Quick hits: SS Edmund Fitzgerald mystery remains; internet carriers team up; complex beef pricing; what to wear for extreme-weather reporting

At 729-feet, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was the longest ship traveling through the Great Lakes
before it was 'swallowed' by Lake Superior. (Wikipedia photo) 

It's still a story investigative reporters are exploring: What caused the massive SS Edmund Fitzgerald to sink 17 miles from the safety of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin? "On November 9, 1975, the ship left Superior, Wisconsin, with more than 26,000 tons of taconite pellets aboard. By the next evening, Lake Superior had swallowed the Edmund Fitzgerald whole," reports Andrew Daniels of Popular Mechanics. "One answer may be the ship’s cargo hatches. Ric Mixter, who visited the Fitzgerald wreck in the 1990s, said that if he could return, he would take photos of every hatch clamp and investigate where the taconite ended up." Read Pop Mech's deep dive on the famous ship's final voyage here. Listen to Gordon Lightfoot's haunting ballad about the fate of the Edmund Fitzgerald and its 29-member crew here. 

It's expensive for U.S. ranchers to increase their herds.
(Photo by Daniel Quiceno M, Unsplash)

Why can't farmers just raise more cattle so the price of beef will come down? "Ranchers say it's not that simple," reports Jack Dura of The Associated Press. "It’s never been so expensive for Americans to buy a steak or hamburger. … The dwindling number of cattle is a key reason the average price of all uncooked ground beef in the U.S. was $6.86 per pound in March." Even with high beef demand and high prices, ranchers still have to consider the cost of adding to their herd. Livestock owners are already paying more for the cattle they do have because drought and wildfires have left ranchers no choice but to pay for additional feed and water to be delivered to herd sites. 

Despite efforts to get the entire country online, many U.S. residents still live in areas without internet access, but that problem could soon change. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Communications announced that they are "setting aside their differences and forming a joint venture that will help end wireless dead zones across the U.S., especially in rural and underserved areas," reports Connor Hart of The Wall Street Journal. "The companies said the initiative will help the U.S. extend its global leadership in wireless communications technology … "

Handwritting letters is good for the human brain.
(Photo by T.D. Aran, Unsplash)

Handwriting letters may seem more than a trifle old-fashioned, but revisiting the aged tradition of letter, pen and stamp can reap benefits. Elizabeth Passarella of The New York Times writes, "Research shows that writing by hand lights up multiple parts of your brain — areas that are associated with creativity, memory and your senses — in a way that emailing does not. … Unlike chatting, writing makes you slow down and decide which details of your life are meaningful enough to share." Readers interested in tips to get started with a letter-writing habit can click here.

Whether it's tornado, wildfire or hurricane season, journalists need to be ready to hit the natural disaster beat. But first, preparations need to be made, and extreme-weather reporter Judson Jones is here to help reporters look good no matter what Mother Nature blasts. "Shortly after returning from a trip to chase hailstorms, Jones gave me a rundown of his core outfit packing list that keeps him ready for any assignment," reports Kyle Fitzgerald of Wirecutter. "We talked about why the way he unpacks is as important as the way he packs, as well as the need to bring multiple hats." After years of trial and error, Jones has even found a jacket that keeps him dry during hurricane rain and winds and is stylish enough to wear to dinner post-storm reporting. Read his picks and tips here. 

The world loves American cheese and butterfat products.
(Photo by Edward Howell, Unsplash)

Global cheese and butterfat demand continues to climb, helping American dairy farmers slice off profits even as milk production continues to increase. Cheese exports in March broke records with "over 63,435 metric tons exported, which is an all-time high for single-month exports," reports Sarah Jungman of Dairy Herd Management. The 2026 gain represents a 29% jump in cheese exports over March of 2025. "Butterfat and anhydrous milk fat exports also set a single-month record at 17,074 metric tons shipped, 109.9% higher than March of 2025." During the first quarter of 2026, Mexico exported the largest chunk of American dairy products. 

Quick hits: Bakery sign debate; global cheese demand; Marlboro man's mystique; discover the Stargazer Highway

Local art students created the bakery sign, but a code enforcement 
officer said it had to come down. (Leavitt's Country Bakery reel photo)

Even in closely-knit small towns, not everyone gets along. In Conway, New Hampshire, town officials and Sean Young, a bakery business owner, have been in a legal dust-up since Young installed a front signage mural made by local high school students. "But the town of Conway told Young the painting wasn’t a mural, it was a sign that exceeded the town’s legal size limit and would need to be taken down," reports Kyle Melnick of The Washington Post. "Young left the mural up, and sued the town the following year, claiming its ordinance violates the First Amendment." In May, a judge ruled that Leavitt’s Country Bakery sign, with its giant muffins, donuts and beaming sun, could stay.

