Low water slows exports: U.S. grain exports from the Gulf of Mexico were the lowest in nine years during the first week of October due to shallow water on the Mississippi River that halted the flow of grain from the Midwest. (Reuters)
School-food equipment grants: With National School Lunch Week under way, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $50 million in grants to schools to buy new food service equipment. (USDA)
Ag export record: With August data newly available, U.S. ag exports totaled $182.8 billion for the first 11 months of the fiscal year and on track for a record $196 billion forecast by USDA for fiscal 2022. (USDA Radio News)
Climate-smart stewardship proposal: A portion of the $20 billion allotted to USDA under the climate, health and tax law should be put into a new climate-smart conservation program that allows producers “to earn equitable payments above implementation costs.” (Rural Investment to Protect Our Environment)
Orchid-sniffing dogs: Researchers in the Phoenix area turned to two specially trained dogs to locate endangered orchids that grow in ciénegas, a type of desert wetland that is drying up in the West’s prolonged drought. (Axios)