As war disrupts supply chains, U.S. wheat crop is smaller than expected
U.S. growers reaped their second-smallest wheat crop in 20 years due to drought in the Plains, said the Agriculture Department. The smaller-than-expected harvest would delay any American role in restoring grain flows disrupted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Senate confirms Logan to FCA, USDA nominees wait
Despite having the support of the Senate Agriculture Committee, two Biden nominees to the Agriculture Department must wait until mid-November, at the earliest, for a Senate vote.
Talks & Eats returns to Brooklyn, 10/24!
The climate crisis in agriculture is a frequent topic of reporting here at FERN. But climate change is also having a significant effect on wine and beer. How are vintners and brewers responding? In this panel discussion, wine writer Alice Feiring — proclaimed “the queen of natural wines” by the Financial Times — will talk about what she’s seen and what she’s worried about. Garrett Oliver — Brewmaster, The Brooklyn Brewery and Editor-in-Chief, The Oxford Companion to Beer — will talk about the ancient grains he’s now using to brew climate resilient beers. And author Rowan Jacobsen will focus on the explosion of winemaking in the northeast as the climate has warmed. Tickets include complimentary beer and wine. A tax-deductible VIP ticket includes a reception with beer, wine, and eats.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Bird flu in the wild: Highly pathogenic avian influenza is increasingly common among wild species, prompting some wildlife experts to suggest a shift to the goal of wildlife health from the longtime approach of disease prevention. (High Country News)
Inspection challenge dismissed: A U.S. district judge in San Francisco dismissed a challenge to USDA’s new swine inspection system by consumer and animal welfare groups that said the government had abdicated its meat-inspection duties. (Center for Food Safety)
‘Worse than prisoners’: Thousands of undocumented workers are employed on illegal marijuana farms, where wage theft, threats of violence, unsanitary work conditions and dangerous pesticides are common. (Politico)
Clear GE corn, potato: A genetically engineered corn variety by Agrivida Inc., and a GE potato from Toolgen Inc., can be commercialized without federal review because they are “unlikely to pose an increased plant pest risk.” (USDA)
Ag overtime in New York: The state labor commissioner approved a recommendation to phase in, over the next decade, overtime pay for farm workers after they work 40 hours, from the current 60-hour threshold. (Associated Press)
ON THE CALENDAR
Monday
Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Sackett v. EPA, which could revise U.S. wetlands regulations, 10 a.m. ET. In 2006, the court said if a wetland has a “significant nexus” with navigable waters, it was covered by the Clean Water Act. There have been repeated arguments over how to identify that connection.
World Dairy Expo continues through Friday, Madison, Wisconsin.
USDA releases weekly Crop Progress report, 4 p.m. ET.
Tuesday
Purdue University releases the Ag Economy Barometer, a monthly gauge of the health of the agricultural economy.
Thursday
Farmdoc daily holds webinar, “Brazilian Agriculture in 2022-23. What to Expect for Acreage?” noon ET.
Friday
Kansas City and Minneapolis Federal Reserve banks jointly hold a webinar, “Agriculture, food and inflation: Drivers and our path forward.”
Oct. 10
Columbus Day, a federal holiday since 1937, commemorates the arrival of the Italian explorer in the Americas in 1492, and by extension, the contributions of Italian-Americans to the United States. The holiday has been controversial for decades and many alternatives have been proposed, such as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, says History.com.
The School Nutrition Association holds National School Lunch Week, through Oct. 14.