The love of cheese products is going global, which is good news for American dairy farmers. "While domestic cheese sales remain soft, global cheese demand is accelerating rapidly," reports Taylor Leach of Daily Herd Management. "Much of that growth is coming from international restaurant menus that are incorporating cheese in new and creative ways. . . . Beyond cheese, other dairy products are gaining traction in international markets as well. Whey proteins and milk proteins, in particular, are seeing increased demand across Asia."

The Marlboro man 'was always adaptable to the times.'
(Philip Morris ad via MEL magazine)

Despite the illness and death cigarette smoking has caused, the Marlboro man remains a strong, stoic, and unequivocally American icon. "The Marlboro man was something of a chameleon, in that he took on multiple meanings and was always adaptable to the times — which, more than anything else, speaks to the durability of the cowboy in American culture," reports Brian VanHooker for MEL magazine. VanHooker shares the storied history of one of the most successful ad campaigns in U.S. history. "Twenty years later, while the Marlboro Man may evoke a sense of nostalgia for some due to its beautiful imagery of the West, for so many who have had a loved one die from smoking-related illnesses, he has a much darker legacy."

Department of Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a listing of new Farm Service Agency and Rural Development state directors tasked with implementing the Trump administration's rural agenda. During her announcement, Rollins told reporters, "Our latest additions to the USDA family are personally invested in ensuring farmers and rural America prosper." Mariah Squire of Successful Farming provides a by-state listing of new appointees, with a limited look at their professional backgrounds.

The dark night skies of the Black Canyon in Gunnison National Park, Colorado.
(Photo by G. Owens, National Park Traveler)

America's National Parks offer visual experiences rarely found in other places. A group of photographers wanted to understand more about Native American spiritual history, so they set out across the National Park's path known as the "Stargazer Highway," Eric Jay Toll writes for National Park Traveler. "More than a dozen tribes have traditional lands through which the Stargazer Highway passes, and each has sacred tribal legends explaining the stars in the skies and lessons, consequences, and morals on Earth. . . . These stories [are] along the highway, better known as U.S. 191, and many of its side roads. The road runs 1,545 miles from Mexico to Canada through Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana, passing 24 national parks, monuments, and tribal parks."

IQOS is marketed as sophisticated and 'safer' than
burned tobacco. (Adobe Stock photo)

Phillip Morris has a slick-looking new tobacco product hitting U.S. markets. "The chicly futuristic branding of IQOS, a heated tobacco product owned by Philip Morris International, is one of several things worrying researchers and anti-tobacco advocates," reports Sarah Todd of STAT. "The company is rolling out pilots of the device. . . peddling IQOS (pronounced “eye-koss”) as the 'next step in tobacco harm reduction.' The company positions the devices as a better alternative for smokers compared to cigarettes." Health advocates don't agree with the company's sales pitch and say that savvy IQOS marketing could convince some people to start an unhealthy, addictive habit. 

Ticks can transmit diseases to humans.
(CDC photo)

The problem with ticks isn't that they look creepy; they spread illnesses with alarming efficiency. Every summer it's good to review the best ways to avoid and if needed, remove hitchhiker ticks. "These vile little creatures transmit Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis, among others, and symptoms can range from swollen joints to meat allergies," report Annemarie Conte and Doug Mahoney of Wirecutter. Click here to read "their favorite picks and the advice to keep in mind as you head outdoors this summer."

Ag round-up: Americans love butter and cheese; Brooke Rollins' nomination; toxic farm fertilizer; what to give a farmer?

Americans’ per capita consumption of dairy is up 3% over the past five years, 9% over the past
15 years, and 16% over the past 30 years. (Courtesy photo via Morning Ag Clips)

Even as U.S. milk and ice cream consumption dips, butter and cheese sales climb. "Butter and cheese consumption each surpassed all previous records, reaching all-time highs of 6.5 pounds (butter) and 42.3 pounds (cheese) per person, respectively, in 2023," reports Morning Ag Clips. "For context, a typical package of butter containing four sticks weighs 1 pound (16 ounces) and a standard bag of shredded cheese is half a pound (8 ounces)."

Synagro, a little-known company owned by Goldman Sachs, sells fertilizer made with sewage sludge to farmers who add it to crop soil. Unfortunately, Synagro's fertilizer may not be safe. It can contain biosolids, which often harbor 'forever chemicals' known as PFAS, which are linked to a range of "serious health problems including cancer and birth defects," reports Hiroko Tabuchi of The New York Times. "Farmers are starting to find the chemicals contaminating their land, water, crops and livestock." Synagro is leading a group of sludge-industry lobbyists "who argue they shouldn’t be held liable because the chemicals were already in the sludge before they received it and made it into fertilizer."

Fall and winter baking can increase
egg prices. (No Revisions photo)

The price of eggs is beginning to climb -- again. "The current spike coincides with shifts in shopping habits. Demand tends to rise in the fall and winter, says Brian Earnest, an animal protein economist with CoBank. Seasonal baking calls for increased egg use in home kitchens," reports Taryn Phaneuf of Nerdwallet. "Meanwhile, flocks of egg-laying hens are smaller because producers haven’t recovered from losses to bird flu over the past two years . . . The latest consumer price index shows that the price of eggs is up 37.5% from where it was a year ago."

