Last week, Wall Street Journal writers Jacob Bunge and Heather Haddon reported that, “On a rainy September morning, a pair of cattle ranchers browsed the refrigerated meat cases at a Walmart Inc. store in Mandan, N.D., snapping cellphone photos of an unwelcome invader among the shrink-wrapped ground beef: Beyond Meat Inc. patties, made from pea… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Keith Good
USDA Improves Crop Insurance Policies for Coarse Grains Producers
A news release Wednesday from USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) stated that, “[USDA] today announced changes to crop insurance for coarse grains in 2020. [RMA] made changes to the policy, which take effect in 2020. The changes allow producers more flexibility to choose enterprise units (EU) or optional units (OU) by Following Another Crop (FAC)… Continue Reading
Posted in Agriculture Law
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U.S. Pork Can Reduce Overall U.S. Trade Deficit with China by Nearly Six Percent
A news release yesterday from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) stated that, “Securing zero-tariff access to China for U.S. pork would be an economic boon for American agriculture and the country, according to the [NPPC]. Based on an analysis by Iowa State University (ISU) Economist Dermot Hayes, NPPC says unrestricted access to the Chinese… Continue Reading
Posted in Agriculture Law
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Senate Democrats Critique Farm Trade Payments
Earlier this month, Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski reported that, “President Donald Trump’s $16 billion bailout package for farmers hurt by the trade war with China unfairly benefits the South at the expense of the North and wealthy producers over smaller farms, Democratic senators concluded in a report released [on November 12th]. “The report, one… Continue Reading
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Beef Industry Promises Greenhouse-Gas Reductions
Bloomberg writers Lydia Mulvany and Isis Almeida reported yesterday that, “The American beef industry, wary of the vegan-burger craze that’s sweeping the nation, is trying to scrub its image as a greenhouse-gas-emitting machine. “With big retailers and investors pressing companies to improve their footprints, giants like Tyson Foods Inc. and Cargill Inc. are promising ambitious… Continue Reading
Posted in Agriculture Law
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Start-Ups Shying Away from Consumer Internet, Turning More to Supplying Software for Business
Steve Lohr and Erin Griffith reported in today’s New York Times that, “When Rajiv Ayyangar and two other Yahoo alumni explored start-up ideas, they experimented with concepts directed at the public, like a personal finance app. But making money from consumers was too daunting, they concluded, partly because of the tight grip that digital giants… Continue Reading
Posted in Start-up Company Law
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Kroger Explores “Farm-to-Aisle” Grocery Shopping
Earlier this week, Bloomberg writers Deena Shanker and Matthew Boyle reported that, “Visitors to Seattle-area Kroger supermarkets next week will be able to walk out with fresh parsley, cilantro and other greens grown in the store, the latest example of grocers bringing the farm right to their aisles. “Kroger’s deal with German startup Infarm includes… Continue Reading
Posted in Agriculture Law
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A Growing Concern for Indoor Farming: Lightbulbs
Laura Reiley reported on the front page of today’s Washington Post that, “The next big thing is here, all girders and concrete pads, glass roofing and gravelly dirt. Viraj Puri, co-founder of one of the nation’s largest indoor farm companies, walks through the construction site, and even without the luminous frills of thousands of butter… Continue Reading
Posted in Agriculture Law
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Some Tech Start-Ups Starting to Hoard Cash, Something That Was Unpopular in Boom Times
New York Times writer Erin Griffith reported this week that, “Mark Frank, who runs a health technology start-up called SonderMind, had planned to wait until the end of 2020 to raise more money for his company. “But after Uber and Lyft stumbled when going public and WeWork ousted its chief executive and pulled its initial… Continue Reading
Posted in Start-up Company Law
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USDA Issues Second Tranche of Market Facilitation Program
An update Friday from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) stated that, “U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the second tranche of 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments aimed at assisting farmers suffering from damage due to unjustified trade retaliation by foreign nations. The payments will begin the week before Thanksgiving. Producers of MFP-eligible… Continue Reading
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