Chesapeake Bay health set back by heavy rains (WAMU): The Chesapeake Bay Foundation found that the bay was “dangerously out of balance” in 2018, due in large part to runoff from farms and city streets that was exacerbated by a year of heavy rains.
Wider antibiotic use in citrus (Florida Phoenix): The Trump administration will allow the spraying of certain human-grade antibiotics on a half-million acres of citrus in Florida, a response to an epidemic of citrus greening that is affecting the industry.
Colorado has first woman ag commissioner (Sterling Journal-Advocate): Incoming Gov. Jared Polis selected Kate Greenberg, of the National Young Farmers Coalition, as state agriculture commissioner. She is the first woman to hold the post in Colorado.
Bangor schools stick to healthier food (Bangor Daily News): Public schools in Bangor, the third-largest city in Maine, “will stick to more demanding nutrition standards for school lunches even as the federal government officially relaxes them” in February.
Big trends: Plant-based food, robotics, New Ag (Forbes): The top three trends in food are more mechanization in food prep, “the sprouting plant-based food system,” and “New Ag that includes gradations beyond organic farming, regenerative fish farming and cell-based meat.”