farms

Japan is converting defunct golf courses into large-scale solar farms, as the country lacks open land for renewable energy projects. With mountainous terrain, limited flat space and a push to expand renewables, closed golf courses offer rare large, sunny, pre-cleared plots near existing power infrastructure, making them an increasingly attractive option for solar developers.

Nate Silver argues that surging diesel prices could become a political liability for Republicans across the American heartland, where farming and freight make the economy unusually sensitive to fuel costs. The piece suggests that voters in these regions may blame the party in power for pain at the pump, shifting an issue often assumed to favor the GOP.

Canadian farmers are speaking publicly about the mental health challenges they face working in the field, in coverage by CTV News. The discussion highlights isolation, financial pressure and unpredictable weather as strains on farmers' wellbeing, and is drawing wide attention and sympathy from viewers.

New research suggests climate change could significantly alter where Chinese milk vetch, a legume widely grown as green manure in southern China's rice paddies, can thrive in the future. Shifts in temperature and rainfall patterns may reduce or relocate suitable growing areas, with potential consequences for soil fertility and sustainable rice farming practices across the region.

President Trump's immigration enforcement has so far largely exempted farms, but dairy farmers in Idaho are worried that protection will not hold. Dairies depend heavily on immigrant labor, and owners say losing workers to raids or deportation could devastate operations that cannot run without them. The report highlights the tension between the administration's hard-line enforcement agenda and the agricultural industry's reliance on undocumented workers, with producers bracing for policy to change.

Researchers suggest that soil biology could hold the key to more sustainable nitrogen use in Canadian winter wheat farming. The finding points to the potential of harnessing natural soil processes to reduce synthetic fertiliser inputs, a major cost and emissions source in agriculture. It is drawing attention among those following sustainable farming and crop science.

Residents of Clinton County, Michigan are once again debating a proposed solar farm in their community. The project has divided locals, with supporters pointing to the economic and clean energy benefits, while opponents raise concerns about land use and the impact on farmland and property values. The renewed discussion comes as officials weigh the plan's future.

Kent County Levy Court in Delaware has approved a 25-acre solar farm, despite objections from some local residents during the public process. The decision advances a renewable energy project in the county while highlighting ongoing tensions between clean energy development and community concerns about land use. Officials moved forward with the project after weighing the opposition raised at hearings.

The site of a housing project that Davis rejected, proposed by Village Farms, is now under investigation by a state wildlife agency. The inquiry comes after local officials turned down the development, and it raises questions about environmental or habitat concerns tied to the property. Details about what triggered the investigation or what it could mean for the land's future have not been released.

Dearborn County, Indiana officials held a special meeting where solar energy regulations were significantly reshaped, according to WCPO 9 News. The session was reportedly heated, suggesting sharp divisions among residents and commissioners over how solar development should be regulated in the county. The specific rule changes and the arguments raised were not detailed.

Octopus has purchased 43 MW of solar farms in Ireland, expanding its renewable energy portfolio in the country. The deal adds utility-scale solar capacity to its investments as demand for clean power assets grows across Europe.

A new study reported by The Business Journal finds that agricultural communities in California's Central Valley want more training in agricultural technology. The research suggests residents see agtech skills as key to the region's farming future, highlighting demand for education programs that prepare workers for technology-driven changes in agriculture.

Detectives are searching for suspects in a murder case in Huron, California. The Fresno County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help identifying or locating those responsible. Few details about the victim, the circumstances of the killing, or the suspects have been released so far.

The Central Bank of Nigeria says weak agricultural infrastructure in the country stems from farmers' difficulties in accessing finance. Limited credit keeps smallholders from investing in irrigation, storage and other basic infrastructure, according to the bank's assessment. The statement comes amid ongoing concern over food security and low agricultural productivity in Nigeria.