Investigate Midwest The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

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Agribusiness

Secret Acres: Foreign-owned agricultural land inaccurately tracked by government

By Jamie Grey, Emily Featherston, Cory Johnson and Lee Zurik, InvestigateTV | January 26, 2022

Federal law requires disclosure, but those records are incomplete.

Our Latest

Agribusiness

‘When a grocery store closes up and it’s your last one, you feel it immediately’
By Amanda Perez Pintado, Investigate Midwest/Report for America | 21 hours ago
Rural areas are losing grocery stores but gaining other kinds of food retailers, such as dollar stores, according to the USDA.
Graphic of the Week

GRAPHIC: Despite COVID-19 closings and slowdowns, pork production was higher in 2020 than the year before
By Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest | January 26, 2022
In four states with a large meatpacking footprint, production dropped 40% during outbreaks in the pandemic's first year. But overall production ended 2% higher than the year before.
Opinion

Opinion: A lot of smoke … but not much fire at the latest world climate-change get together
By Dave Dickey, Commentator | January 26, 2022
Let's be real. Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees F) above per-industrial levels ain't happening.
Agribusiness

As Oklahoma’s medical marijuana industry booms, regulators struggle to keep up
By Seth Bodine, KOSU, and Clifton Adcock, The Frontier | January 25, 2022
Loopholes in state residency requirements have led to an influx of out-of-state investment through "ghost owners."
Graphic of the Week

GRAPHIC: Large family farms produced most beef, hogs and dairy in 2020
By Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest | January 19, 2022
Large family farms in the beef industry are more likely to operate feed lots, according to the USDA.
GMO

Opinion: New labeling rules won’t make it easier to avoid GMOs
By Dave Dickey, Commentator | January 19, 2022
Welcome to 2022 and the shiny new federal labeling rule that will require manufactures to disclose when foods are BIOENGINEERED! Sort of....
Labor

“Keeping our drivers happy”: Trucker shortage leading to empty store shelves compels companies to increase wages
By Amanda Perez Pintado, Investigate Midwest/Report for America | January 11, 2022
“We've had to go back to our customers and request additional compensation to be able to make sure our drivers were getting paid enough,” an owner of a trucking company said.
Agribusiness

COVID-19 disrupted supply chains. Now Illinois farmers face higher prices.
By Amanda Perez Pintado, Investigate Midwest/Report for America | December 16, 2021
Bottlenecks at ports and labor shortages are leading to higher prices for needed farming materials, such as fertilizer, pesticides and equipment.
Rural Illinois has lost population over the past decade. It’s gained in diversity.
By Amanda Perez Pintado, Investigate Midwest/Report for America | December 15, 2021
Reflecting a national trend, rural counties in Illinois have seen an exodus of, primarily, white residents. Increases in Hispanic residents have fueled an uptick in diversity.
Climate Change

IOWA’S TOXIC BREW: Coping with the climate-chemical reaction that can play havoc with drinking water
By Mark Schapiro, for Public Health Watch and the Investigative Reporting Workshop | December 14, 2021
In Iowa, drought — which is devastating to farmers — is intertwined with the flow of nitrogen — which is devastating to ecosystems and human health.
Opinion

Opinion: EPA takes another bite on dicamba…will anything change?
By Dave Dickey, Investigate Midwest | December 8, 2021
Dave Dickey gives his take on the EPA and dicamba and what could happen next.
Graphic of the Week

GRAPHIC: Just 17 plants slaughtered 65% of U.S. hogs last year
By Madison McVan, Investigate Midwest | December 8, 2021
In 2020, the majority of pork plants slaughtered relatively few pigs.
Agribusiness

Independent cattle ranchers continue fight against national checkoff program
By Madison McVan, Investigate Midwest | December 7, 2021
Ranchers must pay $1 per head of cattle sold to an organization some say works against their interests. The organization, known as a checkoff, says it represents producers of all sizes.
Graphic of the Week

GRAPHIC: Rainfall and fertilizer runoff are linked. This county shows how.
By Ignacio Calderon, USA TODAY Network Agriculture Data Fellow, Investigate Midwest | December 1, 2021
Runoff can lead to poisoned drinking water and toxic algae blooms.
Climate Change

Fertilizer washes off Midwest farm fields and taints communities’ drinking water, poisons Gulf of Mexico
By Ignacio Calderon, USA TODAY Network Agricultural Data Fellow, Investigate Midwest | November 30, 2021
As rainfall events become more intense and frequent, fertilizers applied to Midwestern farmland wash away, contaminating waterways near and far.