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The Food & Environment Reporting Network

@thefern.org
4.1K followers 600 following 968 posts

The Food & Environment Reporting Network (FERN) produces independent, non-profit journalism at the intersection of food, agriculture, and the environment.

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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 28/09/2026
Jane, Jill and Teresa wrote the last three pieces of MAHA & The Midterms special series. Here they compare notes, a month out from the midterm elections. Thursday 10/1, Reap/Sow wherever you get your podcasts
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 23/09/2026
Sneak peek at tomorrow's new episode of Forked 👀 Theodore and Helena have thoughts on the week in food politics. Full episode tomorrow → wherever you get your podcasts
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 18/09/2026
Women built MAHA. “I believe if these women are ignored, we’re going to lose the midterms, and I believe we will lose 2028,” podcaster Alex Clark says. Are MAGA Bros who’ve coopted MAHA going to fumble it? w/@thefern.org
motherjones.com
Women built MAHA. MAGA bros have taken it over.
Forget regulating food—manly MAHA cares about meat, testosterone, and erectile dysfunction.
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 19/09/2026
When RFK Jr. jumped on Trump’s bandwagon in 2024, he brought with him the wellness-obsessed, vaccine-rejecting, food-label-reading MAHA voters. But is the MAHA-MAGA alliance wearing thin? A special series with @thefern.org www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
motherjones.com
MAHA and the midterms
RFK Jr.’s coalition helped elect Trump—but there are signs the MAHA–MAGA alliance is fracturing. How might this shape upcoming elections?
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 21/09/2026
Forget regulating food—manly MAHA cares about meat, testosterone, and erectile dysfunction. From our friends at @thefern.org:
motherjones.com
Women built MAHA. MAGA bros have taken it over.
Forget regulating food—manly MAHA cares about meat, testosterone, and erectile dysfunction.
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 19/09/2026
Alex Clark on the MAHA Moms: “I believe that we won 2024 because of these women; I believe if these women are ignored, we’re going to lose the midterms, and I believe we will lose 2028.” w/ @thefern.org
motherjones.com
Women built MAHA. MAGA bros have taken it over.
Forget regulating food—manly MAHA cares about meat, testosterone, and erectile dysfunction.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 21/09/2026
Read Jane Black's story, part of MAHA & The Midterms, a special series from FERN with @motherjones.com and @politico.com. Art by Mark Harris. thefern.org/2026/09/meet...
thefern.org
Meet America’s De Facto Food Safety Chief | Food and Environment Reporting Network
The first time Jesse Gabriel was asked to consider a food safety bill, in 2023, he was wary—to say the least. Banning food dyes? It sounded a little “California woo-woo.” Gabriel…
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 21/09/2026
84% of Americans say keeping harmful ingredients out of food is the government's job. Less than half think it's happening. Jesse Gabriel, a Democrat, has been doing the job the FDA won't, and 15 states have followed his lead.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 21/09/2026
While Washington stalls on food safety, a California Assembly member got his fourth law signed over the weekend.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 18/09/2026
Why did a movement built by women hand its top jobs to men? Jill Filipovic explains her newest addition to MAHA & The Midterms, a special series from FERN with @motherjones.com and @politico.com. Read it here: bit.ly/4rgdUPV
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 17/09/2026
MAHA Moms wanted to regulate food and pesticides. The MAGA Bros who’ve taken over the movement have turned the Health Department’s focus towards erectile dysfunction and steak. Our latest with @thefern.org:
motherjones.com
Women built MAHA. MAGA bros have taken it over.
Forget regulating food—manly MAHA cares about meat, testosterone, and erectile disfunction.
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 17/09/2026
MAHA Moms powered the movement—but under Trump, its men have ascended to the highest levels of power. Guess what their priorities are? (erectile dysfunction and steak). The latest in our series with @thefern.org
motherjones.com
Women built MAHA. MAGA bros have taken it over.
Forget regulating food—manly MAHA cares about meat, testosterone, and erectile disfunction.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 16/09/2026
Read @jillfilipovic.bsky.social's story, part of MAHA & The Midterms, a special series from FERN with @motherjones.com & @politico.com Art by Mark Harris. thefern.org/2026/09/depa...
thefern.org
MAHA Moms Built a Movement. MAGA Bros Have Taken It Over | Food and Environment Reporting Network
This this past February, as Super Bowl viewers chowed down on Buffalo wings and loaded nachos, they found themselves unexpectedly admonished. On their TV screens, in a black-and-white close-up…
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 16/09/2026
Women made MAHA a political force. Now RFK Jr., Dr. Oz, and a crew of podcast doctors hold the power, HHS is focused on protein and testosterone, and Big Ag remains unregulated. With the midterms coming, how will the women of MAHA cast their vote?
