The Latest

• 

  Understanding EPA’s new rules protecting farmworkers from pesticide exposure

  Changes controversially expand the boundaries for “application exclusion zones” to include areas outside the farm.

  Crops

• 

  Fresh Del Monte boosts regenerative agriculture 11% across farms

  The produce giant said it's met a number of sustainability targets ahead of a 2030 deadline and also introduced new goals to improve human rights in agriculture.

  Crops

• 

  Clemens Food Group to close Pennsylvania pork plant

  The closure affects a plant acquired from Kunzler & Co. with production set to be moved to another facility in the state.  

  Meat

• 

  US farms on track to harvest record corn and soybean crops

  Latest production estimates from USDA contribute to expectations of sharp profit declines for growers. 

  Crops

• 

  Cal-Maine plans $40M investment to expand cage-free egg production

  The U.S.' largest egg producer also said it's working with growers to add more free-range hens as it converts a former Tyson facility in Missouri.

  Meat

• 

  From a small apple farm to a $54M cider business: Charting the rise of Blake’s Hard Cider

  A third-generation farmer has grown his family’s Michigan orchard into a multi-million dollar operation with a national footprint.

  Crops

• 

  Helene damage to Georgia agriculture tops $6B in preliminary estimate

  "The future is uncertain for thousands of Georgia farmers," the state's agriculture commissioner said, with poultry growers and pecan farmers facing years of recovery from widespread destruction.

  Crops

• 

  Mormon Church pays $289M for dozens of US farms

  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' real estate arm is acquiring more than 41,000 acres of land with the intention of leasing it to farmers. 

  Crops

• 

  Moldy motel rooms, unlicensed drivers: Farm banned from H-2A program after labor violations

  Harvest Plus LLC is paying more than $250,000 in fines after the Department of Labor said the company illegally withheld wages and transported temporary farmworkers in “dilapidated” vehicles.

  Regulations

• 

  Column

  Agtech Seedlings: Deere launches dairy sustainability tool with DeLaval

  Also in this week's farm technology news: Cibo Technologies partners with Scoular to prepare for biofuel tax credits, and AcreShield raises $2.5 million to help farmers with seed selection.

  Crops

• 

  USDA prepared to issue subpoenas in beef price-gouging investigation

  The department is exploring the impact of food system consolidation as it looks to "more vigorously enforce" competition rules in the meat and grocery industries.

  Meat

• 

  How Chomps’ grass-fed beef sticks became the fastest growing snack in the US

  The meat company is preparing to open its first dedicated manufacturing facility in collaboration with Western Smokehouse Partners.

  Meat

• 

  Hurricane Milton takes aim at Florida’s Citrus Belt

  The life-threatening storm could also wreak havoc on the state's phosphate industry, keeping fertilizer prices elevated.

  Crops

• 

  McDonald’s sues Tyson, JBS and other beef producers for allegedly fixing prices

  The fast food giant, which is the world's largest buyer of beef, alleges major meat companies conducted illegal acts to drive down supplies. 

  Meat

• 

  Vegetable grower settles claim that HR staff required harassment victim to obtain restraining order

  A female employee at Pero Family Farms Food Company repeatedly attempted to report a male co-worker’s sexual harassment and physical threats, federal investigators alleged.

  Crops

• 

  Court denies petition for stronger EPA regulation of large livestock farms

  A lawsuit brought by Food & Water Watch would have required farmers to have Clean Water Act discharge permits for their operations.

  Meat

• 

  Drought shrivels cotton, delays wheat planting in US Plains

  Dry conditions are challenging production in states like Texas and Oklahoma, a stark contrast to the destructive flooding from Hurricane Helene that has waterlogged fields across the Southeast.

  Crops

• 

  Meatable eyes new funding as it looks to bring cultivated beef to the meat industry

  The startup’s CEO sees working with farmers and processors who could use a percentage of cultivated meat in their products as a solution to many of the industry’s issues.

  Meat

• 

  ‘Decades of progress gone in a single instant’: Assessing the farm damage from Hurricane Helene

  With billions of dollars in damages expected, the USDA is deploying "surge teams" to assist with recovery efforts as farmers and food giants work to rebuild local communities.

  Crops

• 

  Starbucks buys more innovation farms to create climate-proof coffee

  Farmers in Costa Rica and Guatemala will test drones and hybrid crop varieties as the company aims to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the region.

  Crops

• 

  French fry maker Lamb Weston to close Idaho potato processing plant

  The restructuring comes as the food producer sees a slowdown in demand at restaurants and retailers.

  Supply Chain

• 

  Deep Dive

  Election 2024: Where Trump and Harris stand on agriculture

  Higher food prices, trade relations with China and other farm issues are becoming more central to party platforms.

  Crops

• 

  One of California’s major agricultural regions could ban ‘factory farming’

  Residents in Sonoma County are divided on Measure J, which farmers say could yield unintended economic consequences if passed.

  Meat

• 

  Column

  Agtech seedlings: Chiquita unveils ‘breakthrough in sustainable banana production’

  Also in this week's farm technology news: Biopesticide startup AgroSpheres raises $37 million for sustainable crop production, and Syngenta adds generative AI to its Cropwise platform.

  Crops

• 

  Dockworkers at East and Gulf Coast ports agree to suspend strike

  The International Dairy Foods Association said “it will take weeks to clear the backlog” from the three-day work stoppage.

  Updated Oct. 3, 2024

  Meat

More stories