5@5: Organic Valley posts second consecutive loss | Amazon eyes former Sears, Kmart stores for expansion

Organic Valley posts second consecutive loss, though product sales grew

Organic Valley posted its second loss in two consecutive years, but sales grew 1% and surpassed $1.1 billion for the third consecutive year. There was too much nonfat dry milk powder in its inventory, which was then sold on the conventional market at a $37 million loss. Interim CEO Bob Kirchoff remains largely optimistic and hinted about two big company announcements planned for later on in 2019. Read more at La Crosse Tribune …

Hundreds of old Sears stores are empty. Amazon and Whole Foods might move in

According to a research report released earlier this week, moving into former Sears or Kmart sites may be the next move for Amazon and Whole Foods. Analysts identified 110 Sears and Kmart locations “without a Whole Foods within three miles that they believe would fit the upscale chain’s demographic criteria for new stores, particularly in suburban areas." Read more at CNN …

The whole-grain king: Bob Moore, the 90-year-old president of Bob’s Red Mill

Bob Moore and his late wife Charlee were pioneers in the whole grain, healthy eating, wellness-centric spaces long before mainstream consumers began catching on. Learn how the face of Bob’s Red Mill starts his day, delve into his past as a tobacco-smoking auto-shop manager and find out more about his eclectic hobbies in this in-depth profile. Read more at The Daily Beast …

Big ag is pushing laws to restrict neighbors’ ability to sue farms

Farmers in several states have been pushing to amend standard “right-to-farm” laws to prevent neighbors from suing them for any reason at all. The agriculture industry is “framing these bills as a necessary response to the threat farmers face from nuisance lawsuits,” but it is likely a preemptive pushback against rural communities that are speaking out for the first time about the environmental and quality-of-life problems that adjacency to large-scale animal agriculture incurs. Read more at NPR …

Will plant-based fish food make aquaculture more sustainable?

Feeding soy and other crops to farmed seafood, as opposed to increasingly finite fish-based feed, may not have the positive ecological impact one would expect. Although finding a balance between marine and terrestrial systems is tricky, it may be the only way to prevent marine and terrestrial ecosystems from undergoing more pressure than they can handle. Read more at New Food Economy …