At the Future Harvest conference in Maryland, we heard about distribution, equipment, infrastructure, and the weather.

Despite claims that the agency is “reassessing” the safety of paraquat, the Trump administration is simply continuing work started by the Biden administration—but not reevaluating the science on the herbicide’s link to Parkinson’s.

More than 40 growers across the U.S. are working to preserve Palestinian heirloom seeds, along with the history, tradition, and identity they contain.

The FDA will scale back on enforcing food dye labeling, making it easier for food companies to advertise products as made with no artificial dyes.

The agency said the move would make it easier for food manufacturers to transition to natural dyes, but public health groups say it will enable misleading labels on artificially colored foods.

The Environmental Protection Agency issued new guidance this week that makes it clear that manufacturers cannot use the Clean Air Act to prevent farmers from fixing their own equipment.

In the town of Fayetteville, food security efforts have spanned the private and public sectors for many years. At the heart of the work is the community’s approach to nutrition education for youth, including growing food.

The EPA issued new guidance on a Biden-era policy, which prohibits manufacturers from using environmental laws to prevent repair work.

The USDA is starting to roll out more than a billion dollars of food aid funding that went unspent after the dismantling of USAID last year.

On the day Alex Pretti was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents, restaurant owner Tracy Wong didn’t hesitate to open her doors to protestors, offering them safety from law enforcement’s dispersal tactics. Now, residents are stopping by to thank her and dine at My Huong Kitchen.

Since 2023, Israeli bombing and ground assaults have left only 1.5% of Gaza farmland undamaged. To continue the work of preserving seeds, the Palestinian Heirloom Seed Library launched the Seed Protectors Project in 2024. Today, more than 40 U.S. growers are working to preserve heirloom seeds.

Some news updates from me in the @civileats.com food policy tracker so far this week…. civileats.com/2026/02/04/u...

The USDA announced Tuesday that it is now operating the foreign food aid program Food for Peace and that it is moving quickly to get the program back on track to deliver “lifesaving food assistance.”

Last month, Mid-Atlantic farmers gathered for the 2026 Future Harvest conference to learn, network, and share resources. We spoke with attendees about the biggest challenges they’re facing today. buff.ly/QyP6fPh

On the day that Alex Pretti was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, restaurant owner Tracy Wong didn’t hesitate to help her community. She opened her doors to protestors struggling to see and breathe after agents threw tear-gas canisters into the crowds.

More than 40 growers nationwide are working to preserve treasured heirloom seeds, along with the history, tradition, and identity they contain.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins attributes the decline to a stronger economy and higher wages, but an anti-hunger advocate says the drop in enrollment is not a sign that the need for food assistance has decreased.

The West Bank-based Palestine Heritage Seed Library collects and distributes Palestinian seeds for cultivation. Approximately 40 growers in the U.S. are part of the library’s Seed Protectors Project and are working to preserve treasured heirloom seeds.

In the town of Fayetteville, Ark., food security efforts have spanned the private and public sectors for many years. At the heart of the work is the community’s approach to nutrition education for kids.

The Securities and Exchange Commission changed an obscure policy last week that could make it harder for shareholders to pass resolutions that call on companies—including food and agriculture companies—to improve environmental and social outcomes.

An estimated 1.75 million fewer people are participating in SNAP since the start of the Trump administration, demonstrating a decline even before large policy changes to the program began to take effect in November.

Despite claims that the agency is ‘reassessing’ the controversial weedkiller, the Trump administration is simply continuing work started by the Biden administration—but not reevaluating the science on the herbicide’s link to Parkinson’s.

Arkansas has the highest rates of food insecurity in the nation. With federal funding gone, a multipronged community effort is underway to maintain food access.

The EPA is continuing some work begun by the Biden administration, in response to lawsuits. That doesn’t include evaluating new evidence on the chemical’s links to Parkinson’s disease, which many health experts say is now robust.

The lawsuit is the second one amid a policy fight over state laws that support farm animal welfare. The Trump administration filed a similar lawsuit against California in July of 2025.

