Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk

Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk A reporting collaborative covering the Mississippi River basin. Newsrooms can run our work for free.

We are an independent reporting collaborative based at the Missouri School of Journalism, in partnership with Report for America and the Society of Environmental Journalists. Our journalists work from newsrooms across the Mississippi River basin to produce stories that news outlets can run for free.

Honored to be recognized in Report for America's 2025 Impact Report for our collaborative series on America’s disappeari...
08/12/2025

Honored to be recognized in Report for America's 2025 Impact Report for our collaborative series on America’s disappearing wetlands, “Down the Drain.”

Beyond projects like this, Ag & Water Desk reporters have published thousands of stories on environmental issues, appearing in outlets from small-town papers to national platforms.

“Our job is to turn those deserts into oases where fact-based, locally informed coverage of the environment is readily available,” our Executive Director Sara Shipley Hiles said.

We're proud to be in such good company with other RFA newsrooms doing critical local journalism.

Read the full report:

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Iowa has some of the most severe nitrate pollution in the country and experts say it’s harming public health.Recent nitr...
08/11/2025

Iowa has some of the most severe nitrate pollution in the country and experts say it’s harming public health.

Recent nitrate spikes in major rivers have exceeded federal safety thresholds for drinking water, requiring costly treatment. Advocates point to agricultural runoff as the primary cause and are calling for urgent conservation measures.

Some scientists warn Iowa is in “ecological hospice,” while others say solutions are within reach if implemented statewide.

Read more from Olivia Cohen at The Gazette

The water quality forum – which was hosted by the national nonprofit Food & Water Watch – comes on the heels of a spike in nitrate levels in Iowa's waterways

Join a reporting collaborative making waves in environmental journalism. The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Des is h...
08/07/2025

Join a reporting collaborative making waves in environmental journalism.

The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Des is hiring two key full-time editorial roles: Editorial Director and Assistant Editorial Director.

These are opportunities to shape award-winning coverage on climate, water, agriculture, and more while working with reporters across 15+ newsrooms in the heart of America’s largest watershed.

We’re looking for collaborative, mission-driven editors who are ready to lead and grow in a dynamic, and supportive environment.

Learn more here:

Current Opportunities at the Ag & Water Desk The Missouri School of Journalism hosts the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an innovative, award-winning environmental reporting network covering agriculture, water, climate and other environmental issues across America’s largest watershed. ...

When an environmental story sparks conversation, it stands out. In this week’s newsletter, Desk reporter Elise Plunk of ...
08/06/2025

When an environmental story sparks conversation, it stands out.

In this week’s newsletter, Desk reporter Elise Plunk of the Louisiana Illuminator shares how her reporting on off-bottom oyster farming opened up discussion with Gulf Coast harvesters, state policymakers and curious readers alike.

Her well-researched piece dives into why these “bougie oysters” are more than just a trend, they represent a possible climate adaptation strategy in the Gulf.

“The platform we have as journalists is powerful, but I see these stories more as conversations: opportunities to spark and continue a dialogue with the people who read our work,” she says.

Read the story and reflections here:

Reporter Elise Plunk shares...

The toxic plant that killed Socrates is spreading in the Midwest.Poison hemlock, an invasive species with tall stems and...
08/01/2025

The toxic plant that killed Socrates is spreading in the Midwest.

Poison hemlock, an invasive species with tall stems and white clustered flowers, is becoming more common due to changing land use, extreme weather events like the 2020 derecho, and unintentional seed spread by animals, equipment, and even hikers.

Experts warn it’s highly toxic to both humans and livestock.

Read more from Desk reporter Olivia Cohen at The Gazette

The reason poison hemlock is becoming more prevalent in Eastern Iowa may be the result of a number of factors, but experts say tree loss as a result of the 2020 derecho likely contributed.

In this week’s newsletter, Desk reporter Estefanía Pinto Ruiz of KWQC TV6 News shares what she learned at the National ...
07/31/2025

In this week’s newsletter, Desk reporter Estefanía Pinto Ruiz of KWQC TV6 News shares what she learned at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists conference in Chicago, made possible through donor contributions and the Desk’s new mini-grant program.

