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KOSU wrote dozens of articles about agriculture and food this year, led by reporter Anna Pope and supplemented by the station’s partnership with Harvest Public Media.
Each story we brought you in 2025 is important. However, these five are among the most popular of the year and display the rich breadth of what KOSU offers in agriculture and food systems reporting.
USDA approved Oklahoma’s SNAP restriction waiver request
Over the summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the State of Oklahoma’s request to restrict certain foods from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
Oklahoma’s waiver adds “soft drinks” and “candy” to the list of items that can’t be bought using SNAP benefits.
Lawmakers supporting the move say the exclusions will help improve health outcomes and prevent taxpayers from paying for unhealthy foods. But experts and anti-hunger advocates say it’s complex. State advocates have said the approach is unfair to low-income families, ineffective at improving public health, and the definitions of soft drinks and candy are confusing.
Courtesy
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Oklahoma Historical Society
Oklahomans are remembering Black Sunday, 90 years later
Ninety years ago last April, Oklahomans met a large wall of rolling black dust and sand, a day now known as “Black Sunday.”
Conservationists, producers, lawmakers and historians gathered to remember the day, April 14, 1935, and the conservation ethic that followed. The day was the catalyst for Congress to take action, leading to what is now the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which saw its federal workforce reduced.
Screenshot by KOSU
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Google Maps
Rural grocery stores suffer across Oklahoma as 4 close
This summer, rural grocery stores in Pauls Valley, Kingfisher, Jay and Ponca City shuttered.
In a statement, officials from Homeland Acquisition Corporation said it was not an easy decision. Dozens of employees were affected.
Todd Johnson
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OSU Agricultural Communication Services
USDA cancels 2 local food programs for schools, food banks and tribal nations in Oklahoma
In March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled two programs that provided tribal governments, states, schools, and food banks with money to buy from producers.
A USDA spokesperson said in an email that the programs “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.”
Tribal nations in the state had funding awards. The Cherokee Nation was notified of a canceled grant, and tribal officials said the nation was obviously disappointed. Producers with smaller operations in the state felt the impacts of the loss later on.
Mitchell Alcala
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OSU Agricultural Communication Services
Oklahoma State University researchers track more kudzu sites around state
Kudzu is a vine that overtakes structures, outcompetes native plant species, and can grow up to 18 inches per day. There are sites of it across Oklahoma.
Oklahoma State University students are tracking more kudzu locations in the state as part of a senior capstone project.
The windy vine can have a large economic impact and is difficult and expensive to remove. A student on the project said it’s important to stay aware of problems so they don’t go unnoticed.
In 2024, Oklahoma lawmakers floated a bill to include kudzu in the Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law, which is like the state’s plant hit list to prevent problematic plants from growing. Despite legislative support, the measure was vetoed by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
