Quick hits: New 'Product of USA' seal launched; mistaken inventions; farming worms win; a new weed killer

The label will require an affidavit be provided to the 
meatpacking company. (Photo via DTN)

Born. Raised. Harvested. Processed. That's the tagline for the new, voluntary USDA seal for U.S. meatpackers, intended to highlight "Product of USA" labeling for meat, poultry and egg products from U.S. farmers, Jennifer Carrico of Progressive Farmer reports. Unlike the previous "Product of USA" label, which only indicated that packaged food passed USDA inspections, the new label states that the meatpacker has proof that animals or eggs are in the U.S. throughout their life cycle. Labels can also be state-specific. Ethan Lane, from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, told Carrico, "You can now do a born, raised and harvested in Iowa label, through a USDA facility in Iowa." 

Goofs, flubs and unexpected outcomes are all part of inventions in the making, but in some cases, the mistakes turn into success. "From cornflakes to the pacemaker, some of our most beloved — and useful — products were born of blunders," reports Zlati Meyer of The Wall Street Journal. "The U.S. has repeatedly proved itself to be the land of luck. Harnessing happenstance has led to inventions that have changed the world." Read about 10 of the best mistaken inventions here. 

As earthworms move lime through farming soil, they help
 balance soil pH. (Photo by Blake Vince via Farm Journal)

Blake Vince is a Canadian farmer working to spread the word about no-till farming practices supported by worms. Vince likes to think of worms as "some of the most highly-valued help on his 1,200-acre Ontario, Canada, farm that never show up on a payroll sheet," reports Rhonda Brooks of Farm Journal. The well-known soil conservationist sees "earthworms as more than a sign of good soil — they’re central characters in how he farms, evaluates risk and stays profitable. . . . In a production system shaped by no-till, planting green and cover crops, he sees earthworms as the quiet workforce that’s helping hold the whole thing together."

The Herbert family in northern Iowa had old tractors that needed technology, but the upgrades that could take their machinery into the modern age weren't yet on the market. So, the Herbert family "developed the Cab Radio Upgrade Kit, a solution designed to bring modern connectivity to legacy equipment," reports Eduardo Morales of Farm Journal. "The project was a collaborative effort between T.L. Herbert, his wife, Rochelle, and their three teenage sons: Thomas, Mason and Colin. The idea sparked when Mason and Thomas grew tired of subpar audio options while working on their row-crop and cattle operation."

Part of being a farmer is battling weeds, and despite the perseverance of many farmers, sometimes the weeds seem to be winning, which explains why herbicides are so popular. This summer, one of the world’s biggest chemical companies, Syngenta, is releasing a new herbicide aimed at annihilating weeds in soybean and cotton crops. Patrick Thomas of The Wall Street Journal reports, "Syngenta will begin selling a new weedkiller capable of eradicating grass weeds that have evolved to resist other common crop sprays." The chemical, called Virestina, will be sold and applied in South America first. 

After an unseasonably warm winter and spring, western states are heading into summer facing an "above-normal threat of wildfires," reports Grist. Predictive maps from the National Inter-agency Coordination Center show areas in the Rockies, Pacific Northwest, and northern California as high-risk for wildfires this summer based on "snow drought, rapid snowmelt, and a recent unprecedented heat wave." 

U.S. farmers secure $99 million settlement fund in right-to-repair court battle against John Deere

Deere agreed to supply U.S. farmers with the tools required to
 make their own repairs. (Photo by R. Fath, Unsplash)

U.S. farmers fighting for the right to repair their own tractors secured a class-action suit victory against John Deere. Reuters reports, "U.S. agriculture equipment maker Deere agreed to pay $99 million into a settlement fund for ‌farms and farmers that are part of a class action over costs and access to repairs."

Since 2017, Deere has put up a bulwark of defenses to prevent sharing repair access and knowledge with U.S. farmers who wanted to fix their tractors themselves rather than wait for a Deere-authorized repair tech to make it to their farm. Reuters reports, "The settlement fund covers eligible plaintiffs who paid Deere’s authorized ​dealers for repairs to large agricultural equipment from January 2018."

