This is a series about the cost of our food. Not just the dollar amount of a steak, but all the other costs along the way — to the land, to the environment, to the workers, to the farm families, to a person’s mental health — and how these costs are calculated, how they add up and multiply and divide into the complicated equation that is our modern food system.
The Whole Series
‘One extreme after another’: Climate change forces region’s ag sector to adjust practices
Climate change presents challenges for agriculture. Its effects can disrupt food access and increase food prices. And ag also contributes to climate change. As the effects of climate change continue to show in the Midwest and across the world, farmers are adjusting, and farmers' groups are seeking policies that support them.
Meat processors face uphill battle to meet demand
While it may not be pretty, meat processing is arguably the most important part of the whole local food system.
PSU Extension Butcher School fills gap in workforce training
Labor shortages is a big issue butchers run into when trying to expand or even just run their businesses. Penn State Extension is trying to fix that.
Chatham University ag program celebrates role grains play in region
Local grains often get left out of the local food scene. Chatham University is trying to do something about that.
More than a token: Urban agriculture ‘not gonna feed the world,’ but has much...
While urban agriculture can't necessarily feed the world, experts and farmers agree that it can be an important part of city food systems.
More than paper: food action plans inspire change
Cities and counties around the country are taking a hard look at their food systems and coming up with plans to make them better. But do the plans work?
Going digital: Pandemic drives rapid growth for local online food sales
The pandemic has driven growth for local online food sales, but experts expect online sales to remain important for local farmers even after the pandemic.
Staying power: Statelers see pork industry through many changes
A northwest Ohio pig farmer reflects on changes he's seen the pork industry go through and how it's impacted the farmers, the land and the consumers.
Pocketbooks and populations: Food access is about more than grocery stores
Food access is a multifaceted issue. It’s a matter of having stores, having money to afford a healthy diet, having transportation and having time. Food deserts can be found in urban areas, like Youngstown, Ohio, and rural areas, like Vinton County.
Can pastured livestock ever go mainstream?
A new study looked at 10 Pennsylvania farms to find out what it would take to scale up pastured livestock production.
