Food

Roadkill Moose Fed Alaska Families for Years. Then Came COVID-19.

Salvaged roadkill is a free source of protein.

  • By Matt Vasilogambros, Stateline

Will Rising Temperatures Make Superweeds Even Stronger?

Widely used herbicides are struggling to kill some weeds. Some experts think heat could be part of the problem.

  • By Natasha Gilbert, Undark

Food Banks See Higher Demand Than Usual Before Thanksgiving

Officials fear food insecurity will worsen even more if federal programs adopted during the pandemic are allowed to expire.

  • By Andrea Noble

Federal Judge Rejects Work Requirement Changes in Food Stamp Program

Nineteen states and Washington, D.C., had filed a lawsuit challenging the USDA's changes to food assistance, which would have cut 700,000 adults from the program.

  • By Laura Maggi

USDA Extends Free School Meal Program for Children

The U.S. Department of Agriculture loosened requirements for children receiving free meals through their schools at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and announced Monday it would keep those flexibilities in place through the end of the year.

  • By Andrea Noble

City Creates Food Stamps App as Renewal Process Becomes More Difficult

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is resuming pre-coronavirus application and renewal requirements for food stamps. Washington, D.C. created a mobile public benefits app that officials hope will make it easier for recipients to apply and meet eligibility requirements.

  • By Andrea Noble

Curbside Pickup Is a Lifeline for Eateries. How Long Can It Last?

At least 100 cities have set up curbside pickup zones for restaurants.

  • By Jenni Bergal, Stateline

Meatpacking Companies Dismissed Years of Warnings but Now Say Nobody Could Have Prepared for COVID-19

In documents dating to 2006, government officials predicted that a pandemic would threaten critical businesses and warned them to prepare. Meatpacking companies largely ignored them, and now nearly every one of the predictions has come true.

  • By Michael Grabell and Bernice Yeung, ProPublica

Struggling Farmers Work With Overwhelmed Food Banks to Stay Afloat

The pandemic is showing the need for strong local agriculture.

  • By Alex Brown, Stateline

As Crisis Grows, Farms Try to Balance Health of Field Workers and Food Supply

Skeptics say the lack of enforceable federal safety standards geared toward the coronavirus allows these employers to prioritize the harvest over worker safety.

  • By Victoria Knight, Kaiser Health News

Food Stamp Use Could Skyrocket With Loss of Enhanced Unemployment Benefits

Even with the expanded benefits for out-of-work people, millions of families had to sign up for food stamps during the early months of the pandemic. Now even more people are expected to need the assistance.

  • By Andrea Noble

Bars Are ‘One of the Worst Environments’ for the Spread of Covid-19. Is It Time for Governors to Shut Them Down?

If you go to a bar in a pandemic, you might get more than a cocktail.

  • By Emma Coleman
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Pandemic, China Trade Deal Fuel Farmer Doubts

A U.S.-China trade deal is falling short on its commitments.

  • By April Simpson, Stateline

City Compost Programs Turn Garbage Into ‘Black Gold’ that Boosts Food Security and Social Justice

COMMENTARY | Municipal composting programs, if executed on a large scale, can reduce food waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions and promote better stewardship of our soil.

  • By Kristen DeAngelis, Gwynne Mhuireach and Sue Ishaq, The Conversation

It’s Time to Rethink the Disrupted US Food System From the Ground Up

COMMENTARY | The soil that produces our nation’s food supply is a weakened link slowly failing under ongoing strain.

  • By David R. Montgomery, Jennifer J. Otten and Sarah M. Collier, The Conversation

Health Inspections Take on New Role in Monitoring Restaurant Safety

Local health departments that suspended in-person inspections of restaurants and bars are beginning to restart their programs and now have even more responsibilities than before, like enforcing social distancing.

  • By Andrea Noble

Home Baker Challenges City Food Ordinance Requiring Inspections

A new lawsuit challenges health ordinances the city of Lincoln enacted after Nebraska lawmakers loosened state restrictions on the sale of home-baked goods and other cottage foods.

  • By Andrea Noble

Nearly Half of U.S. Households Lost Some Income During Pandemic

The findings released by the Census Bureau come at a time Republicans and Democrats in Congress are at odds over an extension of expanded federal unemployment benefits.

  • By Andrea Noble

USDA Will Appeal Ruling to Block Food Stamp Work Requirements

A federal judge had blocked the USDA from moving forward with requiring more stringent work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, saying they weren’t appropriate during the coronavirus pandemic.

  • By Andrea Noble

Economic Blow Of The Coronavirus Hits America’s Already Stressed Farmers

The pandemic has decimated agricultural markets.

  • By Sandy West, Kaiser Health News

States, USDA Launch Programs Help Farmers Sell Excess Produce

With restaurants and schools closed, farmers lost their traditional markets for fresh produce. New state and federal programs hope to connect excess supply with the demand, including at food pantries across the country.

  • By Andrea Noble