• California Medical Association, which seems unruffled by growth of regulatory state when docs are not its targets, backs bill to require warning labels on soda [Governing, AP, Sacramento Bee, Monterey Herald]
• “The Farm Bill Came Surprisingly Close to Fixing Some Protectionist Regulations” [K. William Watson, Cato]
• “New York Alcohol Bill Benefits Big Business at Consumers’ Expense” [Michelle Minton, CEI; earlier; my upcoming Feb. 27 Bastiat Society panel in Charlotte on alcohol regs]
• Lawmakers to OSHA: hands off small farms [Insurance Journal, US News]
• States cheat the system through “heat and eat” food stamp scam [USA Today editorial]
• Why so few chickens are raised in Montana [Baylen Linnekin]
• Comic-book interpretation of Quebec’s great maple syrup heist, including background of legally enforced cartelization [Modern Farmer]
• Seen on “farm tourism” outing: “The USDA requires that only the farmer feed us” [Ira Stoll]
• Next frontier of public-health disapproval: grilled, smoked, and fried food? [Brian Palmer, Slate]

Filed under: agriculture and farming, alcohol, California, Canada, eat drink and be merry, food safety, medical, Montana, New York, OSHA, public health, soft drinks