quick hits

Thanksgiving dinner costs less: The cost of ingredients for a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner has dropped for the second year in a row, to an average of $5.80 per person, down from $6.12 in 2023 and $6.41 in 2022. (American Farm Bureau Federation) Average ‘dead zone’: The low-oxygen dead …

Trump shadow over COP29: The impending return of Donald Trump to the White House is reducing the chances of an agreement at the UN climate summit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food systems, the source of one-third of emissions. (Grist) Caraveo, Chavez-DeRemer lose, Costa wins: House …

Midwest farmland values stall: In the third quarter of 2024, for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2019, farmland values in the Midwest stalled instead of showing an increase over the previous year, said a survey of ag bankers. (Chicago Federal Reserve) Groups seek credit extension: …

Canadian teen has H5N1: The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed that the H5N1 avian flu virus was the cause of illness in a teenager hospitalized in Vancouver. It is the nation’s first domestically acquired human case of the disease. (PHAC) Food inflation rate falls: The food inflation …

Slotkin wins Senate seat: Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Democratic member of the House Agriculture Committee, narrowly defeated Republican Mike Rogers in the Senate race in Michigan and will succeed retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow. (NBC News) Record ag trade deficit: Census Bureau data show a U.S. …

Pipeline law is nixed: South Dakota voters killed Referred Law 21, passed by the legislature in March, which would have superseded county and local rules about where a proposed carbon pipeline could be built. (Sioux Falls Argus Leader) Denver rejects slaughterhouse ban: Voters overwhelmingly …

Nunn trails in poll: The Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll indicated voters prefer Lanon Baccam, a Democrat, over incumbent Rep. Zach Nunn, a Republican, 48 percent to 41 percent, in a U.S. House race in the southern Iowa district. (Des Moines Register) Multiyear revenue proposal: …

Formula makers not liable: A Missouri jury decided that the two leading manufacturers of infant formula, Abbott Laboratories and Mead Johnson, were not liable in a product defect lawsuit that sought more than $6 billion in damages. (Law.com) Co-op financial association launched: The USDA …

Less meat and potatoes: Draft recommendations for the new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans call for greater consumption of plant-based foods and the reduced intake of beef and starchy vegetables like potatoes. (Agriculture Dive) Food for Opportunity launch: The USDA earmarked $50 …

Bird flu infects 34: The Centers for Disease Control confirmed three additional cases of bird flu in poultry workers in Washington State, raising the U.S. total to 34 human infections since late May. (CDC) Protein prices tick upward: Grocery prices will rise 1.6 percent during 2025 due to …

Osborn gains on Fischer: Independent Dan Osborn is gaining ground on Deb Fischer, a Republican member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and the Nebraska Senate race, previously rated as “likely” Republican, now “leans” GOP. Two House Agriculture Committee members, David Valadao, a California …

Veneman endorses Harris: Republican Ann Veneman, the first woman to serve as U.S. agriculture secretary, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming election, saying the tariffs proposed by former President Donald Trump were “dangerous for rural America” and would “harm farmers by …

Twenty-seven bird flu cases: With two additional cases confirmed, 13 of the 27 people infected by the avian flu virus this year are Californians; all but one of the U.S. cases involved dairy and poultry workers. (Centers for Disease Control) Hurricane damage up to $2.5 billion: Hurricane Milton …

Highest SNAP participation rate: SNAP reached its highest participation rate, with 88 percent of eligible people enrolled in 2022, since the USDA began estimating participation nearly 50 years ago. The rural participation rate was 94 percent. (USDA) Record global soy crop: World soybean …

Bird flu hits flocks: After two months with virtually no U.S. outbreaks, highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed on two egg farms, in Utah and Washington, with a total of 2.69 million chickens. The disease has killed 103.5 million birds in domestic flocks since February 2022. (USDA) Big …

More bird flu cases: The California Department of Public Health said it was notified on Thursday of “two additional possible human cases, also in the Central Valley,” of people with bird flu. The CDC has confirmed four human cases in the state, all among farmworkers. (CDPH) USDA-backed …

Managing income slump: Farmers can employ a range of practices to weather the ongoing squeeze on income, including diversifying into high-value crops, reducing their production costs, and delaying major purchases, said six farm economists. (farmdoc daily) Citrus threatened by hurricane: Many of …

Farms most at risk: The farms most likely to feel financial stress from the spate of lower crop prices are those with less experienced operations, that lease most of their land, with high debt-to-asset ratios, and little off-farm income, said two analysts. (farmdoc daily) Dairy resiliency …