of the town. ] Aaron Lavinsky • aa](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/CNGFNXO2H2R6DZW3U4V2H6QJ5I.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Pigs' blood leaked from Hormel plant into storm water system in Austin, Minn.
Officials say the debris, released by faulty equipment at a pork processing plant, overwhelmed the city's system for several days.
Minnesota AG's office negotiates safe living conditions for dairy workers in wage theft case
Evergreen Acres Dairy in Paynesville, which disputes the underlying charges, has agreed to stipulations while the case continues.
AI could help track farm country's carbon emissions, U study says
A new study from the University of Minnesota suggests a machine learning model could help solve the tricky question of where planet-warming gases are escaping from soil.
Sugar prices keep climbing. Minnesota bakeries are suing sugar companies over it.
Edina-based United Sugar and Minnetonka-based Cargill are among the defendants in federal antitrust lawsuits.
Manure haulers sue Minnesota boss, alleging poor housing, deceit and wage theft
South African farm-laborers arrived in western Minnesota town to find a job very different than the one they signed up for, including illegal housing, unpaid hours and poor treatment.
Farming conservation funds earmarked in 2022 now being challenged in Congress
A Minnesota farmer says a "light bulb" went off when he tried environmental practices on his Stearns County farm. Now, some on Capitol Hill want to reallocate the funding that made this climate-smart experimentation possible.
Were Windom slaughterhouse workers' wages actually withheld? State and attorney battle in bankruptcy proceedings.
The sprawling pork processing facility in southwestern Minnesota employed over 1,000 people.
Proposal would tax Minnesota farmers to help pay for cleanup of nitrate pollution
Last year, the EPA called out nitrate pollution, largely from agriculture, in southeastern Minnesota. Now a bill to raise taxes on fertilizer is moving through the Legislature.
![Take and prepare food items are easy to locate in the grocery area of the Target in Minnetonka, as are the bulk food items in the foreground. ] JEFF W](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/AOV5ZWTNQN65MD62T7GUG34TGA.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Target joins antitrust lawsuit against Cargill and others over high beef costs
The Minnesota retailer is among the most recent to join dozens of plaintiffs alleging a price-fixing conspiracy by the nation's largest beef producers, including fellow Minnesota company, Cargill.
Summer sales of E15 coming permanently to Minnesota, EPA says. But not until 2025.
Midwestern governors, including Gov. Tim Walz, had requested the federal agency allow sales of higher blends of ethanol for use by consumers during summer months.
Minnesota's top ag official denies allegations of discrimination made by white, male farmer
Last month, a Beltrami County farmer sued over a state-backed grant program aimed to help producers buy farmland, saying he was discriminated against because he was a white male.
Janitorial service breaks child labor laws at Iowa slaughterhouse, feds allege
New court filing says nine teens were working overnight at Sioux City plant.
Feral hogs not in Minnesota, new state report finds
But loose swine do run wild in state. Moreover, wild pigs live north of Minnesota's Canadian border, fueling concern about possible incursion down the road.
Union asks Minnesota meat processor to create child-welfare fund in wake of labor allegations
Amid contract negotiations with Tony Downs Foods in Madelia, the union calls for a novel response: pay for a fund for kids.
USDA says Minnesota farms are growing in size, but shrinking in number
Fewer farmers and farmland across America, as nation's agriculture industry continues to consolidate.
A pipeline for cow gas draws environmental support, ag concentration concerns
The PUC met at a bar in Benson, Minn., on Tuesday evening to hear citizen feedback on a plan to pump and sell biogas that could generate green energy.
Many workers displaced by slaughterhouse closure remain in Windom, waiting for opportunity
A state investigation into missing backpay for workers opened the door for many workers on agriculture worker visas to remain in the U.S.
Minnesota farmers wonder: Will a new federal farm bill ever come?
Last fall, Congress extended the 2018 farm bill for another year. Farmers say "kicking the can down the road" just won't do in 2024.
![Jack Weber drove his wheat combine on his field. The wheat doesn't bring much cash but it does improve the health of his soil. ] GLEN STUBBE ¥ gl](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/U4WIH7TWF7ASCI5UPEDNSGH5VE.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
White farmer sues Minnesota ag grant program, alleging discrimination
Last year, Minnesota's legislature offered money for historically underserved producers — including BIPOC, LGBTQ and women farmers — to buy land.
A dry, warmer winter means more snirt. What is it and why is it coating Minnesota ditches?
