Pandemic brought 17-percent drop in school meals Federal waivers that allowed schools to hand out “grab and go” meals to students, and that made meals free to all students, were powerful tools in blunting the impact of the pandemic on food insecurity among children, said USDA economists. Although the number… Continue reading The post Pandemic brought 17-percent drop in school meals – October 18, 2021 appeared first on America’s Farm Report.

With UAW on strike, Deere says, ‘We’ll keep running’ The world’s largest farm equipment maker, Deere and Co., said managers and other salaried employees would keep its factories operating in the face of a strike by 10,000 union workers. “We’ll keep running,” the company said on Thursday. More USDA nominees… Continue reading The post With UAW on strike, Deere says, ‘We’ll keep running’ – October 15, 2021 appeared first on America’s Farm Report.

Voluntary FDA guidelines would cut salt intake by 12 percent With Americans consuming 50 percent more salt than recommended, the FDA issued voluntary guidelines on Wednesday that would reduce sodium content in packaged and restaurant food, the major source of salt in the diet. The FDA said guidelines might “become… Continue reading The post Voluntary FDA guidelines would cut salt intake by 12 percent – October 14, 2021 appeared first on America’s Farm Report.

Surge in yields brings biggest U.S. soybean crop ever The U.S. soybean hit parade, with record production in 2016, 2017, and 2018, will continue this year with the largest crop ever, the government forecast on Tuesday with the harvest in full swing. A late-summer surge in likely yields per acre… Continue reading The post Surge in yields brings biggest U.S. soybean crop ever – October 13, 2021 appeared first on America’s Farm Report.

Ag coalition proposes climate mitigation for $100 an acre At the same time farm-state lawmakers are trying to add $2 billion to $3 billion a year to USDA conservation programs, a coalition of farmers and ag groups says the price tag for climate mitigation on the farm should be much… Continue reading The post Ag coalition proposes climate mitigation for $100 an acre – October 12, 2021 appeared first on America’s Farm Report.

Senate approves Stone-Manning as land management chief Tracy Stone-Manning, a long-time environmentalist, will serve as the first Senate-confirmed director of the Bureau of Land Management in more than four years, winning a party-line roll call on her nomination, 50-45. Montana Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, said Republicans resorted to character… Continue reading The post Senate approves Stone-Manning as land management chief – October 11, 2021 appeared first on America’s Farm Report.

Lawmakers shrug at Grassley call for livestock reform Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley urged reauthorization of mandatory price reporting, telling the House Agriculture Committee on Thursday that it is the ideal vehicle for ensuring cattle producers get a fair price from meatpackers. But few committee members got on board with the… Continue reading The post Lawmakers shrug at Grassley call for livestock reform – October 8, 2021 appeared first on America’s Farm Report.

Americans’ spending on food plunged during pandemic The pandemic and its accompanying economic slowdown prompted a dramatic 7.8 percent cutback in consumer spending on food in 2020, said two USDA economists. The reduction was more than double the impact of the Great Recession on food sales, partly because the pandemic… Continue reading The post Americans’ spending on food plunged during pandemic – October 7, 2021 appeared first on America’s Farm Report.