Toxic runoff from rare earth mines in Myanmar is contaminating rivers that flow into Thailand, threatening the Mekong River and its basin's fisheries and farmland. Satellite analysis has also tracked the emergence of suspected mines in Laos, deepening concerns in downstream Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Heavy metal contaminants from unchecked expansion of such mining threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions who rely on the Mekong. Experts say demand for rare earth materials that are used in many modern technologies from electric vehicles to missiles is rising, posing a public health risk across the region.
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Farmers across Cuba are struggling to feed the country amid a U.S. energy blockade that's causing severe shortages. Farming equipment is silent due to lack of fuel. Some produce is now taken to markets by horse-drawn carts. Poverty deepens and hunger increases across the island nation as the quality and quantity of fruit and vegetables diminish. While the Iran war is pinching energy supplies around the world, Cuba is the rare place blaming the Trump administration’s targeted actions instead. One farmer whose milk supplies schools says, “I feel like crying." He and others help to support Cuba's most vulnerable people.
There’s a surprising amount of science in a bag of potato chips. Researchers have spent decades developing chipping potatoes that can grow in all kinds of climates, avoid diseases and pests, sit in storage for months and still deliver a satisfying crunch. There are about 50 varieties of potatoes used for chips in the U.S. right now. A Michigan State University professor who developed five new potato varieties for chips in the the last 15 years is currently growing seeds for commercial testing of another. It's a bioengineered potato that can maintain a proper sugar balance when stored at colder temperatures to prevent rotting. he also has developed disease-resistant potato varieties for farmers in Africa.
The abrupt swing from hot weather to cold across the Northeast didn't just have people scrambling for discarded jackets, it also is affecting some farmers. Frosty nights aren't unusual this time of year, but the quick transition from hot to cold can be concerning. In Ohio, the warm weather pushed peach and apple trees at one orchard to start budding early, but then a cold snap ruined one variety of peach. In Vermont, flower farmer Gregory Witscher says rapid fluctuations in weather have forced him to become more nimble. Tulips grown for Mother's Day bloomed weeks ahead of schedule, so he's had to harvest them all at once and store them in coolers.
The Associated Press and Grist have collaborated on a project to analyze how federal policy changes on energy are affecting farmers. They found that two programs critical for renewable energy growth have been sharply rolled back. One is a rural-focused initiative called REAP. The other is a clean energy tax credit. The news organizations found that in the fiscal year that started Oct. 1, the Department of Agriculture hasn’t awarded a single dollar in rural energy grants or loan guarantees. Its loan guarantee program has remained open, but the analysis found that the agency has awarded no new agreements this fiscal year.
Farmers in the U.S. operate on the thinnest of margins, and some have looked to renewable energy as a way to cut costs on electricity. But that has gotten a lot harder since Donald Trump's return to the White House. Within the first year of Trump's return, two federal programs critical to the growth of solar energy production have been rolled back. Those programs are the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program and the clean energy tax credit. The Associated Press and Grist analyzed data on both commercial-scale solar projects and small-scale rural energy development. The news organizations found that the USDA hasn’t awarded a single dollar in rural energy grants or loan guarantees since September.
Communities across parts of Asia marked traditional new years and spring harvests with traditions shaped by faith and spring harvests.
Local opposition to solar has long been an obstacle for green energy developers in the United States, but some communities are working to reverse local restrictions. They cite the tax benefits and jobs the projects bring, plus the lease payments from energy companies that can provide stable income to farmers in a volatile industry. Wayne Greier, a 42-year-old farmer in Ohio, had hoped to sign a deal with a utility in which he would host solar on his acreage for about $540,000 in annual lease payments. Greier faced a heavy medical debt and saw the deal as a way to keep his farm in his family. After local officials blocked it, Greier is now sharing his experience with lawmakers, advocacy groups and communities debating green energy development.
U.S. egg prices have fallen 60% from last year’s record highs, making it easier for consumers to fill their Easter baskets and Passover Seder plates. Retail prices averaged $2.50 per dozen in February compared to $6.23 per dozen in March 2025. Bird flu was to blame for the spikes seen last year, and it’s a big reason prices are so much lower now. An outbreak forced farmers and commercial producers to slaughter entire broods of egg-laying hens, but cases ebbed in the second half of 2025. Egg supplies also have improved as farmers replenish poultry flocks they lost to bird flu.
After speaking to the audience at the championship tractor pull in Freedom Hall, Rollins visited with the employees of companies like John Deere to learn more about the work they’re doing.