Farm Aid: Around the Kitchen Table

Emily's Farm & Food Roundup

2015-04-24T14:58:00.000-04:00

While they aren’t the most popular guests at your summertime picnics, their positions in the system as pollinators render bees critically important to our food supply. In the past decade scientists have been studying the various factors that are contributing to the global decline in bee health, looking at everything from viruses to climate change. One factor that has recently been considered, and is the subject of two new published studies, is our overuse of neonicotinoid pesticides. A derivative of nicotine, the chemical is poisonous to the nervous system while also being potentially addictive to the bees. UK researchers found that in an experiment to determine which food source the bees were drawn to--a plain, sugary one or one laced with neonics--the bees preferred the neonics. This common insecticide, which is extensively coated onto corn, soy, and canola seeds before planting, is absorbed by the plant and protects its tissue from pests. While the plant may be “protected,” the bees are not so lucky: they interact with neonicotinoid residues that remain in the nectar and pollen of the plant, exposing them to the pesticide and harming them. The Environmental Protection Agency announced this month that it is unlikely to approve new neonicotinoid pesticide uses.

Following last week’s roundup feature on the “organic boom,” check out this article from CNBC that lays out the benefits of buying organic, but also doesn’t shy away from the costs to your wallet. The benefits? Ask Marion Nestle, professor in the department of nutrition, food studies, and public health at NYU: "I always recommend organics whenever possible. They are produced using methods that are kinder to soil and animals.” Organic foods are also less likely to contain antibiotic-resistant bacteria, another large concern among farmers and eaters. But with good organic practices comes an unfortunate increase in price. Organic produce can show up at the market at four times the cost of its conventional counterpart. The solution? Dr. Andrew Weil researched the level at which certain foods contain pesticides, and suggests some “spending priorities” to make shopping for good produce more affordable.

North Carolina chicken farmer Craig Watts opened his barns to an animal welfare group and their cameras a few months ago with hopes of exposing the unsafe, misleading nature of the factory farm industry to the public. “I wanted to show the public the conditions of an average poultry farm and how they were being misled into thinking the situation is better than it is,” said Watts, in this recent op-ed. Now, Watts is calling on his state’s elected officials to say no to Senate Bill 433 and House Bill 405, “ag-gag” measures that aim to stop investigations into North Carolina factory farms. “Even if animal welfare isn’t a top concern for us when buying meat, food safety should be,” says Watts, “North Carolina’s elected officials must say ‘no’ to SB 433 and HB 405. Democracy thrives on transparency, and our food system should, too.”

It’s been a long time coming! The government announced this week that it is moving forward on proposing regulated standards for organic, US-raised fish. While we may be “trying to play catch-up on organic aquaculture,” according to Miles McEvoy, head of the USDA’s organic program, even if the USDA proposes these standards this year, it may still take time for seafood companies and retailers to accept them. The news may be joyous to loyal organic shoppers, and retailers will likely embrace the product and its higher price, but many in the farmed fish industry say that the feed requirements may be too costly and difficult to regulate.

“...We’re witnessing the rise of a new kind of cook—one devoted to his or her craft, wielding masterly knife skills and a deft palate, as well as a social conscience,” says Brian McGinnis, director of the Netflix documentary series “Chef’s Table.” In ‘Sustainable Chef,’ McGinnis explores the work of Chef Ben Shewry, who has completely changed the menu at his world-class restaurant Attica in Melbourne, Australia, to emphasize sustainable ingredients. McGinnis saw it fit to profile the innovative work of Chef Shewry on Earth Day this year: “I wanted to highlight the work that he and so many other forward-thinking chefs around the world are doing to ensure that the food sources we enjoy now will still be here in years to come.”

Emily's Farm & Food Roundup

2015-04-17T13:23:00.004-04:00

Introducing a very special series from Grist.org! They’re calling it “Farm Size Matters,” and planning to cover just about everything: why farmers lose their farms, the facts on agriculture subsidies, an interview with our own Willie Nelson. So far, we’ve seen stories on commodity farming, farmer suicide, even dating in the farmer community. Be sure to have a look at the series for a truly comprehensive, educational, and thought-provoking glance into the world of the farmer today.

In order to receive farm subsidies from the government, farmers must qualify as “actively engaged.” The USDA is proposing to revise how this term is defined, as it has been criticized for having loose restrictions, allowing individuals to gain subsidies without doing the typical amount of truly active farm work. The qualification that the USDA has proposed requires farm managers put in 500 hours of substantial management work annually or 25 percent of the time necessary for the success of the farming operation. “We want to make sure that farm program payments are going to the farmers and farm families that they are intended to help,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the issue. According to the USDA, as many as 1,400 operations could lose eligibility under the rules, saving the program around $50 million over a three-year period.

What would a green, self-reliant New York City look like? This is one of many questions on 36 year old architect Michael Sorkin’s mind as he considers how to integrate more leafy greens into the structure of the gray city. Buildings could be repurposed to include vertical farms, terraces used for free-range animals, rooftops for growing space, more trees to provide shade and eventually lower high summer temperatures, and solar panels would offset the costs of keeping greenhouses thriving all year long. Seeing as this goal would require around thirty nuclear power plants to become a reality, Sorkin and his team have been working on a more modest goal to carry out their vision: to increase the percentage of New York’s consumables to thirty percent grown within a hundred-mile radius of the city. While this vision may be a long ways away, he believes in the power of green initiatives, and sees them one day reshaping New York City. For now though, let’s get started on more trees.

We all know that our readers are adventurous eaters, but the question is, how adventurous? Young Thai entrepreneur Panitan Tongsiri hopes to revolutionize the way the people of Thailand consume insects, and he’s ready to expand the market worldwide. The current insect market relies on street vendors, which sell everything from fried silkworm larvae to sautéed bees. Tongsiri believes that by bagging the unique product in small, colorful pouches that feature the health benefits, and by giving it a more prominent spot in convenience stores and gourmet shops, more eaters will take the plunge. Boasting high levels of protein, vitamins, and fiber, and an endorsement from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, these unusual snacks have a few barriers before they can really take off, according to Tongsiri: quality control, regularity in stores, and of course, people’s perceptions of eating bugs.

With 19,474 certified organic operations in the United States and a total of 27,814 certified organic operations around the world, this year marks a new record according to the USDA. This organic boom has sparked more producers and consumers to enter the market, and it is hopefully becoming much easier for these organic farmers to remain active and thriving. Options such as transition programs, research and education funding, and cost share programs to offset the costs of organic certification are making the organic market that much more accessible to farmers, and a realistic option price-wise for consumers. We’ll also be seeing a technological advancement in the organic world with the release of the Organic Integrity Database. Created from funds from the 2014 Farm Bill, the OID will provide information about certified organic operations, and will enable anyone to confirm their certification status using its online tool. The database is in progress for launch in September 2015.

Honoring Ralph Paige and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives

2015-04-13T16:50:00.002-04:00

Farm Aid honors the leadership of Ralph Paige and welcomes Cornelius Blanding as the new Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund.

Farm Aid became acquainted with the Federation of Southern Cooperative’s tremendous work just a few weeks before the first Farm Aid concert in 1985, as Ralph Paige stepped into his role as Executive Director. Ralph has worked in that capacity for all thirty years of Farm Aid’s existence. While at the helm, he has been a steadfast friend to Farm Aid and an essential partner in our shared work to keep family farmers on the land and to promote a more just system of agriculture.

Under Ralph’s leadership, the Federation thrived for three decades in building socially- and economically-just models of cooperatives, credit unions and community development projects with family farmers and rural communities throughout the South. Over three decades, Farm Aid has had the honor of working with the Federation in the on-going, every day work of strengthening Black farmers and all farmers, and in numerous projects of note: the United Farmer and Rancher Congress in 1987, farmer-to-farmer haylifts in the face of natural disasters, relief and recovery efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and a landmark settlement of the Pigford discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We are ever grateful for Ralph’s work on these and many other projects and know there is no replacing his leadership.

Ralph Paige, Ben Burkett, Willie Nelson and Shirley Sherrod, 1994

The Rev Jesse Jackson, Willie Nelson, Jim Hightower and Ralph Paige at a Farm Aid press conference.

As Ralph retires, we are pleased to welcome Cornelius Blanding as the new Executive Director of the Federation. Knowing Cornelius and his dedicated work of 17 years at the Federation gives us real confidence in his leadership to move the organization forward.

Cornelius brings with him extensive experience not only within the Federation, but also in board and committee leadership and collaborations with several other rural and community development organizations, including the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA), Agricultural Safety & Health Council of America (ASHCA), Southeast Climate Consortium (SECC), Alabama Department of Agriculture's Small Farmers' Marketing & Education Association and the Presbyterian Committee on the Self Development of People (SDOP).

Farm Aid knows Cornelius as a humble, yet tenacious and dedicated leader and we look forward to working with him in his new capacity at the Federation as we honor the great legacy of Ralph Paige.

Cornelius Blanding (center) listens to Ralph Paige (foreground), with Baldemar Velasquez (left) at Farm Aid's Gathering leading up to Farm Aid 2014 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Take Action for Food and Farm Justice: Stop Fast Track!

2015-04-13T11:47:00.003-04:00

Trade deals are one of the most powerful ways that corporations can control our food and farm system. So-called "free trade" agreements, like NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), have concentrated corporate power and contributed to:

the exploitation of family farmers in the U.S. and abroad;
lower food safety standards for eaters;
the degradation of our soil, air and water;
the collapse of local economies and forced migration of workers; and
the undermining of local food procurement efforts such as farm to school programs.

Once again, trade is being used to expand corporate power. Congress is about to vote on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) – or Fast Track – which would give the President power to negotiate trade agreements behind closed doors, to the benefit of corporate interests. Two undemocratic agreements — the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)— would then be presented to Congress for an "up" or "down" vote, without amendments and with little or no opportunity for debate.

