By Jay Platt, Opinion Contributor — 01/12/18 Statutorily, the secretary of Agriculture is given several specific charges. Among his general duties, he is required to design programs and policies which “improve the quality of life for people living in the rural …regions of the Nation.” He is authorized to develop solutions to problems faced by…
Did someone forward you this newsletter? Get your own copy by subscribing here. Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Idaho’s Ag-gag Law On January 4, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Idaho’s “ag-gag” law, finding it an unconstitutional violation of free speech. The decision marks the first time a federal appeals court has ruled…
By Susan Kelly on 1/10/2018 Whole Foods Markets is requiring its suppliers to help pay for changes to how products are displayed and inventoried in its stores as the grocery chain cuts prices and centralizes its processes following its acquisition by Amazon, The Washington Post reported. The changes are intended to create a more consistent…
by Brett Murphy, USA TODAY Network | Jan. 8, 2018 The city of Los Angeles filed three lawsuits against some of the busiest port trucking companies in the country Monday, demanding they stop systematically exploiting their workers in the wake of reports by the USA TODAY Network. “This abuse, this disgraceful exploitation has to stop,”…
by Zoë Carpenter | January 9, 2018 Trump claims he’s “fighting for our farmers,” but his policies mainly benefit agribusiness. Has Donald Trump been good to America’s family farms? He certainly seems to think so: “Oh, are you happy you voted for me. You are so lucky that I gave you that privilege,” the president…
by Jim Hammerand | Jan 8, 2018, 6:07pm Costco Wholesale Corp. is building a massive – and controversial – chicken factory in Nebraska to supply it with its loss-leading $4.99 rotisserie birds. The Wall Street Journal featured Costco in an examination of how retailers can thrive by selling roasted chickens below cost. The $4.99 chicken…
WV farmer part of lawsuit to give contract growers more legal strength · By Max Garland Staff writer · Jan 6, 2018 An organization headed in part by a Pendleton County farmer has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for rolling back rules that would have given contract farmers more legal muscle…
by Leah Douglas Corporate-run agricultural co-ops are squeezing the very farmers they’re supposed to protect. Making them work again could help revive the heartland. Should you ever find yourself crossing the Coon Prairie, you’ll come in good time to a place where the speed limit slows and a wooden sign reads “Velkommen til Westby.” Affixed…
By Abha Bhattarai | January 5, 2018 Whole Foods Markets is placing new limits on how products are sold in its stores and asking suppliers to help pay for the changes, riling some mom-and-pop vendors that have long depended on the grocer for visibility and shelf space. The changes, outlined in an email recently sent…
by Alex Smith | January 8, 2018 A few years ago, Kansas City restaurateur Anton Kotar surveyed the local and national restaurant scenes and concluded his town’s reputation as a steakhouse paradise had slipped. The problem, he says, is the way conventional beef is raised – bulked up with grain on feedlots, making it cheap…