Bankrolling food influencers: The food, beverage, and dietary supplement industries have paid dozens of registered dietitians to produce material on social media that promotes the industries’ products, and the relationship often was not explicitly disclosed. (Washington Post)
Low water hits harvest—again: For the second year in a row, low water on the Mississippi River is slowing barge traffic and driving up freight rates at harvest time in the Midwest. (Associated Press)
HotHog for cool pigs: HotHog, a USDA app, lets farmers know when heat stress may be affecting their herds, an issue that combines animal welfare with production efficiency. (Ambrook Research)
Rural towns need water: Persistent drought in the Plains has forced towns in southeastern Kansas to conserve, as their drinking water comes from lakes where water levels are dropping. (States Newsroom)
Wheat exports shrivel: Exports of U.S.-grown hard red winter wheat will shrink to 155 million bushels this marketing year, the smallest total since record-keeping began in 1973, due to drought, a long-term decline in wheat plantings, and increased competition overseas. (USDA)