New study shows rural residents use telehealth at consistently lower rates than urban residents

Telehealth usage in rural areas has been consistently lower than in urban areas since 2020, according to a new report from Elevance Health Public Policy Foundation. 

The study found that rural residents with chronic conditions used telehealth at a rate of 4.6% compared to 7.5% of those in urban areas — regardless of insurance type — reports Liz Carey of The Daily Yonder.

Rural people are diagnosed with and experience chronic conditions, like diabetes, COPD and hypertension, at higher rates, but only 13.5% of rural Medicaid patients used telehealth in 2021 compared to 18.5% in non-rural areas. Across the board, rural patients were least likely to use telehealth, meaning in some cases, their care might have been interrupted or incomplete given long travel time to see doctors in person. 

The study didn't investigate the causes of this trend, but Carey reports that "it does show that more needs to be understood in terms of how rural communities use telehealth." Elevance Public Policy Director told Carey that telehealth use by rural residents increased slightly during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that it "remains part of chronic conditions care," but the lack of usage in rural areas "says to us that there’s still a gap there that does need to be understood and addressed."

Researchers find tick-borne alpha–gal meat allergy may not be a lifelong

On a table in a Missouri library lay brochures, plushies, paperbacks, and memorabilia all featuring the same antagonist: the lone star tick. The tick is a common carrier for alpha-gal, Rose LaForest reports for the Mississippi River Basin, a syndrome that causes allergic reactions to red meat, dairy and other mammal products in humans.

Alpha-gal is becoming more and more common, and is most widespread in Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and Missouri. That is why Mary Lynn Cady, who was diagnosed with alpha-gal in 2011, runs a support group at the Daniel Boone Branch of St. Louis County Library.

The diagnosis of alpha-gal can feel lonesome and is unique. Most are diagnosed as adults with no knowledge of EPI Pens or allergies, and they have to learn to adapt their diets quickly. The disease is caused by a sugar called galactose-α-1,3-galactose, which is present in other mammals like cattle, but not in humans. When a tick bites a human, it can transmit this sugar into a person’s bloodstream, causing allergic reactions to mammal products.

Dr. Maya Jerath and her colleague, Dr. Peggy Kendall, are looking for a more accurate way to diagnose and treat alpha-gal. Many patients see less sensitivity over time and can clear the allergy up. Jerath and Peggy "have some interventions that we would like to study to see if we could actually do something to patients that will make it go away," they told LaForest. Of the population in the most affected states, 24% have the antibody, but most don’t have the allergy.

Jerath and Peggy found that cells in symptomatic vs. asymptomatic blood may be the difference, and researchers are testing to see if this discovery could serve as a treatment for alpha-gal.

Invasive species threaten to raze entire forests while scientists rush to find solutions to save the trees

Trees in the United States are sick and dying at exponentially high rates, reports Catrin Einhorn for The New York Times. While scientists rush to keep up with preventative measures to save entire species, they worry about what has already been lost, and what might continue disappearing if they're not fast enough to save the trees that remain. 

"Epidemics are escalating, across numerous species, as more and more pests and pathogens invade forests," Einhorn writes. "Their entryway is global trade — in live plants, and in the countless products that are shipped in wooden pallets, crates and other packaging. As trade has boomed, so have the opportunities for tiny stowaways to wreak havoc."

Those tiny stowaways include the emerald ash borer, which has feasted on ash trees for decades, and the aphid-like wooly adelgid that attacks the Eastern hemlock, chewing on the tender flesh of the tree just under the bark, cutting off the trees' food and water supply in the process. 

"The attackers have killed billions of trees already, with countless more under threat. In some severe cases, forests are transforming into bleak spaces of brambles and vines," Einhorn reports. The impacts aren't contained in the forest, either. "Trees filter water, stabilize the land and clean the air. They absorb and store planet-warming carbon dioxide, fighting climate change. They create the three-dimensional habitat that countless species use for shelter and shade." 

Scientists are racing to find solutions, but they're finding it hard to keep up with the speed at which these tiny invaders are devouring forests. The northeastern U.S. has become the epicenter of the converging epidemics, where six of the most prominent ash tree species have been listed as endangered or critically endangered since 2002. 

Iowa's white-tailed deer population declines as hunting season begins

As cooler temperatures settle in across Iowa, deer hunters are already gearing up for hunting season. But they might harvest less this year after Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources determined that deer populations are down across the state, reports Iowa Capital Dispatch for Successful Farming. 

In its 2026 spring survey, DNR scanned for wildlife after sunset along gravel roads throughout the state, and found "the lowest relative abundance of white-tailed deer in over a decade." The DNR reports 2025 saw a 20% decline in abundance — the lowest estimate since 2013 — though there is evidence populations in western Iowa are rebounding. Bowhunters, who are the most active deer hunters, confirm these results with their own observations.

In response to the data, Iowa's DNR implemented a new regional hunting zone, which limits licenses and requires the hunting of only antlered deer with unique quotas in eight western Iowan counties. The reasons for decline, according to DNR’s survey, “remains unclear.”

