Today’s quick hits, May 1, 2018

Hawaii’s pesticide ban (Hawaii Tribune-Herald): Hawaii’s legislature advanced a bill that would make it the first state to ban the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos.

The best date of your life (Civil Eats): A 14-acre organic farm in California’s Coachella Valley produces seven types of dates from 1,000 trees for eager customers.

Walmart to sell UK groceries (CBS News): The largest U.S. grocer, Walmart, will sell its British chain Asda to Sainsbury’s in a deal that will make Sainsbury’s the largest grocer, ahead of current top retailer Tesco.

Iowa’s many floods (Des Moines Register): One of the top farm states in the nation, Iowa, ranks fourth in the nation in the number of floods since 1988 and some experts say the solution is to slow and hold water in upstream farming areas.

Senate ag panelist has competition (Minneapolis Star Tribune): Richard Painter, who was chief ethics officer for President George W. Bush, will run as a Democrat against appointed Sen. Tina Smith, a Democratic member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, in the special Senate election scheduled for November.