With the increase in costs squeezing agricultural operations, some farmers and ranchers are getting creative to survive. A Missouri rancher turned her property into a thriving short-term rental for horseback riding lessons, helping her hold onto the place she’s called home for more than 40 years. Now, a new grant program aims to help others do the same.

Missouri families trying to stretch their grocery dollars do not necessarily have to sacrifice nutrition. A leading health organization says lower-cost proteins, whole grains, and frozen or canned produce can form the foundation of affordable, heart-healthy meals.

Illinois farmers and soil experts say regenerative agriculture could help address concerns about declining nutrient density by rebuilding soil health and, in turn, strengthening local food systems.

Illinois farmers interested in growing food with trees and perennial crops are being encouraged to join a new statewide network that offers peer-to-peer support and resource connections to show producers how agroforestry can help them diversify income, improve soil health and make farms more resilient.

As stakeholders on all sides of the animal welfare debate continue to pressure members of Congress to include their requests in the final draft of the Farm Bill, Illinois farm groups say existing welfare standards are at stake. They say the views of farm veterinarians, who study livestock confinement deeply, are being left out of the conversation.

A fight over hog housing standards is shaping up as one of the latest Farm Bill battles. A Missouri farmer is among those urging senators to reject the 'Save Our Bacon Act,' a proposal that would block state laws such as California's Proposition 12.

Missouri farmers say they're facing some of the toughest economic conditions in decades. Now, they're pressing lawmakers to make the next Farm Bill a lifeline for family farms instead of big agribusiness.

Cuts proposed in the next federal budget could impact a nationwide river program active across Missouri waterways, including the Mississippi River north of St. Louis. Conservation groups say the effort improves water quality, wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation while generating strong returns for taxpayers.

A southwest Missouri rural school district is turning seven acres of unused campus land into a working school farm, giving students hands-on agricultural experience as small family farms continue disappearing across rural America.

A coalition of sustainable farming groups is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reject an effort by Bayer-owned Monsanto to avoid cancer lawsuits tied to its weed killer Roundup, arguing farmers and communities deserve clear warnings about health risks linked to glyphosate. The coalition says reliance on glyphosate harms people and the environment, while sustainable alternatives like crop rotation and organic farming are growing and could reduce dependence on toxic pesticides.