Author Archives: Keith Good

Bloomberg writer Isis Almeida reported this week that, “Starbucks Corp. fans can now trace their coffee. And so can farmers, who will know for the first time where their beans end up. “Starting Tuesday, customers buying coffee at Starbucks stores across the U.S. will be able to use a code on the bags to find… Continue Reading

Bloomberg columnist Justin Fox noted this week that, “Since hitting a low point in 2008, beset by the apocalyptic-sounding colony collapse disorder, America’s honeybees have been on the comeback trail. The number of colonies the U.S. Department of Agriculture counts is back up to almost 3 million, a level last seen in the early 1990s…. Continue Reading

Bloomberg writer Adam Minter reported last week that, “Shepherd’s Way Farms are located on 44 acres an hour south of the Twin Cities. It’s a small plot in a region where corn and soybean farms can sprawl for thousands of acres. But Shepherd’s Way doesn’t require much space to raise the few dozen sheep that… Continue Reading

A news release yesterday from USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) stated that, “[RMA] today announced it will make several improvements to Federal crop insurance prevented planting coverage. RMA will implement these changes for most spring crops with prevented planting coverage, starting in the 2021 crop year, and for all crops with prevented planting coverage, starting… Continue Reading

Financial Times writers Mure Dickie and Emiko Terazono reported recently that, “The coronavirus pandemic has been a major worry for many British farmers, threatening access to agricultural labour and complicating international supply chains. But for proponents of indoor farming, the crisis has offered an opportunity. “David Farquhar, chief executive of technology developer Intelligent Growth Solutions,… Continue Reading

Wall Street Journal writer Amara Omeokwe reported today that, “The coronavirus pandemic and the heightened attention on race have thrown new light on a longstanding source of economic inequality: Black communities have less access to credit than white ones. “To address that gap, Washington and Wall Street are turning to a small network of lenders… Continue Reading

A recent news release from the Organic Trade Association (OTA) stated that, “The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recognized the [OTA’s] Organic Fraud Prevention Solutions as an example of an effective private initiative to prevent fraud in the organic supply chain. “In the department’s Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) Proposed Rule, which [was published earlier this… Continue Reading