Conservation or ag land; climate change and Missouri wine
With a new farm bill, farmers may have access to fewer dollars for conservation. For 27 years, the popular Conservation Reserve Program has transformed small parcels of land, contributing to cleaner water, more habitat for migrating birds and less soil erosion. But as Harvest Public Media’s Amy Mayer reports from Iowa, the program has been enrolling fewer acres in recent years and it’s not just budget cuts that could make it smaller still.
If you are a fan of wine, particularly European wines, from France, Italy or Germany, you can be proud of the role Missouri plays in creating that wine. Ever since the mid-1800s roots from Missouri grapes have been grafted on to European wines for the natural resistance to pests.
As Adam Allington reports, the wine industry is focusing on Missouri grapes once again, however this time it’s because of their genetics, and potential to withstand the effects of climate change.