Poisoned Ground
Pesticide drift, PFAS contamination, depleted aquifers. We report the environmental toll of industrial agriculture on the communities in the sacrifice zone.
The ground farmers depend on is under chemical assault from directions most people never see. PFAS 'forever chemicals' spread through sewage-sludge fertilizer, nitrate runoff fouling rural drinking water, pesticide drift, and legacy contaminants that persist in soil for generations — all of it landing on the land that grows the nation's food.
Regulation has lagged the science badly. The EPA is still setting limits for contaminants that have been in the environment for decades, and farmers frequently discover a problem — a poisoned well, a tainted milk test, a field that can no longer be planted — only after the damage is done and the liability lands on them rather than the polluter.
This pillar covers the contamination and the accountability gap around it: what's in the soil and water, who put it there, what the science actually shows, and whether the agencies charged with protecting farmland are moving fast enough to matter. We source every claim to regulators, researchers, and the public record.
USDA Shelves Cyclospora Research as Food Safety Gaps Widen
Funding cuts force USDA to shutter three cyclospora research projects. The timing could not be worse as consumers worry about contaminated produce.
Western Wildfires Scorch 7.5M Acres, Displace Ranchers
Thirty-seven fires have burned 7.5 million acres across the Pacific Northwest. Ranchers face years of lost grazing land as recovery timelines stretch impossible.
Climate's Cherry Crop Reckoning Hits Michigan Hard
Traverse City's cherry harvest, a generational livelihood, faces a cascading climate crisis: bud kill, frost damage, and unsustainable water demands threaten the region's iconic fruit.
Southwest farmers face steep water cuts as Colorado River dries
The Department of Interior announced drastic reductions to Colorado River allocations, threatening irrigation farmers in three Western states and signaling harder times ahead for drought-stressed agriculture.
Federal Court Upholds EPA's First PFAS Hazard Standard
A federal appeals court unanimously rejected an industry lawsuit challenging EPA's landmark 2024 designation of two 'forever chemicals' as hazardous substances, protecting water supplies nationwide.
Illinois study pins weed-control costs in the hundreds of millions
Research on a potential glyphosate ban reveals the economic shock to Midwest farmers—and why alternatives aren't ready to scale.
NC's Poultry Boom Is Drowning Its Water Supply
Factory farms in North Carolina house 421 million birds generating 3.6 million tons of manure annually, contaminating drinking water and threatening public health.
Illinois Diverts Pesticide Oversight Funds to Broader State Operations
Pesticide registration fees collected for enforcement are being redirected to general operations, leaving the program underfunded and oversight weakened.
Summer Heat Chokes Cattle Across U.S. as Pasture Quality Fails
Extended heat and drought nationwide have left beef producers scrambling as pasture declines and cattle productivity falters, deepening economic pressure on family operations.
California Moves on PFAS as 'Forever Chemicals' Threaten Farmland
Four consumer safety bills clear appropriations committees, targeting toxic 'forever chemicals' that contaminate drinking water and agricultural soil across California.
FDA tightens antibiotic oversight—what farms need to know
The FDA finalized a new framework to assess antibiotic risks in animal agriculture, marking a shift toward preventing resistance that threatens human health.
Ticks are farming's new climate crisis—and farmers can't escape them
Climate warming is fueling tick populations faster than ever. Farmers and their livestock are paying the price as parasites spread north and multiply.
California bans toxic herbicide tied to Parkinson's
After manufacturers voluntarily pulled paraquat from the market, California becomes the first state to phase out the weedkiller linked to neurodegenerative disease.
Cotton jassid creeps north—and U.S. growers are not ready
An invasive leafhopper is spreading across Southeast cotton belts, forcing growers to scramble for scouting and control strategies as harvest nears.
EPA Approves PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' Despite Cancer Warnings
The agency green-lit three new toxic pesticides despite evidence one poses carcinogenic risk, escalating contamination of farmland and water across the country.
Congress Eyes Warning Labels on Ultra-Processed Foods
Senate Democrats introduce food labeling bill requiring warnings on ultra-processed foods and those high in added sugar, sodium, and saturated fats.
Cyclospora, climate, and why produce keeps making us sick
As water systems warm and weather destabilizes, cyclospora outbreaks are becoming more frequent and harder to predict. Here's what's actually happening to our food.
Forever Chemicals Creep Into U.S. Farmland Via Biosolids
EPA and state regulators move to curb PFAS contamination of agricultural soils as 3 million U.S. acres face permanent chemical poisoning.
EPA Challenges Farmers to Ditch Harvest Pesticides for $30 Million
The agency launches a national innovation challenge for crop-desiccant alternatives, betting chemical-free harvests can work at scale—if the ideas are there.
EPA Expands Carcinogenic Forever-Chemical Pesticide to Food Crops
The agency approved expanded use of bifenthrin, a PFAS pesticide the EPA classifies as a possible carcinogen, on kale, broccoli, coffee, and other foods—even as contamination spreads through U.S. waterways and farmland.
