Free school meals: New Mexico joined California, Colorado, Maine, and Minnesota by passing a law making school meals free for all students. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham noted that New Mexico’s law is the first to include provisions on nutrition and food waste. (Gov. Lujan Grisham)
Honoring Cesar Chavez: President Biden saluted the late cofounder of the United Farm Workers as a labor and civil rights leader and proclaimed Friday to be Cesar Chavez Day. (White House)
Producer protections: Corn and soybean farmers in more than 1,200 additional U.S. counties will be eligible for a crop insurance option that provides coverage against an unexpected decrease in operating margins. (Risk Management Agency)
Renewable diesel booms: Annual production capacity for renewable diesel has expanded by 1.8 billion gallons in the past two years, and it could grow to 6 billion gallons by the end of 2025. (farmdoc daily)
Rural energy plan: On Friday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi will announce “significant funding … to build critical infrastructure that will expand access to clean energy in rural communities.” (FERN’s Ag Insider)