The Government Will Spend $3 Billion to Direct Fresh Produce and Dairy to Food Banks
Ricky Jones, operations manager at Magic Valley Quality Milk Transport, walks out the door as 4,100 gallons of milk pour down the drain Wednesday, April 8, 2020, at the Azevedo Family Dairy in Buhl. With restaurants across the country closed, milk processors have lost a significant chunk of their market, leaving dairy farmers with no…
Trump Moved to Ease the Farm Labor Shortage—While Also Trying to Cut Workers’ Pay
dmaroscar/Getty For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis and more, subscribe to Mother Jones’ newsletters.As the coronavirus lockdown settled in last month, the US government made a decision that sent shockwaves through the agriculture industry: It closed its embassy and consulates throughout Mexico. The move abruptly halted the issuance of new temporary-work permits, known as…
Farmers on Remote Island Fight Food Insecurity With Their Flock
A little goat.Paul Zinken/Zuma For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis and more, subscribe to Mother Jones’ newsletters.This piece was originally published in Canada’s National Observer and appears here as part of our Climate Desk Partnership. Goats are an overlooked tool in the arsenal for rural, isolated communities to improve their resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic,…
As CSA Orders Surge, a Farm Owner Reflects on Loss and Renewal in Rural California
Courtesy Eatwell Farm For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis and more, subscribe to Mother Jones’ newsletters.Most of the country is on hold, but fortunately spring is still moving forward. In California, it’s a time of sweetening strawberries and the first tender stalks of asparagus. CSAs—community-supported-agriculture programs—deliver these fresh offerings straight from farm fields to home…
The Surprising History of the Wildlife Trade That May Have Sparked the Coronavirus
A rescued young Sunda pangolin takes his first tentative steps after being released back into the wild. ZUMA For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis and more, subscribe to Mother Jones’ newsletters.This story was originally published by the Food and Environment Reporting Network. For the past 40 years, the Chinese government has promoted the wild…
“Without These Workers, Everything Ceases to Exist”: How Coronavirus Is Coming for Your Produce
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images Every year in mid-March, thousands of men from all over Mexico show up in downtown Monterrey, the country’s third-biggest city, with big, rolling suitcases and folders full of documents. They huddle in groups outside of cheap hotels, waiting on their appointments at the US consulate so they can get the stamp on their…