With the stakes so high, these agreements are too important to be negotiated in secret, without the input of American citizens or Congress.

By stopping Fast Track, we can derail this corporate trade agenda!

Take action now:

Contact your members of Congress using this tool from our partners at the Citizens Trade Campaign to let them know that you want a voice on the future of trade and that they should reject Fast Track.

It is time to abandon the failed promise that any trade deal is a good deal. We must negotiate trade agreements that work for all people, rather than passing trade policies that make corporations richer.

Take Action with Farm Aid and Stop Fast Track today!

Emily's Farm & Food Roundup

2015-04-10T08:39:00.003-04:00

After four years of the worst drought California has ever seen, Governor Jerry Brown announced the state’s new mandatory water restrictions - the first in history. National Geographic reports on the five things you need to know about the dry situation, including where the state’s water is supposed to be coming from, the growing population, and of course, where the farmers come into play. The mandatory water cuts have not yet been extended to farms, though that’s not to say they won’t ever be. As of right now, farmers are being asked to improve their usage reporting so regulators can help reduce wasted water. “It’s a different world,” Governor Brown says of the agriculture industry, “We have to act differently.”

Predictions from the recently released Proceedings of the National Academy of Scientists (PNAS) study include a public health threat due to the massive global increase in factory-farmed meat production, skyrocketing global antibiotic use by 67%. Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, because of their vertically integrated intensive livestock production systems, are projected to double their antibiotic use by 2030 in order to meet their population’s protein demands. As avid Farm Aid Roundup readers may recall, the United States, among these other countries, is experiencing an antibiotic-resistance crisis: over 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths annually due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The PNAS study is the first of its kind, attempting to explain the links between global antibiotic use and livestock production. What came with this study was not only the troubling present and future health threat, but the lack of publicly funded surveillance of the livestock industry. This lack of antibiotic use monitoring, due to the reluctance of food animal producers and animal feed producers, to name a few, made it difficult for the study to have the comprehensive data to create much needed, effective regulation in the industry.

Transitioning in and out of roles on a family farm can be complicated, to say the least. This piece from Agrinews by Janet Kubat Willette lays out pointers for a successful transition, citing effective communication as a number one priority. “The entering couple might have dreams about the farm that are contrary to the dreams of the exiting couple,” she says, but with solid boundaries and clear lines of decision-making, the transition can be that much smoother. Ted Matthews, director of rural mental health for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, notes that while transitioning leadership among farmers has been present through generations, today the situations can be much more complex with people continuing to farm into their eighties. “When are they actually going to retire? When are they actually going to pass on the farm? It's not as simple as it used to be," Matthews said. If you’re a retiring farmer looking to pass on your life’s work, the Center for Rural Affairs has a great page full of resources on planning a successful transition.

Many farmer groups, including the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), are filing suit against the USDA. The groups claim that the USDA changed a rule concerning how synthetic and prohibited natural substances can be used in organic food production, and did so without any public comment. In the past, under USDA rules, synthetic materials would be removed from a National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances after five years, unless, upon considering public comment, two-thirds of the members of the organic standards board voted in favor of keeping them there. The USDA altered this process without the public’s input back in September 2013, allowing synthetic materials to remain on the national list unless the standards board decides they should be removed. MOFGA’s Ted Quaday sees the oversight of public comment as a violation of the principle that calls for full participation in organic policy-making. "We feel it's necessary to challenge that action to ensure that organic farmers and consumers are able to guide organic food production in the future," he says.

Last week, Amazon, the company that seems to always be in the midst of a hiring spree, added some new employees to its already massive staff. This time, though, it’s goats, and they’re here to take care of your lawn, the natural way. As part of a Home Services campaign trial, Amazon has begun renting out the services of Tammy Dunakin’s Rent-A-Ruminant goat herd. The furry landscapers offer plenty of benefits on the job: their carbon footprint is small, they’re cheaper than their human counterparts, and they’re thorough. They can reach every little corner, even the ones that farm machinery can’t. Dunakin, like her goats, is also thorough, driving to each site location to ensure the environment is safe before sending in her herd. So far, Amazon’s venture with Dunakin is a success: she has nearly 100 job requests for her hard-working goats.

Farm Aid Remembers Ryan White

2015-04-08T07:30:00.000-04:00

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the death of Ryan White, the Indiana teenager who contracted HIV from a blood treatment for hemophilia. Ryan was diagnosed in December 1984, and given six months to live. At the time, AIDS was a disease widely associated with the gay community. Doctors said Ryan posed no risk to other students, but because AIDS was poorly understood at the time, he ended up at the center of a battle to keep him from going back to his school. The media coverage of the case made Ryan a national celebrity and spokesman for AIDS research and public education.

Ryan's quiet courage made him a hero of celebrities like Indiana native John Mellencamp, Greg Louganis and Elton John. Ryan's fight lasted much longer than the six months doctors predicted he'd live. But in April 1990, one month before his high school graduation, Ryan's health began to fail. At the same time that Farm Aid IV was being held in Indianapolis at the Hoosier Dome, word spread that Ryan was hospitalized and near death. Elton John, who had become a loyal friend to Ryan and his family, was in Indiana to support Ryan. He left Ryan's bedside at the hospital briefly to perform at the Farm Aid concert. Before launching into "Candle in the Wind" John said, "This one's for Ryan." The audience swayed with their hands in the air. Ryan White died the next day at the age of 18.

A new book, The Quiet Hero: A Life of Ryan White, by Nelson Price, celebrates the life and legacy of Ryan White and we highly recommend it, whether you lived through that time and remember Ryan's story or whether you are too young to know about Ryan. His courage to speak up is inspirational and changed the perception of the AIDS epidemic as exclusive to gay, minority, urban and poor people. His fight inspired the Ryan White Care Act in 1990, which guarantees access to health care for people with HIV or AIDS who otherwise can’t afford proper treatment.

Emily's Farm & Food Roundup

2015-04-03T13:33:00.000-04:00

The United States has long been reliant on antibiotics, especially in factory hog farms. Maybe it’s time to take a tip from Danish hog farmer Kaj Munck, one of the many hog farmers in Denmark who raise their animals without the constant use of antibiotics (using them instead as needed for specific medical purposes). His operation has proven beneficial in almost every aspect on the farm. He’s raising 12,000 pigs per year, which is larger than the average American farmer’s production, and he can produce pork at prices low enough to compete with international markets. The most important benefit to an antibiotic-free farm, however, Munck saw coming from a mile away. “We saw a potential problem with antibiotic resistance and wanted to get ahead of the game,” he said. Turns out he was right, as antibiotic resistance is a rapidly increasing issue in the United States. Antibiotic use in Denmark livestock is currently down 50%, animals aren’t experiencing more bacterial infections than usual, and growth-wise, they’re thriving without regular doses of antibiotics.

Unfortunately for the US, problems with antibiotic resistance continue to grow. A new study finds that antibiotic-resistant bacteria are capable of surviving air travel. Upon gathering particulate matter in a 200-mile radius surrounding 10 of Texas’ commercial cattle yards over a period of 6 months, researchers determined that the airborne microbe had indeed originated from the yards, and the air studied contained bacteria and antibiotics. As for the makeup of the bacteria itself, it was found that a “significant number” of the microbial communities studied had antibiotic-resistant genes, so much so that it made microbiologist Greg Mayer “not want to breathe.” The genes that are capable of becoming airborne are contained in fecal matter that becomes dust and is picked up by wind, creating opportunity for the antibiotic resistant, active bacteria to be spread over a long distance.

This issue, among many others, has prompted the Obama Administration to release a National Action Plan to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria. The ultimate outcome stated in the plan is to curb the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria with the goal of saving lives. The agriculture industry will play a huge role in making this a reality. The plan includes the goal to eliminate the use of medically important antibiotics for growth promotion in food-producing animals by the year 2020. It appears this action plan could create a system of agriculture much closer to that of our Danish counterparts, who adopted antibiotic-free ways back in 2000.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is progressing with its mission to cut ties with Kraft. Kraft currently has a contract to display the Academy’s “Kids Eat Right” label on the packaging of its product Kraft Singles, which is described as “pasteurized prepared cheese product” and is made with milk, Cheddar cheese, whey, milk protein concentrate, milk fat and sodium citrate. Following the announcement of the Academy’s deal with Kraft, concerns grew among the organization members, who expressed outrage that their label, one that was supposed to indicate some degree of nutritional value, would promote Kraft’s highly processed product as healthy. Andy Bellatti, a founder of the group Dietitians for Professional Integrity, believes that the termination of the relationship will provide some much needed conversation surrounding the companies dietary groups support, “Dietitians need to continue advocating for an organization that represents us with integrity and that we can be proud of, rather than continually have to apologize for.”

According to Errol Schweizer, executive global grocery coordinator at Whole Foods Market, “There has been a mass awakening among consumers for organic, but not a mass awakening in the farming community.” With major retail chains like Target and General Mills making commitments to sell organic food, massive shortages are beginning to occur, particularly in the market for organic grain. The grain, used for both animal feed and food, is now being imported from places like Canada, Eastern Europe, and South Africa by companies who want to keep up with the booming organic demand. In order to rally support on United States’ soil, collaboration was formed between popular pro-organic companies like Annie’s, Organic Valley, the Organic Trade Association, Sustainable Food Lab (SFL), and more, who together are now known as the US Organic Grain Collaboration. “The focus is to address the systemic issues that are barriers to farmers in organic production,” says SFL program director Elizabeth Reeves. The group will attempt to tackle the technical barriers farmers face when trying to go organic: lack of resources, equipment, services, and finances.

