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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Giant pumpkins can top the scales at more than 2,000 pounds – and caring for these behemoths is often a full-time job. But for some growers in the central U.S., the dream of raising a world record-setting pumpkin is a tantalizing prospect. -
The government shutdown stops USDA from administering farm subsidies, raising the specter of growing farm foreclosures. It also delays a bailout President Trump had promised for farmers impacted by tariffs. -
More than a million low-income mothers and children in the Midwest and Great Plains rely on a national food assistance program. The Trump administration says it will help provide temporary funding to keep the program afloat, but food advocates say it’s a short-term fix. -
Farmers rely on the Mississippi River to ship grain and bring them imported fertilizer and other critical inputs. But another year of low river levels means barge travel will be more expensive. -
Virtual fencing uses GPS collars, sounds and electrical cues to move cattle across a landscape. Along with saving ranchers time, researchers say this new technology can help protect, and create, wildlife habitat. -
The Trump administration is promising billions in a bailout for farmers. This harvest season the trade war with China has added to the farm economy’s woes, as producers deal with lower crop prices and high costs. -
As food production and farming become increasingly computerized, cyberattacks are on the rise. Lawmakers and universities are encouraging more research into how to protect the industry from cyber threats. -
Varios estados, incluidos Missouri, Illinois e Indiana, se encuentran en una situación de sequía moderada a severa. -
The American Heartland has experienced a boom in wineries over the last three decades. But with U.S. wine sales trending down since 2019, some producers are feeling the effects more than others. -
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expecting a strong corn and soybean harvest this year. But low crop prices, high input costs and international trade uncertainty could hurt farmers.
