Environmental Reporting at WNIJ
The Mississippi River Basin spans nearly half of the continental United States. Millions of residents rely on the river system for drinking water, commerce and recreation.
More than 90% of America’s agricultural exports are grown in the Mississippi River Basin, including more than three-quarters of the world’s exports in feed grains, and most of the country’s livestock. More than 70% of nitrate pollution in the Mississippi River comes from agriculture, which harms human health and aquatic life and contributes to the “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico. As the impacts of climate change become more severe, residents can expect more extreme weather, including flooding.
By making resources available on this beat, we support more complete coverage of these critical topics. As our reporters build deeper knowledge, they tap into a network of newsrooms, experts, and support that will help them tell more equitable, impactful and interconnected stories.
Harvest Public Media reports on food systems, agriculture and rural issues through a collaborative network of reporters and partner stations throughout the Midwest and Plains. Our goal is to provide in-depth and unbiased reporting on complex issues for a broad, diverse audience, often connecting the Heartland to the rest of the country. Primary topics include, but are not limited to, agribusiness, biofuels, climate change, farming and ranching, food safety, rural life and public policy.
Below you will find reporting from reporters across our collaborations.
Locally, Jess Savage reports on clean air, water, and agricultural systems in northern Illinois for WNIJ, part of the Mississippi River Basin Project and Harvest Public Media. They recently graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Jess was awarded the Pulitzer Center Campus Consortium Fellowship, where they reported on landscape-scale ecological restoration in England and its effects on local farmers. They studied ecology at the University of Vermont as an undergraduate.
Jess focuses on access and policy related to clean air, water and agricultural systems for northern Illinois residents. This includes storytelling that gives voice traditionally underserved communities and the impact of climate change on local communities. The beat is a solutions driven approach to reporting related to efforts to improve the quality of rivers and groundwater, policies and processes in agricultural practices and food systems, and overall access to healthy living.
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New research out of Ohio State University found the rate of bird decline was quicker in areas with more intense agricultural practices. -
Across the central U.S., nitrate from crop fertilizer and livestock facilities is seeping into water underground. Many family wells are no longer safe to drink from without pricey treatment. -
Severe weather is happening more frequently as the climate changes, adding to an ever-growing list of challenges for U.S. farmers. From sudden temperature swings to floods, these events can have serious consequences for farms and ranches. -
Some close watchers of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s budget aren’t thrilled with the Trump administration’s proposal — but they're hopeful some of the suggested cuts won’t make it in the final spending plans passed by Congress. -
Guest farm workers holding H-2A visas are more important than ever for agriculture, especially after President Trump’s immigration crackdown. But efforts to expand the program are opposed by groups across the political spectrum. -
The economic uncertainty brought on from war in Iran will likely drive up U.S. food prices, especially for fresh produce. -
From a field on an Illinois university campus, to rare, untouched land in Texas, here are some efforts to replant once-abundant prairie in the Midwest and Great Plains. -
When beekeepers saw widespread honeybee die-offs last year, researchers at the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center stepped in to help. The Trump administration now plans to close the facility, sparking concern among beekeepers and scientists. -
A Wisconsin university is using augmented reality to show staff from meat processing plants and farmers what it's like to look through the eyes of livestock. -
Refugees and other immigrants are no longer eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as states implement a federal rule change. The restriction is one of many moves that has made it harder for immigrants to access federal benefits.
