Dan Charles

Tons of green energy projects, both wind and solar, want to connect to the grid. But they're running into a surprising obstacle.

For years, powerful farmers in California's Central Valley fought for more water from the state's rivers. Now some are changing course, because there's no more water to be found.

Reformist farmers in California have deposed the leader of the country's biggest irrigation district, who was known for fighting water regulations. Farmers are accepting less water means less farming.

The two departments have a key role in supporting American households. HUD has responsibility for affordable housing, while USDA oversees food assistance programs.

The honey on supermarket shelves is probably real honey, after all. But claims that illicit Chinese honey was being sneaked into the U.S. market reveal how quick we are to assume the worst about supermarket foods — and imports. Closer analysis reveals a more complex tale.

Some researchers have found that vegetables like broccoli have fewer good-for-you nutrients like calcium and zinc than they used to. But a new study says that genetics — what plant breeders control — probably isn't the major factor determining nutrient levels.

In farm communities, there are mixed feelings on conservation payments. Farmer Don Teske, of Wheaton, Kansas, says "the perception is that you're being paid to do nothing." They don't want to be park rangers, they want to farm.

A new study looks at whether we can feed the world without destroying the Earth. The answer is yes, but how to make it happen is complicated, and will require big changes in the way we practice agriculture.

A jumping gene called "Hopscotch" rejiggered corn's ancestor, teosinte, so instead of bushy branches, the plant started producing one strong central stalk, much like today's modern corn.

In sub-Saharan Africa, where agricultural productivity is lowest and food shortages are most common, "huge volumes of rainwater are lost or never used," says Alain Vidal, director of the Challenge Program on Water and Food, which commissioned the studies.