When President-elect Donald Trump chose Brooke Rollins to head the Department of Agriculture, the nomination "blindsided" Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reports The Wall Street Journal. "Kennedy, the president-elect’s nominee to run the Health and Human Services Department, had been quietly compiling a shortlist of agriculture-secretary candidates in hopes of installing a like-minded disrupter in the post who would remake the food and farming sectors. . . . Brooke Rollins, a former White House aide with little prior relationship with Kennedy, wasn’t on the list."

2024 figures forecasted, USDA graph

As farmers plan for 2025 crops, many face lower profit margins for the second year in a row. "U.S. farm incomes are expected to fall again in 2024, and many farmers find themselves facing tighter budgets for next year," reports Kirk Maltais of The Wall Street Journal. "What hurt farmers the most was lower crop-cash receipts — the amount of money generated from selling crops. . . . Input costs, such as fertilizer and farm equipment, remain high. . . . Farmers are being squeezed, even after harvesting a record-size crop this year."

DaydreamsGirl photo via Lancaster Farming

If you want to know what to give a farmer, ask a farmer.

Crop farmer Tom Venesky’s has a few suggestions:

• A new tractor seat — Everyone has at least one tractor with a worn-out, busted-up seat
• Sunglasses, hearing protection or a tractor canopy
• A can of Freon — While being in a cab tractor shields us from the sun and noise, the glass can make it as hot as a greenhouse

Dairy farmer Taylor Pool shares some of her wish list:

• Muck boots — waterproof to keep your feet dry
• Hand warmers
• Duct tape
• Slippers
• Candles

And finally, cattleman Matthew Mitchell says livestock wranglers want:

• Waterproof snow pants or ski pants
• New socket set — since parts of old sets always magically go missing
• Utility knife/pocket knife

More modern cheesemaking was created by rural folks; the steps to make it are delicious dairy science

Even though cheesemaking history formally dates back to 2500 BC, the more traditional cheesemaking we know today was invented by French peasants. If you know how rural communities work, you're probably not shocked that farming folks from centuries ago were brilliant and creative in using milk for delicious ends.

Fast forward to the present day, and we now know what rural cheesemakers used to develop cheese is pure science, writes John A. Lucey for The Conversation, a journalistic platform for academics. Lucey, a food scientist who has studied cheese for 35 years, takes readers through the cheese-making process from milk to mozzarella. A few edited steps are shared below.

First off, cheese has delightfully few ingredients. "It’s made with milk, enzymes – these are proteins that can chop up other proteins – bacterial cultures and salt. Lots of complex chemistry goes into the cheesemaking process, which can determine whether the cheese turns out soft and gooey like mozzarella or hard and fragrant like Parmesan," Lucey notes. "All cheesemakers first pump milk into a cheese vat and add a special enzyme called rennet. . . . The cheesemaker is essentially turning milk from a liquid into a gel."

Churning milk and rennet into gel can take 10 minutes or more depending on the cheese. The cheesemaker will then cube the gelled "curd" and work to remove moisture from the smaller blocks. "To do so, the cheesemaker might stir or heat up the curd, which helps release whey and moisture," Lucey explains. "Depending on the type of cheese made, the cheesemaker will drain the whey and water from the vat, leaving behind the cheese curds."

Master cheesemaker Gary Grossen cuts a vat of cheese with a cheese harp. Cutting helps release
whey during the cheesemaking process. (UW Center for Dairy Research photo via The Conversation)

Cheesemakers add different ingredients and steps depending on the type of cheese being made. Hard and soft cheeses require different treatments. For example, "mozzarella, [is placed] in a salt solution called a brine. The cheese block or wheel floats in a brine tank for hours, days or even weeks," Lucey writes. "During that time, the cheese absorbs some of the salt, which adds flavor and protects against unwanted bacterial or pathogen growth."

As cheesemakers go through each step "several important bacterial processes are occurring," Lucey adds. Even as a finished product, cheese is "a living, fermented food. . . .Cheesemaking is a milk concentration process. Cheesemakers want their final product to have the milk proteins, fat and nutrients, without as much water. . . .There are hundreds of different varieties of cow’s milk cheese made across the globe, and they all start with milk. All of these different varieties are produced by adjusting the cheesemaking process."

To read more about the science of making cheese, click here.

Quick hits: A good job for bots; farm safety for kids; double-dairy delights; blueberry contests; what's in your cart?

