May 23 Agriculture Ohio Valley Farmers Unsure About New Trump Trade Aid Payments The U. S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday details of a second round of aid totaling $16 billion for farmers affected by the trade war with China. But some Ohio Valley farmers worry about the ongoing consequences of these payments and tariffs. As with the first round of tariff relief offered last year, farmers will […] By Liam Niemeyer May 23 Agriculture Ohio Valley Farmers Unsure About New Trump Trade Aid Payments Liam Niemeyer
May 17 Agriculture A Growing Recovery: Food Service And Farming Jobs Provide A Path Out Of Addiction This is the first story in an occasional series exploring the links between addiction recovery and a recovering economy. It’s lunch hour, and Cafe Appalachia is bustling. Located in South Charleston, West Virginia, the former church turned restaurant has a funky, yet calming vibe. Twinkle lights and mismatched dining room sets dot the space. For […] By Brittany Patterson and Liam Niemeyer May 17 Agriculture A Growing Recovery: Food Service And Farming Jobs Provide A Path Out Of Addiction Brittany Patterson and Liam Niemeyer
May 9 Agriculture Farmers, Economists See More Economic Pain From Trump’s Increased Tariffs Ohio Valley farmers say the latest tariff escalation between the Trump administration and China could continue to hurt their businesses, with many farmers already facing financial struggles. As Chinese officials visit Washington, D.C., for more trade talks, the Trump administration announced this week increased tariffs, planned to go into effect Friday, on $200 billion […] By Liam Niemeyer May 9 Agriculture Farmers, Economists See More Economic Pain From Trump’s Increased Tariffs Liam Niemeyer
Apr 12 Agriculture CBD Uncertainty: Sales Soar But Science Lags On Hemp Health Effects Inside the Bluegrass Hemp Oil store in Lexington, Kentucky, the CBD oils and lotions lining the walls have an origin story — a story of a family’s struggle. “We took a huge risk, to be perfectly honest, because we didn’t know. We weren’t trying other people’s CBD products that were out there,” Bluegrass Hemp Oil […] By Liam Niemeyer Apr 12 Agriculture CBD Uncertainty: Sales Soar But Science Lags On Hemp Health Effects Liam Niemeyer
Apr 1 Agriculture As Some Midwest Farmers Struggle With Historic Flooding, Ohio Valley Ethanol Producers See Profit Boost Mick Henderson runs the Commonwealth Agri-Energy ethanol plant in west Kentucky. He said the past year for U.S. ethanol producers, including in the Ohio Valley, has been rough. “We’ve just passed our 15th anniversary just now, and this is going to be one of our weakest years,” Henderson said. Ethanol prices have been down the […] By Liam Niemeyer Apr 1 Agriculture As Some Midwest Farmers Struggle With Historic Flooding, Ohio Valley Ethanol Producers See Profit Boost Liam Niemeyer
Mar 28 Agriculture Kentucky Called A “Warning Signal” On SNAP Work Requirements The federal government is considering a work requirement for some people who get food assistance through SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. A new study uses Kentucky as an example of what that change could mean for the country. The SNAP rules require 80 hours of work a month and cap assistance at three […] By Mary Meehan Mar 28 Agriculture Kentucky Called A “Warning Signal” On SNAP Work Requirements Mary Meehan
Mar 22 Agriculture Sweet Equity: Ohio Valley Farmers Tapping Into Tradition When Seth Long first began experimenting with maple syrup production, he tapped hollow pegs called spiles into individual trees, collected drips of sap in milk jugs, and carried each gallon down the the steep mountainside on foot. Now, Long rides an open-air buggy up muddy switchbacks to a 500-gallon collection tank from which translucent blue […] By Sydney Boles Mar 22 Agriculture Sweet Equity: Ohio Valley Farmers Tapping Into Tradition Sydney Boles
Mar 15 Agriculture Ohio Valley Farmers, Electric Cooperatives Push Back On Trump’s Budget Cut Proposals West Kentucky Soybean Farmer Jed Clark, like many Ohio Valley farmers, is in a tighter financial situation because tariffs from the trade war and market forces have depressed crop prices. “We’ve had a collapse in our grain markets,” Clark said. “We’re seeing some of the lowest commodity prices for wheat we’ve seen in a long […] By Liam Niemeyer Mar 15 Agriculture Ohio Valley Farmers, Electric Cooperatives Push Back On Trump’s Budget Cut Proposals Liam Niemeyer
Mar 15 Agriculture Distress Grows For Ohio Valley Farmers As Trade Deals Stall West Kentucky Farmer Barry Alexander doesn’t have an answer on when the Trump administration will reach a trade deal with China, now a year into tariffs that have hamstrung some Ohio Valley industries. Alexander is optimistic these continued negotiations will be worth it, but his plan in the meantime lies in massive, silver storage bins […] By Liam Niemeyer Mar 15 Agriculture Distress Grows For Ohio Valley Farmers As Trade Deals Stall Liam Niemeyer