Nevada farmers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now testing the nation’s milk supply for the bird flu virus known as H5N1. The virus has spread through dairy cattle in 16 states, including most of the Mountain West.

Many farmers across the Mountain West grow alfalfa, which is dried into hay and fed to beef and dairy cattle. But it requires a lot more water than most crops. Now, researchers are working on new technologies to reduce the amount farmers use. Still, some say allowing them to grow such a thirsty crop in the arid West is the problem.

Last year, federal crop insurance payments to U.S. farmers reached a record $19 billion. A new report shows most of that money went to only a small share of producers.

Farmers and ranchers in the West are being pressured by rising production costs, increased workloads and extreme weather. No wonder they face higher levels of stress and mental health issues than other Americans.

Rising temperatures across the Southwest are hurting farmers’ crops, and that’s escalating crop insurance costs for heat-related impacts, according to a new report by the Environmental Working Group, a nonpartisan research and advocacy group.

Livestock producers in the Mountain West have been hit hard by this winter’s weather. That’s why Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture for relief.

With egg prices on the rise across the country, local businesses and consumers are left to deal with the offset. Why are the prices increasing so much? The answer seems to vary.

Despite all of the snow and cold snaps across the Mountain West, many cities are experiencing fewer nights at or below 32 degrees due to climate change. It’s a warming trend that has a wide range of impacts.

Read in English.Un servicio dental móvil llamado Drop-In Dental está acercando el acceso a la atención médica a las zonas rurales de Nevada.…

Lee en español.A mobile dental service is improving access to care for underserved communities. Drop-In Dental recently visited Yerington, in Lyon County,…