Estefanía found inspiration, mentorship, and community at National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and is excited to get back to work.

“Now, I'm bringing these lessons back to my newsroom to keep sharing important environment reporting in the Quad Cities and the greater river basin,” Pinto Ruiz said.

Read her reflections and subscribe to future newsletters here:

Reporter Estefanía Pinto...

The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk is seeking two experienced journalists to serve as Expert Journalists.Expert...
07/25/2025

The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk is seeking two experienced journalists to serve as Expert Journalists.

Expert Journalists provide mentorship, lead or collaborate on in-depth projects, offer training, and contribute ideas and expertise to support environmental reporting across America’s largest watershed. The position is flexible and provides a $5,000 annual stipend.

We're looking for experienced journalists with knowledge of environmental, climate, and agricultural issues in the Mississippi River Basin. We especially encourage those with editing or broadcast media skills to apply.

Apply here:

Expert Journalist Job Description – 2025 The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk seeks two Expert Journalists to join our team. The part-time, remote appointment comes with a $5,000 stipend per year and free travel to annual conferences. The initial commitment is one year, renewable for a se.....

We’re hiring! Come work with an award-winning team of environmental journalists at the Ag & Water Desk. We have two full...
07/24/2025

We’re hiring! Come work with an award-winning team of environmental journalists at the Ag & Water Desk.

We have two full-time openings: our Editorial Director, and Assistant Editorial Director. Full job descriptions at the link.



Current Opportunities at the Ag & Water Desk The Missouri School of Journalism hosts the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an innovative, award-winning environmental reporting network covering agriculture, water, climate and other environmental issues across America’s largest watershed. ...

How do you make readers care about a complicated environmental story?In this week’s newsletter, KBIA 91.3 FM reporter Ha...
07/24/2025

How do you make readers care about a complicated environmental story?
In this week’s newsletter, KBIA 91.3 FM reporter Harshawn Ratanpal shares what he’s learned from reporting on drought and from trying to get people to engage with the topic.

He reflects on the real challenge many journalists face: translating technical science into something that feels urgent, human, and worth paying attention to.

Read his reflections and reporting here:

Reporter Harshawn Ratanpal...

This week in the newsletter, we're sharing stories from Waterline, a new series from our partners at Reasons to be Cheer...
07/17/2025

This week in the newsletter, we're sharing stories from Waterline, a new series from our partners at Reasons to be Cheerful. Over the next six months, the series will explore community-led responses to the environmental and agricultural challenges facing the Mississippi River Basin.

The opening stories look at a movement to support small farms in the Mississippi Delta and a school where learning about the river includes ecological traditions and personal responsibility.

Read the full stories and follow the series here:

Our partners at Reasons to...

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map has 13 zones, which serve as guidelines for growers on what kind of plants will grow w...
07/15/2025

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map has 13 zones, which serve as guidelines for growers on what kind of plants will grow well in their area. In 2023, using new averages, the USDA updated the map, moving about half of the country up by half a plant zone, meaning average minimum temperatures rose by zero to five degrees in the affected places.

However, this could open new horizons.

Dean Colony runs Colony Acres Family Farm in North Liberty, Iowa. His farm is currently in plant hardiness zone five, but Colony said it could be a matter of time before Iowa is able to produce peaches like Missouri and Kentucky can.

Read more from Desk reporter Olivia Cohen at The Gazette

Plant hardiness zones are shifting northward nationwide as the country continues to warm, affecting farmers, gardeners and producers across the country. The biggest changes in the coming decades are predicted to be in the Upper Midwest.

Drought has traditionally meant “drier than normal.” But as climate change shifts what’s considered normal, scientists a...
07/10/2025

Drought has traditionally meant “drier than normal.” But as climate change shifts what’s considered normal, scientists are rethinking what drought really means—and how it’s measured. That matters, because federal relief programs, agricultural planning, and climate policy all depend on accurate drought assessments. Desk reporter Harshawn Ratanpal of KBIA explores the high-stakes debate:

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is developing a framework for assessing drought in a changing climate. It's a tricky question.

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