A crew of farmworkers claimed they were sprayed with pesticides. What should have been a “rapid response” was a “big mess.” — By Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest, and Amanda Perez Pintado, Investigate Midwest/Report for America This story was supported by a grant from theRead the top takeaways from this investigation. Lumpkin Family Foundation The farmworkers flocked to the two emergency rooms in Urbana, Illinois, the night of Aug. 5, 2019, their kids…

Four outbreaks have occurred in the two years since the Food and Drug Administration announced its action plan to combat E. coli in leafy greens. — By Madison McVan, Investigate Midwest After a series of E. coli outbreaks sickened more than 160 people who ate romaine lettuce in late 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched an investigation. Months later, in March 2020, the agency announced its plan to prevent toxic E. …

An Office of Inspector General report released Tuesday concluded the two agencies could have done more to ensure the safety of meatpacking plant workers. — By Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest The U.S. Department of Agriculture has food safety inspectors in every large meatpacking plant in the country. Just like the industry’s workers, the government’s inspectors entered the high-risk work spaces almost every day during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, researchers will try to find cures for and ways to prevent highly contagious diseases, such as foot-and-mouth disease, affecting livestock and humans. — Construction is wrapping up at a new biological research lab in Manhattan, Kansas, where researchers will study vaccines and treatments for highly contagious diseases that affect livestock and humans.

By Madison McVan, Investigate Midwest The U.S. Department of Agriculture loaned more than $470 million directly to Midwestern farmers in fiscal year 2021, according to data obtained from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency. The direct farm operating loans, which max out at $400,000 per borrower, can be used to purchase…

For years, U.S. …

By Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest There are three kinds of fertilizers commonly used around the world, and Russia is a top producer of all of them. Following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s position among the top fertilizer producers has sparked fears of skyrocketing prices. …

“We import 80% of the fertilizer we use from outside the U.S. so the situation in eastern Europe will affect those supply chain issues around the world,” one farm bureau representative said. By Johnathan Hettinger, Madison McVan, Investigate Midwest, and Amanda Perez Pintado, Investigate Midwest/Report for America As Ukraine continues to fight against Russian forces, experts warned of potential fallout for the U.S. agriculture industry.

By Amanda Perez Pintado, Investigate Midwest/Report for America Over the past 20 years, inflation on food prices has averaged about 2% per year. But, last year, inflation accelerated. Between 2020 and 2021, inflation on food prices jumped 3.5% — an upswing of 75%, according to an analysis by the U.S…