Dos Rios is also a destination for migratory birds along the Pacific flyway.
(California State Parks photo)

Filled with sunlight and the sounds of nature, California's newest state park steps back in time and into the future all at once. "The park opened this summer, emerging among the never-ending rows of agriculture the valley is known for. It's a lush 2.5 square miles now bursting with hundreds of thousands of native trees, bushes and animals," report Jonaki Mehta, Christopher Intagliata and Ailsa Chang of NPR. "But it isn’t like most state parks. In addition to bringing much-needed green space to an underserved area, its unusual design uses nature-based climate solutions that reinvigorate native wildlife. . . .By restoring the natural floodplain, the park will also help mitigate flooding that threatens residents in the area."

Busy farms can be full of dangers for adults and children. But particularly for farm kids, safety needs to be stressed and modeled, reports Jennifer Shike for Drovers, a beef industry publication. "The leading cause of injury and death for all ages on farms is large equipment. That's why Tawnie Larson from the Kansas Agriculture Safety and Health program urges farm and ranch owners to allow only youth with proper training and experience to drive large equipment. . . . Her advice to adults is simple. Demonstrate how to do things safely when children are young. Then, as they get older, take them to formal tractor safety training."

Caramel Popcorn Mascarpone Ice Cream Sundaes
(Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin photo)

What does joy in July look like for dairy lovers? Ice cream. What do dairy lovers from Wisconsin do in July? They add cheese to their ice cream! You don't have to be from the dairy state to do it. Go ahead, live large -- combine mascarpone cheese or even a cheddar with delicious heavy cream. Try scoops of cheddar apple pie ice cream or a mascarpone caramel ice cream sundae. Not ready to go that far into your dairy dream? A stop at any dairy shack is a delightful way to revel in summer -- while it lasts. 

Photo by Joanna Kosinska, Unsplash

Summer isn't just for animal fairs, it's time for produce competitions. The states of Maine and New Jersey have their blueberry dukes up and are seeking the "best berry" award. "The small blue fruit known for its antioxidants and other health benefits is New Jersey’s top crop. Meanwhile, nearly 100% of low-bush blueberries are grown in Maine," writes Matt Enright of Lancaster Farming. "But which state has the better berries? It depends on who you ask. . . . Ben Perrin, who’s been growing organic Maine blueberries for over 35 years, says it’s no contest. . . . Bill Mortellite notes New Jersey growers were the first to cultivate blueberries, so their farmers there have the most experience." 

How many of us have stood in a grocery store checkout line convinced that watching paint dry is more interesting -- only to have our eyes and minds wander over to the carts around us, quietly taking inventory of what's in the cart compared to the purchaser? "To better understand our relationship to the food we buy, we asked readers to send us their grocery receipts. . .and selected 27 people from across the U.S. to focus on," report Priya Krishna, Tanya Sichynsky and Aliza Aufrichtig of The New York Times. In combing through their receipts. . . we saw how identity, income and geography inform what makes it into the cart. . . .70% bought at least one bag of chips." Go ahead. Take a look.

Autonomous robots can tackle weeding and other field
work. (Photo by Aigen via The Guardian)

Robots can get a bad rap for stealing jobs humans need, but in the searing heat of summer, some bots are doing jobs no person wants. "Clint Brauer watches a team of bright yellow robots churn up and down the rows, tirelessly slicing away any weeds that stand in their way while avoiding the growing crops," reports Cary Gillam of The Guardian. Standing 4 feet long and 2 feet wide "the battery-powered machines pick their way through the fields with precision, without any human hand to guide them. . . . Baurer sees the robots as critical tools to help farmers reduce their reliance on chemicals and be more protective of their health and the environment."

U.S. dairy herd growth hits a 22-year low; breeding for beef operations offers significantly higher profit margin

Amid worldwide cheese and beef consumption increases, there's a hiccup in the American supply chain -- beef production is hampering dairy growth because there aren't enough heifers. "Dairy herd expansion is unlikely to occur quickly as the beef industry continues to bid up for young stock and dairy heifers remain in short supply," reports Fran Howard of the Daily Herd. "Dairy producers can make more money breeding for beef operations than they can producing heifers for their own farms or their neighbor's operation, according to Sarina Sharp, an analyst with the Daily Dairy Report."

Dairy producers profit from raising crossbred bull calves.
(Photo by Maureen Hanson via Dairy Herd)

The profit margins on livestock reflect the shortage. Howard reports, "At a late-January livestock auction in New Holland, Pennsylvania, cattle feeders paid an average of just over $414 for newborn Holstein bull calves, the highest price in eight years. But dairy-beef crossbred calves brought a whopping $675/head at the same auction, and crossbred heifer calves commanded a similar price."

For dairy-cattle producers, the profit difference is dramatic. Sharp told Howard, "If this margin holds, a 1,000-cow dairy that produces crossbred bull calves can expect to earn about $100,000 more in 2024 than it would selling Holstein bull calves. High beef calf prices are sending a clear signal to the dairy industry to make more beef calves and fewer dairy heifers. And the industry is listening."

