Hemp, delayed not dead, in South Dakota (Capital-Journal): Gov. Kristi Noem, whose veto of an industrial hemp bill withstood an override attempt, says the crop has been postponed until the USDA issues regulations for the newly legalized product.
Des Moines water chief has cancer (Perry News): Bill Stowe, general manager of the Des Moines Water Works during a lawsuit blaming farm counties upstream for high nitrate levels in river water, said he has “an aggressive form of cancer” but will continue work at the utility.
Less than a price of a house in Maine (AP): The cod catch by Maine’s commercial fishing fleet was worth $200,000 at the dock last year, the smallest total in half a century and less than the median price of a single-family home in the state.
Meatpackers face dearth of workers (Harvest Public Media): Low unemployment rates and the Trump administration’s policies on refugees are making it hard for meatpackers to find enough workers.
Rural v. urban vote gap narrows (Daily Yonder): Despite the common narrative of a urban/rural split, Democrats made a comeback in rural areas in the 2018 elections, according to an analysis of voting in congressional and presidential elections since 2006.
Corn ethanol reaches a plateau (DOE): Fuel ethanol production, 1.05 million barrels a day in 2018, is forecast to decrease slightly this year, to 1.04 million barrels, and return to 1.05 million barrels in 2020.