In closing, I invite you all to enter the world of Angora rabbit show business. These divas, while incredibly docile, all have personalities of their own - and with names like Alfredo, Surprise, Silvertone's Marvelous, and Shamwow, how could they not? Learn about the breeds and appearance maintenance, and be sure to view the slideshow of avant-garde bunny beauty by photographer Andres Serrano. Serrano pointed his camera lens away from his usual controversial subjects to something fluffier in this particular shoot. "The rabbits were good subjects," he said. "They didn't move much. They're professionals."

Emily's Farm & Food Roundup

2015-03-27T14:52:00.001-04:00

Could Texas be our new Napa? While the state has been suffering in the midst of plunging oil prices and a mega drought, their wine production industry has never been better. Texas is now the fifth-largest wine producer, generating $1.88 billion in economic activity for the state in 2013, according to Wine Vines Analytics and the Grape Growers Association Report, respectively. Winemaking is a booming industry in the lone star state: production has increased by a third since 2010. “A long-standing drought and falling cotton prices are also enticing more of them to plant grapes,” says Andy Timmons, a long-time grape grower. Vineyards themselves can generate as much revenue as 40 acres of cotton with a fraction of the water use - a game-changing crop for farmers in the drought-ridden landscape.

The World Health Organization’s cancer research arm has declared the herbicide glyphosate “probably carcinogenic to humans.” It’s a key ingredient in Monsanto’s RoundUp herbicide and is the most widely used weedkiller, particularly on GMO crops like Monsanto’s RoundUp Ready corn and soy. Monsanto, of course, is fighting back, accusing the World Health Organization of unnecessarily scaring consumers and farmers who use their products.

NPR’s Michaeleen Doucleff reports on the antibiotic-ridden state of the pork industry worldwide. A study published Thursday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that, on average, pig farmers use about four times the antibiotics per pound of meat that cattle farmers do. As a result the impact of these antibiotics is growing: as agriculture continues to use these antibiotics, consumers get hit harder by the drug-resistant bacteria that emerges on and off,the farm. Ramanan Laxminarayan of the Center for Disease Dynamics Economics & Policy in Washington, D.C. says, "...the circumstantial evidence, linking use in animals to drug-resistant bacteria in humans, is exceedingly strong." A future with such heavy antibiotic use, according to Laxminarayan, looks grim, “We project in the next 20 years, world use of antibiotics in animal production will go up by two-thirds. The implications for the effectiveness of our antibiotics could be quite devastating."

Last week’s National Agriculture Day was celebrated by happy students and volunteers as they banded together at Miller Grove Middle School in Lithonia, Georgia, to build, plant, and maintain a school garden. Sixth and seventh graders planted the lettuce, cabbage, and more in raised beds under the hoop-house as USDA Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Dr. Joe Leonard, thanked Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for his commitment to providing opportunities for community gardens in underserved communities. Middle Grove Principal Thaddeus Dixon was happy to see excitement around agriculture in his school, adding, “This was a great way to celebrate these kids who have shown a desire and ability to learn about agriculture and teach their classmates about something they might not otherwise be exposed to in their community.”

This article from City Lab chronicles our ramblin’ president and co-founder of Farm Aid Willie Nelson’s greatest geographically inclined tunes. Willie’s been known to croon metaphors of the cities he’s passed through in his 60-year professional touring career, and these graphics show just how many places and faces he’s touched with his music, and how they’ve influenced him.

Tell Congress: Don’t Leave Us in the DARK!

2015-03-25T14:16:00.000-04:00

Whatever your opinions about the oh-so-many issues related to the food on our plates, we can all agree that we, as eaters, have a right to the information needed to guide our decisions to feed ourselves and our families.

Here at Farm Aid, we believe the best way to get key information about your food is to get as close as possible to the farmer who grows it. But when that isn’t possible, we all rely on labels to learn about who grew our food, where it was grown and how it was produced.

It is around that fundamental right to know that many states have explored labeling laws for genetically engineered (GE) food. In 2014, Vermont became the first state to require mandatory GE labeling, while Connecticut and Maine have passed similar laws that would go into effect once neighboring states pass labeling bills. Increasingly, states across the nation are having this civic dialogue unfold through bills and ballot initiatives – 30 states in 2013 and 2014 in fact - several of which we’ve supported here at Farm Aid.

Meanwhile, 64 countries require the labeling of GE foods, including our trading partners in Asia, the European Union, Russia and even countries like Brazil where GE crops are raised by many farmers. But here in the U.S., a handful of agribusiness and food corporations have spent over $100 million to block state labeling initiatives. This week, their latest swing at these efforts is a federal bill – the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act - introduced by Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo that would block state labeling laws and further confuse the public.

That’s why several of our partners have dubbed Pompeo’s bill the “Denying Americans the Right to Know” or DARK Act. Pompeo’s DARK Act would:

Preempt state laws to GE foods and prohibit confusing “natural” claims on food products.

Create new barriers to federal mandatory GE labeling.

Further entrench our broken voluntary labeling system through new FDA rules and a new USDA program.

Create a loophole-riddled GMO “safety” review system based on industry science.

Call your Congressman and tell them to reject Pompeo’s “Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act.” Find your Representative here or call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

The introduction of the DARK Act comes on the heels of a new report from scientists convened by the World Health Organization revealing that the herbicide glyphosate – commonly known as Monsanto’s Roundup, is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” Roundup Ready crops like corn, soybeans, alfalfa and others are the most commonly used GE crop varieties raised for animal feed and ingredients in processed foods – they are currently ubiquitous in our food system.

Over 90% of Americans support labeling of GE food, regardless of party, income or education level. Tell Congress you’re one of them and you want them to support GE labeling and reject the Pompeo Bill!

Visit our Genetic Engineering page for more on this issue & what family farmers have to say.

For more on all the many food labels out on the shelves today see our Food Labeling page.

Emily's Farm & Food Roundup

2015-03-20T12:53:00.000-04:00

This piece from NPR’s Dan Charles will not only make you crave a fresh, juicy summer peach, but will also take you deep into a story of a family, a bleak moment in history, and an all-out food revolution. Peach farmer and preservationist Mas Masumoto grew up on the farm in southeast Fresno, CA, that his parents had bought after being released from an internment camp that imprisoned Japanese-Americans during World War II. Post-college, Masumoto returned to his family’s farm and started a family of his own. But year after year, he’d find that the big peach buyers simply wouldn’t want his product - an old heirloom variety peach called Suncrest that just didn’t have the flashy cosmetics or shelf-life to keep buyers interested. It seemed it was time for the bulldozer to destroy the orchard - or so Masumoto thought. He wrote “Epitaph for a Peach,” a sort of eulogy for the Suncrest variety that he loved, but was losing the family farm thousands of dollars. He sent the essay off to the LA Times, who published it, sparking readers to send letters to Masumoto, begging him to continue growing these peaches that he himself promised “tasted great, like a peach was supposed to.” These letters, along with an unwelcome visit from the peach-executioner driving the bulldozer, were the sign that Masumoto was looking for. He kept the trees, and got the attention of acclaimed chef and food activist Alice Waters, who put the peaches on the menu at her restaurant. Today, Masumoto has passed the farm and legacy on to his daughter, Nikiko, who has since moved in to her grandparents’ old farmhouse.

Avid Roundup readers may recall that Nestle opted to use natural flavors and colors in their products instead of their old artificial methods. This week’s chocolate update questions whether the use of genetic modification can save humanity from the dreaded chocolate shortage predicted to hit within the next five years due to climate change, disease, and demand. Chocolate, which begins with the seeds of the cacao tree, has an abundance of limitations. Geographically speaking, it’s nearly impossible to grow beyond the “20/20 zone,” a belt 20 degrees north or south of the Equator. It’s also often plagued with witches’ broom, a fungus that has wiped out cacao trees for years. Options to stave off impending chocolate shortage have been popping up, such as CNN-51, a sturdy, disease-resistant, and less fussy variety with an unfortunately flat flavor. Scientists now wonder if it’s time to capture the chocolate flavor profile we know and love by resorting to GMOs. Because of its extremely complex makeup, a GMO cacao plant won’t be easy, but the genome of the plant has been mapped by both scientists from Hershey’s and Mars. Is GMO chocolate environmentally worth it? Or would you shell out more for the popular confection?

Curious about last year’s farm bill? Check out this piece from Slate that attempts to make some sense of the 1,000-page bill that has the rare quality of both bipartisan support and opposition. Author Alec MacGillis believes that while it may be too soon for final judgment of the bill, the costly agricultural subsidies that were supposed to be reined in were rather boosted. The farm bill also replaced direct payments to farmers with subsidized crop insurance programs, which were expected to be more efficient and save taxpayers $23 billion in the long run, but instead will pay out over $24 billion according to an analysis by the Environmental Working Group. Groups like the National Family Farm Coalition had hoped that lawmakers would have considered an alternative to the subsidies such as a price stabilization program, which would cost the government much less, but isn’t beneficial to big agribusiness. “There can be a safety net in agriculture, but it should be a very basic safety net that steps in when farmers suffer crippling losses,” said Craig Cox of the Environmental Working Group. “It shouldn’t be programs that simply boost incomes, that actually are income transfers to businesses in the guise of a safety net.” The House Agriculture Committee is preparing to get a new farm bill through in 2019, but the threats facing agriculture aren’t expected to solve themselves between now and then.

Technological advancements are supposed to make everyone’s lives easier. This article from Lancaster Farming describes how this idea extends to the farming community by providing information on the coolers and storage spots for farmers’ produce via updates sent to their cell phones. The University of Vermont Test Project Extension service installed remote thermostats int nine farms’ storage units, reducing the rates of vegetables that didn’t last by 30-50%, adding an average of $10,000 in revenue for farmers. Pete Johnson, owner of Pete's Greens in northern Vermont, is on board with being able to detect and quickly fix any problems without having to physically monitor things himself. "The fact that there's something in there all the time checking in on it, letting us know what's going on is extremely helpful," he says. This system, so far a success, has boosted confidence among growers, and will hopefully allow for farm expansion in the future.

