Luke Runyon
As KUNC’s reporter covering the Colorado River Basin, I dig into stories that show how water issues can both unite and divide communities throughout the Western U.S. I produce feature stories for KUNC and a network of public media stations in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Nevada.
I love public radio because I know the power of hearing someone’s story in their own words, using their own voice. You can get a much better sense of who someone is and what their motivations are just by listening to how they speak, and that’s a big part of why I love public radio reporting.
Before covering water at KUNC I covered the agriculture and food beat for five years as the station’s Harvest Public Media reporter. I’ve also reported for Aspen Public Radio in Aspen, Colo. and Illinois Public Radio in Springfield, Ill. My reports have been featured on NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Here & Now and APM's Marketplace. I’m a proud graduate of the University of Illinois’ Public Affairs Reporting program.
My work has been recognized by the Society of Environmental Journalists, Radio Television Digital News Association, the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Public Media Journalists Association.
When I’m not at the station you can usually find me out exploring the Rocky Mountains with either a pack on my back or skis on my feet (sometimes both at the same time).
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Animal rights groups are taking aim at North Carolina. They’re suing over the state’s so-called “ag-gag” law. The legislation found its way into the cro...
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Slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants throughout the country employ a lot of people. About a quarter of a million Americans prepare the beef, pork and chicken that ends up on dinner tables. But some of those jobs could eventually be replaced by robots. The world's largest meatpacking company is looking at ways to automate the art of butchery.
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Monsanto, the world's largest producer of seeds, is trying to swallow up a competitor in pesticide production. The move could lead to fewer choices for farmers and further consolidate the industry.
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The rate of growth in the number of farmers markets and sales there has slowed in recent years. But that could mean the entire local food movement is growing up.
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Scientists are studying how hemp might be used in the electronic, medical and manufacturing industries. Because the plant's been illegal for decades, it's been difficult to do research on its uses.
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Colorado law says the plant itself has to be grown indoors, but regulation and reluctant banks have made real estate hard to come by for pot entrepreneurs. The right property can go for millions.
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A record number of kids are joining the FFA, formerly the Future Farmers of America. Many are from urban and suburban areas, and they're shifting the group's focus from agriculture to food science.
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Over the last 20 years, the number of sheep in the U.S. has been cut in half. Today, the domestic sheep herd is one-tenth the size it was during World War II. Consumers are eating less lamb and wearing less wool these days. Those trends have left ranchers to wonder: When are we going to hit bottom?
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No, your eyes aren't fooling you: Prices for burger and steak meat have been going up this summer. Why? The ongoing drought in the Midwest has created a shortage of feed, raising expenses for ranchers and forcing some to cull their herds. And economists don't expect the beef price hikes to let up this year.
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Cities have gobbled up water rights for decades, leaving farmers to rent the water back to irrigate crops and raise cattle. During a drought, cities are reluctant to give up any of their reserves. With little irrigation water, farmers must plant less, hire fewer people and bank on crop insurance.