Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023 Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting
Best of 2023: Wild ‘super pigs’ to farmworkers suffocating in rising heat to polluted air
I have the pleasure of working with a talented, passionate crew focused on Investigate Midwest’s mission to serve you as a watchdog over influential agriculture corporations and institutions by producing in-depth, data-driven investigative journalism.
The work of our reporters is critical to understanding the issues that impact the health and equity of the U.S. food system, the health and safety of the people who labor to produce food, and how this all directly affects the environment.
Today, we’re highlighting 11 stories our newsroom produced this year that we feel are among our best for 2023. And rest assured we have much more to come in 2024.
We will take a break next week but our editorial newsletter will be back on Jan. 11.
Thank you for reading, for your ongoing support, and Happy New Year!
— Erin Orr, executive director and managing editor
ERIN ORR, executive director and managing editor
Despite national goals, agricultural greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked
The work Erin Jordan, of the Cedar Rapids Gazette, and Mónica Cordero did on this was excellent. The story’s strong data analysis by Mónica is driven home by on-the-ground interviews that Erin landed. It provides a good look at where greenhouse gas emission goals stand — and that big agribusiness isn't pulling its weight to help meet goals for the industry.
‘A public health crisis in the making’: Agriculture pollutes underground drinking water in Minnesota. Well owners pay the price.
Another example of great on-the-ground reporting is this piece by former reporter Madison McVan. Strong data analysis is backed by what Madison was hearing from people directly affected by rising nitrate levels in their household wells that they've been using for years. It showed how local and state government programs lack sufficient funding to assist well owners in addressing the problem, and how industrial agriculture pushes back on any public policy being established to address the root cause — agriculture waste runoff.
SUZANNE BEHNKE, digital editor
18 years and counting: EPA still has no method for measuring CAFO air pollution
The EPA is not following one of its own mandates. This story opened my eyes to how an agency can fall behind even when human health or the environment are at risk without more research into the effects of large animal operations. This is an excellent example of accountability journalism and why it matters.
SKY CHADDE, assistant editor and senior reporter
Government system for protecting farmworkers plagued by staff turnover and lack of outreach
Problems with farmworkers’ housing have been well-documented for decades, but Johnathan Hettinger and I wanted to dig a little deeper and try to answer why the government has struggled to enforce safe housing standards. We found a system riven with staff turnover that regularly failed to perform one of its basic functions: meeting with farmworkers.
The ultimate price
Hundreds of thousands of people come to the U.S. each year on agriculture work visas. Almost all of them get to return home to their families, but that wasn’t the case for two cousins in North Carolina. This story, co-published with the Food & Environment Reporting Network, details how the cousins lost their lives in employer-provided housing — and the possible missteps that precipitated it.
MÓNICA CORDERO, reporter and Report for America corps member
Pillen’s Water
The story, co-published with the Flatwater Free Press, is a snapshot of Investigate Midwest's work to hold public officials and officeholders accountable on issues important to the community, such as water quality. In this case, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s family hog operations bring jobs and prosperity to this area near his hometown, Platte Center. They also may risk Platte Center’s drinking water.
Poor regulatory safeguards leave farmworkers suffocating in the face of increasing heat waves
As a data reporter, I delve into databases to amplify facts and explore different angles. Nevertheless, a database can never capture the physical exertion that a Missouri farmworker with whom I spoke described — walking 10 miles a day under the intense sun to harvest fruit and vegetables. Our story on the impact of heat on farmworkers combines complex data from OSHA with the firsthand experiences we gathered directly from farmworkers in their language. It highlights a problem that scientists say will worsen.
BEN FELDER, Oklahoma reporter
Pillen’s Rise
As the owner of one of the nation's largest pork producers, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen is more connected to the agriculture industry than any U.S. governor in recent history. This story provided an in-depth look at how Pillen has pushed for policies that would benefit the state’s pork industry and possibly his bottom line.
Oklahoma's permit system ushered in a new wave of industrial poultry farm growth
This story aimed to unpack what life is like living next to one of the hundreds of industrial chicken farms in eastern Oklahoma, which have grown largely unchecked by the state agencies tasked with overseeing the poultry industry.
JOHN MCCRACKEN, reporter
‘Throw me a bone here’: Small meat processors say USDA measures don’t address consolidated industry’s root problems
In my first published story with Investigate Midwest, I was excited to speak with farmers around the country about how meat industry consolidation is impacting their operations. There is so much more to uncover when it comes to the future of the nation’s meat supply and what continued consolidation could mean for regional and local meat processors.
Wild ‘super pigs’ are rooting toward Minnesota. The state wants to keep them out.
While Investigate Midwest does an amazing job covering agribusiness and the environment, it’s always nice to see a focus on the animals themselves. This story from former reporter Madison McVan highlighted a growing threat to the region’s domestic hog supply and the nuances of protecting livestock from wild animal populations.
Egg prices, foreign ownership of land, Prop 12 … What’s the most consequential ag story of 2023?
By Dave Dickey, Columnist
In his last column of 2023, Dave Dickey looks back at the most significant agriculture stories of the year. He writes: "In the past year, there have been any number of potentially consequential agricultural events. But at the end of the day for me, there is one clear choice as the most consequential."
Read more.
Investigate Midwest is an independent, nonprofit newsroom. Our mission is to serve the public as a watchdog over influential corporations and institutions through in-depth and data-driven investigative journalism.
