Offrange

All indications are that a novel method of pulling nitrogen from the air could revolutionize fertilizer production. But farmers worry it's too good to be true. New from @DKruzman: ambrook.com/offrange/techn…

Plant breeding is a delicate, sometimes mysterious, sometimes confounding dance. Breed a drought-resistant tomato and suddenly it tastes lousy. A higher-yield soybean is vulnerable to disease. It's tough to be a plant breeder - Russell Nichols dives in: ambrook.com/offrange/crops…

A controversial study made waves a couple years ago, claiming to show that urban farming is more carbon-intensive than its traditional rural counterparts. The study authors want you to know - the real story is more complicated! New from @vicku___: ambrook.com/offrange/envir…

When California and Massachusetts passed laws forbidding pork being sold from farmers that used inhumane gestation crates, some farmers spent millions to overhaul their operations. The new Farm Bill would invalidate those state laws. From Lela Nargi: ambrook.com/offrange/legis…

We've long bred dairy cows for traits like milk yield and carcass weight, ignoring fundamentals like bone structure. It's led to what 1 researcher calls “Ferrari genetics with flat tires.” @DanielWWalton looks at the new movement to improve our cows: ambrook.com/offrange/lives…

Blue-green algae has become a go-to natural blue dye in the MAHA era. Unfortunately, it's often contaminated by everything from dirt, insects, and dead animals to arsenic, mercury, and lead. Not to mention deadly cyanotoxins! New from @KupermanLeah: ambrook.com/offrange/crops…

Goat consumption has hit an odd inflection point in the U.S. Some 1st-gen immigrants are abandoning goat meat in favor of more American fare, while young white consumers learn to enjoy its distinct flavor. New from Laurel Miller: ambrook.com/offrange/lives…

When Midwestern corn & soy farmers started growing oats a few years ago, they had a hard time finding places to process and buy them. So 125 farmers banded together and created the "Oat Mafia" — and they're building their own mill! New from @aimeerawlins: ambrook.com/offrange/crops…

In recent years, more and more veg growers have been allowing cattle to graze their properties in a bid to improve soil health. But what about other livestock, like bison and goats - could their hooves also be beneficial? @DKruzman takes a look: ambrook.com/offrange/susta…

Phosphate fertilizer is a consistent growth industry, as global usage increases every single year. But a proposal to mine phosphate directly from the ocean floor has environmental advocates highly concerned. New from Mitch Hagney: ambrook.com/offrange/envir…

As consumption of strawberries and blueberries has skyrocketed among American families, so too have berry prices. But don't blame the farmers! New from @SilverbergDave: ambrook.com/offrange/crops…

Read my latest report for @offrange that many berry fans can relate to, especially this year: Why are berry prices so high and what are berry farmers saying about their rising costs?

Nearly a decade has passed since the last Farm Bill was written and approved by Congress. Will we ever have one again — and why does it matter? New from @clairelmcarlson: ambrook.com/offrange/legis…

Pollinator decline has been happening for years, so the development of "robot bees" to pollinate crops like almonds and tomatoes feels almost inevitable. @turrell_claire looks into the startups and academic institutions building mechanical pollinators: ambrook.com/offrange/resea…