Agriculture

"The U.S. Attorney's Office is conducting a criminal probe into Rancho Feeding Corporation, making it the third agency to investigate the Petaluma slaughterhouse caught up in a massive meat recall, Rep. Jared Huffman said Monday."

"Millions of pigs are crammed into overcrowded barns all across the state, being fattened for slaughter while breeding superbugs—all to feed China's growing appetite for Spam."

"Farm workers, children and other people working or living near farm fields would have more protection from hazardous pesticides under changes proposed on Thursday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency."

"MATHER, Calif. -- Describing the drought as a 'call to action,' Gov. Jerry Brown joined Democratic legislative leaders Wednesday to unveil a $687.4 million package aimed at helping California get through its water crisis and better prepare for the next one."

"British scientists have developed genetically modified potatoes that are resistant to the vegetable's biggest threat -- blight."

"FRESNO, Calif. — President Obama arrived in the heart of California’s parched farmland on Friday afternoon to offer tens of millions of dollars in federal assistance to the state, where the lack of rain and snow this winter has led to the severest drought in its modern history."

"EASTABOGA, Ala. — In the midst of one of the great natural gas drilling booms in the nation’s history, millions of Americans are struggling with a problem that is chilling their bones."

"Remember those ballot initiatives in California and Washington that aimed to get food companies to label products containing genetically modified ingredients?"

"The Agriculture Department inspector showed up at Rick Schiller’s home in November to collect potential evidence from his freezer: three pounds of chicken thighs, wrapped in plastic and stamped with a Foster Farms label."

"Attorneys general in 21 states are backing an attempt to derail the Obama administration’s Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan, fearing that the government will use that authority to regulate wastewater in other watersheds, including the Mississippi River Basin."