Midmorning With Aundrea - August 11, 2020 (Part 2)

(Part 2 of 2) The coronavirus pandemic has caused meat prices to skyrocket while many processing plants have had to close.

That's been a boon for Beyond Meat, the company that uses plant-based products.

And daytime TV's #1 soap opera is back!

"The Young and the Restless" has returned!

The pandemic is taking a bite out of an american favorite - the hamburger.

The virus sickened thousands of workers at packing plants - and beef prices have risen 20- percent since february.

That has opened the market door to plant-based alternatives.

Barry peteresen reports from cheyenne, wyoming.

- rounding up the cattle - feeding them under an endless wyoming sky, mark eisele and his daughters are calling in the cattle.

Natsot - moo owner of the king ranch company and a rancher for 50 years, eisele's survived droughts, economic downturns...even blizzards.

But the pandemic wreaked havoc on packing plants, causing shortages and concerns.

Mark financially we'll be challenged.// do you think it's gonna get more expensive for consumers?

It probably will for a little while.

I hate to say that, but imagine its supply and demand.

And we're the bottleneck, so we'll be affecting it.

Higher prices, and fewer beef cuts in grocery stores, created a once in a lifetime opportunity for his competitors meat tastes pretty good, right?

So let's go ahead and build it from plants.

Natsot - ethan - "hey there ethan brown is the founder and ceo of "beyond meat", plant-based alternative created in a lab.

He's battling for a bigger share of the market we now have an opportunity to be price competitive with beef, with respect to our burgers.

And so we're taking an opportunity in the summer, we're going to be very aggressive on our pricing.

For summer barbques, a value pack of "beyond burgers sells at a suggested price&of $6.40 per pound&narrowing the gap to beef patties, which is around $5.65 a pound.

This cattleman, for one, isn't buying.

Everything in here is highly processed, and i think that's my biggest problem with it.

Which to you says not as healthy as-- not as healthy-- --a hamburger.

If you're having animal protein three times a day, consuming a lot of processed meat and red meat, i think the literature is pretty clear on the health implications of that i think beef will continue to sell.

I think it's continue to be popular.

Whether faux meat is a fad or part of a new normal, as summer continues to sizzle, the battle for your dollars will stretch from the prairie to the dinner plate.

For cbs this morning, barry petersen, west of cheyenne, wyoming.

Beef is a 67 billion dollar business.

Since the covid-19 outbreak, sales of fresh meat alternatives have more than doubled from a year ago.

A tupelo man is growing food for a weekend backpack ministry in his garden.

Wcbi's allie martin has more on the joyner neighborhood project.

Jerry thompson loves to garden and to help others.

That drive has led to a fruitful outreach to put fresh vegetables on people's plates and helps feed hungry kids at the neighborhood school.

"this small thin can impact people in a big way."

While at church, a few years ago, thompson learned about a joyner elementary food backpack program.

He also happened to have a harvest of vegetables and an idea.

Thompson built a vegetable cart to put produce in and an honor box for donations.

The money goes to the school's backpack meal program.

Kids then take the food home on the weekend, so they won't go without.

"people are no here to buy groceries from me, they are here to make a donation to the program, to feed these hungry children, and i say take some vegetables home as my thank you for contributing, that's the basic way it works."

Thompson is recently retired and also helps at the school's "discover garden."

Vegetables from that garden, which students help grow, are used in school lunches.

"we reall appreciate having somebody in the community who cares so much about our kids here that he would donate not only his time, but money it takes to grow these crops and vegetables, so our kids can have that extra money to go towards food for the weekend, a lot of kids we get don't have those things at home."

Thompson hopes his outreach encourages others.

"book of jame says be doers of the word, not just listeners, don't just hear it, put it to use in your own life, help those around you."

Thompson thought about giving his green thumb a rest this year but knew there would be a great need during the covid-19 pandemic.

Now, he has a garden full, waiting on hungry kids to return to school.

In tupelo, allie martin, wcbi news th thompson has raised about 500 dollars so far this year for the backpack meal program.

To see when he will have his market open, check out his facebook page.

We'lthe wait is over!

America's favorite daytime drama, "th young and the restless" is bac with all new episodes.

Chris martinez has a look.

Nats& "we're back.

"man, were w getting restless."

And so were the viewers.

But the wait is over: america's most watched daytime drama, "th young and the restless" return today with all new episodes.

Nats&return to genoa city.

Return to the drama.

Return to the romance.

We're on the verge of something great.

Bring it on!

The coronavirus pandemic shut down production for the emmy- award winning soap in march.

But the show went on.

Retro-episodes reacquainted longtime fans and introduced new viewers to the daily drama in genoa city.

Filming resumed in mid-july with new safety protocols and social distancing for the cast and crew.

It feels wonderful to be back.

It is a strange thing because you don't get to hug someone that you particularly like and you gotta stay at a certain distance.

We take all that very seriously.

Nats& "so i shouldn't tr to blackmail adam the way he tried to do you?"

The new episodes feature patriarch victor newman staring down a secret that threatens his family.

We cannot spill the beans before the show's on the air, so i can't tell you.

Fasten your seat belts and watch.

You never know.

But i can't tell you a damn thing.

I am&sworn to secrecy."

Other storylines to come: nats&."i woke u with a crazy idea."

Billy and lily navagate their new partnership with a shocking scandal looming.

And sharon's family rallies around her during her brave battle with breast cancer.

So what were castmembers up to during their four month hiatus?

"been reading lot.

You know, reading a lot.

Talking to my family a lot, but reading a great deal.

I love reading."

Nats& cast members singing&.

Others got together via zoom to record the show's theme song& nats&.singing&.

Leading some fans to say&they're really glad their favorite characters are returning to their day jobs.

Chris martinez, cbs news, los angeles.

Yo you can watch "th young and the restless" weekdays right here on wcbi at 11 a.m.

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