Nestlé’s water victory (NPR): Michigan regulators approved Nestlé’s plan to increase the amount of water it pumps from the state, despite receiving more than 80,000 public comments against the food company’s plan.
Endangered species critic to oversee wildlife policy (The Hill): Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke named Susan Combs, a former Texas state official and critic of the Endangered Species Act, as acting assistant secretary for fish, wildlife, and parks.
Sonny not sentimental about GIPSA (The Lima News): At a stop in Ohio on his RV tour, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue expressed little regret about the USDA’s repeal of the Farmer Fair Practices Rules, saying that if some farms don’t survive, “that’s the American capitalistic society.”
Arkansas appeals “dicamba six” ruling (DTN/Progressive Farmer): The state attorney general appealed for an Arkansas Supreme Court ruling on a decision allowing six farmers to use the weedkiller dicamba on cotton and soybeans despite a state ban. The appeal also asks for a court order to block the farmers from using the herbicide until the case is decided.
Forgotten foods for the future (Food Tank): Sorghum and millet are nutritious and drought-tolerant crops that lost popularity in the past half-century to the “big four” of corn, wheat, rice, and soybeans.
Preserving rare fruits (Atlas Obscura): California fruit expert C. Todd Kennedy is a giant when it comes to preserving America’s stone fruit legacy, donating hundreds — perhaps half — of the cultivars in the national collection.
I killed the Colorado River (Sacramento Bee): The Colorado may have carved the Grand Canyon, but it is no match for the insatiable thirst for drinking and irrigation water in the U.S. Southwest.
Monsanto revenue from corn seed slips (Reuters): The world’s largest seed company said its revenue from the sale of corn seed fell by 6 percent in the quarter that ended Feb. 28 as net sales company-wide declined marginally to $5.02 billion.
Pasta maker cuts back on Canadian durum (iPolitics): Barilla, the world’s largest pasta maker, has cut back on purchases of durum wheat grown in Canada because of consumer concerns about herbicide residues.