New Our Land Episodes!
Our friends at the Greenhorns released the latest Our Land episode last week. Episode Six, “Building a Regional Food System,” follows the Cook family of Maine. The Cooks are responsible for the first large organic potato operation in Aroostiuck County, inspirational food distributor (and co-op!) Crown of Maine, and Northern Girl— a value added processing plant […]
Sustainable Farms Programs Guide Now Available from NSAC and the USDA
Finding the right federal programs to help your farm be financially as well as biodynamically sustainable can be difficult. Small farming comes with so many moving parts that finding time to sift through resources across federal agency websites or going to your FSA office to navigate the options is a luxury many cannot afford. But […]
Take the Young Farmer Survey!
The National Young Farmers Coalition is still looking for young farmers to share their experience! For the first time since 2011, you have the chance to make yourself counted along side the growing number of young farmers in the US. The 2017 Young Farmer Survey will be used to convince lawmakers to think through the […]
Center for a Livable Future provides Policy and Community Solutions for Food System Health
The Center for a Livable Future at Johns Hopkins University released a series of policy recommendations for the new administration to bring the health of food systems and communities to the forefront of policy discussion. Agrarian Trust’s work all ultimately connects communities with the food being grown by their people from their soil, and according […]
FCS Highlights Benefits of Crop Insurance, But Could Do More for Small Farmers
The Farm Credit Services of America (FCS) recently released a report on the success of crop insurance programs throughout the drought of 2012. During this drought, the major crop producing states of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming were hard hit by the changing weather conditions and experienced some extreme crop loss. But through their […]
Maine Farmland Trust Highlights Food Security Models
One consequence of the shifting balance away from small farming is food insecurity. As farms become larger and more industrialized, the food on the shelves comes from further and further away. This distance can leave some communities out in the cold. Without access to local food, more and more food insecure citizens turn to hunger […]
From Small to Large: America’s farmland shift
The societal shift from small to large farming in the United States is undeniable. As the 20th Century marched forward so did the mass-production methods of agribusiness and the destruction of the small family farm. When the majority of all farm land and water rights in the most productive regions of the nation are held […]
Dismantling Racism in the Food System: Food First’s series to address colonization of our food
We should consider how our food, the way its produced, where it’s produced, and who we buy it from contributes to the historical barriers set up in this country. We should always be thinking on these questions, but especially today, Martin Luther King Day. While the problems of the food system and the disenfranchisement of […]
Micro-loan Program Provides Options for Small Farmers
In a report released just before the New Year, the USDA’s Economic Research Service outlined the progress of the micro-loan program. Since 2013, the USDA has been granting small infusions of cash for farmers through the micro-loan program. The ERS report reveals that these loans are indeed going to their targeted group, small farms and […]
Take the National Young Farmers Survey!
Every 5 years, the National Young Farmers Coalition puts together a survey to give them better data on the needs, demographics, and policy inclinations of young farmers across the country. They use this data to inform their positions and proposals for the upcoming Farm Bill. With the next Farm Bill coming into play in 2018, […]