China lowers tariffs on animal feed (Reuters): China is removing tariffs from animal feed ingredients imported from five Asian countries, including soybeans, soymeal, and rapeseed, as its trade dispute with the U.S. escalates.
Farm Aid in Connecticut for first time (Farm Aid): For the first time, Farm Aid will hold its annual concert and celebration of family farms in Connecticut, on September 22 in Hartford. Performers will include board members Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews.
American Food Heroes (EatingWell): In its second annual list of American Food Heroes, the magazine names 12 people ranging from Michel Nischan of Wholesome Wave, Harvard professor Walter Willett, executive director Julie Packard of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine.
Who makes Honey Smacks? (Food Safety News): Public health officials are urging consumers to discard a Kellogg’s cereal because of a salmonella outbreak but the manufacturer of the breakfast food has not been named. Kellogg says the recalled food was produced by a contractor; neither it nor FDA has named the company.
China tariffs hit Trump country (Washington Post): An analysis of China’s list of potential retaliatory tariffs finds “tariff-exposed jobs are more than twice as likely to fall in counties that voted for Republican Donald Trump in 2016 than counties won by Democrat Hillary Clinton. A Brookings fellow sees the possibility “for significant disruption in America’s agricultural tier.”
SNAP stays put (Politico): When asked about the White House proposal to move SNAP to a new federal “welfare” department, Senate Agriculture chairman Pat Roberts replied, “I haven’t looked at it because we’re not going to do it.”