Deer are often exposed to the sometimes fatal epizootic hemorrhagic disease, but 2025 saw low mortality rates from the illness. Chronic Wasting Disease in deer is managed by the DNR with help from hunters, who report signs of the sickness, but "CWD was not listed as a reason for the population declines across the state."

Instead, the survey found that it's possible climate change and habitat loss are to blame. Unaccounted for landscape or atmospheric conditions, like warmer weather, rain or crop cycles, could have impacted the count. "DNR said the survey also observed very low numbers in 2012, but that numbers shot back up the following year at rates that were 'biologically improbable.'"

Trump executive order ends USDA program meant to fund renewable energy in rural communities

After on-and-off legislation and a series of executive orders, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced changes to a program meant to help farmers and rural small businesses build renewable energy projects, Frida Garza reports for Grist. The change went into effect on Oct. 16

The changes disqualify solar development from funding through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP used to support farmers seeking renewables like solar, which can cost up to tens of thousands of dollars. It allowed for lower utility bills, and farmers and business owners were able to sell excess power back into the grid. REAP’s padding could be a lifeline for those bearing the brunt of high fertilizer and gas prices.

The Iowa Farmers Union is one plaintiff in a case filed against the USDA last month, alleging the agency was already harming rural communities’ access to solar. The case targets the USDA for changing REAP following an executive order by President Trump, which stated taxpayers would no longer subsidize "unreliable" and "foreign" energy sources like wind and solar. A final rule change to REAP makes having renewables on cropland built with "any component made in a country named as a foreign adversary" ineligible for funding. Most solar system parts are manufactured in China.

REAP was created in the 2008 Farm Bill by Congress. Advocates say the changes to REAP defy Congress. "The lawsuit also alleges that these anti-solar moves from the USDA violate the Administrative Procedure Act, which essentially requires agencies to show that regulatory decisions were made through careful consideration."

Crop imports and exports: Soybean harvest trails behind five-year average, beef prices drop

Soybean futures, or contracts that set specific buying or selling dates for soybeans, were down overnight on Thursday, Oct. 15, reports Tony Dreibus for Successful Farming.

The national soybean harvest was only 46% complete as of Sunday, Oct. 11. Though that number is up from the previous Sunday, it still lags behind the five-year average of 50% completion at this time of year. Soybeans were underpinned, or protected from further economic collapse, "after the USDA announced a sale of 470,000 metric tons to China for delivery in the 2026–2027 marketing year that started on Sept. 1."

Outside of these exports, imports are lowering retail beef prices, though pork costs are rising. "Ground beef prices fell to an average of $6.483 a pound last month while ground chuck dropped to $6.792 a pound, the agency said. Those prices are down from $6.774 and $6.923 a pound, respectively." Sliced bacon rose to $6.756 a pound from $6.605 a pound earlier in September. Similar increases are seen in ham and pork chop costs.

Beef prices are down because of President Trump’s August initiative to import 300,000 metric tons of tariff-free beef between September, October and November. Ranchers opposed the plan, believing it would artificially and temporarily depress prices while spurring unnecessary foreign competition.

Rural libraries are expanding access by allowing visitors in during unstaffed hours

Wyoming, Minnesota pastor, Ryan Stigile, doesn't have many options when it comes to "third spaces." But that has changed recently, thanks to the local library. The East Central Regional Library’s “extended access” program, which allows access to a library branch when it is unstaffed, allows Stigile to work in the evening.

Programs like the ECRL’s are popping up in rural areas across the nation, reports H. Jiahong Pan for The Daily Yonder. So far this year, the ERCL’s extended access program has been used over 800 times by 55 registered citizens.

 
Here’s how extended access programs work: One must have a library card and be registered for the program to swipe in during unstaffed hours. Some libraries require guests to sign up in person, and some offer online registration. In-person tours are mandated at many libraries to familiarize guests with safety equipment; some have minimum age requirements of 16 or 18.

However, extended access doesn’t guarantee 24-hour access. Several programs end their extension hours at 8 p.m., or are closed on Sundays. Security concerns posed a challenge for ECRL at first, with many questioning what people would do if left unattended. The ECRL installed security cameras and a card-swipe system and has yet to encounter any problems.

The Wyoming branch — one of 12 in the ECRL system — is the only library with extended access. It has cost around $70,000, and an estimated $12,000 will be needed annually to maintain technology. With budget cuts squeezing libraries, many are more focused on their "ability to continue to provide regularly staffed hours across" than expanded access.

Federal Court stops USDA’s restructuring plans, for now

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a radical restructuring plan in March, which aimed to relocate the U.S. Forest Service to Utah, close all nine forest service regional offices and close 23 research facilities. Thousands of employees were also set to be relocated out of Washington, D.C., reports Emily Gardner for Eos.

But on Oct. 13, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria ruled the USDA can’t continue with its plans through a preliminary injunction, which "asks that the status quo is maintained until a ruling is reached. In this case, it means disallowing major restructuring for the time being."
 

The plans were ruled against because the agency would use funds appropriated by Congress for a purpose (shutting down offices and relocating staff) they did not approve of at the time funds were given.