The Department of Agriculture estimated that on Jan. 1, there were 4.059 million dairy heifers. "While that was only a 0.35% drop from 2023's steep decline, the decline still marks the smallest heifer inventory in 20 years, according to Sharp's calculations," Howard explains. "Sharp noted that just 2.59 million heifers are likely to calve and enter the dairy herd in 2024, by far the lowest inventory in USDA's 22 years of projections."

Sharp told Howard, "Waning heifer inventories will ensure that growth in the U.S. dairy herd will be slow and costly. If the industry develops an appetite to expand, already lofty heifer values will shoot upward, raising the cost of filling a new barn. The increasing popularity of crossbreeding suggests that the heifer shortage will continue for years, reducing how quickly the industry can respond to high milk prices." 

Quick hits: Elmo helps adults; schools sue social media; rural hearing loss; chatbot and climate deniers talk

Elmo told NBC Today reporters, "I'm really glad I asked."
(NBC News photo)

Feeling weary? You're not alone. "Thousands of people unloaded their life problems on Elmo last week after the red Muppet posed a casual question on X: 'How is everybody doing?' Not well, it seems," reports Angela Yang of NBC News. "The question opened the floodgates to a deluge of internet users eager to vent to the children's show character that had somehow signed himself up to be the internet's newest therapist." Sesame Street used Elmo's touching text to provide emotional health education for adults.

Last week, social media leaders took a grilling by a U.S. Senate committee for their role in helping sexual predators solicit and abuse children. But Congress isn't the only entity looking for social media accountability. "More than 200 school districts have now sued the major social media companies over the youth mental health crisis," reports Arianna Prothero for Education Weekly. "What started as a single lawsuit filed by the Seattle public schools one year ago has morphed into an all-out offensive against the social media platforms. . . . It is still the early stages of this legal saga, but experts say it could prove to be highly consequential for K-12 education — win, lose, or settle."

The world is learning to love cheese. (Canva photo)

Whether it's salty bites of chewy Mimolette or the stretchy delight of melted Gouda, cheese is among the few things many global citizens can agree on. "People can't get enough cheese, regardless of what continent they live on," reports Fran Howard of Dairy Herd. "Cheese has long been a staple in many countries' cuisine, and in those cultures where cheese has more recently been introduced, demand continues to rise." Sarina Sharp, an analyst with the Daily Dairy Report, told Howard: "Global cheese demand just keeps climbing."

Hearing loss is often more common in rural men.
(Photo by Jed Owens, Unsplash)

Along with stiff muscles and diminishing eyesight, aging often includes hearing loss, but rural men are more likely to experience it than others. "A new estimate shows hearing loss affects approximately 37.9 million Americans and is more common in rural areas than urban ones and in men than women," reports Devi Shastri of The Associated Press. "While the study could not explain the reason for the geographic divide, experts who treat hearing loss say there are two factors to consider: how loud noises are and how often people hear them."

Teacher by day and farmer by night, Marcia Ruff helped build her family's Circleville, Ohio, farm from the ground up. She teaches kindergarten during the week but spends most evenings and weekends working on the farm with her husband, Mark, and three children, reports Cheyenne Kramer of Farm Journal. Ruff told Kramer, "This is really the dream life I had envisioned. As a teacher, you educate children and prepare them for the world, but as a farmer, you feed the world." Kramer reports, "Ruff was the 2023 'Women in Ag' award winner. Read more about the Ruffs here.

Freepik photo

Some interesting things happen when humans discuss social issues with an AI chatbot. "In a study recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at the University of Wisconsin asked people to strike up a climate conversation with a GPT-3," reports Kate Yoder of Grist. "The study analyzed the bot’s interactions with more than 3,000 people, mostly in the United States, from across the political spectrum. Roughly a quarter of them came into the study with doubts about established climate science, and they tended to come away from their chatbot conversations a little more supportive of the scientific consensus."

As more Americans chose to eat more cheese, farmers look for ways to increase milk fat content

Jersey cows produce milk that is high in butterfat and
has a golden hue. (Wis. Jersey Breeders Association photo)

What's better than cheese? More cheese. That's what many Americans are telling the U.S. dairy industry. But heightened demand for rich-tasting young gouda and spunky blue cheese comes with a catch -- dairy farmers need their cows to produce fattier milk, reports Kirk Maltais of The Wall Street Journal. "Just five years ago, dairy farmer Melvin Medeiros said his herd consisted entirely of Holsteins, which are the black-and-white spotted cows. . . . Now about 70% are brown Jersey cows, which are smaller but produce a fattier milk."

In dairy-producing states such as Wisconsin and Vermont, loving cheese is threaded throughout the culture, but the rest of the country is catching on. "Cheese consumption is at an all-time high, with Americans eating an average of 42 pounds a year in 2022, according to the most recent data available from the Department of Agriculture," Maltais writes. "That is up 17% over the previous decade." Although butter sales declined in 2022, consumption is still up 9% compared to a decade ago. 

