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Michael Johnson

News editor

Michael Johnson joined Agweek in 2022 as the news editor. He grew up on a dairy farm north of Verndale, Minn., where he raised cattle, pigs, ducks and renowned sweet corn.

He previously worked for the Barnesville Record Review and Clay County Historical Society out of Barnesville, Minn.; reported for the Gillette News Record in Gillette, Wyo.; served as editor of the Leader-News in Washburn, ND and the Underwood News in Underwood, ND; covered outdoor news for the Brainerd Dispatch as the community editor in Brainerd, Minn., and after a brief escape from the deadlines of newspapers came back as a reporter for the Wadena Pioneer Journal and Perham Focus, before an opportunity to serve as the editor of the Wadena Pioneer Journal in 2018.

He now covers all things agriculture especially in the areas of central Minnesota.

Pronouns: He/him
Languages: English

The sun has the power to give us what we need, but it’s also powerful enough to disrupt our way of life here on earth.
Former FEMA leaders consider AM an integral part of the emergency alert system -- something that should not be removed from the newest electric vehicles.
The RIPE proposal offers conservation payments of at least $100 an acre while producing a crop $100 an animal unit for livestock. It might be the incentive needed for increased buy-in.
Climate change brings some benefits, some detriments to agriculture in the northern Plains. Midwest climatology experts see that change is here and farmers are taking notice.
The current face of sustainable farming and the former face of family farms are two featured photo exhibits now on display in February in central Minnesota.
Even if it's not a lucrative venture, the hobby of raising rabbits continues at this farm near Sebeka, Minnesota.
Egg prices reached record highs in December 2022 and have now surpassed $5 per dozen in supermarkets across the region.
Two more are still facing litigation including Winona Laduke, who was jailed in Wadena County Jail for three days following the incident.
Wadena County is among a number of area counties focused on loosening the grip mental illness has on the area.
The tour provided a chance to show how the facility was working to address health care needs in rural areas.