The farm bill that passed in the senate yesterday leaves sugar subsidies in place and is a hit to the SNAP (food stamp) program, but does limit crop subsidies to the wealthiest farmers and provides funding for the next generation of farmers: (full story, Grist)

Nashville is one of several midsize cities whose food sensibilities are growing as people leave the dog-eat-dog cities on the coasts in search of more affordable places to live and eat: (full story, New York Times)

A new national Meat Without Drugs campaign addresses the rampant misuse of antibiotics by factory farms: since the FDA hasn’t taken meaningful action, it asks consumers to petition retailers – starting with Trader Joe’s – to carry only meat raised without antibiotics: (full story, Meat Without Drugs)

Mainers want more local say in regulating small farms, evidenced by several towns adopting local ordinances that exempt farmers from state and federal regulations if they sell products directly to consumers: (full story, ABC News)

And allow me a break from the hard news for a celebration of the season: here are 12 ways to seize the stone fruit moment, including drying it for “summer in a jar”: (full story, New York Times)