We’ve fortunately worked our way through the worst of the COVID-19 related packing plant shutdowns that caused massive disruptions in beef and pork sectors, and packing plants are now operating at levels on par with last year. (Jason Lusk)

Posts on Facebook claim that pigs are “poisonous”, that they are difficult to kill with strychnine or other poisons, that they harbor over a dozen parasites, and that “there is no safe temperature at which pork can be cooked” to ensure that such parasites will be killed. This claim is largely false. (Reuters)

Grocery prices have skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic. That has Americans spending more at the supermarket than they have in years. (CNN)  

There’s a common warning about our planet’s future: the risk of food shortages. But, in fact, the long-term trend, for more than a century, has been toward ever more abundant food, and declining prices. (NPR)  

The U.S. and China have agreed to high-level talks on Aug. 15 to assess Beijing’s compliance with the bilateral trade agreement signed early this year, according to people briefed on the matter. (Wall Street Journal)

 Health and safety remain a high priority on the farm. If you are looking for resources to help you develop a farm plan for this virus, check out this resource created by Penn State Extension.