The investigation into a possible link between some ingredients in grain-free pet foods and atypical cases of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July 2018, has caused no small amount of concern for pet food companies, pet owners, veterinarians and retailers. One of the main reasons, and a continuing source of confusion and frustration, is that so little is still known about why these cases of DCM have occurred and what role, if any, the foods the dogs were eating played. [node:read-more:link]

The threat of extreme animal rights activism is not unique to us here in the United States.  In fact, as with many things, we tend to see some new trends and tactics emerge overseas before they pop up here. Several activist group tactics that you should be aware of have surfaced in other countries over the past few weeks. Since we know that U.S.-based activists pay attention to and take cues from what happens around the world, we should prepare to see similar strategies used to target our farmers and meat industry. [node:read-more:link]

Soil quality is a growing focus in the sustainability space, and for good reason: Fertile soil naturally stabilizes the climate and ensures resilient supply chains. But a third of the planet’s land is severely degraded, and fertile soil is being lost at the rate of 24 billion tons a year, according to a 2017 United Nations-backed study. So, a small but growing group of companies — some directly in agriculture or ranching, others indirectly via sourcing — are investing in healthy soil initiatives. Soil, no matter how healthy, may not be the spiciest climate solution. [node:read-more:link]

Monsanto is facing its first federal trial over allegations that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, but a US judge has blocked attorneys from discussing the corporation’s alleged manipulation of science. [node:read-more:link]

Two indoor farms finding commercial success in Calgary are NuLeaf Farms, which produces greens and herbs, and Deepwater Farms. Deepwater’s system, which currently occupies a 10,000-square-foot building in Calgary, combines both hydroponics and aquaculture to grow not just produce, but fish. The solid waste from the water the fish swim in is turned into a kind of liquid compost, which, in turn, nourishes the plants.“How amazing is it to say that you’re serving a fish that is produced a kilometre away from your restaurant? It doesn’t get any more local than that,” said MacLean. [node:read-more:link]

Interactive plots provide annual sea-level projections to 2050 for 32 localities along the US coastline from Maine to Alaska. These web-based charts -- available online at https://www.vims.edu/research/products/slrc/index.php -- project sea level out to the year 2050 based on an ongoing analysis of tide-gauge records for 32 localities along the U.S. coastline from Maine to Alaska. [node:read-more:link]

A Rhode Island fishing board Saturday voted in favor of a revised compensation offer from offshore wind developer Vineyard Wind in a decision that boosts the New Bedford company’s chances of securing a key approval from state coastal regulators later this week. [node:read-more:link]

Iowa clean energy advocates are bracing for another legislative setback this year as the state’s largest utility takes aim at solar net metering. [node:read-more:link]

Dairy farmers founded Land O’Lakes Inc. nearly a century ago to boost their sweet-cream butter sales. Now the Arden Hills, Minn., cooperative is looking beyond butter to help its 2,000 dairy members navigate tough times in the sector. Milk is suffering from years of declining consumption. Tastes have changed, in part because plant-based alternatives to cheese, milk and butter have expanded and lured shoppers with a halo of health. Revenue checks to milk producers are in a five-year slump, and trade fights have damped U.S. [node:read-more:link]

A group of Toronto scientists will soon attempt to develop a less-expensive way to grow lab-made meat after securing a grant from an American non-profit aiming to boost advances in cultured protein. Cellular agriculture has been touted as the future of food thanks to its smaller environmental footprint and consideration for animal welfare, but until recently much of the research has been done south of the border.Cultured food uses cell cultures to grow animal products like beef, eggs or milk in a laboratory without the need for livestock. [node:read-more:link]