Not only a wicked portmanteau, the combo of "snow" and "dirt" is a symptom of warmer winters.
Minnesota dairy farmer takes Hastings Creamery to court over unpaid milk deliveries
Text messages show Minnesota dairy farmer in distress as historic creamery stumbled toward demise.
![Workers make their way out of the Long Prairie Packing Company in Long Prairie, Minn., on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. ] Elizabeth Flores • liz.flores@st](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/OPV5JXHPTYD5DH2A56N6L7ER5A.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Race, rural economy and a housing shortage collide in Long Prairie apartment fight
Many community leaders in the central Minnesota town welcome a company plan to build apartments, but the proposal has "brought out a lot of ugly in a small town."
Despite drought, Minnesota corn farmers helped U.S. to record 2023 harvest
Farmers in the state harvested 4% more corn than in 2022, while nationwide, last year saw a record harvest of 177.3 bushels per acre.
More than $135M worth of turkeys and chickens have been killed in Minnesota because of bird flu
That's just what the USDA has reimbursed the state's poultry and egg producers so far.
Minnesota hog farmers shoulder weight of adapting to California's law
Jan. 1 marked the deadline for banning sales in the Golden State of pork raised on farms where sows live in confined pens.
Move over, Kernza — camelina is a new winter oilseed that could save the Mississippi River
Environmentalists say to repair Minnesota's watershed, farmers should switch to perennial grains. But this winter cover crop, with established buyers, may be a better fix.
Minnesota's sugar beet industry celebrates record harvest during the sweetest season
The state is a top producer of beets — almost entirely in the Red River Valley and across a swath of southern Minnesota. But with the Farm Bill in limbo, so, too, is the federal safety-net.
Dozens of Minnesota dairy farms folded in November
Minnesota had 146 fewer dairy farmer permits this month than at the beginning of the year.
Bypass the grocery store meat counter and buy the quarter-beef (or half-hog) to save money
Since the pandemic's run on meat at grocery stores, the old-school lockers of rural Minnesota — purveyors of prime beef, steaks, even lutefisk and once destined for the chopping block — are enjoying a renaissance.
Minnesota farmer gets prison for organic grain fraud scheme
Federal judge delivers three-year sentence to southwestern Minnesota man who undermined the "trust" of U.S. organic grain market.
Monopolies in Minnesota's farm country gaining attention from DOJ, AG Ellison
Fewer companies produce the fertilizer and seed for farmers. There are also only a handful of major commodity buyers. Government prosecutors are taking a look.
Congressional watchdog: Stop paying big farmers' crop insurance
New report spells out how Congress could drop subsidies for top producers and save millions in taxpayer dollars
'What are we if we are just one thing?': Minnesota farmers face their likely absence from state flag
The finalists to replace Minnesota's current flag lack explicit agricultural imagery — and maybe that's OK, rural advocates say.
Minnesota's African immigrant farmers throw harvest feast, celebrating first year as a group
Minnesota African Immigrant Farmers Association celebrates this year's bounty and its first year as an organization.
USDA's hardiness zone map changes. What it means for Minnesota gardeners and growers
Minnesotans pride themselves on enduring deep, winter cold. The latest map shows this extreme cold is fading.
Cargill speeds up timeline to end deforestation in Brazil. Will it be enough?
The Minnesota ag giant's move comes ahead of COP28 and after months of sustained criticism of its soy supply chain from environmental groups.
Minnesota turkey farmers say expanded rural broadband could help detect bird flu sooner
Political leaders cast Minnesota as leading the nation in rural internet connection. Some gaps — like the heart of Minnesota's turkey country — still exist.
Gov. Walz greenlights a gobbler in Minnesota — where we don't pardon poultry
Tom the Turkey, raised on an Isanti, Minn., hobby farm, reveled in the State Capitol spotlight on Wednesday.
Biden pardons Minnesota-raised turkeys in annual White House Thanksgiving tradition
Willmar-raised Liberty and Bell have been feted since their arrival in Washington, D.C., this weekend.
'They are Swifties': Minnesota's turkeys arrive in DC for White House pardon
Liberty and Bell, the Willmar-raised birds, made their Washington D.C. debut on Sunday afternoon at the Willard Hotel.
How did Minnesota become the nation's top turkey state?
Minnesota birds are a Thanksgiving staple around the country, thanks to a turkey turnaround a century ago.
