Indiana popcorn production falls after bounty years
Purdue University said federal statistics show popcorn production in the state fell by 29 percent last year.
Environment
Articles
Dow Agro sales slip 16 percent as parent firm’s merger looms
The Indianapolis-based agricultural division of Dow Chemical said Tuesday that lower demand, price pressures on herbicides and currency headwinds all hurt sales of its crop protection products.
Westfield hears landowner group’s conservation proposal
A citizen-led task force is trying to protect more than 3,000 acres in the southwest corner of Westfield from future high-density development.
Baggott, partners sell Indiana food startup Husk
ExactTarget co-founder Chris Baggott and two business partners have sold Greenfield-based food startup Husk LLC, nearly three years after starting it, shifting their attention to a farmers market website.
House panel OKs bill limiting environmental rulemaking
An Indiana House committee has narrowly advanced a bill that would prohibit state agencies from enacting environmental rules and standards tougher than federal regulations.
Supreme Court asked to put brakes on Obama power plan
More than two dozen American states, including Indiana, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put on hold President Barack Obama’s carbon dioxide-cutting Clean Power Plan after their request for a similar pause was rejected by a lower court.
New license plate to benefit recycling programs
Proceeds from its sale will support the Indiana Recycling Coalition’s statewide recycling programs and efforts to educate Hoosiers about environmental sustainability.
Senate passes bill regulating fenced-in deer hunting
Hunting preserves have operated unregulated in Indiana since February, after a court ruling that said the Department of Natural Resources overreached when it tried to close one in Harrison County.
Health officials finish euthanizing 400K birds at Indiana farms
Animal health officials responding to a bird flu outbreak in southwest Indiana say crews have finished euthanizing more than 400,000 birds at 10 affected commercial poultry farms.
Merritt loses job as railroad exec, a role critics called conflict
As chairman of Senate Utilities Committee, Sen. James Merritt supported numerous bills favored by big utilities, the railroad’s biggest customer. Now he’s out of a job.
Officials hope rapid action contains Indiana turkey flu outbreak
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has quarantined and destroyed hundreds of thousands of turkeys and chickens in Indiana in an effort to avoid a repeat of last year’s outbreak that cost the industry $3.3 billion.
UPDATE: Bird flu outbreak contained to 10 Indiana farms
Confirmation of new bird flu cases alarmed industry officials after the rapid spread of the H5N2 virus last year led to the deaths of about 48 million turkeys and chickens, and drove egg prices higher. Indiana's poultry industry brings in about $2.5 billion a year.
Edwardsport plant foes finally reach settlement with Duke
Duke Energy’s settlement with four consumer and environmental groups likely means an end to all serious opposition to the $3.3 billion plant, one of the most expensive projects in Indiana history, which has been mired for years in controversy.
Farm boom fizzles as crop surplus expands financial strain
While many growers remain profitable, the global commodity slump is increasing pressure on a Midwest economy that was largely shielded from the worst of the financial crisis by high crop prices and land values.
Ringleader in $90M fuel scam sentenced to 20 years
A New Jersey man pleaded guilty to running a massive scheme involving biofuels and tax credits out of a small town east of Indianapolis.
Indianapolis ends curb-side Christmas tree pickup
The city of Indianapolis tried curb-side pickup of Christmas trees last season, but it's going back to asking residents to resume dropping trees off at city parks.
Indiana firm trades in frankincense, myrrh
Northwest Indiana Trading Co., based in LaPorte County, provides exotic resins and other substances to religious practitioners across the globe.
Climate pact means emissions need to drop below zero
The strict standards of the Dec. 12 Paris agreement leave some observers wondering whether politicians understand the implications of the goals they signed up for.
Expert predicts drop in Indiana farmland values
A Purdue economist says values will drop 5 to 12 percent in 2016 after nearly tripling from 2003 to 2014.
State awards $135K in federal funds for tree programs
Recipients for tree inventory and analysis included Elkhart, $20,000; Kendallville, $17,425; West Lafayette, $18,562; and Pendleton, $11,575.