Some recent places @investigatemidwest.bsky.social reporting has appeared. We appreciate the news organizations that have carried and cited this work, and the care they bring to reporting on agriculture, labor, and the food system.

This week, we’ll be spotlighting the panelists joining our Feb. 19 live discussion on trade, soybeans, and what China’s global investments mean for U.S. agriculture.

Decades of mergers have reshaped the seed industry. This chart by our senior reporter Sky Chadde shows which companies hold most GMO seed patents across major crops. Read about the data here: investigatemidwest.o...

From Sentient Media: Residents of Early, Iowa (population 587) say they often find out their water is unsafe to drink by reading about it on Facebook. https://investigatemidwest.org/2026/02/02/what-does-a-small-town-do-when-the-water-in-undrinkable/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Our independent, data-driven newsroom delivers fact-checked stories on agriculture, policy, health, immigration, tariffs & more. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter: investigatemidwest.org/subscription...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has fined Archer Daniels Midland $40 million after the agency found former high-ranking executives artificially inflated the value of one of its businesses. #SEC #ADM #DOJ Read the story here: investigatemidwest.o...

Confidence in tariffs is softening. Global trade shifts are reshaping U.S. agriculture. Beef prices are rising. Soybeans remain at the center of it all. Get the full picture in Field Notes, our weekly newsletter: investigatemidwest.o...

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Our most read story of 2025 examines how Oklahoma banned Chinese-owned farmland, but then carved out an exception for Smithfield Foods, a major pork producer owned by China’s WH Group. It shows the law’s core promise unraveled once corporate interests entered the picture.

If you regularly read our investigations, share our stories, or follow our reporting on agriculture, labor, and environmental accountability, this survey is a chance to tell us a… https://investigatemidwest.org/2026/01/26/take-our-short-reader-survey/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Agriculture shapes the water you drink, the air you breathe, and the communities at the heart of farming. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter: investigatemidwest.o...

A Wisconsin bill moving through the Legislature would offer low-interest loans to small dairy farms as consolidation accelerates. But records show major industry groups pushed lawmakers to change the rules so large industrial farms could qualify too.

China’s trade strategy is reshaping global agriculture — and U.S. farmers are feeling it. Join us Feb. 19 for a live… https://investigatemidwest.org/2026/01/22/join-us-feb-19-to-explore-how-tariffs-and-chinas-global-investment-are-reshaping-u-s-farming/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

New data shows a major rise in temporary H-2A farm workers across the Midwest and Southwest, alongside slower overall growth in the visa program. See the map and key trends here: investigatemidwest.o...

Chinese state-backed money is remaking the hemisphere’s ports —from Santos to Chancay — reshaping grain routes to Asia and squeezing U.S. farmers as tariffs deepen the split with Washington. Read the full story here: investigatemidwest.o...

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China’s pullback from U.S. soybeans has reshaped global ag trade in 2025. Our latest Data Harvest shows where U.S. ag exports fell and where they grew: investigatemidwest.o...

Later this week, we’ll publish a feature fact-checking claims made by Oklahoma officials after a federal judge issued a final ruling in the state’s long-running lawsuit against major poultry companies.

Illinois lawmakers face a key carbon capture deadline in 2026 as a statewide moratorium expires in July. ICYMI: Our 2025 reporting found ethanol and corn industry money stalled debates over water protections, landowner rights, and oversight. Read more: investigatemidwest.o...

How closely were safety standards followed at an ADM plant before a fire nearly turned catastrophic? What’s driving damage to Illinois native oak trees? Why was U.S. meat consumption already rising before new diet guidance? Get the facts:

The Supreme Court could rule as soon as Friday on whether the White House overstepped Congress on tariffs, Bloomberg and other outlets are reporting.

Hours of interviews with plant employees by OSHA inspectors, as well as hundreds of pages of notes, detail what led to the 2022 fire. The records were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request as part of its ongoing coverage of dust explosions in ADM facilities.

We just earned our Platinum Seal of Transparency from @CandidDotOrg! Keep up with our accomplishments on our #NonprofitProfile: app.candid.org/profi...#NonprofitProfile: Thank you, @CandidDotOrg, for recognizing our commitment to transparency!

NewsMatch 2025 brought record growth in new donors for our nonprofit newsroom! Your support reflects growing trust in data-driven, independent reporting that holds powerful institutions accountable.

Food prices may feel high, but new USDA data show one of the widest gaps in a decade between production costs and prices farmers receive — signaling growing financial pressure on farmers. Read more: investigatemidwest.o...

U.S. farmers are facing a decade-high gap between production costs and prices received: costs are 50% higher than in 2011, but prices only 21% higher. See how this breaks down in Lauren Cross’ chart: investigatemidwest.o...

Today is the LAST day of NewsMatch! Your support powers accountability journalism that uncovers stories others don’t — from labor abuses on farms to corporate influence in ag. IRA charitable rollovers for donors 70½+ must be completed by tonight! Give now: investigatemidwest.o...

