In race to control the House, three Agriculture Committee toss-ups
A relative handful of contests in the Nov. 8 general election — one month away — will decide whether Democrats or Republicans control the House in 2023. Three of those toss-up races are in farm-state districts with seats on the House Agriculture Committee.
On heels of White House hunger conference, ‘the hard work really begins’
Just over a week after the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, a group of policymakers and advocates outlined what it will take to make the Biden administration’s goal of ending hunger and reducing diet-related disease by 2030 a reality.
U.S. revises rules for H-2A guest workers
The Labor Department said it had strengthened worker protections in the agricultural guestworker program in two regulations announced on Thursday. One applies to the H-2A program and will take effect on Nov. 14. The other involves temporary labor certification under H-2A and will appear in the Federal Register next week.
More than 47 million birds lost to avian influenza
Bird flu was discovered in a backyard flock in the Albuquerque area, making New Mexico the 42nd state where the viral disease has been confirmed this year, said the Agriculture Department on Thursday.
Talks & Eats returns to Brooklyn 10/24!
The climate crisis in agriculture is a frequent topic of reporting here. 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 Rowen 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
California lowers Colorado draw: State water agencies said they would reduce water withdrawals from the Colorado River by up to 400,000 acre-feet annually, equal to 9 percent of the state’s allotment but far less than federal officials are seeking. (Los Angeles Times)
New head of utilities agency: President Biden appointed Andy Berke, who expanded no-cost internet service to low-income families while mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee, to be administrator of the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service. (USDA)
Force majeure on Mississippi: Ingram Barge Co. formally declared force majeure because of low water on the Mississippi River that has affected its operations downstream of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, interfering with its ability to move cargo. (Reuters)
Drought and climate change: Drought that stretched across three continents this summer was made 20 times more likely by climate change, according to researchers from World Weather Attribution. (Associated Press)
Salmon die-off: Hundreds of thousands of salmon returning to spawn in British Columbia’s streams and rivers may have died because of drought that reduced flows in the waterways. (CBC News)