Farm income in the Upper Midwest fell this summer, new Fed survey shows
The Federal Reserve in Minneapolis reports ag-lending banks across the Upper Midwest expect declines for production agriculture producers to continue.
Vice President Kamala Harris' residence will display a Minnesota-grown Christmas tree
Happy Land Tree Farms near Sandstone appears to be the first time a Minnesota tree has been featured at either the White House or U.S. Naval Observatory for the holidays.
Biden visits Minnesota farm on 'barnstorming' tour of rural U.S.
President Joe Biden highlighted the administration's so-called "climate-smart" agriculture investments.
President Joe Biden visits Minnesota farm as he starts 'barnstorming' tour of rural America
President Joe Biden highlighted the administration's so-called "climate-smart" agriculture investments.
Born out of disaster 70 years ago, annual corn drive is a tradition for rural Minnesota ag students
The annual drive across Minnesota raises money every year for a good cause.
1 dead, 4 injured after car collides with truck on backed-up Hwy. 169 in northern Minnesota
A Dodge Ram had stopped for traffic on 169 when a Chevy Impala — driven by a 38-year-old Virginia, Minn., man with alcohol in his system — struck the pickup. A passenger in the car was killed.
St. Cloud shootings leave one dead, two wounded
No one has been arrested, but police say there is no ongoing threat to the neighborhood near St. Cloud State University.
One of two carbon dioxide pipelines that would cross into Minnesota has folded
The Nebraska-based company cited regulatory uncertainty in South Dakota and Iowa for canceling the Midwest-wide project.
DOJ sues data firm, alleging Minnesota meatpackers were 'co-conspirators' in antitrust scheme
Department of Justice alleges Agri Stats Inc. facilitated anti-competitive cooperation between industry giants, including Cargill and Hormel.
This farm reporter roams rural Minnesota by EV — and it's no easy task
After owning an EV more than six months — and using that vehicle for work as a journalist that involves predominantly driving across rural America — my personal experience suggests we're unprepared to help consumers successfully transition.
University of Minnesota introduces Kudos apples amid growing climate concerns
The University of Minnesota recently announced the latest offspring of the world-famous Honeycrisp.
A tale of two CO2 pipelines: Navigator presses pause, Summit presses on
After high-profile setbacks in neighboring states, an Iowa-based carbon dioxide pipeline company is doubling down efforts to win regulators' approval after another company pumps the brakes.
Minnesotans gather to show support for Israel, Palestinians
Two Jewish organizations held distinctly contrasting remembrances for those lost in the Hamas attack and Israel's response.
Teenagers work at St. Paul farm to improve neighborhood access to fresh food
Students with Urban Roots planted garlic and harvested Broccolini last week on their small, 1-acre farm that just received a $100,000 USDA grant.
Minnesota petitions court to have HyLife return $41K to laid off Windom workers
State labor officials filed notice in federal bankruptcy court in Delaware that "hundreds" of laid-off workers at HyLife's pork plant are owed for back wages and unpaid overtime.
Worker dies at Seneca Foods plant south of Twin Cities
Jose Luis Alvarado, 58, died after being trapped by "falling items" at the canning plant in Montgomery, Minn.
This 1967 'teacher of the year' took his southern Minnesota choir to the White House
Roger Tenney, an energetic St. Olaf graduate, put the high school choir in Owatonna on the map — enticing football players to join the ranks and coaxing excellence with Lutheran hymns and showtune standards. He died Aug. 13 at age 93.
Don't let your summer garden investment die off; preserve produce to save money in winter
Preserving food rather than wasting it could save hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. each year.
Shutdown would hurt America's food supply, ag secretary says
In many states, the WIC food program for mothers and children could collapse after only a day or two.
In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, corn harvest will be diminished by drought, hot summer
Minnesota corn yields — including bushels-per-acre — have dramatically increased over the decades, but low rainfall will still lessen this year's harvest.
Immigrant family finds solace in independent Minnesota farm, but needs more markets
The southern Minnesota producers grow more beautiful produce than they know what to do with, a common problem for smallholder farmers.
Environmental groups sue EPA over water pollution from large livestock farms
They claim waste from the megafarms is contributing to a national clean water crisis.
America's largest water highway is in trouble, ominous for grain farmers
Sixty percent of America's grain flows down the Mississippi River. Last fall, traffic ground to a halt due to low water, causing concern for Minnesota farmers during harvest.