Winter Wheat Crop Collapses to 60-Year Low Amid Plains Drought
USDA forecasts winter wheat production down 25% to smallest crop since 1965 as severe drought devastates prime growing regions across the Great Plains.
EPA Quietly Approves PFAS Pesticides as 'Forever Chemicals' Spread
The EPA has greenlit three new PFAS pesticides despite health risks, bringing the total to five approved during this administration. Your food is already contaminated.
Record Heat Threatens Northern Plains Spring Wheat and Barley
As temperatures shatter records across the Northern Plains, wheat and barley crops at a critical growth stage face severe yield damage. USDA warns of compounding climate and financial crisis for growers.
EPA Replaces PFAS Risk Science With 'Voluntary' Guidance
The agency's new biosolids guidance ditches a science-based risk assessment for non-binding recommendations. Farmers already on contaminated land are left vulnerable.
EPA Approves PFAS Pesticides Despite Contamination Risks
In June, the EPA approved three new PFAS herbicides despite growing fears of 'forever chemical' contamination on farmland. Advocates warn of compounding risks to soil, water, and crops.
Pennsylvania Heat Wave Triggers Drought Disaster Declaration
USDA declares four Pennsylvania counties disaster areas due to drought and heat, offering emergency loans to stressed growers as temperatures soar and pastures wither.
EPA's Forever-Chemical Pesticide Blitz: What Farmers Need to Know
In a single June 2026 approval, the EPA greenlit four new pesticides—three classified as PFAS—raising alarms about soil and groundwater contamination risks.
EPA Approves PFAS Pesticides, Poisoning the Soil
The EPA just approved three 'forever chemicals' for spraying on food crops. Scientists warn of irreversible soil and water contamination.
When the Feds Drain the Well
Rural communities and farms face water scarcity as federal detention centers claim priority over agricultural needs. A New Mexico town's crisis reveals how power flows with resources.
Congress Moves to Override Supreme Court Pesticide Immunity Ruling
Bipartisan lawmakers introduce legislation to restore farmworker and consumer legal protections against pesticide manufacturers after the Supreme Court blocked lawsuits.
EPA Approves 'Forever Chemicals' on Food Crops—No Warning to Farmworkers
The EPA has quietly approved three PFAS pesticides for use on crops, including one flagged by its own scientists as a carcinogen risk.
EPA Buried Its Own Nitrate Damage Assessment
Food & Water Watch sues to force release of EPA's withheld nitrate health study as industrial agriculture poisons rural drinking water with no federal oversight.
EPA's Dual PFAS Gambit: Delay Some Rules, Rescind Others
The EPA proposed two conflicting PFAS drinking water rules on May 18. One extends compliance deadlines, the other rescinds protections for four classes of forever chemicals. Farmland water sits in the gap.
Court Bars Roundup Cancer Suits, Leaving Farmworkers Exposed
A 7-2 Supreme Court ruling blocks thousands of state-law cancer claims against Monsanto, stripping farmworkers and farmers of their last legal remedy for Roundup exposure.
Supreme Court Blocks Roundup Cancer Suits, Shields Monsanto
In a 7-2 ruling, the Supreme Court said pesticide companies can't be sued under state law—a massive win for Monsanto and Bayer that silences thousands of victims.
California Acts on PFAS: Assembly Bans Forever Chemicals by 2035
California's legislature just took aim at toxic PFAS pesticides contaminating soil and water. The ban would phase out forever chemicals that already coat the state's fruit and vegetables.
PFAS from Pesticides Found Widespread in California Water
Environmental testing reveals pesticide-derived 'forever chemicals' contaminating California's surface water and sediment, raising alarm for agricultural communities.
Factory Farms Are a Food Safety Risk. Consolidation Made It Worse.
Industrial livestock farming drives most U.S. foodborne illness outbreaks. The same consolidation that concentrated market power also concentrated biological risk.
Paraquat Is Banned in the EU. It's Still Being Sprayed on US Farms.
A widely used herbicide linked to Parkinson's disease and childhood leukemia. EWG and advocates pushed New York to ban it — the EPA's registration stands nationwide.
California Moves to Ban PFAS Pesticides That Show Up in 9 in 10 Peaches
California's AB 1603 would ban 53 PFAS pesticides by 2035, with residues of the PFAS fungicide fludioxonil turning up in 90% of tested peaches and plums.
Budget Rider Would Defund EPA's PFAS-in-Biosolids Rule
A one-sentence rider buried in H.R. 4754 would bar the EPA from using any federal funds to finalize its PFAS biosolids risk assessment — while farms stay unprotected.
Forever Chemicals on the Farm: How PFAS-Laced Sludge Poisoned American Cropland
For decades, farmers spread treated sewage sludge as cheap fertilizer. Now PFAS in that 'biosolid' is contaminating fields, milk, and livelihoods. Here's the explainer.