Returning the 'three sisters' – corn, beans and squash – to Native American farms nourishes people, land and cultures

For centuries Native Americans intercropped corn, beans and squash because the plants thrived together. A new initiative is measuring health and social benefits from reuniting the "three sisters."

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agriculture nutrition native-americans indigenous-peoples food-deserts us-history us-midwest vegetables corn thanksgiving food-sovereignty indian-removal-act reservations

Farmers are depleting the Ogallala Aquifer because the government pays them to do it

An invisible crisis is brewing in US farm country as the overpumped Ogallala-High Plains Aquifer drains. The key drivers are federal farm subsidies and the tax code.

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agriculture water farming drought corn irrigation water-conservation

A few heavy storms cause a big chunk of nitrogen pollution from Midwest farms

New research shows that one-third of yearly nitrogen runoff from Midwest farms to the Gulf of Mexico occurs during a few heavy rainstorms. New fertilizing schedules could reduce nitrogen pollution.

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climate-change agriculture rainfall nitrogen gulf-of-mexico us-midwest nutrient-pollution corn fertilizer sustainable-agriculture dead-zones fertilizer-runoff heavy-rainfall mississippi-river