February 19, 2002 - MPR’s Jeff Horwich reports how the use of technology is helping to make planting crops a precise science. Instead of kicking back during the winter, many farmers are now keeping busy…at the computer. They’re using global positioning systems to do what’s called "precision agriculture," which uses satellite coordinates to help map their fields.
June 1, 2002 - An American RadioWorks special report presents the documentary “Fast Food and Animal Rights: McDonald's New Farm,” which looks at how McDonald’s has launched the first campaign of its kind to pressure slaughterhouses that provide their meat to dispatch the animals more humanely…and executives say they couldn't have done it without Temple Grandin.
August 14, 2002 - It's tough to break into farming nowadays, and even tougher if you're an immigrant. MPR’s Rob Schmitz reports on Minnesota Food Association, which assists immigrant farmers in areas like production techniques, marketing, and management skills. Unfortunately, federal budget cuts have had a negative impact on program.
August 15, 2002 - In Fairbault, Gregg Bongard, a U.S. Department of Agriculture employee, is making a special effort to reach out to Minnesota's growing immigrant population. In the second part of his series on immigrant farmers, MPR’s Rob Schmitz reports that Bongard thinks he's discovered a new approach to farming that could change the face of agriculture in the United States.
August 29, 2002 - A live Mainstreet Radio special from the Minnesota State Fair. Dr. Val Farmer, a psychologist specializing in rural mental health, takes questions from fair-goers and MPR listeners about mental health and farming.
February 17, 2003 - Mainstreet Radio’s Dan Gunderson reports on pesticide misuse in Minnesota, and investigates how violations of the law are often not punished, and sometimes ignored.
June 19, 2003 - MPR’s Lorna Benson interviews Jim Quackenbush, a pork producer, about fast-food giant McDonald's asking its meat suppliers to phase out the use of antibiotics which promote animal growth. The company is responding to concerns that antibiotics given to animals in feed reduces the effectiveness of antibiotic medicines in humans. The announcement is likely to have a profound effect on beef and pork producers in Minnesota.
December 26, 2003 - Stephanie Hemphill profiles John Munter, a man in northern Minnesota who is growing hazelnuts. It's part of his attempt to live off the land. He says hazelnuts are the perfect crop for a future of global climate change.
September 27, 2004 - Mainstreet Radios Dan Gunderson reports that Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty wants to double the amount of ethanol required in gasoline sold in the state. The Governor also expects state government to cut gasoline consumption in half in the next decade. Those proposals are part of a renewable fuels initiative announced by the governor.
November 18, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports that Governor Pawlenty's livestock task force may recommend a new state panel to handle disputes over livestock farms. The task force is looking for ways to streamline the regulatory process and build Minnesota's livestock industry. The proposed state commission would hear appeals of county and township decisions on siting livestock farms.