The right-to-repair suits from farmers are only part of a bigger tug-of-war between companies that produce technology-based products, such as cell phones and computers, and American consumers. Reuters reports, "Regulators and plaintiffs argue that some ​manufacturers limit competition by controlling access to repair tools and ⁠software."

Within Deere's settlement, the company gave a 10-year commitment to supplying "farmers with the 'tools ​required for the maintenance, diagnosis, and repair' of large agricultural equipment, ​including tractors, combines, and sugarcane harvesters," Reuters reports.

Although this week's settlement ends some of Deere's litigation headaches, the company still faces "a separate lawsuit brought by the Federal ​Trade Commission," Reuters reports. "A ​U.S. judge ruled ⁠in 2025 that Deere must face that lawsuit, which accused the company of forcing farmers to ​use its authorized dealer network and driving up their ​costs for ⁠parts and repairs."

Quick hits: Radioactive shrimp; soybean farmers seek deal; tractor pulls; veggie-flation; 515-mile lightning strike

Radioactive shrimp were recalled as a precautionary
measure. (ABC video graphic)

Earlier this week, the FDA issued an urgent recall for Indonesian shrimp sold at Walmart that may contain radioactive materials. "Certain Great Value raw frozen shrimp products sold at Walmart are being recalled due to possible contamination with Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope," reports Erin Keller of the Independent. FDA shrimp recall details are here.

With their fall harvests almost ready, American soybean farmers sent the Trump administration a letter asking for a trade deal with China. "China, the world's largest soybean buyer, is turning to Brazilian cargoes amid trade tensions with the U.S. and ongoing negotiations," reports Leah Douglas of Reuters. "The country has not pre-purchased soybeans from the upcoming U.S. harvest, an unusual delay that has worried traders and farmers. . . . China bought 54% of U.S. soybean exports in the 2023-2024 marketing year, worth $13.2 billion."

Langford's tractor pull has increased in popularity since
beginning in 1946. (Photo by Zach Jaworski, NPR)

Annual tractor and truck pulls have grown into major events for some rural communities. Little Langford, New York, hosts its tractor pull for two days every August. "Spectators gather on wooden bleachers flanking a long dirt runway, forming an arena that seats 4,000 people — more than the surrounding area's total population," reports Zach Jaworski of NPR. Richard Love, one of the officials at this year's Langford pull, told Jaworski, "It's non-stop action and it's just kind of a big party here." Jaworski adds, "This event in Langford has been held annually since 1946."

After U.S. Department of Labor agents zeroed in on the Marino family farm in New Jersey and uncovered a paperwork violation, they shackled the family's business with administrative red tape, fines and a ruling from a DOL court. Finally, after years of litigation, "a panel of independent federal judges unanimously ruled DOL’s actions in violation of the Constitution. . . and the Marinos were vindicated," reports Chris Bennett of Farm Journal. But the DOL's damage remains -- the Marino family farm that operated for 125 years is gone. Joe Marino told Bennett, "I never thought honesty and facts wouldn’t matter in America, but that’s what happened."

Chart by Axios, from Bureau of Labor data

As U.S. consumers watch the prices for essentials continue to fluctuate, produce costs could become the next budget worry. "Wholesale prices for fresh veggies soared by a record amount last month, foreshadowing a possible spike at the grocery store soon," reports Ben Berkowitz of Axios. "The Producer Price Index for July rose at the fastest clip in three years, far more than economists expected. . . . Per Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it's also the largest monthly increase ever recorded in a summer month (June-August), in figures that go back to 1947." 

A visualization of the megaflash that extended 515 miles, roughly the distance from Dallas to Kansas City, Mo. (Photo by Michael Peterson, GTRI via The Wall Street Journal)

The raw energy released in an average lightning bolt could power a small town for an entire day. With that in mind, consider the energy released during a recently detected lightning flash that zipped along the Great Plains in 2017. It was a "record-setting strike that lasted more than seven seconds and stretched 515 miles, from eastern Texas almost to Kansas City, Mo.," reports Eric Niiler of The Wall Street Journal. "The massive size of the megaflash, which touched ground in five states in 2017, was revealed by a new analysis of satellite imagery from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. . . . The average lightning strike is between 2 and 10 miles long."