Beyond switching cow breeds, what else can farmers do to "squeeze" fattier milk from their herd? It comes down to keeping cows comfortable and providing a richer diet. "Cross-ventilated barns ensure animals don't get too hot," Maltais explains. "Keeping cows cool helps them get fatter — and produce fattier milk. Medeiros adds oilseeds like cottonseed and canola to their feed."

Michael Hutjens, professor emeritus of animal sciences with the University of Illinois, told Maltais, "We're seeing a lot more money invested in fans and sprinklers." Maltais reports: "Hutjens said breeding and genetics could help push up fat levels in milk even more."

Full-fat milk may not pose health risks; new studies show the type of dairy is more important than fat content

A rainbow of cap-colors indicating varied milk-fat content is
available at U.S. grocery stores. (Photo by Bobbi Lin, NYT)

Experts have touted the health benefits of low-fat dairy products for decades -- they had all the nutrition without the saturated fats most people should avoid. However, new studies suggest this advice may need to be revised. "That guidance goes back to 1980, when the first edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans was published, according to Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Tufts University," reports Alice Callahan of The New York Times. "And since then, most studies on the health effects of dairy fat have failed to find any benefits of prioritizing low-fat versions over whole, Mozaffarian said, noting that what seems to be more important than the level of fat is which dairy product you choose in the first place."

Longitudinal studies show that dairy consumption has health benefits, and choosing higher-fat dairy products is not harmful. "In one study published in 2018, researchers followed 136,000 adults from 21 countries for nine years," Callahan reports. "They found that, during the study period, those who consumed two or more servings of dairy per day were 22 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 17 percent less likely to die than those who consumed no dairy at all. Notably, those who consumed higher levels of saturated fat from dairy were not more likely to develop heart disease or die."

Harder cheese may be healthier to eat than softer
offerings. (Harvard Health blog photo)

While these studies are not clinical trials, "shorter-term trials have shown that consuming dairy products, including full-fat dairy, lowered the blood pressure of participants and did not increase weight or raise levels of LDL, or 'bad cholesterol' — again suggesting that dairy fat is not harmful to heart health," Callahan explains. Marie-Caroline Michalski, a research director at the French National Research Institute, noted that yogurt and cheese "appear to be most associated with health benefits. . . . harder cheeses like Cheddar and Parmesan also seem to result in a more gradual absorption of fats into the blood than softer cheeses and butter, which can help you feel fuller longer."

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans will be out in 2025. In September, Roberta Wagner, senior vice president for regulatory and scientific affairs with the International Dairy Foods Association, "provided oral testimony to the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee — a panel of 20 nutrition and public health experts tasked with providing a scientific report to inform the federal government's next update to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans," the IDFA's website says. Wagner's testimony "stressed that 90 percent of Americans do not consume enough dairy to meet dietary recommendations, according to the 2020-2025 DGA report. Wagner urged the committee to maintain nutrient-rich dairy foods as a central part of a healthy diet, and she stressed that new science shows that limiting dairy based on fat level — as current guidelines recommend—does not lead to better health outcomes."

New trade deal with Japan would lower or eliminate tariffs on $7 billion in American food and agricultural products

"President Trump and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signed a trade-enhancement agreement that will lower agricultural tariffs in Japan, industrial tariffs in the U.S. and set new rules for digital trade between the world’s first- and third-largest economies," Vivian Salama and Josh Zumbrun report for The Wall Street Journal. The White House wants to implement the agreement by Jan. 1, 2020, but Japan's legislators will need to approve it first.

If implemented, the agreement could provide for farmers "a badly needed win for an industry that’s been hit hard by President Donald Trump’s trade war with China," Ryan McCrimmon reports for Politico's Morning Agriculture.

According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Japan will reduce tariffs on $2.9 billion of U.S. food and agricultural products in stages, including fresh and frozen beef and pork. Tariffs will be immediately eliminated on more than $1.3 billion of U.S. products including some berries and tree nuts, sweet corn, grain sorghum, food supplements, broccoli and prunes. Tariffs on $3 billion of products will be eliminated in stages, including wine, cheese and whey, ethanol, frozen poultry and more. If the entire agreement is implemented, more than 90% of U.S. food and agricultural exports to Japan will be either duty-free or receive preferential treatment.

The USTR also noted that U.S. farm products will have the same advantages in the Japanese market as products from countries that signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Trump pulled out of the TPP upon taking office. However, "for some commodities, like dairy, there would be a slight dropoff in benefits from the original Pacific Rim pact. A senior administration official said more than 80 percent of dairy products will receive the same market access as the 11-nation pact," McCrimmon writes. "Cheese and whey, two of the top U.S. dairy exports to Japan, will receive similar tariff cuts to what was on the table during TPP talks, according to the International Dairy Foods Association."

