Nix on credits: Microsoft has rejected tens of thousands of carbon credits offered by agricultural projects because of the difficulty of measuring their climate benefits, spotlighting one of the challenges of farmer participation in a carbon market. (Reuters)
WIC incentive: The USDA has offered states and tribes up to $490 million to increase the value of WIC vouchers for four months so participants can buy more fresh fruit and vegetables. (Food and Nutrition Service)
Wine’s weather woes: At least one-third of the wine harvest has been lost and many other crops were damaged in what could be France’s worst agricultural disaster of the century — a widespread April freeze that followed a warm March. (Washington Post)
U.S. potato victory: A ruling by Mexico’s Supreme Court cleared the way for imports of U.S.-grown potatoes after a decade of opposition by domestic growers. (Idaho State Journal)
Asparagus giveaway: Owyhee Produce gave away 80,000 to 100,000 pounds of asparagus because although the crop was ready for harvest, the farm was still waiting for guestworkers under the H-2A visa program to arrive. (Capital Press)