A spat over a farmer’s right to use and care for his own land is one step closer to being resolved. A determination by the director of USDA’s National Appeals Division admonishes the Natural Resources Conservation Service for failing to obey its own rules, favoring a farmer who battled the NRCS for more than a decade. (AgDaily)

Restaurants in Illinois are now able to offer outdoor dining, but some may find it difficult to coax wait staff back to work. (The Center Square)

Millions of low-income school children are still waiting to receive federal help to buy food, even as the number of families having trouble affording groceries skyrockets. (CNN)

The ag industry and its allies in Congress pushed hard to make sure that farmers and ranchers could benefit from the $670 billion Paycheck Protection Program, which offers forgivable loans to small businesses that keep their workers on the payroll for eight weeks. (Politico)

According to Mental Health America, the food and beverage industry is among the top three “unhealthiest” workplace industries, as judged according to workplace environment, stress and employee engagement. Recognizing this fragility, more restaurant chains are adding programs and benefits that specifically address mental health. (Forbes)  

Since the pandemic began, people have been concerned about food—how safe it is, how to get it, whether it would be available. Here is what farmers markets, takeout, and restaurant dining are expected to look like in Chicago’s third phase of reopening. (WBEZ)