Agency secretary Brooke Rollins, who was nominated by President Trump, said the restructure did not involve cutting staff, but the USDA’s Reductions in Force and Reorganization Plan "acknowledged that the approach would cut the workforce by 23%, which led some to call the relocation efforts a ‘RIF in disguise.'" Patrick Moran, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) said the agency’s attempt to gut staff would threaten programs like SNAP, hinder wildfire responses and hurt farmers.

The USDA cannot move forward with any restructuring plans until Dec. 11. While Judge Chhabria was able to strike down the plan this month, the statutes used against them will expire in two months, "which means that the agency could convince Congress to appropriate funds toward initiatives like office closure and employee relocation in the future."

The last cottonwood tree along the U.S.-Mexico border in a remote Arizona town has been felled

Contractors bulldozed the last standing cottonwood tree on the Arizona border earlier this month after armed border control agents raided the camp of protestors who were protecting the tree, arresting at least 10 people, Stephanie Casanova reports for High Country News. The protestors had protected the tree for more than 70 days. 

"Dubbed the 'grandmother tree,' the cottonwood cut down Monday was hundreds of years old. It was one of several that lined the edge of private property along Border Road, a dirt road that runs along the U.S.-Mexico border, in a remote area of Arizona in the San Rafael Valley about 25 miles east of Nogales," Casanova reports. 

Activists established a tree-sit in June to protect the grandmother tree, and at least one person slept in the tree at all times. Their efforts delayed construction of the double-border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border near the remote ranching town of Lochiel. 

Douglas Main of The Guardian reports that "the valley, and the Patagonia and Huachuca mountains on either side of it, form one of the most important regional wildlife corridors between the US and Mexico, providing passage to animals including jaguars, ocelots, bears and even beavers and porcupines in recent years." Main writes that while the border wall cuts off this corridor from the animals, the construction sucks up the water from the trees.

The cottonwood trees "depend on a regular supply of water underground," but construction has dried up wells throughout the region, threatening the flora of this unique landscape. Main writes that CPB won't say how much water they're currently using, "but in 2008 it estimated a smaller wall nearby could use up to 710,00 gallons per mile for construction."

American Academy of Pediatrics renews its call for a ban on drinking raw milk

The American Academy of Pediatrics renewed its call for a ban on the sale of raw milk and dairy on Oct. 5 because of the life-threatening illnesses it can cause, especially in babies, children, pregnant women and those who are immunocompromised, reports Ellyn Vohnoutka for U.S. News. The AAP said claims about raw milk’s health benefits are false. Currently, 27 states allow the sale of raw milk, and more are pushing to do the same.

Many at the forefront of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again campaign tout the benefits of drinking raw milk and are behind efforts to allow the sale of it. Anemona Hartocollis writes for The New York Times that raw milk advocates believe it is healthier than pasteurized milk because it's less processed, and might support the efforts because of that. She added that alignment with the MAHA movement, which favors autonomy over regulated vaccines, often overlaps with this belief.

“Pasteurization heats milk to a set temperature for a minimum amount of time... [and] kills bacteria, viruses and parasites that once made milk a leading source of food poisoning and infant deaths,” Vohnoutka writes. When milk isn't pasteurized, it can carry bacteria like salmonella, listeria and e. coli.

The AAP is also following the trend of drinking raw cow's milk as a possibility for transmitting bird flu. Birds can transmit flu to dairy cows, and so far, it has only infected a few cattle workers. In 2024, it appeared in raw milk samples. While bird flu hasn’t spread to humans through the consumption of raw milk yet, the AAP does regard it as a concern.

There's a new giant pumpkin world record holder; TikTok expands the contests' appeal

As fall festivities kick into full gear across the country, many rural towns are rolling out the scales for their annual pumpkin weigh-offs, and one Rhode Island farmer has reason to celebrate his giant gourd growing efforts, writes Victor Mather of The New York Times. Farmer Ron Wallace's pumpkin just weighed in at 3,156 pounds, smashing the previous record of 2,856 pounds, according to Guinness. 

Pumpkin weighing contests are an American tradition, with contest going back as far as 1900, when the top weights were around 400 pounds, Mather writes. Changes in soil, pruning and pest control, along with genetic changes in seeds, has bulked them up over time. And now, thanks to social media, giant pumpkin farmers have grown in popularity, too. 

One such giant gourd grower, Sarah Whitty in Maine, goes by Pumpkinista on TikTok, and spent the  season this year posting updates about the slow and careful process of growing giant vegetables. Her videos where she details the behind-the-scenes of gourd growing have garnered her nearly 300,000 followers. Her 170-pound giant marrow named Secretariat claimed the North American and U.S. record this year, reports local news station, KTVB7. 

She is one of dozens of giant pumpkin and vegetable growers gaining in popularity on TikTok, including other growers with large followings, GourdFather and bigpumpki. The new giant pumpkin record holder, Farmer Wallace, told Mather the annual pumpkin growing contests captivate for a simple reason: "A giant pumpkin brings a smile to everybody’s face, and it doesn’t matter where you’re from, what nationality you are," he said. "Giant pumpkins don’t care about any of that," and that when someone sees the giant pumpkins, "everybody is just in awe."