Kathleen Masterson
Kathleen Masterson was Harvest Public Media’s reporter based at Iowa Public Radio in Ames, Iowa. At Bowdoin College in Maine, Kathleen studied English and Environmental Studies and was torn as to which one she’d have to “choose” when finding a job. She taught high school English for a few years, and then swung back to science when she traveled to rural Argentina to work on a bird research project. She returned home to study science journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After graduate school she went on to work as digital producer for NPR’s science desk before joining Harvest.
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Farmworker advocacy group Migrant Justice and the behemoth ice cream company have been negotiating for two years to agree on a worker-led initiative that ensures "just and dignified" practices. -
There are many challenges to farming: It's often grueling work that relies on unpredictable factors such as weather and global market prices. But one aspect that's often ignored: health care costs. -
A rural road in northern New York has become a magnet for migrants who no longer want to stay in the U.S. Growing numbers are stepping into Canada, knowing Mounties immediately will arrest them. -
Supporters of the labeling measure have raised about $800,000. The amount is dwarfed by the nearly $25 million raised by food industry opponents. -
California is the top dairy-producing state in the nation. And its dairy farmers are split over the impact of the latest farm bill's impact on the government's antiquated milk price support system. -
Iowa's so-called "Ag-Gag" law targets undercover animal rights activists who secretly take videos. Farmers say they need the legal protection to block those trying to take down agriculture, but critics ask what the industry may be hiding. -
Across the corn belt, more farmers are putting up their own grain bins. In the past year alone, farmers nationwide have added some 300 million bushels of on-farm storage. By storing their own grain, farmers can choose when and at what price they want to sell, and that can translate into thousands of dollars in profit. And this has grain buyers — like grain elevators and ethanol plants --working to keep their edge in the market.
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Crop insurance has become a critical safety net for farmers subject to fickle weather that can ruin crops. And though politicians are looking to make some big cuts to farm programs in the upcoming 2012 farm bill, farmers are clinging fiercely to crop insurance. -
Demand from the ethanol and livestock industries, big orders from China and a forecast of lower crop yields all mean one thing: Corn prices are soaring. That's welcome news for farmers. But some aren't sure when to sell because they fear they'll miss the boat on even higher prices. -
In parts of the upper Midwest, there's been a rush to mine silica sand. It's a key ingredient in the extraction of natural gas from shale rock, a process known as fracking. Dozens of companies are ramping up production. One Iowa company has hired 50 workers over the past six months.
