Farmers expect trade deal soon, but Trump says maybe not
In the largest numbers yet, farmers say they expect a trade deal soon with China and they believe it will benefit them, said a Purdue University poll released on Tuesday. Yet President Trump said an agreement could be a year away.
As debts rise on school meals, a call for action
Student-meal debt is a common problem for U.S. schools, and the amount owed is growing. The problem is large enough to merit a national solution, said the leaders of an anti-hunger group and a yogurt company on Tuesday.
Judge says Iowa ag-gag law can’t be enforced, for now
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Monday that will prevent the enforcement of Iowa’s ag-gag law while a challenge to the law proceeds through the courts.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
An effort to save biodiversity (NPR): A team of scientists has been traveling across the world to collect wild relatives of crop species that humans depend on. They hope to preserve genetic diversity in the face of climate change.
Cargill goes green(er) (Star Tribune): Cargill announced expanded efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain and signed onto a coalition that opposes the U.S.’s exit from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Green light for hemp banking (New York Times): Federal and state regulators scrapped burdensome regulations that required bankers to treat hemp entrepreneurs as if they might be laundering drug money.
Raising a stink about anaerobic digesters (New Food Economy): Manure digesters turn livestock waste into biogas, a “green” byproduct for industrial farms, but critics say the digesters create a dirty-burning fuel.
Women farmers in Alaska (Modern Farmer): Women account for 47 percent of farmers in Alaska, far above the U.S. average of 36 percent, possibly because small farms are booming.
