The Food & Environment Reporting Network
@thefern.org
The Food & Environment Reporting Network (FERN) produces independent, non-profit journalism at the intersection of food, agriculture, and the environment.
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American food politics are a mess, and ordinary people are struggling to figure out who is in charge, what they’re up to, and why. Forked hosts Helena Bottemiller Evich and Theodore Ross cut through the confusion, providing context and analysis.
“When I moved into a new house in June, I inherited a three-year-old, bottom-mount Fisher & Paykel refrigerator,” writes Maggie Hennessy. “Though I find plenty of time to complain about its lack of a dedicated cheese drawer.” ⬇️
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-cold-storage/
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-cold-storage/
January 23, 2026 at 4:59 PM
“When I moved into a new house in June, I inherited a three-year-old, bottom-mount Fisher & Paykel refrigerator,” writes Maggie Hennessy. “Though I find plenty of time to complain about its lack of a dedicated cheese drawer.” ⬇️
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-cold-storage/
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-cold-storage/
“‘Os Menino da Pecuária’ ... Brazil’s version of country music … celebrating not just rural life but cattle ranching, soy farming and the agricultural industry at large.” ⬇️
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-the-dulcet-tone-of-propaganda/
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-the-dulcet-tone-of-propaganda/
January 16, 2026 at 4:59 PM
“‘Os Menino da Pecuária’ ... Brazil’s version of country music … celebrating not just rural life but cattle ranching, soy farming and the agricultural industry at large.” ⬇️
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-the-dulcet-tone-of-propaganda/
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-the-dulcet-tone-of-propaganda/
Read the full story, a collaboration with The Baffler, at thefern.org/2026/01/rese...
@thebaffler.com
@thebaffler.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Read the full story, a collaboration with The Baffler, at thefern.org/2026/01/rese...
@thebaffler.com
@thebaffler.com
Read the full story, a collaboration with The Baffler, at thefern.org/2026/01/last...
@thebaffler.com
@thebaffler.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Read the full story, a collaboration with The Baffler, at thefern.org/2026/01/last...
@thebaffler.com
@thebaffler.com
Watch the full interview for this episode here: youtu.be/Kb1E7bDIohI
And subscribe to our YouTube channel for future episodes.
@foodfixco.bsky.social @hbottemiller.bsky.social
And subscribe to our YouTube channel for future episodes.
@foodfixco.bsky.social @hbottemiller.bsky.social
January 13, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Watch the full interview for this episode here: youtu.be/Kb1E7bDIohI
And subscribe to our YouTube channel for future episodes.
@foodfixco.bsky.social @hbottemiller.bsky.social
And subscribe to our YouTube channel for future episodes.
@foodfixco.bsky.social @hbottemiller.bsky.social
It’s 2026 and Forked has returned from a short holiday break. Helena and Theodore are excited – and maybe a little nervous – to see what happens in the second year of life in the MAHA moment.
January 13, 2026 at 3:02 PM
It’s 2026 and Forked has returned from a short holiday break. Helena and Theodore are excited – and maybe a little nervous – to see what happens in the second year of life in the MAHA moment.
“Since the Point Reyes National Seashore was established in 1972, ranches ... helped reconfigure our nation’s understanding of what we should eat ... and the ethics of its production,” writes Lauren Markham.
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-can-conservation-and-ranching-coexist/
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-can-conservation-and-ranching-coexist/
January 9, 2026 at 5:00 PM
“Since the Point Reyes National Seashore was established in 1972, ranches ... helped reconfigure our nation’s understanding of what we should eat ... and the ethics of its production,” writes Lauren Markham.
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-can-conservation-and-ranching-coexist/
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-can-conservation-and-ranching-coexist/
On the morning of March 25, 2023, thirty thousand people marched across western France in protest of the unfinished 190-million-gallon Sainte-Soline reservoir, which was to become part of a system that already included over two dozen reservoirs that primarily served large agricultural operators.
January 7, 2026 at 3:03 PM
On the morning of March 25, 2023, thirty thousand people marched across western France in protest of the unfinished 190-million-gallon Sainte-Soline reservoir, which was to become part of a system that already included over two dozen reservoirs that primarily served large agricultural operators.