Wednesday, March 18th, marked the 42nd annual National Agriculture Day in America! The holiday was created to celebrate and recognize the valued contributions of farmers and to increase the public awareness of agriculture's vital role in our society. In honor of Ag Day’s passing, check out this list of food trivia and learn a little more about your favorite good eats! My personal favorite from the page: we are eating 900% more broccoli than we did 20 years ago (I like to think that’s because I was born about 20 years ago… Maybe I account for that 900%!).

Emily's Farm & Food Roundup

2015-03-13T12:54:00.001-04:00

A 114-year reign of male principal operators is coming to an end at Longley Farms now that 26-year-old Kate Danner has taken the reins on the family’s corn and soybean operation - and according to this piece from Bloomberg Business, incidents like this may start to occur more often. With the average age of principal operators on the rise, more and more women are stepping in to fill the void left by an aging community with fewer young people willing to join the industry. Michael Stolp, a business adviser for Northwest Farm Credit Services in Spokane, Washington, believes that the agriculture industry will thrive with the addition of some much needed diversity. “This is way more than cows and plows,” Stolp said. “As farming becomes more complex, you need more diverse perspectives. Farming is becoming more professionalized, which means multiple career paths.” Women make up 49% of undergraduates at Iowa State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and opportunities for them to succeed are growing. The USDA’s deputy secretary Krysta Harden looks forward to engaging women in agriculture through her new mentoring network.

In this article from the New York Times, we hear from farmers who have opted for no-till farming practices. With tilling comes a slew of issues, environmentally and financially: degrading the soil, killing beneficial organisms like earthworms and fungi, and requiring heavy applications of synthetic fertilizers to produce high enough yield. By utilizing the no-till method, farmers are working on the side of soil conservation. They no longer need to use nitrogen fertilizer or fungicide, and are able to produce above average yields with less labor and lower costs. The practice’s advocates include farmers like Gabe Brown, who speaks on the no-till method at soil conferences, in addition to nonprofit organizations like No-Till on the Plains, which seeks to educate growers on production systems that model nature more closely. Leaving fields unplowed can also increase organic matter in soil, making it easier to absorb and retain water, and therefore making it more drought resistant. While there are clearly benefits to employing a no-till system, critics argue that they aren’t outweighed by the costs - that the method is impractical and much too expensive. Though it may take several years for soil to recover using the no-till method, proponents assure that patience will be rewarded.

Even with federal legislation and the USDA created Farm to School program to help out, getting local food into school lunch programs is still not an easy task. According to the USDA’s Farm to School Program survey data, 36% of school lunchrooms in the US served local food in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years, and most of these lunchrooms were in the northeast schools of Maine, Vermont, Maryland, and Delaware. Katherine Ralston, an agricultural economist at the USDA, reports that the both the number of schools interested in and actually serving local food were “higher than expected,” but it was worth looking into the other 64% that weren’t going local. The biggest barriers a school faces lie in the details: the contract requirements, paperwork, and the varying levels of labor availability at the farm and the school. There are also worries that certain local products won’t have the year-round availability to meet the needs of the school. Despite all the obstacles there is much hope, however. Ralston claims it’s getting easier to source these products, and we at Farm Aid have proof that farmers themselves care about getting their good products into schools. Read our profiles of these two Farm to School Heroes dedicated to raising awareness about the benefits of eating locally!

Boston Music Awards’ artist of the year and Farm Aid artist Will Dailey is gearing up to release a deluxe edition of his album National Throat, featuring six new bonus tracks. One of these tracks, a rocker which he’s entitled “$300 Man,” he attributes to his experience with Farm Aid in a very profound way. “I am most inspired by those who get their hands in the soil and get work done. The good kind of work,” he says, restating Farm Aid’s mission and a quote by President Willie Nelson. Listen to the track and read his Q&A with CMT Edge. Thank you, Will!

Goat milk is on the rise, according to Modern Farmer, but could it ever compete with cow milk in our supermarkets? Here are a few facts to note when considering your milk choices: goat milk has calcium, magnesium, potassium, and Vitamin C, and less lactose! Goat milk isn’t typically produced in the same massive operations as cow milk, so give it a try if you’re looking to steer clear of big ag. The environmental impact of keeping goats is slightly lower than cows because they produce less manure. And by the numbers, goat milk is doing pretty well - sales have jumped 15%, and consumption has risen by a third since 2007. Go goats!

The Power of the People: A recap the Iowa Food & Ag Justice Summit

2015-03-11T17:28:00.000-04:00

If ever I needed a reminder of our power as "we, the people," I received it ten-fold this weekend when I joined our long-time partner Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (Iowa CCI) in their efforts to organize the Food & Agriculture Justice Summit.

The justice summit emerged in response to the first-ever Iowa Ag Summit, an event organized by Iowa's agribusiness tycoon Bruce Rastetter that brought Republican presidential hopefuls including Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and Chris Christie to Des Moines for a conversation about "modern agriculture."

Family farmers and rural communities in Iowa are no stranger to Rastetter's corporate ag agenda that puts profits before people, communities and our environment. Rastetter made his fortune founding Heartland Pork Enterprises in 1994, which was later acquired by Christensen Farms to create the 4th largest pork producer in the U.S. That trend of corporate consolidation and the expansion of pork production into mega "factory farms" has pushed over 80 percent of Iowa's hog farms out of business since the early 1990s, draining rural health and wealth from the state as family farms left the land.

Iowa CCI rallied a broad coalition of local, state and national partners to elevate a different vision for food and agriculture. That vision, endorsed by Farm Aid's President Willie Nelson in his recent Politico op-ed, puts family farmers front and center and endorses local control of agriculture using methods that sustain the health of soil, water, communities, and rural economies for future generations.

Here are a few highlights from the weekend's events:

Pre-dawn rallying: It was bright and early for this crew of 130, who showed up at the Iowa State Fairgrounds an hour before the event doors opened with a choir of voices shouting "Family Farms, Yes! Corporate Ag, No!" Attracting the attention of press and early arrivals to Rastetter's event, we ‘early birds' got the proverbial worm – important coverage and social media callouts showing there was a different vision worth paying attention to. One that wasn't powered by corporate money, but instead by people.
What conversation? Rastetter's Iowa Ag Summit, which was supposed to be left open to the public for first-come, first-serve tickets provided online, proved to be a more private affair. Several members of Iowa CCI and allied organizations like Iowa Farmers Union who had registered for tickets in advance were told that their tickets were no longer valid, and were not allowed into the event. One person was actually forcibly removed from his seat as he flipped through the Summit program provided.
Crashing the Party: Before making our way to the community-led Food & Ag Justice Summit, we stopped by the Iowa Republican Party's headquarters in Des Moines to urge the support for our family farm vision of agriculture, not the one advanced by Rastetter.
Food & Ag Justice Summit: We ended the day with an uplifting gathering that brought together local, regional and national leaders for dialogue around a vision for food and ag justice that benefits all. We discussed what that vision included and how we would get there – underscoring the need for people to come together, to continue in the long tradition of organizing to protect community welfare, the rights of family farmers and the health of our environment, and the need to bring eaters into the conversation!

For a peek at what the Food & Agriculture Justice Summit looked, check out these photos:

For more coverage of the events see:

Think Progress's great piece capturing how real family farmers felt about Rastetter's Ag Summit.
An interview I did with Huffington Post Live and farmer activist George Naylor about the day's events.
Iowa CCI's play-by-play blog of the events.

Thanks to Iowa CCI for use of their People and Planet First vision for agriculture photo.

Emily's Farm & Food Roundup

2015-03-06T11:19:00.000-05:00

In an attempt to address the spread of antibiotic resistance, three United States Senators introduced legislation on Monday to expand the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to pull antibiotics from their use in livestock and agriculture. The FDA would be required to withdraw its approval of any antibiotic used for the purpose of disease control or prevention in food producing livestock, according to the bill. This legislation would tighten the restrictions on the use of antibiotics in the set of guidelines released in 2013, which called for drug makers to voluntarily remove their products specifically being used for animal weight gain. Back in October, the FDA announced that sales of antibiotics used in agriculture increased by 16% between 2009 and 2012, and of all antibiotics manufactured, a whopping 70% sold in the US are used in food livestock. Over 20,000 people die each year from antibiotic resistant infection, and 2 million get sick. Senator Dianne Feinstein, one of the bill's three cosponsors, stresses the importance of antibiotic reduction: "Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest public health threats we face and we need a comprehensive response to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics...While FDA took an important step to reduce antibiotics overuse in agriculture, we need to do more."

Fast food giant McDonald's has already taken a step toward antibiotic reduction, announcing Wednesday that it will begin to use chickens not treated with antibiotics. As one of the largest chicken buyers in our country, this decision will likely have a large impact on the entire industry. In fact, McDonald's has already received support from large meat suppliers Tyson, Perdue, and Keystone Foods. The shift toward the use of antibiotic-free birds is likely to occur within 2 years, and is only expected to grow. Steven Roach, food safety program director at Food Animal Concerns Trust, predicts a ripple effect: "The last time McDonald's did something like this, five other fast-food companies made similar announcements within six months… I would expect we're going to see a similar pattern this time around."

This article from Modern Farmer takes us deeper into the video series produced by The National Young Farmers Coalition chronicling young women on their dairy farms. Though we've seen some growth in young people starting farming careers over the past few years, this growth has been somewhat limited to vegetables and raising animals for meat - young dairy farmers are much harder to come by due to the costly yet necessary equipment, acreage, and livestock. Watch as these three young women, Sarah Chase, Ashlee Kleinhammer, and Laura Ginsburg, share their success stories despite the challenging nature of running a dairy operation.