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bioGraphic @biographic.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Patagonia is a land of superlatives, including a bumblebee so large it's known as the flying mouse. But the giant Patagonia bumblebee's size is no match for the domesticated, nonnative bees being brought in for industrial agriculture. Read more in our latest feature by @judeisabella.bsky.social
biographic.com
The Unwilding of Patagonia’s Pollinators  | bioGraphic
In a region synonymous with wilderness, native bumblebees are being replaced by industrial worker bees—and ecosystems are paying the price.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 16/09/2026
MAHA moms built the grassroots movement, but men are running it.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 15/09/2026
Read the full story by Jude Isabella → thefern.org/2026/09/the-... Via FERN, w/ @lanacioncom.bsky.social and @biographic.bsky.social
thefern.org
The Unwilding of Patagonia’s Pollinators | Food and Environment Reporting Network
Marina Arbetman stands in the middle of a raspberry field with a look of disbelief. Though she knew what to expect, to actually see it is, by turns, baffling, outrageous, and saddening.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 15/09/2026
Since 1997, Chile has imported 1.6 million colonies of a European bumblebee to pollinate berries for export. In Patagonia, those bees now outcompete native bees for nests and nectar, while bringing diseases the endemic bees are unequipped to fight off.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 15/09/2026
🐝The population of the world’s largest bumblebee has declined by approximately 90%.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 14/09/2026
@lanacioncom.bsky.social @biographic.bsky.social
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 14/09/2026
Reporter Jude Isabella went to Patagonia to find the biggest bumblebee in the world. Patagonia's only native bumblebee’s population is down ~90%. Her competition? European bees imported to pollinate berries. Story tomorrow on thefern.org 🐝 with @lanacioncom.bsky.social and @biographic.bsky.social
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 09/09/2026
Forked returns tomorrow with new episodes landing biweekly on Thursdays with Theodore Ross (FERN) and Helena Bottemiller Evich (Food Fix). Enjoy a preview Full episode → wherever you get your podcasts
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 08/09/2026
Read the full story → thefern.org/2026/09/a-ha... By Ben Seal, w/Ambrook's Offrange
thefern.org
A Handful of Upstarts Hopes to Loosen the Grip of Industrial Processors on the World’s Largest Salmon Fishery | Food and Environment Reporting Network
Nathan Hill pushes his skiff off from the shore as the Alaskan dawn breaks through a dense bank of clouds. It’s high tide at the mouth of the Naknek River, in the northeast arm of Bristol Bay…
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 08/09/2026
Nathan Hill sells to a processor that pays him more for treating his catch humanely and ensuring its quality. Others are building their own supply chains from scratch.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 08/09/2026
Three companies now control most of Bristol Bay's salmon. A few small processors are betting that fishermen and buyers want something different…
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 03/09/2026
Forked is coming back! 🌽 Theodore and Helena return biweekly to make sense of the American food system and break down the policies on your plate. It's a new season with new guests, and the midterms are heating up with food policy front and center. Follow along - you don't want to miss this!🍴
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 31/08/2026
This kicks off our special series examining how MAHA is reshaping the midterms. Read part one, with @motherjones.com: thefern.org/2026/08/zach...
thefern.org
Zach Lahn Is MAHA’s Great Farm Country Hope. Is He the Populist Hero He Claims to Be? | Food and Environment Reporting Network
When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. jumped on Donald Trump’s bandwagon in 2024, he brought with him the wellness-obsessed, vaccine-rejecting, food-label-reading Make America Healthy Again voters—who’ve been…
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 31/08/2026
He calls agribusiness multinationals "cartels" and rails against glyphosate, but spent years working on Koch-network-funded political projects. FERN's Teresa Cotsirilos digs into whether his anti-corporate turn is sincere.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 31/08/2026
In case you missed it: our MAHA and the Midterms series is underway, and part one follows Zach Lahn, the Republican running for governor of Iowa on a promise to break up Big Ag.
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 19/08/2026
How Zach Lahn—“an all-star, major league political operative”—is tapping into MAHA’s political power in farm country. Our collab w/ @thefern.org:
motherjones.com
Zach Lahn is MAHA’s great farm country hope. Is he the populist hero he claims to be?
He’s running for Iowa governor on promises to bust up Big Ag. But some farmers are questioning his authenticity.
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 19/08/2026
Zach Lahn is running for Iowa governor on MAHA-backed promises to bust up Big Ag and hold pesticide companies accountable. But some farmers wonder if he’s for real. Our collab w/ @thefern.org:
motherjones.com
Zach Lahn is MAHA’s great farm country hope. Is he the populist hero he claims to be?
He’s running for Iowa governor on promises to bust up Big Ag. But some farmers are questioning his authenticity.
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 19/08/2026
In the months since Zach Lahn became the GOP nominee for Iowa governor, the party’s mainstream has rallied around him; Trump endorsed him as a “patriot.” But the president has not been a reliable friend to the state's farmers. Will it matter? [Published with @thefern.org]
motherjones.com
Zach Lahn is MAHA’s great farm country hope. Is he the populist hero he claims to be?
He’s running for Iowa governor on promises to bust up Big Ag. But some farmers are questioning his authenticity.