In her story for FERN and The Baffler, Lauren Markham tells the complex story of how a fight over protecting the tule elk pitted environmentalists against ranchers in Point Reyes, California. Link below ⬇️
January 6, 2026 at 3:07 PM
In her story for FERN and The Baffler, Lauren Markham tells the complex story of how a fight over protecting the tule elk pitted environmentalists against ranchers in Point Reyes, California. Link below ⬇️
When you support us, we want to be able to give something back in return. Donate at least $50 or $5/month and you can receive The Dirt, an annual print collection of our favorite stories. It’s a great way to stay on top of FERN’s essential work on food and agriculture. https://thefern.org/donate/
December 23, 2025 at 8:04 PM
When you support us, we want to be able to give something back in return. Donate at least $50 or $5/month and you can receive The Dirt, an annual print collection of our favorite stories. It’s a great way to stay on top of FERN’s essential work on food and agriculture. https://thefern.org/donate/
At FERN, our multi-format storytelling ensures important stories reach diverse audiences in the ways they prefer. Learn more about our multi-format strategy and donate to support our work at https://thefern.org.
December 23, 2025 at 5:09 PM
At FERN, our multi-format storytelling ensures important stories reach diverse audiences in the ways they prefer. Learn more about our multi-format strategy and donate to support our work at https://thefern.org.
The Gulf Coast is one of the last places in the world where there is still a major wild oyster harvest. Lately, though, that harvest is in trouble.
December 23, 2025 at 3:09 PM
The Gulf Coast is one of the last places in the world where there is still a major wild oyster harvest. Lately, though, that harvest is in trouble.
At FERN, every collaboration begins with a story, and we work with top journalists and major media outlets to bring deeply reported food and environmental stories to hundreds of millions of people. Learn more about our partnerships and donate to support our work at www.thefern.org.
December 22, 2025 at 5:15 PM
At FERN, every collaboration begins with a story, and we work with top journalists and major media outlets to bring deeply reported food and environmental stories to hundreds of millions of people. Learn more about our partnerships and donate to support our work at www.thefern.org.
FERN's reporting highlights how climate change, pollution, industrial agriculture, and inequality shape the American food system—centering on the experiences of workers, immigrants, and others most affected. Learn more about our mission and donate to support our work at www.thefern.org.
December 19, 2025 at 7:30 PM
FERN's reporting highlights how climate change, pollution, industrial agriculture, and inequality shape the American food system—centering on the experiences of workers, immigrants, and others most affected. Learn more about our mission and donate to support our work at www.thefern.org.
If you missed it, make sure you check out the December 2 episode of Forked. This is the last Forked episode of 2025. But don’t worry, we’ll be back in 2026, with our first episode dropping on January 13.
Listen here: thefern.org/podcasts/for...
@foodfixco.bsky.social @hbottemiller.bsky.social
Listen here: thefern.org/podcasts/for...
@foodfixco.bsky.social @hbottemiller.bsky.social
December 19, 2025 at 6:22 PM
If you missed it, make sure you check out the December 2 episode of Forked. This is the last Forked episode of 2025. But don’t worry, we’ll be back in 2026, with our first episode dropping on January 13.
Listen here: thefern.org/podcasts/for...
@foodfixco.bsky.social @hbottemiller.bsky.social
Listen here: thefern.org/podcasts/for...
@foodfixco.bsky.social @hbottemiller.bsky.social
“In 2024, 40 years after ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ first aired, several artists … denounced the song for perpetuating outdated stereotypes about Africa,” writes Arianna Poletti. ⬇️
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-from-band-aid-to-breadbasket/
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-from-band-aid-to-breadbasket/
December 19, 2025 at 4:59 PM
“In 2024, 40 years after ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ first aired, several artists … denounced the song for perpetuating outdated stereotypes about Africa,” writes Arianna Poletti. ⬇️
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-from-band-aid-to-breadbasket/
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-from-band-aid-to-breadbasket/
Read the full story, a collaboration with Texas Monthly, at thefern.org/2025/12/insi...
