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.
Desk reporter Avery Martinez of KMOV St. Louis interviews Missouri farmer Skylar Holden. Screen capture from KMOV video.
The Trump administration's budget-cutting measures have had wide-reaching impacts across the country, including in the Mississippi River Basin.
This week, we'd like to share an incredible story from Desk reporter Avery Martinez on that topic and how it helped two Missouri farmers bridge the political divide. Martinez, who is based at KMOV First Alert 4 in St. Louis, produced this piece about farmer Skylar Holden, who went viral on TikTok after the feds froze $80,000 of previously-approved USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grant funding for improvements to his farm.
He voted for Trump, but now found himself worrying about paying his bills. When online commenters implied he was being punished for his vote, it led another TikTok-ing farmer, Will Westmoreland, to connect. They don't share many political opinions, but they have developed a mutual respect in these polarized times.
"You don't walk up to the guy on the other side of the aisle and say, 'Hey, you're stupid, but would you be willing to work with me?" Westmoreland says in the story. "That's not a good communication style."
Here's the piece, and I hope you can take the time to watch the video:
We asked Avery to reflect on the reporting process and what he hopes this work accomplishes.
"One of the biggest challenges in ag reporting is getting stoic farmers to talk, so finding these two actually talking was an ah-ha moment," Martinez said. "We're living at a time in American history where everyone is being impacted in one way or another, and people's concerns are changing daily. For farmers and ranchers, the policies being decided by the Oval Office and their advisers are having serious and immediate impacts.
"What fascinated me about this story was to see it play out in real time, where real people were making real connections. Both Skylar and Will come from different age groups, political ideas, personal beliefs and concerns about the future, but their love of farming and the importance of the USDA's programs brought them together. They really are setting an example: Let's talk about issues and not scream about them."
Thanks for your nuanced reporting, Avery, and for sharing an important conversation in a challenging time.
As always, thanks for reading. More next week from across the Basin.
Sincerely,
Michael Crowe Interim Assistant Director, Ag & Water Desk
