Beer consolidation continues (Reuters): Heineken, the No. 2 brewer in the world, acquired a 40-percent stake in China’s largest brewery, China Resources Beer, for $3.1 billion.
Almond milk recalled for containing actual milk (MLive): The FDA announced a recall of over 145,000 half-gallons of Vanilla Almond Breeze almond milk because it potentially contains traces of dairy milk.
Baobab, the new ‘superfood’ (Reuters): Major brands such as Coca-Cola and Costco have embraced the the citrussy pulp of the baobab, the iconic tree of Africa, bringing revenue to harvesters and raising questions about whether the trees can withstand the demand.
Recruiting workers to rural jobs (New York Times): When the great majority of Americans live in cities, businesses and local governments have to step up their campaigns to bring workers to small towns and rural America. The lures include free health clinics, cash bonuses, and help paying off student loans.
Farm use of water unclear (Water Deeply): Only half of California’s irrigation districts comply with a state law that requires them to file annual reports on water deliveries to their farmer customers.
First Latino leader of Iowa 4-H is out (Des Moines Register): John-Paul Chaisson-Cárdenas, the first Latino to lead Iowa 4-H, was fired a week before the Iowa State Fair for reportedly failing to “foster a positive and collaborative work environment.”
Trade angst on farms may appear at ballot box (San Francisco Chronicle): In the Central Valley of California, Republican members of the U.S. House “are being squeezed between supporting Trump and his agenda, and doing right by the farmers they represent.” An almond grower says he’ll vote against the incumbent if he doesn’t get a share of federal aid to agriculture.