Investigate Midwest

Investigate Midwest Independent, watchdog journalism on agriculture, rural issues, and policy through data and accountability.

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Send tips: [email protected] Investigate Midwest is an independent, nonprofit newsroom devoted to crucial issues in the Midwest with a special focus on agribusiness, farming, food supply, pesticide use, climate change, ag workers and more. Our mission is to serve the public as a watchdo

g over influential corporations and institutions through in-depth and data-driven investigative journalism. We are proud to have earned GuideStar's Platinum Seal of Transparency and to be a member of The Trust Project.

08/31/2026

Global trade impacts many everyday items like fuel and food, but it also impacts where cotton is grown and manufactured.In the newest podcast episode of Behind the Byline, Caspar Dowdy explains why you should be aware of global trade and how they impact everyday items. Click the link in the comments to watch the full episode.

ICYMI: Walmart expanded into the beef industry with its own beef processing plant in Olathe, Kansas. This October 2025 i...
08/28/2026

ICYMI: Walmart expanded into the beef industry with its own beef processing plant in Olathe, Kansas. This October 2025 investigation examines Walmart’s efforts to provide cheaper beef by controlling the beef supply chain. At the same time, JBS – a Brazilian beef company – went public in the Food Stock Exchange, increasing its exports to the U.S. Ranchers and agriculture advocates said these efforts will hurt independent ranchers and result in a fully integrated, industrialized food production.


https://investigatemidwest.org/2025/10/15/walmart-looks-to-tighten-its-grip-on-the-beef-supply-chain/

Dairy farms are dwindling across the United States for the last two decades, yet dairy milk production continues to incr...
08/27/2026

Dairy farms are dwindling across the United States for the last two decades, yet dairy milk production continues to increase. Industrialized dairy farms and better genetics have kept the domestic dairy industry afloat, but increased prices for feed, fertilizer, labor and other inputs have made it difficult for small dairy farms. Click to read more about the dairy industry with the link in the comments.

Join us for an evening of food, community and the ambiance of sunset over the gorgeous Iowa countryside. Enjoy live musi...
08/25/2026

Join us for an evening of food, community and the ambiance of sunset over the gorgeous Iowa countryside. Enjoy live music and unlimited wood-fired pizza and salad along with a cash bar and s'mores by the fire at the beautiful Walker Homestead just outside of Iowa City.

The event includes a silent auction and supports Investigate Midwest and its IowaWatch newsroom. Investigate Midwest has a mission to serve the public interest by exposing dangerous and costly practices of influential agricultural corporations and institutions through in-depth and data-driven investigative journalism.

Buy tickets online with the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2541382053002406/?rdid=WcY2IRFodrS87y7q&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1C2WhaSFUG%2F

For hundreds of years, the United States was the leading cotton producer and exporter in the world, but in the last few ...
08/20/2026

For hundreds of years, the United States was the leading cotton producer and exporter in the world, but in the last few decades, America’s cotton industry has declined due to climate change and exacerbated by the fallout from tariffs. In May, the USDA announced the “Great American Cotton Plan,” in an effort to revive the textile industry, but experts said this plan is more “political marketing” — instead of an actual plan to support producers and rural communities. Click the link in the comments to read the full story.

Global trade impacts many everyday items like fuel and food, but it also impacts where cotton is grown and manufactured....
08/19/2026

Global trade impacts many everyday items like fuel and food, but it also impacts where cotton is grown and manufactured. The United States was once a major cotton exporter, but in the last few decades, domestic cotton manufacturing has slowed due to its environmental impacts, American companies moving their factories overseas for cheaper labor, and the fallout from President Trump’s increased tariffs on China. Today, Brazil is the leading exporter.

08/17/2026

A crop that has existed for thousands of years now lives at the intersection of many Americans’ political anxieties, including the decades-long loss of manufacturing jobs and rising public health concerns in a post-pandemic world. In the newest podcast episode of Behind the Byline, Caspar Dowdy explains cotton’s role in U.S. politics and global trade. Click the link in the comments to watch the full episode.

Nationally, diesel prices have jumped nearly 39% during the 2026 planting season and Illinois recorded the highest overa...
08/13/2026

Nationally, diesel prices have jumped nearly 39% during the 2026 planting season and Illinois recorded the highest overall increase, according to a congressional minority report. The report revealed an estimated 63.2% increase in diesel costs for planting corn, soybean, wheat, cotton and rice between the 2025 and 2026 planting seasons. The report said higher diesel prices are a result of the Iran-U.S. war. The analysis only included the amount of diesel used for planting the crops.

ICYMI: When Investigate Midwest visited the Des Moines Downtown Farmers’ Market last September, vendors described an agr...
08/11/2026

ICYMI: When Investigate Midwest visited the Des Moines Downtown Farmers’ Market last September, vendors described an agricultural economy under growing strain. Tariffs, inflation and higher input costs were cutting into margins, while many farmers and small business owners resisted raising prices for customers.

Their experiences offered a ground-level look at a broader problem that remains relevant today: The cost of producing food keeps rising, and producers often have limited room to absorb it.

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