Tying job training to food stamps (New Food Economy): A Wisconsin plan that requires able-bodied food stamp recipients to take part in a job-training program if they don’t work at least 20 hours a week “cost double what it was supposed to and lifted only a tiny fraction of participants out of poverty,” says an analysis of the plan.
‘Big gulp’ survives, but so does soda tax (Los Angeles Times): The California Assembly’s health committee approved, 8-5, a bill to set a 2-cent-per-fluid-ounce tax on sodas to raise funding for public health programs. The panel acted only hours after shelving a bill to ban “Big Gulp”-style servings of sugary drinks.
Cuts could end dairy farming in Alaska (Modern Farmer): Among the many budget cuts proposed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy is the elimination of funding for dairy regulation in the state, which could prevent Alaska’s only operating dairy farm from selling its milk to grocery stores for human consumption.
Crowdfunding a hydroponic farm (HortiDaily): Kentucky Fresh Harvest, a hydroponic greenhouse operator, raised $520,000 through a crowdfunding appeal for money to build a facility that could grow 3 to 4 million cherry tomatoes a year.
Investor says Bayer misread Monsanto risk (Reuters): The 10th-largest stockholder in Bayer, whose market value has dropped by $34 billion since last August, said the German pharmaceutical and life sciences company underestimated the risks of lawsuits against Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide when it took over the U.S. seed and ag-chemical company last year.