Farm activist Corky Jones dies: Nebraska farmer Corky Jones, a former president of the American Agriculture Movement and a leader of the 1979 Tractorcade that brought hundreds of farmers to Washington to seek change in U.S. farm policy, has died at age 92. (Farm Aid)
Eleven warmest months: The average temperature for the 48 contiguous states from January through Novermber was 57.1 degrees F, 3.3 degrees above average and the warmest on record for the 11-month period. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Continents are drier: Three-fourths of the world’s land experienced drier conditions from 1979-2020 than in the previous 30-year period, and the drier conditions are challenging the survival of plants and animals, said a UN report. (Associated Press)
Specialty crop program opens: The USDA said it would accept applications through Jan. 8 for payments through the new $2 billion Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops program, intended to help producers expand markets and manage higher costs. (Farm Service Agency)