@texasmonthly.bsky.social
@texasmonthly.bsky.social
December 12, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Read the full story, a collaboration with Texas Monthly, at thefern.org/2025/12/insi...
@texasmonthly.bsky.social
@texasmonthly.bsky.social
What can the downfall and resurrection of the oyster tell us about a future of farming the ocean? This is the second episode of a two-part series exploring the future of farming seafood in the Gulf. ⬇️
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-the-gulf-coast-gets-a-new-oyster/
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-the-gulf-coast-gets-a-new-oyster/
December 12, 2025 at 5:00 PM
What can the downfall and resurrection of the oyster tell us about a future of farming the ocean? This is the second episode of a two-part series exploring the future of farming seafood in the Gulf. ⬇️
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-the-gulf-coast-gets-a-new-oyster/
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-the-gulf-coast-gets-a-new-oyster/
FERN is looking for its next Assistant Engagement Producer. This role includes assisting with podcast production for audio and video, creating multimedia content and more for FERN’s social media channels, and aiding in audience tracking and analysis. ⬇️
December 11, 2025 at 9:36 PM
FERN is looking for its next Assistant Engagement Producer. This role includes assisting with podcast production for audio and video, creating multimedia content and more for FERN’s social media channels, and aiding in audience tracking and analysis. ⬇️
ICYMI: Mariano Santiago came to the U.S. from Mexico in search of a better life for his family. His brother, Begaí, refused to let him go alone. Only one survived the journey. Story by Elliott Woods for FERN and Texas Monthly. Link below ⬇️
December 10, 2025 at 3:07 PM
ICYMI: Mariano Santiago came to the U.S. from Mexico in search of a better life for his family. His brother, Begaí, refused to let him go alone. Only one survived the journey. Story by Elliott Woods for FERN and Texas Monthly. Link below ⬇️
Americans now eat more farmed seafood than they do from the wild ocean. That’s turned farming fish into big business, one that consumers have benefited from. The U.S. imports most of that seafood, but that could change. And the Gulf of Mexico is where some of the early action is unfolding.
December 9, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Americans now eat more farmed seafood than they do from the wild ocean. That’s turned farming fish into big business, one that consumers have benefited from. The U.S. imports most of that seafood, but that could change. And the Gulf of Mexico is where some of the early action is unfolding.
“Inside, the migrants had grown desperate,” writes Elliott Woods. “Some clawed at the walls and tore out chunks of yellow foam insulation, a futile effort to reach fresh air. … One by one, they began to die.” ⬇️
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-one-by-one-they-began-to-die/
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-one-by-one-they-began-to-die/
December 5, 2025 at 5:00 PM
“Inside, the migrants had grown desperate,” writes Elliott Woods. “Some clawed at the walls and tore out chunks of yellow foam insulation, a futile effort to reach fresh air. … One by one, they began to die.” ⬇️
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-one-by-one-they-began-to-die/
https://thefern.org/blog_posts/ferns-friday-feed-one-by-one-they-began-to-die/
We know this: Demand for seafood is soaring. We won’t be able to sustainably meet that demand from wild-caught fisheries. And there’s a growing global movement to farm more and more of our seafood.
December 5, 2025 at 3:11 PM
We know this: Demand for seafood is soaring. We won’t be able to sustainably meet that demand from wild-caught fisheries. And there’s a growing global movement to farm more and more of our seafood.
“Inside the deadliest immigration-related disaster in U.S. history,” Elliott Wood's investigative story for FERN and Texas Monthly, took over two years to write.
December 4, 2025 at 3:01 PM
“Inside the deadliest immigration-related disaster in U.S. history,” Elliott Wood's investigative story for FERN and Texas Monthly, took over two years to write.
The catastrophe that unfolded on June 27, 2022 would result in the deadliest immigration-related disaster in modern American history, explains Elliott Woods in his investigative piece for FERN and Texas Monthly.
December 3, 2025 at 3:31 PM
The catastrophe that unfolded on June 27, 2022 would result in the deadliest immigration-related disaster in modern American history, explains Elliott Woods in his investigative piece for FERN and Texas Monthly.