Hemp explosion continues (Politico): Farmers are planting more hemp than ever before, but uncertainty about how hemp products are regulated and the ongoing debate about legalizing cannabis make it a risky crop.
Wine industry reshaped by climate change (New York Times): Climate change is altering the production of wine in several ways, including expanding the growing range of certain grape varieties and creating chaotic weather conditions that challenge growers.
USDA proposes more Tongass logging (Washington Post): At the direction of President Trump, the USDA’s Forest Service has proposed “allowing logging on more than half” of the Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska, likely putting the region’s salmon and tourism industries at risk.
Honduran climate movers (California Sunday): Farmers in southern Honduras, who used to count on two harvests a year, are now fortunate to get one because of a prolonged drought that is causing them to seek work in town, in the nation’s less afflicted farming regions, or in other countries.
Disaster aid should include ‘quality losses’ (NAWG): The USDA should respond to heavy rain and early snowfall in Northern Tier states by considering quality losses — including mold, mildew, and sprout damage — when providing disaster relief, said the National Farmers Union and groups representing the growers of a range of crops.