During Wednesday's hearing on agriculture spending, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack suggested an idea to members of Congress that consumers use their smartphones to scan specially generated codes to reveal a truckload of information about the ingredients in products at the grocery store. Vilsack's idea is particularly interesting to the key players involved in the GMO labeling debate. While a technological labeling method would certainly solve a lot of mysteries for some curious consumers, Scott Faber, head of the Just Label It campaign, sees the idea as a setback: "Consumers shouldn't have to have a high-tech smartphone and a 10-gigabyte data plan to know what's in their food." At this point, Vilsack's proposal is just an idea, but it's an idea that has the potential to halt the progress consumer advocates have made for a federal standard of mandatory GMO package labeling.

Four members of Congress introduced the Farm to School Act of 2015 last week, expanding the already in place USDA Farm to School program. The act will improve schools' access to healthy, locally grown food, promote interest in agriculture education, and boost economic opportunity for family farmers. With 23 million students eager to learn about where their food comes from, Helen Dombalis, Policy and Strategic Partnerships Director with the National Farm to School Network, sees this new bill as a win-win for kids and farmers. She said, "...We are building on the positive momentum of farm fresh food in school meals, school gardens and farm to school education across the curriculum, such as cooking classes, taste tests, hands-on science classes and farm field trips." The act will open doors for farmers, fishers, ranchers, and food entrepreneurs, giving them opportunities for more direct relationships with local schools.

This piece from NPR takes a look into farm life after military service - and why the USDA encourages veterans to become farmers. With the help of programs from nonprofit organizations (like the Farmer Veteran Coalition, a Farm Aid partner), universities, and Congress, the USDA is seeking to create opportunities for veterans to receive the financial help they need to include agriculture as a form of therapy in their post-war life. USDA military veteran's agricultural liaison Karis Gutter sees the connection as a natural fit. She said, "Many of the men and women who have served come from rural backgrounds and get training to work with their hands and have a natural instinct for entrepreneurship." Sara Creech, former Iraq War surgery nurse, received a grant from the USDA following the recent changes to the Farm Bill, allowing her to improve the quality of her farm. She calls her farm a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and she's found purpose through taking care of animals, providing for her community, and hosting workshops for veterans to introduce them to life on the farm.

Join us at The Food and Ag Justice Summit in Des Moines

2015-03-05T16:10:00.000-05:00

This Saturday, 2016 presidential hopefuls will descend upon Des Moines to attend the first-ever Iowa Agriculture Summit. Hosted by Big Ag operator Bruce Rastetter, the summit promises to be a conversation about "modern agriculture," including topics like renewable fuels, biosciences, GMOs, grain and livestock markets, and more. Rastetter will speak one-on-one with each potential candidate, allowing no questions from the audience.

While the idea of an agriculture summit is a good one, it's likely that the conversation at this summit will focus on furthering the interests of corporate agriculture.

Family farmers know that feeding all of us — not corporate interests — should be the focus of farm policy and the food systems throughout our country. And we here at Farm Aid agree: people, not profits, should come first.

That's why our long-time partner Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (Iowa CCI) has planned a separate summit to counter the message of corporate agriculture. This weekend, at The Food and Ag Justice Summit, I will join family farmers, local community advocates and national allies to talk about a vision of agriculture that works for people and for the planet.

We invite you to join us for a powerful day of elevating a People and Planet First Agenda that puts family farmers, and all of us who eat, before corporate greed.

Friday March 6

6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Food, Fun, & Fight Back
Iowa CCI Headquarters, 2001 Forest Ave, Des Moines

Saturday March 7

7:00 am – 11:00 am

Food and Ag Justice Speak Out
Elwell Family Food Center, Iowa State Fairgrounds
3000 E. Grand Ave, Des Moines

11:30 am – 2:00 pm

Food and Ag Justice Teach In
Simpson United Methodist Church
2600 Capitol Ave, Des Moines

Learn about speakers at the summit here and click here to register.

We hope you'll join us in Des Moines to support a vision of agriculture that puts family farmers, good food, and a fair and just food system first.

Farmer Hero: Dena Hoff Stands Up Against Pipelines

2015-03-02T15:04:00.000-05:00

Back in mid-January, Governor Steve Bullock declared a state of emergency due to a pipeline rupture spilling as much as 50,000 gallons of crude oil into eastern Montana’s swift natural beauty, the Yellowstone River. Among the folks impacted by this spill is Dena Hoff, a dedicated family farmer activist and Montana farmer herself since 1979.

Since she could walk behind Grandma Mamie in her garden, Dena has been transfixed with the world of agriculture. As a young girl, she would spend time on friends’ farms and ranches, picking frozen silage out of the open pit to feed the cows, fixing fences, shocking oats for the thresher, all typical duties she’s since become acquainted with on her own farm. “Everything about hard work and feeding yourself appealed to me even then,” Dena recalls, “I always wanted to farm.”

Today, Dena farms the 500-acre stretch of the scenic Sand Creek Farm, named for the creek that trickles through all year long. She raises a variety of crops, including wheat, fruit trees, edible dry beans, corn, alfalfa, hay, and vegetables, plus sheep, cows, poultry and pigs.

Dena also focuses much of her attention on family farmer rights and activism. As a farmer herself, she knows there is work to be done for family farmers: “I had a first hand look at how hard economics born of bad farm policy made their very survival difficult. I always wanted them to have a better life and the respect of their communities and the country in general. The more I grew, the more I saw how complicated the issues were - I wanted to help.”

The spill
“...I saw all the lights and vehicles and immediately knew where the spill was—right across the fence from my sheep pasture. We could smell it.”

On Saturday, January 17th, a rupture in the 12-inch Poplar Pipeline began spilling tens of thousands of gallons of oil into the Yellowstone River, adjacent to Dena’s beloved Sand Creek Farm. Weeks later, there still hasn’t been an explanation--no message on her answering machine from the owner of the pipeline, Bridger Pipeline, no emails, no plans. The spill hit the northern end of her property, but being on the high side of the river, she doesn’t foresee too much impact on Sand Creek directly. “We really worry about all the downstream impacts to fisheries, including the endangered pallid sturgeon, municipal water users, irrigators, recreationists, wildlife, air, water, and soil quality,” she says. The scary part is, Dena won’t know exactly how she’ll be affected until the ice in the creek melts this spring. However, her downstream farmer and rancher friends are already seeing oil in open stretches of the Yellowstone River.

Since the incident, Dena has begun collecting information on past inspections of the pipeline, which was constructed in the 1950s. “I want all information about all aspects of this and other pipelines to be public knowledge… If this much damage can happen with a 12-inch pipeline, what will inevitably happen with a 36-inch pipeline?” Dena is of course referring to the heavily debated Keystone XL Pipeline, slated to go under the Yellowstone upriver from Dena’s farm and the irrigation district’s water supply.

Dena encourages folks everywhere to become active in the fight for clean energy, and to take this spill as a warning of what’s to come: “There is a lot going on everywhere at all levels, from the local to the global. It’s all linked, even though many prefer to think if it isn't in their backyard, it doesn't exist. We are all linked as inhabitants of our Mother Earth. The oceans connect to make us one world, and we all need to work together so there will be a future for all living things.”

Dena Hoff is a farmer and activist in eastern Montana, where she has raised sheep, cattle, alfalfa, and corn with her husband since 1979. Hoff is the North America coordinator for La Via Campesina-the "international movement of peasants" as well as vice president of the National Family Farm Coalition and former chair of the Northern Plains Resource Council.

Emily's Farm & Food Roundup

2015-02-27T11:22:00.001-05:00

The big news of the week was President Obama's veto of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which made many a farmer, rancher and landowner happy. But the fight's not over. "Through this bill, the United States Congress attempts to circumvent longstanding and proven processes for determining whether or not building and operating a cross-border pipeline serves the national interest," Obama wrote. But that doesn't mean that President Obama won't consider the pipeline if it does pass the State Department deems it would be beneficial to the United States.

Representative Bill Reiboldt and other Missouri lawmakers are looking to get the state back up to its status as a major dairy producer. A drop in Missouri-produced dairy due to farm consolidation and farmers leaving the business has forced the state to import milk from the growing dairy system in Kansas, much to the dismay of Missouri’s few remaining dairy farmers. Since its passing in the House of Representatives, the Reiboldt-sponsored Missouri Dairy Revitalization Act, which would give 80 $5,000 scholarships to future dairy farms, is now making its way through the Senate. The act would also assist with paying a portion of a farmer’s insurance premium due to crises like drought, along with creating incentive for the younger generations to continue running the family farm. With enough support, the act will hopefully get Missouri back to its formerly strong standing in the dairy industry.

Who actually benefits from farm subsidies? This article from the Washington Post sheds some light on the agricultural inequality that for decades has existed concerning the recipients of farm subsidies. Part of the issue surrounding these subsidies includes the loose definition for qualification as an “actively engaged” farmer - a loophole that has allowed $11.3 million in subsidies over the last 20 years to be distributed to millionaire and billionaire land barons. One of the millionaires in question is of course bachelor Chris Soules, dubbed “Prince Farming” for his role on the hit reality TV series, The Bachelor. Soules may truly he an Iowa-native farmer, but he also sits among the top 20% of subsidy recipients in his home state. A solution for this inequality doesn’t appear to be coming from the new crop insurance program, nor has one come from last year’s farm bill - wealthy farmers and folks loosely associated with farms are still the ones reaping the big benefits.