"For its part, the U.S. will reduce or eliminate tariffs on some industrial goods from Japan including certain machine tools, fasteners, steam turbines, bicycles, bike parts and musical instruments," Salama and Zumbrun report. "The U.S. will also reduce agricultural tariffs on items including certain plants and flowers, green tea, chewing gum and soy sauce."

Executives at dairy-promotion nonprofit get huge salaries from farmers' milk checks even as dairy farms go bankrupt

Thousands of dairy farms have gone out of business in recent years, but 10 top executives at Dairy Management Inc., a nonprofit meant to promote dairy products, were paid a combined $8 million in 2017, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Some even took trips to the Super Bowl. The salaries are paid for out of farmers' milk checks: 15 cents for every hundred pounds of milk sold.

"DMI is funded by one of the nearly two dozen federally mandated checkoff programs overseen by USDA, covering crops from pork and soybeans to popcorn and mangoes. The commodities are taxed and pooled for research, advertising and other promotional efforts," Catherine Boudreau reports for Politico's "Morning Agriculture."

A DMI spokesperson told the Journal Sentinel that the CEO's salary is reviewed annually to make sure it compares to peer companies, and that executive salaries are likewise competitive with similar roles in the public and private sector.

Sarah Lloyd, a dairy farmer who served on the DMI board from 2013 to 2016, told the Journal Sentinel that she would often cry on her way home from the meetings: "These high-priced marketing people sitting in fancy offices in suburban Chicago were driving up to the meetings in luxury foreign SUVs. They were using my money and [other] farmers' money when farmers' kids are on free and reduced lunch. The contrast was just maddening."

Farmers urge suspension of tariffs on Mexico

More than 60 companies and organizations representing American dairy farmers and cheesemakers wrote an open letter to President Trump praising him for his efforts to halt Canadian dairy subsidies but asking that the administration roll back its new tariffs on Mexico "in light of that country’s constructive engagement in North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations and the harm that Mexico’s retaliatory tariffs will have on U.S. dairy’s trade with its largest and most reliable market," Morning Ag Clips reports. "The companies asked the administration to work collaboratively with Mexico and suspend the steel and aluminum tariffs on Mexican products until the negotiations for a modernized NAFTA have been concluded."

The U.S. is Mexico's biggest dairy supplier, with sales of nearly $400 million last year alone--almost one-quarter of U.S. dairy exports. That trade was duty-free, but Mexico recently added tariffs on American cheeses and other products, some of which will reach as high as 25 percent when they go into effect in July. That could hurt the nearly 3 million American jobs in the dairy industry and would also allow the European Union, which recently signed a bilateral free trade agreement with Mexico, to take some of American dairy products' market share.

"Our first four months of 2018 showed a strong expansion in the volume of U.S. dairy exports into Mexico," said Tom Vilsack, president and CEO of the U.S.Dairy Export Council and former Secretary of Agriculture. "But these tariffs have introduced uncertainty and concern. A renegotiated NAFTA 2.0 would go a long way toward restoring our industry’s momentum."

If cheese made from raw milk is outlawed, only outlaws will have raw milk cheese

Federal regulators are considering new rules for cheese made with unpasteurized milk, but some cheesemakers and food enthusiasts worry the rules will hurt the cheese's taste while not markedly improving safety. "The new proposals, which are expected in the next several months, come after a very tough year for this country’s fast-growing gourmet cheese industry, marked by recalls and two multistate E. coli outbreaks that sickened nearly 50 people," William Neuman of The New York Times reports. The federal rule at the center of the debate would require cheese made from raw milk to be aged for 60 days before it is deemed safe to eat. (Photo by Los Angeles Times of raw milk cheese in process)

"Scientists have found, however, that 60 days of aging is an overly simplistic guideline, in part because there are so many types of cheese and different ones may require different safeguards," Neuman writes. The Food and Drug Administration began its review of the rule in 2009, and agency officials told Neuman the review was complete but was waiting approval before release. "The FDA has not tipped its hand, but some in the industry fear that raw milk cheese could be banned altogether or that some types of cheese deemed to pose a higher safety risk could no longer be made with raw milk," Neuman writes.

Others fear the waiting period may be extended to 90 days, which could "make it difficult or impossible for cheesemakers to continue using raw milk for some popular cheese styles, like blue cheese or taleggio-type cheeses, that may not lend themselves to such lengthy aging," Neuman writes. Liz Thorpe, a vice president of Murray’s Cheese, a Manhattan retailer where about half the cheese is made with raw milk, told Neuman, "A very important and thriving section of the American agricultural scene is in danger of being compromised or put out of business if the 60-day minimum were to be raised or if raw milk cheeses were to be entirely outlawed." (Read more)

