A support group and a lab in the St. Louis area provide resources for people with the allergy to mammal products — and evidence that its effects can be reversed.
As we close out 2025, we're reflecting on an extraordinary year of collaborative journalism across the Mississippi River Basin. From groundbreaking projects to fun field experiences, our team of reporters has produced work that unpacks the agriculture and water issues shaping this region.
We celebrated this with the team last week on our final staff call of the year. This week in the newsletter, we explore some of the highlights: our most popular stories, landmark projects and team achievements.
Desk Achievements
This year saw significant milestones for the Ag & Water Desk.
More Basin journalism: We've published 207 in-depth, collaborative stories to date and morethan 2,200 local stories since the project began.
Collaboration of the Year award: LION Publishers honored us with "Collaboration of the Year" in September. The judges noted, "the Ag & Water Desk collab is so impressive because it shows how a well-designed network can amplify the strengths of many small newsrooms while solving problems none could tackle alone."
"Down the Drain" wetlands series: Our biggest collaborative reporting project yet featured eight primary stories, an interactive map and data visualization, a travel guide, and our first-ever photo contest.
SEJ conference: Desk staffers led multiple sessions in Phoenix, Arizona, at the Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference, sharing expertise and learning from our peers so we can better serve the Basin.
Uncertainty about federal disaster aid looms as storms roll in by Cassandra Stephenson, Tennessee Lookout; Phillip Powell, Arkansas Times; Lucas Dufalla, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and Illan Ireland, Mississippi Free Press - This article showed how multiple states bordering the Mississippi River had to wait for federal disaster aid decisions following severe weather.
Our Team's Favorite Stories:
"Down the Drain" wetlands series - Yes, we're highlighting this twice, because it was a huge undertaking, and many team members mentioned this as a personal favorite. The series combined visuals with reporting from multiple states, examining wetlands loss, policy changes and the challenges of restoration. One team member noted that it "showcases what makes the Desk so special—the breadth and variety of the reporting and the many interstate collaborations resulted in a collection of stories that few other news organizations could replicate."
Soybeans coverage by Cassandra Stephenson, Tennessee Lookout; Mónica Cordero, Investigate Midwest and Gabrielle Nelson, Buffalo's Fire, plus Mónica's Latin American ports story - This package of stories is an excellent example of collaborative, data-driven journalism. The first explains that soybeans have long been a top U.S. export, but what happens when sales dry up? The second examines how China's infrastructure investments in Latin America could permanently reshape options for U.S. producers.
Desk reporter Bennet Goldstein of Wisconsin Watch prepares for his beaver expedition by testing a camouflage suit. Though effective visually, it ended up being too loud for the task. Credit: Coburn Dukehart/CatchLight
Reporter Achievements and Memorable Moments
Beyond the bylines, 2025 brought unforgettable experiences.
Field Reporting Adventures:
At the start of the year, Desk reporters gathered to tour Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin for the wetlands project. Illan Ireland of the Mississippi Free Press said, "It's definitely among the most spectacular places I've visited in the South, even in winter!"
Madeline Heim of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explored the frozen Mississippi River for a story on our changing climate. "It was a blast to be able to stand on the river," she recalled.
Desk reporter Madeline Heim stands on the frozen Mississippi. Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Professional Development Wins:
Multiple team members attended professional conferences and training sessions supported by Desk grants, including the National Association of Science Writers and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
Many reporters won local journalism awards for their work, both with the Desk and individually.
Support the Ag & Water Desk
We're almost to the end of our year-end fundraising campaign here at the Ag & Water Desk. In-depth reporting on agriculture and environmental issues is out of reach for many outlets, but the Desk helps to support sophisticated storytelling and share it with rural communities most impacted by these global machinations.
We're nearing our goal, but we're not there yet. Will you help support our mission? Through the end of the year, donations will be doubled by our partners at NewsMatch, but time is running out.
Suffice to say, it's been a huge year for the Desk. Just in the last few weeks, we welcomed our new editorial director Chas Sisk, and we're preparing to welcome a new cohort of host newsrooms soon. As I write this, I am reminded of the adage: "A man cannot step into the same river twice, because it is not the same river, and he is not the same man."
Our team will look different in 2026, and the Mississippi River keeps rolling down to the Gulf. We're glad to have shared 2025 with everyone here at the Desk. We're also grateful for your ongoing readership and support. We've got big things ahead. Here's to another year telling stories that matter across the Mississippi River Basin.
Thank you for reading, and happy New Year from the entire Ag & Water Desk team. More next week from across the basin.