Chocolate giant Nestle is making a move in the natural direction, opting to replace their artificial flavors and colorings with annatto, a natural colorant derived from the seeds of fruit from the subtropical achiote tree. While the actual detriments of artificial ingredients lack hard evidence, some parents believe that the dyes contribute to hyperactivity in their children. American Academy of Pediatrics spokesman Andrew Adesman informs us of ongoing research that shows a possible link between artificial food coloring and a child’s behavior, but no long term health safety or health risks have been identified. Nestle’s decision to use annatto provides concerned parents with an artificial-free option to hand out to kiddos on Halloween, but not necessarily a healthy one - high sugar and fat content in the beloved bars still remains.

If you read Tom Philpott’s report on the state of “big food” in America, it’s no wonder why a huge corporation like Nestle is ditching its artificial ingredients. Things are not looking good. For years, companies like Kraft, Conagra, and Kellogg’s ruled their markets, providing Americans with highly processed and overly convenient products. Now reporting sluggish sales and slashed profit projections, these companies are clearly hurting. This is coming from the rising distrust that Americans are feeling toward these large corporations - the piles of research done on the ill-effects that processed ingredients have on your health, the organic craze, the new interest in quality over convenience. Want to keep up your support for the little guy? Good thing National CSA signup day is coming up on February 28th!

The discussion surrounding grass-fed beef poses three questions: is it better for us? Is it better for the cows? Is it better for the earth? In this Washington Post article, Tamar Haspel attempts to answer them. Firstly, us: in two words, sort of. While grass-fed beef has less fat than regular beef and a higher concentration of omega-3 fats, its reputation may have led us to believe that it’s healthier for us than it really is. The important thing to remember is that in your daily diet, beef is still beef - moderation is key. Next, is grass-fed a better life for the cows? “The answer is a resounding ‘it depends’” according to the article. Ultimately, a cow’s well-being comes from its management, not just its feed. Temple Grandin says grain is okay, grass is okay. She says cattle are perfectly content in a well-maintained feedlot, but they’re also happy to graze if the weather’s nice. Finally, the environmental impact: how do grass-fed cows affect our planet? It’s complicated, to say the least, but what we do know is this: beef is generally considered not “planet friendly” because of the methane that cattle produce. Even so, grass-fed advocates believe that well-managed grazing allows vegetation to lock in, or “sequester” greenhouse gases, preventing them from entering the atmosphere. Rattan Lal, director of the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center at Ohio State University, dismisses this claim, arguing that “[sequestering] can’t completely compensate for the greenhouse gases in beef production.” Much is clearly up in the air with regards to grass-fed cattle. What do you think?

Raising “kids” in the city is hard. Nonetheless, a small herd of Chicago urbanites are taking to an agricultural lifestyle, raising goats for milk and cheese far from your typical farm. This article from the Chicago Tribune introduces us to the Staswicks, a Chicago family who added three three-week-old goats to their family of five children, muscovy ducks, and chickens in 2013. Their small operation enables them to make cheese and yogurt from the goats’ milk - a favorite among the children, and is of course endless entertainment for neighbors and passersby. Not ready to raise animals on your city block? Start up a gutter garden, with help from HOMEGROWN.org!

Help Us Get the Word Out! Community Food Project Funding Now Available

2015-02-20T11:35:00.000-05:00

Since 1996, the Community Food Project Grant Program (CFP) has been supporting the alleviation of food insecurity in low-income communities through projects which:

Promote community self-reliance in meeting their own food needs;
Encourage comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition issues;
Meet food needs through food distribution, community outreach to assist in participation in federally-assisted nutrition programs, or improving access to food as part of a comprehensive service; and
Meet specific state, local or neighborhood food and agricultural needs including needs relating to equipment necessary for the efficient operation of a project, planning for long-term solutions, or the creation of innovative marketing activities that mutually benefit agricultural producers and low-income consumers.

This past Friday, February 13th, the USDA's National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) posted a Request for Applications (RFA) for the 2015 round of CFP funding. Nine million dollars of funds are available — nearly double what they were in the last grant round. Yet there's been very short notice for prospective applicants, with applications due no later than 5pm EST on March 17th, 2015, and the process often taking more than two weeks to complete. Which is why we need your help!

Do you know of organizations or efforts in your community with experience in:

Community food work, particularly concerning small and mid-sized farms, including the provision of food to low-income communities and the development of new markets in low income communities for agricultural producers;
Job training and business development for food related activities in low-income communities or;
Efforts to reduce food insecurity in the their community, including food distribution, improving access to services, or coordinating services and programs?

If so, please forward along this post!

For this round of funding, two types of grants are available:

Community Food Projects, examples of which include community gardens with market stands, value chain projects, food hubs, farmers' markets, farm-to-institutions projects, and marketing and consumer cooperatives. All projects must involve low-income participants. The maximum Community Food Project award in a single year is $125,000 and the maximum award over four years is $400,000.
Planning Projects, examples of which include community food assessments' coordination of collaboration development, GIS analysis, food sovereignty study, and farm-to-institution exploration. All projects must involve low-income participants. The maximum Planning Project award is $35,000 for the total project period. The maximum grant period is three years.

Farm Aid is collaborating with New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and additional partners to provide free one-on-one technical assistance and resources to applicants. If you are interested in receiving assistance, please fill out this intake form.

There will be two upcoming webinars to help prepare applicants.

Overview of using Grants.gov and the application process on Monday, February 23 at 2 pm EST. *Pre-registration required - Registration link
Evaluation for Community Food Projects Applications on Thursday, February 26 at 2 pm EST. *Pre-registration required - Registration Link

For more information and to apply for technical assistance, please visit New Entry's Community Food Project website or fill out the request for assistance form.

Only electronic applications will be accepted via Grants.gov. For new users to Grants.gov, the registration process can take as long as 2 weeks to complete, making it critical to begin the registration process as soon as possible.

To learn more about inspiring Community Food Project grants, past and present, check out this great Digital Storytelling site.

Emily's Farm & Food Roundup

2015-02-13T09:57:00.001-05:00

The Farm Aid Drought Summit was held at the end of January in San Antonio, Texas. The event drew hundreds of organic farmers to unite them in the quest for assistance from federal programs and drought relief options. Scott Marlow, of Rural Advancement Foundation International, proclaimed the serious nature of droughts, as “an isolating experience,” as there is no identifiable end to the disaster. Texas farmers are continually struggling, as 60% of the state remains in abnormally dry to exceptional drought conditions. The Summit sparked optimism among attendees, as state and federal governments are beginning to invest in Texas organic farms. Read writer and CEO of LocalSprout Mitch Hagney’s account of the recent summit, along with a history of organic farming in Texas.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are calling on the USDA to review and update their animal welfare strategy as serious allegations of animal cruelty came pouring out of an investigation of the US Meat Animal Research Center in Nebraska. Dubbed an “American horror story” by Michael Bershadker, CEO and President of the ASPCA, this research center’s activities have taken full advantage of the laws outlined in the Animal Welfare Act, riding on the loophole that farm animals used in agricultural experiments are exempt from protection. The USDA assures concerned citizens and organizations that they are taking action, and expect to update the animal welfare strategy within 60 days.

Using NPR’s interactive map of each state’s most common job, this article from Grist.org takes notice of the immense decrease in farming as an occupation over the past 30 years. Their reasoning? Farmers are “aging out” - the younger generation is leaning toward other professions, causing a significant decrease in farmers, but interestingly enough, not an overall decline in the farming industry: “The rise of high-tech equipment, an increase in pesticide use, and the implementation of government-issued subsidies all are larger than ever,” Liz Core of Grist.org tells us, “except the number of farmers.” Click through NPR’s interactive map to see the farmer decline for yourself.

Women farmers received acknowledgment from the National Farmers Union for their growing contributions to the family farmer community. NFU President Roger Johnson recognized and appreciated the roles of women in the family farmer community: “thankfully, the future of family farming in America is in good hands, and that is due in no small part to the growing contributions of women in agriculture.” With a growing interest in continuing their farming education and skills, but also facing barriers to land ownership, there is quite a bit of work to be done for women to fully establish themselves as vital partners in the farming community. The National Farmers Union assures us that they will support and encourage women to farm, as they are already estimated to produce up to 80% of the world’s food.

Around 8,000 protesters marched on the streets of their Governor Jerry Brown’s hometown of Oakland, CA, demanding the official continue his trend of fighting against climate change by putting a stop to the environmentally detrimental act of fracking. LA Climate reporter Mark Hertsgaard recognizes Governor Brown’s actions in the fight for climate change as being significant, but believes that in order to maintain his title of “climate action champion,” the official must reject fracking. The protesters came far and wide, and included environmental justice organization reps, students, health activists, and citizens concerned about fracking’s negative impacts on drought, health, and climate change. New York and Vermont put a stop to fracking - will California follow in their environmentally conscious footsteps?

I’d say after weeks of snowfall, it’s time for a little Boston weather report. This article from Chris Mooney at the Washington Post puts the snowy chaos into a climate change context, attempting to answer the dreaded question: is this all because we’re warming the world? Climate researcher Michael Mann over at Penn State offers the explanation, “there is [a] direct relationship between the surface warmth of the ocean and the amount of moisture in the air. What that means is that this storm will be feeding off these very warm seas, producing very large amounts of snow as spiraling winds of the storm squeeze that moisture out of the air, cool, it, and deposit it as snow inland.” The strength of the storms is also increased when they hit the East Coast due to the temperature contrast from the warming oceans. Global warming is playing a lead role in making this winter a particularly bad one, and we can expect there’s worse to come: a recent study claims that this increase in precipitation will continue to grow in the coming decades.

Nebraskans take note: You can help independent hog producers right now!

2015-02-09T10:26:00.000-05:00

Tell your State Congressmen that farmers should own livestock, not foreign meatpackers!

In 1980, there were more than 666,000 hog farms across the nation, but according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, we now have only 56,000 – meaning we’ve lost nearly 92 percent of America’s hog farms.