As Democratic minority leader for the Senate Agriculture Committee, Klobuchar has been a vocal opponent to USDA reorganization plans and cuts to food assistance.

Introducing "First Person," our newest series of perspectives on Native foodways from Indigenous food leaders around the country.

As DHS and ICE continue to target immigrant communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul, local institutions are stepping in to feed and assist those in need. Here is a list of organizations helping their neighbors in the affected areas. ⬇️

As the Senate moves toward a government shutdown, food businesses and farmworker groups are pushing Democrats to stick to their demands for new restrictions on immigration agents and enforcement.

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, has officially joined the Minnesota gubernatorial race.

The lawsuit is the second one amid a policy fight over state laws that support farm animal welfare.

Nationally renowned chef Sean Sherman is circulating a letter for food businesses, restaurant owners, chefs, and allies to sign and plans to deliver it to senators in Washington, D.C., today.

Every agricultural community is unique, but those involved with the Skagit wheat economy say they’re confident that other agricultural areas could similarly use public dollars as a springboard for private enterprise. “There are other small places that have pieces of it that I think can replicate.”

The EPA is continuing some work begun by the Biden administration rather than reevaluating the science on paraquat’s link to Parkinson’s, which many health experts say is now robust.

Introducing “First Person,” our yearlong series that will feature the voices of Indigenous food leaders who are reaffirming the value of Native foodways and celebrating their resurgence after centuries of suppression and near-erasure.

We put together a list of institutions located in Minnesota, many of them with a long history of mutual aid, that are stepping up to make sure their community members stay fed and safe.

The Trump administration is suing Michigan to overturn a law that bans cages on egg farms in the state and mandates all eggs sold in the state come from cage-free systems.

Despite claims that the EPA is "reassessing" the controversial weedkiller paraquat, the Trump administration is simply continuing work started by the Biden administration—but not reevaluating the science on the herbicide’s link to Parkinson’s. @lisaelaineh.bsky.social reports. ⬇️

Introducing “First Person,” our series of perspectives on Native foodways from Indigenous food leaders around the country. We acknowledge Indigenous people as the original keepers of this land, with the knowledge and agency to heal it, and this platform is theirs.

Op-Ed: The Government Wants You to Follow Their Food Pyramid. We Have a Better Alternative.

As DHS and ICE continue to target immigrant communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul, local institutions are stepping in to feed and assist those in need. Here is a list of organizations helping their neighbors in the Twin Cities. ⬇️

When the last local pea processing plant closed in this part of Washington state, the county’s port commission invested millions to help farmers pivot to high-value grains.

The U.S. saw a 16% jump in sales of medically important antibiotics for farm animals, the biggest increase ever recorded. Experts worry this signals backtracking on stewardship just as antibiotic‑resistant infections kill 35,000 people a year. #FoodPolicy #PublicHealth #Antibiotics @civileats.com

The Senate has until Friday to pass a final package of appropriations bills and keep the government open. This time, though, if the government does shut down again, food and farming agencies will not suffer the same closures they did last year.

The Trump administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status for 350,000 Haitians is set to go into effect next week, and the Department of Homeland Security has also moved to end TPS for immigrants from Venezuela, Nepal, Somalia, Burma, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.

Over the past 15 years, the Skagit Valley has emerged as a national hot spot for innovations in grain breeding, artisan-scale milling, and experimental baking. “We thought if we could get specialty wheat to grow here, you could get more per bushel. It turns out to be true.”

Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts) filed a discharge petition to force a House vote on a bill to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitians for three years.

“We need a coherent resource, grounded in science, guiding the nutrition policies that affect tens of millions of Americans through federal food assistance programs,” write Grace Chamberlin, Anupama Joshi, and Aviva Musicus from the Center for Science in the Public Interest in an op-ed.

Always a pleasure to work with the good folks @civileats.com. Here's my latest, a hopeful story for an otherwise dark time civileats.com/2026/01/26/h...

When the last local pea processing plant closed in this part of Washington state, Skagit County’s port commission invested millions to help farmers pivot to high-value grains. Contributor @jasondovemark.bsky.social reports. ⬇️