The Xylom

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Today is — a nationwide moment to celebrate and strengthen local news and information in communities like ours.

Local News Day shines a spotlight on the trusted local outlets that keep residents informed during emergencies, hold institutions accountable, and support everyday decision-making.

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NEW: It’s estimated that it would take roughly 700 years to demine Ukraine, with each year of war adding another decade to clean up the aftermath.

But residents of the breadbasket of Europe are not waiting for foreign aid to save them. They are taking matters into their own hands, deploying drones and robots to clear the remnants of Russia's full-scale invasion—protecting communities and reclaiming land.

This dispatch by our Editor-at-Large Kang-Chun Cheng (.north ) is produced by and co-published by . It is supported by ’s Women on the Ground: Reporting from Ukraine’s Unseen Frontlines Initiative in partnership with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.

Tap the link in the bio to read more.

ICYMI: Exploiting the rampant poverty and unemployment in South Africa, international traffickers lure local youth into stealing rare plants for sale in Asian and Arab countries. Though laws have been strengthened, experts say a technocratic solution would be more effective in curbing biopiracy.

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Our 250th story:

Since last December, apple orchardist Suresh Boorish has been driving about ten kilometres uphill the Ropa Valley in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh every few days to bring back a special “fertilizer” for his crops: piles of snow.

This “white manure” hauled from the upper slopes has become an unlikely but essential lifeline for apple growers in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. Without snow at their roots, apple trees in the region can’t grow.

“It’s only in the last 2–3 years that we’ve started doing this,” Boorish says. “Other than moisture, it also provided the plants with nutrients — almost like a natural fertilizer. But earlier, there was no need. The valley used to get enough snow. ”

As the quantity of snowfall in the valley shrinks due to warmer winters, apple farmers find themselves going higher and higher up the valley to bring back snow for their crops, something they never imagined doing. “It hardly snowed this year. Almost nothing in the valley,” the 35-year-old says, pulling his woolen cap down against the cold wind. “The trees are flowering, and this is when they need the most care.”

“At this point, it’s not about a good harvest — it’s about keeping them alive.”

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