Photo courtesy of the USDA

The most important force behind that loss has been consolidation in the meatpacking sector and the growing reach of multinational corporate meatpackers into different stages of hog production – a process called vertical integration.

“Packer ownership” of hogs themselves is the final nail in the coffin for independent hog producers. This trend can push producers out of business, erode the markets that farmers sell to, and drive down prices for farmers. It has also been an important driver behind the proliferation of “factory” hog farms in the country. The stronger this corporate-backed, industrial model becomes, the harder it is for alternative pork production and marketing systems (very promising options for a new generation of family hog producers) to take root.

Here at Farm Aid, we’ve profiled what this looks like in the poultry industry, where full vertical integration has been allowed to take hold, giving poultry integrators ownership over chickens and leaving growers are virtual serfs on the land.

The most recent Census of Agriculture shows a striking difference between Nebraska, which has an intact prohibition of packer ownership of livestock animals, and Iowa, where farmers do not enjoy the same protection. In Nebraska, 78 percent of hogs marketed are sold by independent producers, while 21 percent were vertically integrated. In Iowa, just 43 percent of hogs are marketed from independent farms and 56 percent were vertically integrated.

And that’s where you come in, fair readers. Multinational meatpackers (like Smithfield Foods, which was purchased by China last year) are working to undo the packer ownership bans put in place to protect Nebraska’s family livestock producers.

Join other Nebraska farmers, ranchers and concerned citizens in signing this petition from our partner, the Center for Rural Affairs. Stand with Nebraska’s independent family farmers and ranchers in opposition to packer ownership.

Banning packers from owning livestock is the last protection for independent livestock producers throughout the country. Make sure your lawmakers oppose LB 176.

And if you’re a farmer or a rancher, join the chorus of voices who will testify at the Capitol in Lincoln on Tuesday, February 10! You can contact Traci Brucker at TraciB@cfra.org or John Crabtree at JohnC@cfra.org to get involved.

Ask us anything (about food and farming!)

2015-01-30T14:10:00.001-05:00

Farm Aid is teaming up with Dollars & Sense magazine on an exciting special issue on farming and agriculture--addressing many of the current challenges facing farm communities (and all of us who eat!) in the United States and across the world.

The issue will come out in March and will be available for free, in electronic form, to Farm Aid supporters.

Dollars & Sense is dedicated to covering political and economic issues in a way that is accessible to a broad audience--not just business or finance professionals. Part of that mission is the magazine's "Ask Dr. Dollar" column. Written by UMass-Boston economist and D&S founder Arthur MacEwan, "Ask Dr. Dollar" answers reader questions about current economic issues.

Readers have asked, in the last year, such questions as:

whether environmental regulations destroy jobs;
why the U.S. economy has shifted so much from production to financial speculation;
whether a rise in the minimum wage would cause higher inflation;
whether there is more economic inequality in the world now than in the past; and
why oil prices have been falling in recent months.

D&S and Arthur would like for the "Ask Dr. Dollar" column for the special issue to focus on an question from a Farm Aid supporter. If there is something on your mind that you would like answered, let us know! Drop us an email at info@farmaid.org or leave a comment here.

Arthur is waiting for your question!

Emily's Farm & Food Roundup

2015-01-30T11:11:00.000-05:00

At this point, awareness and concern over GMOs is a given, but it seems the controversy may extend beyond our food supply. To halt the spread of tropical diseases and deadly fevers, the FDA is considering the experimental release of GMO insects in the Florida Keys. This “GMOsquito” developed by Oxitec, formally known as the species Aedes aegypti, would be released by the millions, mating with females in the wild and passing the modified gene onto their offspring. The insects, while they will hatch, will die before they mature, thereby decreasing the risk of diseases like dengue fever and chikungunya. With 10-20% of area residents in opposition of the GMOsquito release, tensions are running high: “We don’t want to be guinea pigs,” said resident Deb Curley, who doesn’t see a need to react so drastically to a fever that hasn’t hit the Keys since 2010. Entomologist Michael Doyle, however, worries about the huge number of tourists that visit, increasing the chances of the disease’s arrival.

It’s UKOOG (United Kingdom Onshore Oil and Gas) versus WWF (World Wildlife Fund) this week as Scotland has announced a block on all planned fracking operations. UKOOG Chief Executive Ken Cronin believes that fracking will boost Scotland’s economy, creating jobs and less reliance on foreign oil. WWF, on the other hand, recognizes the public’s favor of cleaner forms of energy, citing unconventional oil and gas are “neither good for the people or the planet.” Contrary to the actions of the United States, which has allowed extensive use of the extraction process for years, Scotland is choosing to take on a more cautious approach. They’ve tightened restrictions and announced a straight-up ban on fracking in national parks and sites of special interest.

No more syrup induced confusion for you! The USDA revised maple syrup grading to match its international counterparts, so as to operate on one universal grading system based on descriptive terms. The change is expected to help consumers by making it easier to know what exactly you’re looking for in syrup. Producers see the positives too, as this system will assist in marketing the syrup both domestically and internationally. Take it from Matthew Gordon, executive director of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association: “...we believe the coordination of our entire industry's grading will prove to be beneficial for business.” Check out this chart from the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association to answer your syrup conversion questions!

Malawi’s high youth unemployment and low agricultural productivity may have a temporary solution. 31 year-old Bettie Kawonga, a Malawi lecturer and entrepreneur, was awarded $150,000 for her vision of a new agricultural education system that will encourage the youth of the country to become dairy farmers, and successful ones at that. Through Kawonga’s “incubation centers,” set to open in Lilongwe in 2016, people will have the opportunity to learn business proposal writing, agribusiness management, and dairy farming, while also equipping them with start-up money for their own farm. Kawonga, enthusiastic about the prospect of a more agriculturally engaged youth, believes that her attitude will trickle down to those who attend programming at her new centers: “The youth are willing if we provide what they are looking for: skills, credit and the promise of a regular income and a good life,” she says. Her goal for the first year of the program is to get 240 young people engaged and active in agriculture - what she (and Willie Nelson) call “the engine of our economy.”

Is your Christmas tree still kicking around, lazy bones? Turns out pro and amateur chefs have taken to “cooking with conifers”: repurposing the branches and needles as fuel for the fire to smoke the perfect savory, flaky fish or black forest ham. One pioneer of this recycling tradition, Chef Philip Harrison, has received critical acclaim for not only his savory dishes, but also his wildly creative “Christmas tree ice cream,” infusing the mouth-watering dessert with lemon zest and pine needles from abandoned trees. Take Harrison’s advice and prepare a light dessert reminiscent of your most recent holiday, or smoke your own fish over the smoldering branches and memories of yuletide.

Emily's Farm & Food Roundup

2015-01-26T11:33:00.002-05:00

The iconic “Non-GMO Project Verified” label has probably been catching your eye more and more as you peruse the aisles of your favorite grocery store, but how exactly do these products get the stamp of approval? As demand for these types of products grows, many major conventional companies, such as General Mills, have discontinued the use of GMO ingredients in some of their products. According to Megan Westgate, executive director of the Non-GMO Project, a certifiable product must contain less than 1% genetically modified ingredients, as a completely GMO free product is next to impossible. Third party auditors, such as FoodChain ID in Iowa, evaluate the ingredients of a product by extracting and analyzing the DNA of each ingredient, then determining whether or not it can safely remain in the product. Regardless of the growing demand for Non-GMO products, it may be awhile before everyone catches on: about 90% of US corn and soybeans still contain genetic modifiers.

With 80 percent of the state in extreme drought, California has taken certain proactive measures to conserve water: take shorter showers, or stop watering lawns, even perhaps a city-wide redesign. The rapidly growing California almond industry, though, continues to use the same amount of water in one year that could provide water to LA homes and businesses for three years. Now, almonds are a thirsty crop - it takes about one gallon of water to grow one almond. But with the state’s almond market having quadrupled the past decade, it doesn’t look like drought will halt production and exports of the versatile, high-protein, healthy nut. Growers have resorted to pumping groundwater, generally used as a “savings account” for the state’s water supply, to continue their booming almond operations.

Now here’s an interesting question: should farming be considered a public service? The National Young Farmers Coalition formed a campaign to include farming as part of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to encourage young people to farm as a career - something that’s hard to do with massive loan debt from college. The program forgives the balance of loan payments after 120 payments and 10 years of full time public service employment, and allows participants to make those loan payments based on income. The coalition believes that because agriculture meets a lot of our basic needs, and farming supports rural economies by providing jobs, that it should be able to qualify as public service.

Downtown Nashville’s farmer’s market will soon lose some of their vendors due to a new policy that prohibits them from selling products they haven’t personally made or grown. Avid market-goers have always loved the idea of buying locally, but is this policy taking it too far? Joe Barnes, who has sold produce from local farms at his market booth for 20 years, will fall victim to the new policy as the produce he sells is not his own. Farmer’s Market Director Tasha Kennard believes this policy is a change for the better, as it will ensure customers the opportunity to interact directly with the farmer: “...there are expectations that people can go and meet the farmer and learn how the products are grown, learn where they're grown.” This policy is becoming a trend across US farmer’s markets - how would it impact yours?

The dairy industry is on the decline in North Dakota, and reactions could lead the state toward the reconsideration of one family farmer-friendly law. That law says only family members can form farming corporations, which was intended to protect family farmers from large corporate competitors. Now, with only 91 dairy farms left in the state the law is becoming considerably impractical in the eyes of Doug Goehring, the state’s commissioner of agriculture. A milk processing plant in central ND has even resorted to importing milk from out-of-state, as it is said to be operating on a 600 cow-per-day deficit. People like Goehring and Kenton Holle of Northern Lights Dairy are in agreement that there’s room for expansion, but the only solution considered as of yet is to bend the rules and allow non-familial corporations into the state.

