Soil and Water Conservation Districts have worked with farmers for decades in every U.S. state to reduce soil erosion and promote conservation. After two years of funding cuts in Illinois, conservation advocates worry that soil health could suffer – and dust storms could become a greater risk.

A new rule removes race and gender considerations from federal farm programs. The move comes after the Trump administration terminated or paused millions of dollars worth of funding meant to support small farmers and ranchers, as well as diversity efforts.

A three-day ice storm in northern Michigan early this spring left 145,000 people without power, some for weeks. Three months later, clean-up efforts are focused on millions of acres of the state's forests, where broken and fallen trees could affect the forest's long-term health.

President Donald Trump’s "Big, Beautiful Bill" shifts more Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program costs to states. Lawmakers and officials in support of the new measure say it will cut down on waste and fraud, but food advocates warn it could mean fewer people receiving the benefit.

Destructive tornadoes have hit states such as Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana this season as activity shifts east. Meanwhile, scientists say dry and hot weather in the Great Plains brought on by climate change could be slowing the number of tornadoes there.

The CyberTractor Challenge is a weeklong event for university students to learn about cybersecurity for agricultural equipment. Experts say the threats are evolving and becoming more complex.

The Trump administration wants Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to raid worksites in the agriculture and hospitality industries, despite an initial reprieve this month. Experts say the policy could hurt businesses that rely on immigrant workers.

Across much of the Midwest, the atmosphere is becoming warmer and retaining more water, leading to heavier downpours. A two-crop system called relay intercropping could help farmers buffer weather whiplash and boost profits.

The United States government promised the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation about 1,280 acres of Illinois reservation in an 1829 treaty. Instead, the U.S sold all of it illegally to white settlers. The Prairie Band is now the latest tribe in the Midwest and Great Plains to get some of their ancestral home back.

The Trump administration cut off nearly all funding for food and agricultural research at universities across the country as part of the Feed the Future Initiative. While some hope Congress will restore the funding, the global research continues on a much smaller scale, funded by private donors and individual universities.