US Midwest

A new approach uses satellite imagery to detect tillage practices across the US Midwest, offering a way to monitor conservation agriculture at scale. Researchers say remote sensing could track whether farmers are adopting reduced or no-till methods, information that has been difficult and costly to gather on the ground across large farm regions.

Apex has secured $589 million in financing to build a 150-megawatt solar project in Illinois. The deal is one of the notable clean-energy funding announcements in the United States, highlighting continued investor appetite for large-scale renewable infrastructure in the Midwest and supporting state and national decarbonisation goals.

US home prices are rising, with the Midwest leading the national recovery in the housing market. The region is outpacing other parts of the country as prices climb, a sign that affordability relative to coastal markets continues to draw buyers. Observers are watching whether the Midwest momentum signals a broader rebound in American residential real estate.