Check out these two agriculture maps:the first depicting the most lucrative crop in each state, the second showing us which states make their money from human food and which make more from animal feed. Both are great visual representations of how America’s agriculture industry functions. What’s the status of your state? We’re all cranberries over here in the Bay State!

Emily's Farm & Food Roundup

2015-01-16T09:50:00.000-05:00

Kansas agriculture is experiencing a shift in the female direction. Though they represent only 28 percent of farmers in the state, women are taking to crops and livestock such as sheep and goats, vegetables and melons, and fruits and nut trees, which have not been common in Kansas agriculture and require increased labor and knowledge. Organizations like the Kansas Rural Center (KRC) have been assisting women farmers since 1979 with programs and workshops, in addition to their “Women In Farming” initiative. Nearly half of the attendees at a “Tunnel to Table” workshop by the KRC last year were women, and eight of them were provided with free low tunnel infrastructure for their farms (with grant support from Farm Aid!).

The route for the Keystone XL pipeline may have been approved by the Nebraska Supreme Court last week, but is this necessarily bad news for the family farmers fighting to keep the pipeline off their land? According to environmental groups and lawyers for the landowners affected by the proposed pipeline, this decision works to their advantage, not the advantage of Transcanada. Now forced to defend a “tricky route” that crosses the vitally important Ogallala aquifer and sensitive Sandhill ecosystem, Transcanada should expect a veto from the president as soon as legislation hits his desk. As far as Randy Thompson, landowner and lead plaintiff in the Nebraska case is concerned, the expected veto cannot come soon enough: “It’s time for our president to put an end to this damn thing, and let us get back to our lives and get back to raising food for America.” Read more about how the Keystone XL pipeline affects family farmers in our "Ask Farm Aid" column.

This week’s soil update in honor of the International Year of Soils hits close to home (or school, rather.) A Northeastern University researcher-led team has uncovered a brand new antibiotic, teixobactin, in a Maine soil sample. While scientists have recognized soil bacteria as a source of antibiotics for years, this particular bacteria has a special ability that its discoverers have inscribed right in its name: teixos. The Greek word for “wall,” teixos references teixobactin’s ability to kill bacteria by preventing the growth of their cell walls. Though it’s early to declare these bacteria totally unstoppable, scientists find it a very promising discovery. Another win for soil!

The controversial debate over the safety of GMOs continues: This week, NPR’s Dan Charles tackles a new breed of russet Burbank potato from Innate™, genetically modified to ace what Michigan State University’s top potato breeder David Douches calls “the bruise test.” These potatoes, while seemingly perfect on the outside, aren’t the cause of celebration for the world’s top potato buyers. The ongoing GMO dispute was cause enough for companies like Frito-Lay, the largest potato chip maker, to condemn the new super-potato. On the other hand, folks like Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center of Science and Public Interest, assures consumers to have no fear if and when the potatoes are approved by the FDA: “...if we could have genetically engineered crops and foods that produce safer products, and less expensive products, that's terrific!" Regardless of Jacobson’s persuasion, it doesn’t look as though buyers will be eager to jump on the GM potato wagon.

Hundreds of Chipotle restaurants won’t be serving you carnitas this week due to the suspension of a major pork supplier. The popular Mexican food chain became aware of several violations concerning the housing for pigs, citing that the conditions breach Chipotle’s required humane standards and access to outdoors. According to Paul Shapiro, the VP of farm animal protection for The Humane Society of the United States, humanely raised pigs are simply hard to find, representing “a very small portion of the pork industry.” Chipotle is working to resolve their pork shortage, and intends to resume work with the suspended supplier if it fixes its issues. Carnitas fans are devastated, illustrating how the demand for family food is outstripped by supply: We need more family farmers on the land growing good food!

How do you like your eggs? Cage-free? Organic? Omega-3 enriched? Check out TIME’s guide to what kind of eggs you should buy. There are a wealth of labels, new and old, on cartons across the country. So whether you’re looking to enhance your egg vocab for health reasons or humane ones, this guide might get you through your search for eggs whatever way you please. But do your research, as recently pointed out in a letter to the USDA from Senators Booker and Feinstein in the case of chicken, the label doesn't always mean what you think it does!

The Farm Aid Texas Drought Summit on January 29

2015-01-13T12:08:00.000-05:00

Despite significant rainfall in portions of Texas in early January, over 60% of the state remains in conditions ranging from abnormally dry to exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor map issued last week.

Prolonged drought, lingering like a bad dream, continues to plague farmers and ranchers in Texas and the Plains region and elsewhere. In recent years Farm Aid's national farmer hotline has responded with hay lifts in Oklahoma and Texas, drought disaster grants in several states and individual emergency grants to producers throughout the region. Through referrals to organizations in the Farm Aid Resource Network, we've also shared knowledge and info from local, state and regional experts in sustainable soil management, drought-resilient grazing practices and water conservation.

Now, thanks to a donor with a heart of gold, and to the hard work of several ally organizations, we are putting together the Farm Aid Texas Drought Summit, set for Thursday, January 29, in San Antonio. Working closely with the Texas Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association (TOFGA), the Farm Aid Texas Drought Summit precedes and leads into the annual TOFGA conference. Farmers and ranchers in need can apply for scholarships to attend both the Drought Summit and TOFGA conference.

At the Summit, those farmers and ranchers will be brought together with a wide range of stakeholders, public, private and non-profit, with the goals of learning from each other, deepening cooperation, improving immediate and long-term disaster response and sharing knowledge of drought-mitigation production techniques. Also, the TOFGA conference will include several production-oriented workshops and seminars focused on the business of surviving and even thriving in times of drought. Core organizers of the Summit include not only Farm Aid and TOFGA, but also our old friends from Austin, the Sustainable Food Center, as well as nationally prominent disaster response and farm sustainability experts from the Farmers Legal Action Group, the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA and the National Center for Appropriate Technology. NCAT is also producing a Texas-specific drought resources publication (just as it did for drought-plagued California), hard copies of which will be available at the conference, with free online copies available soon at this NCAT publications link.

It's been my great pleasure over the last six months to work with all of these folks in putting together the Farm Aid Texas Drought Summit. Come and join us! You don't have to be from Texas to come, and you know that if you do, you'll get a big ol' Texas welcome. See you in San Antone later this month!

Emily's Farm & Food Roundup

2015-01-09T15:36:00.001-05:00

Welcome to 2015, the International Year of Soils! In order to celebrate what Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Director General José Graziano da Silva calls our “silent allies in food production,” this year will be devoted to raising awareness, increasing global understanding, and giving a voice to our earth’s soils. A vital, multi-faceted component of the farming team, it is important to remember that soil is first and foremost a living organism. The FAO, along with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) and more are committed to this campaign, citing that it will not only showcase the importance of soil, but will work to improve soil health and conservation. Want to join in on the soil celebration? Get your hands dirty with this 5 Steps To Boost Soil Health how-to!

The egg: the little breakfast staple that has graced our kitchen tables forever is making headlines this week as California’s Prop 2 takes effect. The law, passed in 2008, requires farmers in California (and farmers in other states who sell eggs to California) to provide enough cage space for chickens to move, spread their wings, and turn around.. It’s great news for chickens and animal rights advocates, but many large scale egg producers, and maybe even you avid egg consumers, won’t be so happy. CEO of Iowa’s Centrum Valley Farms Jim Dean explained, "You're talking about millions upon millions of dollars. It's not anything that's cheap or that can be modified easily, not in the Midwest." This financial setback for farms like Centrum Valley could cause disruption in the market for eggs, leaving the price nowhere to go but up. So if you’re planning on following a New Year’s resolution-egg-superfood diet, you may have to shell out (no pun intended) a little extra cash for your favorite protein this year.

In just five short months, voters in Benton County, Oregon, will have the opportunity to say no to GMOs. The anti-GMO measure, which would ban the planting of genetically modified organisms or patented seeds, has officially qualified for the county’s May ballot. With 2,685 signatures of valid supporters turned in by the Local Food System Ordinance last month, the initiative is in full swing. However, success at the polls may not guarantee the end of GMOs in Benton County. In the past, Benton County Legislature has passed a bill to prohibit local GMO bans like this one while they develop a statewide policy on the subject.

A study published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America this week concludes that hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” operations at the oil-and-gas wells in Ohio are the reason for the several earthquakes that have been jolting the area. As the practice of fracking becomes more and more common, the frequency and intensity of the fracking related quakes has risen with it. It appears that both the actual act of fracking and the consequences of injecting the related waste into the wells widens cracks in the faults, greatly increasing the chances of earthquakes. Ohio has since halted the development of new wells, but existing wells in the seismically active area remain in closely-monitored operation.

China’s young urbanites have responded to food safety scandals by joining the organic food craze. With a calm consumer inflation rate and growth in purchasing power among China’s middle class, consumers are focused and ready to learn the truth about where their food comes from. Beijing based farmer Zhu Xun, CEO of Noah Organic, is the answer to this group’s concerns, offering fertilizer- and pesticide-free produce that consumers can see, smell, touch, and hear when they visit his bustling farm. They are even willing to pay almost five times the standard supermarket price for his trustworthy, scandal-free produce. With 1,500 members and counting, Noah Organic will hopefully continue to increase their consumers as more and more of China’s population becomes aware of the upsides of going organic.

Expect some new material from the Farm Aid family! Board member Neil Young sat down with Rolling Stone Executive Editor Nathan Brackett at the International Consumer and Electronics show to discuss the release of his high-resolution Pono Music Player, the complete audiophile’s dream of a portable music player. With this product came a deep discussion of the power of high quality playback: “making music sound as good as it can, and making you feel as much as you can,” Young said. Young also announced plans for an LP with Lukas and Micah Nelson, long-time Farm Aid artists and sons of Farm Aid President and founder Willie Nelson.