Alex Milan Tracy for Underscore
Explore the Archive
The dozens of independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news organizations that make up the Rural News Network are developing the broadest news alliance reporting on rural America. These newsrooms are pursuing coverage that provides a more complete picture of what it means to live and work in these communities.
Filter by Topic
Filter by Outlet
Search by keywords
Filter by State
LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
-
Farm bankruptcies jumped 46% in 2025 as debt loads and costs rise
February 25, 2026
Chapter 12 filings climbed to 315 in the US. That’s a third straight increase annually as higher production costs and expanding borrowing put new pressure on farmers in 2026.
-
In Iowa, many rivers and lakes improve briefly, then fall back into impairment
February 02, 2026
Following years of inaction on the Clean Water for Iowa Act, one lawmaker is looking to advance several smaller bills that would improve monitoring and strengthen permit requirements for large industrial farms.
-
Midwest and Southwest states see major increase in temporary H-2A workers, despite slow growth in program
January 21, 2026
These visas offer a pathway for increased farm labor, but have a documented history of wage theft and poor working conditions.
-
‘Could have been a hell of a lot worse’: At Nebraska plant, ADM allowed dangerous dust to build up beyond safe levels, recordings show
January 07, 2026
In late 2022, Archer Daniels Midland’s Fremont, Nebraska, facility experienced a dust explosion. Days later, federal safety inspectors found some areas inside with about an inch of combustible dust — about eight times the acceptable limit.
-
Increased pesticide use in Illinois is killing native oaks
January 05, 2026
While the amount of acres of soybeans and corn has remained stable for the past 25 years, the use of pesticides in Illinois has doubled.
-
5 things to know: Our investigation into China’s shift to Latin American agriculture
December 30, 2025
Chinese companies are investing billions to buy more agricultural products from Brazil and other countries.
-
These 17 charts tell the story of the US food system in 2025
December 23, 2025
A highlight of our most important data visualizations and what they say about the state of agriculture.
-
Our biggest stories in 2025
December 22, 2025
A year of power, policy and the people caught in between.
-
China is investing billions in Latin America, potentially sidelining US farmers for decades to come
December 15, 2025
Chinese state-backed money is remaking the hemisphere’s ports —from Santos to Chancay — reshaping grain routes to Asia and squeezing U.S. farmers as tariffs deepen the split with Washington.
-
Walmart looks to tighten its grip on the beef supply chain
October 15, 2025
Ranchers and agricultural experts warn the nation’s already stunted beef industry could be falling under more corporate control.
-
Where do your pumpkins come from? Illinois keeps the crown
October 13, 2025
Indiana ranks second in production, but Illinois grows roughly three times as many pumpkins, even after its production fell by 30% last year.
-
These rural communities feed the world. They’re also going hungry.
September 24, 2025
Food insecurity rates are rising faster in farm-dependent counties than almost anywhere else in the nation.
-
Rural Illinois’ food economy depends on immigrants
September 17, 2025
While every farm-dependent county in the state has lost population in the past decade, counties tied to meatpacking and food processing are holding on thanks to foreign-born workers — a trend that could be upended by Trump’s deportation plans.
-
US grain growers face deepening losses
September 09, 2025
After a brief boom, soaring costs and weak markets are threatening corn and soybean farms, prompting warnings from industry groups.
-
A cancer fight in rural Missouri: ‘Being from a small town right now is saving my life.’
August 18, 2025
A cluster of counties in southeast Missouri have some of the highest colorectal cancer rates in the state.
RURAL NEWS SPOTLIGHT
Sign up to receive our occasional newsletter, Rural News Spotlight. Read a recent issue here.