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 21/08/2026
When RFK Jr. jumped on Trump’s bandwagon, he brought with him the wellness-obsessed, vaccine-rejecting Make America Healthy Again voters. But there are signs the MAHA-MAGA alliance is wearing thin. This month we're launching a new series about MAHA in the Midterms with @thefern.org:
motherjones.com
MAHA and the Midterms
RFK Jr.’s coalition helped elect Trump—but there are signs the MAHA-MAGA alliance is fracturing. How might this shape upcoming elections?
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 18/08/2026
This kicks off MAHA & The Midterms, our special series w/ @motherjones.com on how the MAHA movement is reshaping the 2026 midterms. Stay tuned and follow along as we roll out more articles in the series over the coming weeks #MAHA #Midterms2026 #BigAg
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 18/08/2026
Lahn campaigns as an outraged Iowa farmer fighting corporate power, but he spent years running Koch-funded political operations. Now he's MAHA's breakout star, backed by RFK Jr.'s network. Some farmers are asking: reform, or strategic rebrand?
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 18/08/2026
He's running for governor in Iowa on a promise to bust up Big Ag. Is Zach Lahn the real deal? Read the full investigation, reported by Teresa Cotsirilos: thefern.org/2026/08/zach...
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 17/08/2026
MAHA voters helped Trump win in 2024. Now the alliance is straining over pesticides, food labels, and who holds the health jobs. Tomorrow we launch a special series: MAHA & The Midterms, published with partners @politico.com and @motherjones.com . Follow us to keep up with the series as it drops.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 12/08/2026
At FERN, we’re looking for our next Assistant Engagement Producer to run point on our video and podcast production (Forked, REAP/SOW) and help shape how our reporting shows up on social media. Role is full-time, remote (U.S.), $40k - $50k. Learn more and apply here: bit.ly/4bLRkbm
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 11/08/2026
Check out the full story published in partnership with @wired.com by Michael Grunwald at the link here: thefern.org/2026/08/more...
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 11/08/2026
A North Carolina startup called Pairwise is building seedless, thornless blackberries, peaches without pits, and cherry trees that grow on bushes. Our reporter visited their lab, tried the berries, and came back with a lot of questions about what happens when the backlash catches up to the science.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 11/08/2026
Ready to eat blackberries without seeds stuck in your teeth? Scientists are using Crispr gene-editing to redesign food from the ground up.
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Politico @politico.com · 20/07/2026
Iowa's long-simmering water problem has finally begun to boil over. And in a state long dominated by Republicans, the motivating power of tainted water and rising cancer rates could give Dems an opening in the midterms. Read our report with @thefern.org👇 politi.co/4fccp0F
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 27/07/2026
Will Big Alcohol and Big Cannabis kill the hemp drink industry before Congress can save it? Chris Fontes found a loophole in the 2018 farm bill that built a $1B industry. Now a Nov. 12 deadline could end it. By Alexander Zaitchik in partnership with @inc.com
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 23/07/2026
The 2018 farm bill quietly legalized trace amounts of THC in hemp products. Eight years later, that clause gave rise to a billion-dollar beverage industry and now a Kentucky senator wants to shut it down. Reporting by Alexander Zaitchik for FERN and @inc.com. Full article here: bit.ly/4gOWFC3
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 30/06/2026
Twenty-five years, 500,000 orders of short rib, one last roast chicken. As the celebrity chef closes his signature restaurant and retires from professional cooking, FERN and @esquiremag.bsky.social join him for the end.
thefern.org
The End of Craft: Tom Colicchio’s Final Service
Tom Colicchio climbed the gray staircase from the basement kitchen and made his way toward New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani’s table. Colicchio is compact and lean, and he moves with purpose.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 25/06/2026
Shoutout to the 13-year-old who casually executed a flawless egg sandwich—great bread, perfect seasoning, and an intentional splash of hot sauce. Parents of toddlers, stay strong: one day your children will make you premium breakfast food.
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 24/06/2026
Zach Lahn is testing a wild political thesis: Can an anti-Big Ag, pro-water-quality, anti-glyphosate MAHA candidate win over deep-red rural Iowa voters? It turns out he's a full-stop MAHA true believer, and the establishment is panicking. Full breakdown here: $$Link$$
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 22/06/2026
The wellness-to-politics pipeline is officially winning elections. A MAHA health candidate just defeated a Trump-endorsed MAGA candidate by capitalizing on voter anger over food systems and chronic illness policies. This isn't a subculture anymore; it's an electoral powerhouse. $$Link$$
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 16/06/2026
In this episode of Forked: 🔹 The terrifying return of the flesh-eating New World screwworm 🔹 Zach Lahn and Iowa's water crisis 🧠 🔹 Helena's "doom buckets" and Theodore's ultimate egg sandwich 🥪 Listen here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: thefern.org/podcasts/forked
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The Food & Environment Reporting Network @thefern.org · 16/06/2026
A 25% staff reduction in agricultural disease monitoring is a quiet administrative change—until a crisis hits. If this current threat leaks out past regional containment, it’s a full-blown national disaster. Here is why budget cuts have real-world biosecurity consequences: $$Link$$
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