Stories - AZPM

Border patrol searches through tomatoes at port of entry.

Mexican tomato importers worry rule interpretation could raise prices

"This might add up to 20% to 25% of the Nogales shipping cost of tomatoes," industry group says

From the "Good Food Finder" webpage: "Good food is all about taste and freshness.
But choosing local means more than delicious and more nutritious food! Local food builds vibrant communities, supports farmers and food entrepreneurs, protects the environment, and fosters a robust local economy."

"Good Food Finder" wants to build roots between growers and consumers.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Visit a place in the desert with more than a century of aviation history; current Tucson Museum of Art exhibition "4 x 4" celebrates Willie J. Bonner; more entries by 5th graders from The NPR Student Podcast Challenge.

Grape vines at a vineyard in Willcox, Arizona, 2018.

No movement on groundwater protection bills

This year's efforts to bring more regulation to Arizona's groundwater use have failed in the state legislature.

As more move to Arizona, what “smart growth” looks like

A discussion with Arizona Republic digital opinions editor Joanna Allhands.

Arizona changes 'use it or lose it' water law

A bill signed last week allows water users to voluntarily conserve water without risking loss of the rights to it.

Health workers worry about COVID-19 impact on Cochise County farmworkers

Older adults and some frontline workers are getting vaccinated in Arizona, but essential sectors like farms still have a wait ahead

Eighteen plots are laid out on the hillside on Brian Mealor’s property in Sheridan County, Wyo. Mealor is studying how differing amounts of herbicide sprayed at different times of year can be used to manage invasive species.

In grasslands plagued by invasives and drought, wildfires fuel calls for new solutions

Invasive plants and climate change are changing the relationship between vast rangelands, drought and wildfire.

The Colorado River, the source of the Grand Valley’s irrigation water, flows through Debeque Canyon.

Western Colorado water purchases stir up worries about the future of farming

An investment trend based on the potential value of water has rekindled fears about the future of water in the West.

Workers harvest greens alongside farm equipment in the Yuma area in this file photo.

Coronavirus cases surge in Arizona's border counties

Two Arizona counties along the border have experienced dramatic upticks in the last month.

The Colorado River, west of Yuma, Arizona, before it reaches Morelos Dam on the U.S.-Mexico border.

No border wall for Arizona tribe's Colorado River stretch

The cross-border Cocopah Indian Tribe has lived along the river delta for centuries.

A tomato plant at a Community Gardens of Tucson garden.

Gardening brings peace to some Tucsonans during pandemic

Community gardens provide a space for people to care for their mental health and for groups to address food insecurity.

Tractors tend a cotton farm in Marana on April 22, 2020.

Ripple effects of global coronavirus pandemic rattle Arizona’s farming industry

Hard hit nations big importers of one Marana farm's crops.

Produce from one of the vendors at the Heirloom Farmers Markets at Rillito Park.

How Farmers Markets are surviving - and evolving - during the pandemic.

Also on Arizona Spotlight:The Arts Foundation makes emergency relief grants available to local artists; a conversation with food writer & former EMT Jane Stern; and a short story from Aurelie Sheehan.