In late January, U.S. marshals and Food and Drug Administration agents "busted outlaws they describe as pale-skinned and somewhat smelly, with mug shots worthy of Bon Appetit: 97 wedges of raw-milk Gouda cheese," writes P.J. Huffstutter for the Los Angeles Times. More than 80,000 pounds of cheese were seized from Bravo Farms after cheese from the farm was connected to 38 people becoming ill. Of 147 samples taken from Bravo Farms cheese, one tested positive for E. coli and 32 tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogen that can be fatal to children and the elderly, according to federal court documents and an FDA inspection report. Bravo is now using pasteurized milk. The FDA began testing for listeria at small farms making artisan cheeses because the federal government has a zero-tolerance policy in ready-to-eat products, according to Huffstutter.  (Read more)

Artisan cheese maker at center of food safety battle

A Pacific Northwest cheese maker has become the center of the controversy surrounding the effect of proposed food safety rules on small farmers.  Kelli Estrella, owner of the Estrella Family Creamery who makes cheese from the milk of her 36 cows and 40 goats and sells it at farmers’ markets, recently drew the attention of the Food and Drug Administration after tests found listeria in some of her cheese. Estrella refused to agree to a broad recall of her products, William Neuman of The New York Times reports.

"Issues of food safety and small food producers were at the fore in Washington, D.C., this week as senators struck a deal that would exempt small producers from some of the rules that would be imposed by a sweeping food safety bill," Neuman writes. "A vote is expected after Thanksgiving on the long-awaited legislation." In Estrella's case, no illnesses have been linked to her cheese, though listeria is a sometimes deadly bacteria that is particularly harmful to the very young and very old.

"There is fuel for all sides in Ms. Estrella’s predicament: it shows that even food from a revered artisan producer can pose risks, while demonstrating the pitfalls for regulators who may be viewed as heavy-handed," Neuman writes. FDA began testing soft cheeses like brie and mozzarella for listeria in April and found bacteria in 24 of the 102 facilities it visited. More than half of the 24 facilities where bacteria was found were artisanal producers, Neuman reports.

"When you’ve got people that make good cheese, you want them to be successful," said Claudia Coles, the food safety program manager for the Washington State Department of Agriculture. "But our first premise is, we don’t want people marketing an unsafe product." Seattle food safety lawyer William Marler told Neuman he was puzzled by the reaction of Estrella's supporters. "I just don’t know how they make the leap from the government trying to do the right thing for public health to 'they’re food Nazis in the pocket of big agribusiness,'" he said. (Read more)

More states may OK raw-milk sales to help dairies, but FDA may ban sale of aged raw-milk cheese

Dairy farmers can receive $4 to $6 per gallon more for unpasteurized milk than the common pasteurized version, but there's one problem: The Food and Drug Administration banned interstate sale of raw milk 22 years ago. Individual states can regulate how unpasteurized milk is produced, bought and sold within their borders and just over half allow sale in some form, Hillary Brenhouse of The New York Times reports.

"There’s no middleman, and people are willing to pay a premium for raw milk and related products," Sally Fallon Morell, president of a D.C.-based organic-farming advocacy group, the Weston A. Price Foundation, told Brenhouse. "As the dairy crisis gets worse, raw is becoming more and more attractive."

The FDA warns unpasteurized milk and related products are "inherently dangerous" and can contain lethal pathogens, including salmonella, E. coli and listeria. Raw-milk advocates argue that pasteurization kills enzymes, bacteria and vitamins that are nutritionally beneficial and help with digestion.

Even as some states considering repealing their bans on raw milk sales to help struggling dairy farms, FDA plans to reconsider its only exception to the raw-milk ban, allowing sale of cheese produced from raw milk and aged for more than 60 days. A 2008 listeria outbreak that killed one and made 30 others ill in Quebec was traced back to raw-milk cheese. John Sheehan, director of FDA.’s division of plant and dairy food safety, says raw milk "should not be consumed by anyone, at any time, for any reason,” and the cheese exception is no longer effective. (Read more)

Host of lobbying interests oppose extending milk-promotion fee to importers of dairy products

"On its face it looks like a slam-dunk: Imports of dairy products should be paying for promotion just the way milk produced in the United States is subject to a mandatory assessment to build markets," and the Department of Agriculture proposes to do so, Steve Taylor writes for Lancaster Farming. But in Washington and the dairy business, change is almost always complicated.

"Not so fast, say a mix of foreign governments, cheese importers, U.S. food manufacturers, global agribusinesses, anti-government waste groups and individual dairy farmers, some of whom have long opposed all mandatory promotion checkoff schemes," Taylor writes. The opponents "raise constitutional issues over the lack of a referendum for importers such as was provided for domestic producers, among many other concerns."

Wisconsin dairy interests fear the change would end the state's "long and successful history of promoting Wisconsin cheese," because the new rule "would prevent any U.S.-specific promotional element that would seem to discriminate against any import. The state’s cheesemakers would have to accept that their products were no better than generic cheeses from anywhere," dairy farmer Pat Boettcher told Taylor, former agriculture commissioner in New Hampshire. (Read more)