Food and Agriculture News: 6/9/22

Food and Agriculture News: 6/9/22

Strawberries sold nationwide linked to hepatitis A cases, FDA says - WSB-TV

Yikes! Not what you want to think about while you’re enjoying some delicious red berries. The exposure seems to be limited to California, with one case in Minnesota and one in North Dakota. The berries are long past their expiration now, but the FDA warns anyone who may have frozen berries from FreshKampo or H-E-B to throw them away. 

Why More Americans Are Rethinking Their Lawns - Modern Farmer

It seems that No Mow May is catching on! Love this quote from Karen Ridges in Illinois: 

“You’re asking me not to do a chore that I hate anyway for a whole month? And, in the process, it’s something small that might help the insects in the ecosystem. It seemed like a no-brainer.”

What’s key in this article is that it digs a little deeper. While No Mow May is a nice starting point, it’s not inherently helpful without native plants. Otherwise, you’re really just growing tall grass imported from Europe that doesn’t really help pollinators over here. 

'A huge win for our industry': Georgia food truck vendors to pay fewer fees in 2023 - WMAZ

You may recall an article a couple months back describing the hurdles food trucks were going through to serve people in different counties – mainly, countless inspections and fees. Well, there’s good news! Governor Brian Kemp has signed a bill that will allow a single permit for operation no matter where they serve.

"It's a huge win for our industry. We're excited, we see the health department, we're getting feedback from inspectors and the departments saying this the right thing and it’s going to relieve some of the burden on them as well," Tony Harrison, board president of the Food Truck Association of Georgia said. 

Congress picks a bone with Big Meat - NBC News

This article highlights just how dangerous it was working in a meatpacking plant at the height of the pandemic. The bottom line is that companies knew their employees were getting sick – at much higher rates than the general public – and worked with the Trump administration to keep health inspectors away. 

A few clicks down the rabbit hole and I discovered the actual report from a Select Committee in the House. The details are galling. Almost 60,000 cases came from meatpacking plants alone. They even sourced an email from a local doctor to a JBS executive:

“100% of all COVID-19 patients we have in the hospital are either direct employees or family member[s] of your employees,” and warning that “your employees will get sick and may die if this factory continues to be open.”

The war in Ukraine is fueling a global food crisis - Reuters 

Excellent reporting about food inflation right now, but the graphics really steal the show. Simple, yet glaring price disparities from 2014-16 averages, especially in oil and grain. and edit content here.

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