Scott McFetridge

Associated Press

Des Moines Downtown Neighborhood Association president Brandon Brown stands on the roof of his condo building, Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, in Des Moines, Iowa. After decades of downplaying or simply ignoring the problem, Des Moines officials here recently began a comprehensive study that will lead to tighter regulations on some smelly manufacturing plants near downtown.

Stench a Constant Reminder of City's Pork Processing Legacy

A pungent smell of rancid meat regularly wafts through the shiny new development.

In this June 10, 2020 file photo, cattle occupy a feedlot in Columbus, Neb. Frustrated with persistently low prices, ranchers and others in the beef industry are moving to reverse decades of consolidation and planning to open new slaughterhouses.

Unhappy with Prices, Ranchers Look to Build Own Meat Plants

Crews will start work this fall building the Sustainable Beef plant on nearly 400 acres.

Loyalty to Trump Tested Over Corn Rules

Waivers were granted to 31 oil refineries so they don't have to blend ethanol into their gasoline.

In this photo, Andrew Dunham harvests Hakurei turnips on his 80-acre organic farm, in Grinnell, Iowa. Like farmers throughout the Midwest, torrential spring rains turned Dunham's land into sticky muck that wouldn't let him plant crops this spring.

Rain Leaves Veggie Farmers Struggling

Unlike those who produce corn and soybeans, herb and vegetable growers don't get a piece of a $16B aid package or federally subsidized crop insurance.

Dave Ruble stocks the imperfect produce section at the Hy-Vee grocery store in Urbandale, Iowa. After enjoying a brief spotlight in supermarket produce sections, blemished fruits and vegetables may already be getting tossed back in the trash.

'Ugly Produce' Trend May Have Limits

Dented apples and undersized potatoes may not be all that appealing.

This Jan. 17, 2017, photo, shows the front entrance of Corn Belt Aluminum in Des Moines, Iowa. Manufacturing businesses across the country are getting pushed out of neighborhoods where they have operated for decades as cities remake gritty industrial districts into trendy hotspots.

Industry Pushed Out as Cities Rebuild

Businesses across the country are landing in similar positions as cities remake gritty, industrial districts into trendy hotspots with glassy apartment buildings, coffee shops and microbreweries.

A building stands on Cedar Street in Nickerson, Neb., Tuesday, April 19, 2016. When regional officials announced plans to open a $300 million chicken processing plant employing 1,100 workers, residents packed the firehall and the village board unanimously voted against the plant, and a week later the company gave up, saying they’d take their plant and jobs elsewhere.

Small NE Town Rejects Processing Plant, Jobs

The question of who would work the tough jobs was at the forefront of the debate, though many were adamant they aren't anti-immigrant.