A year of power, policy — and the people caught in between. In 2025, Investigate Midwest examined immigration crackdowns in food workplaces, tariffs threatening soybean farmers, and deadly safety failures at poultry plants. See our biggest stories: investigatemidwest.o...

Agriculture shapes our economy, our health, and our environment, yet it remains deeply underreported. Investigate Midwest exists to hold powerful interests accountable. NewsMatch ends soon. Your donation today helps keep this work going. Give by Dec. 31: investigatemidwest.o...

See the images that defined our year: investigatemidwest.o... Cover photo credits: Top left: Steven Garcia, Investigate Midwest Top right: Monica Cordero, Investigate Midwest Bottom left: Ben Felder, Investigate Midwest Bottom right: Carlos Baez, for Investigate Midwest

Investigate Midwest exists because important areas like food and food safety are underreported. Independent reporting matters more than ever. In the final days of NewsMatch, your contribution helps us grow and sustain this work. Support us here: investigatemidwest.o...

Investigate Midwest focuses on critical but underreported areas of our lives like food and food safety. Reader support helps sustain this kind of in-depth, independent reporting. If this mission matters to you, please consider giving before Dec. 31: investigatemidwest.o...

From weekly Data Harvests to in-depth investigations, we use data to tell the story of U.S. agriculture. Here are three visualizations from 2025, highlighting key trends and insights shaping the nation’s food system. Find the full list here: investigatemidwest.o...

Six months of reporting and hundreds of records requests uncovered a rare admission buried in an OSHA document at one of the nation’s largest agribusinesses. This accountability journalism only happens with your support. Donate to keep us digging. investigatemidwest.o...

Grocery prices surged during the pandemic due to supply chain disruptions, bird flu & rising energy costs. While food inflation eased in 2024, prices for cooking at home are still rising. Investigate Midwest breaks down what’s driving prices & what’s next: investigatemidwest.o...

Make this reporting possible. Support our work here: investigatemidwest.o...

ICYMI: As the Trump administration prepared another $12B farm aid package, our 2019 reporting by Sky Chadde & Lucille Sherman showed how previous relief flowed. The largest recipient? Not a farmer, but alternative lender ARM, which collected $75M. More: investigatemidwest.o...

Meat consumption is rising in the U.S. and much of Asia, while Europe has seen a 19% per-capita decline. Investigate Midwest breaks down the data and what’s driving the shift. See Ben Felder’s charts: investigatemidwest.o...

Months of reporting and hundreds in records fees uncovered a troubling truth: children as young as 15 worked in bird flu cleanup operations. Support journalism that won’t look away and help us reach our $30K goal by Dec. 31. investigatemidwest.o...

China is investing billions in Latin America’s farms, ports and supply chains — reshaping global trade and raising questions about the future of U.S. farmers. Our investigation examines how this shift could change who feeds the world. Learn more: investigatemidwest.o...

Oklahoma passed a law to restrict Chinese-owned farmland. But an exception allows Smithfield Foods — a Chinese-owned company — to keep its land due to federal clearance. Our investigation examines how the law works & who it affects: investigatemidwest.o...

Make your impact here: investigatemidwest.o...

ICYMI: Unyielding is a 6-part investigation into rising cancer rates, hospital closures, and pesticide exposure in rural Midwest communities — showing the health costs faced by people living closest to the fields that feed the country. investigatemidwest.o...

Want to get our weekly newsletter right at your finger tips? Click here: investigatemidwest.o...

Drought has hit the 200 counties producing most of U.S. beef, shrinking herds and pushing the national cattle supply to decades-low levels. Rising feed costs and slow herd rebuilding are now driving higher beef prices. See the charts: investigatemidwest.o...

Iowa factory farms generate 110 billion pounds of manure each year, and agencies lack data to fully manage it. @sentientmedia.org reports the waste poses growing risks to drinking water, farmlands and communities. Dive into the full story: investigatemidwest.o...

More than 700 Illinois schools sit within a quarter mile of crop fields, yet state law doesn’t require spray notices. When pesticides drift onto schools, parks or playgrounds, children’s health and safety are at risk. Learn how to report drift in Illinois: investigatemidwest.o...

Independent journalism holds powerful industries accountable — and in the Midwest, that matters more than ever. From pesticides in schoolyards to threats to our food system, Investigate Midwest follows the facts. Give by Dec. 31 to help sustain our work: investigatemidwest.o...

A Supreme Court ruling was meant to clarify what waters are protected under the Clean Water Act. Farmers say confusion and costly requirements remain. EPA interpretations of WOTUS still flag seasonal ditches and farm ponds. Dave Dickey breaks it down: investigatemidwest.o...

Oklahoma passed laws to limit foreign-owned farmland over fears about China. But less than 1% of that land is Chinese — and the only Chinese-owned company with farmland, Smithfield Foods, was exempted. Juan Vassallo investigates: investigatemidwest.o...