Just Label It News Roundup 4-13

By agreeing to sell additional assets, German drug and pesticide manufacturer Bayer has reached a deal with the U.S. Department of Justice for antitrust approval of its $62.5 billion bid to acquire Monsanto. In the U.S., the dairy industry is a tough business for organic and conventional producers alike, with plunging prices and changing consumer demand leading to a spate of farm shutdowns. In other news, according to a new University of Florida study, children who attend schools with Farm to School programs eat more fruits and vegetables. A new study found that 93 percent of a group of pregnant women in Indiana had detectable levels of the widely used and controversial herbicide glyphosate in their urine. Those with higher levels of the herbicide delivered earlier compared to those with less or none. Jennifer Garner is restoring her family farm to grow fruits and veggies for new baby food line. The yearly count of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico, released yesterday, shows a decrease from last year’s count and confirms the iconic orange and black butterfly is still very much at risk.

Bayer reaches deal with U.S. for approval to buy Monsanto

German drugs and pesticides group Bayer has reached a deal with the U.S. Justice Department for antitrust approval for its $62.5 billion bid to acquire Monsanto by agreeing to sell additional assets.

Farm to School Program Proving its Wealth in Health

Offer kids a healthy eating option for school lunch, and you might be surprised by what they actually choose. According to a new University of Florida study, children who attend schools with Farm to School (FTS) programs eat more fruits and vegetables.

Jennifer Garner Restoring Family Farm to Grow Fruits and Veggies For New Baby Food Line

“What’s inside matters,” reads the homepage of Once Upon a Farm, the baby food company actress Jennifer Garner runs with business partners Cassandra Curtis, Ari Raz, and former Annie’s CEO John Foraker. You could interpret this two ways: The quality of the food inside Once Upon a Farm’s pouches is what matters, or “inside” means, literally, inside your baby—everything that keeps your child healthy and strong.

Annual monarch count shows butterfly still threatened

The yearly count of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico, released yesterday, shows a decrease from last year’s count and confirms the iconic orange and black butterfly is still very much at risk. The new count of 2.48 hectares of occupied winter habitat is down from 2.91 hectares last winter.

An Oregon Dairyman Reclaims the Pasture

In the U.S., the dairy industry is a tough business for organic and conventional producers alike, with plunging prices and changing consumer demand leading to a spate of farm shutdowns and even farmer suicides. And in Oregon, where dairy is big business—accounting for 10 percent of the state’s agriculture income in 2016—the story is much the same.

Researchers Link Glyphosate to Shorter Pregnancies

The new study, published in the journal Environmental Health, found that 93 percent of a study group of pregnant women in Indiana had detectable levels of the widely used and controversial herbicide in their urine. Those with higher levels delivered earlier compared to those with less or none.