New England Farmers Union

CHANDLER GOULE, Vice President of Government Relations (cgoule@nfudc.org) is National Farmers Union's (NFU) chief lobbyist and manages the NFU government relations department. During several days in August, Mr. Goule will visit 3 New England states and focus on National Farmers Union's dairy policy. We have scheduled 7 sessions, beginning with one in Maine and one in New Hampshire on August 17th; the remaining sessions will be New Hampshire and Vermont on the 18th and 19th. Click here for more details about locations, dates, and times.

Prior to joining the NFU staff, Mr. Goule served for 10 years as Staff Director of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry. As he begins to be involved in meetings for the 2012 Farm Bill, Mr. Goule wants to hear directly from New England dairy producers about issues unique to our region.

If you are interested in more information, contact Annie Cheatham, President@NewEnglandFarmersUnion.org, or call 413-522-5020.

National Food Policy: Banding Together for a Common Purpose

Annie Cheatham, NEFU President

A Note from NEFU President, Annie Cheatham

One advantage of being part of a national organization is that I listen to farmers and fishermen from all over the United States talk about issues they face in their industries. Some issues are similar to ones confronting us in New England, and some are quite different. Our food system is indeed diverse, complicated, and regional.

During a recent meeting, Daryll Ray, Professor and Director of the University of Tennessee's Agricultural Policy Analysis Center, spoke about the upcoming Farm Bill of 2012. National Farmers Union (NFU) consults with Dr. Ray about farm policy. His presentation was focused on commodity agriculture (corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, etc.) and I felt like I was listening to a foreign language most of the time, but by the end, I had found my feet. When the Nebraska Farmers Union president said, "I am worried about the backlash against the Farm Bill because last time it was pretty bad, and it's going to be worse this time," I replied that "New England is full of people who hate the Farm Bill, so I know just what you are talking about. But," I added, "New England is also full of people who feel passionate about agriculture and fisheries, so there is an opportunity to discuss food issues with New Englanders as long as they feel that they are part of our nation's food policy. Let's look east as well as west when writing farm policy."

A few days later I spoke separately with Dr. Ray about this conversation. He confirmed that there was a real dichotomy between east and west and the farm bills of the past, and he agreed that there is an opportunity for dialogue this time. "We need to establish a narrative that is helpful," he said. "We have all kinds of farmers in the US - large and small, organic and non-organic, wholesalers and direct marketers. Each has a role to play. We need to get away from 'us vs. them'. And we have to prepare people on both sides of the argument so they don't sabotage each other. The economy is not flexible now and dollars for ag programs will be stretched in the next farm bill. The key is to get the grassroots on both sides to band together for a common purpose—sustain and support America's agriculture—all its parts."

Dr. Ray writes a weekly column about agriculture and a recent one talks about overproduction and what it will mean for the agricultural economy. Since that economy is tied to so many rural towns in our country, its impact will be significant. Though we have a diverse and resilient agriculture and fishing industry in New England, we will not be immune from this trend. So take a look at Dr. Ray's article about overproduction and join me in learning more about our nation's food industry.

View Interview of President Annie Cheatham on GCTV

On July 1, NEFU President Annie Cheatham was interviewed by Local Bias host Drew Hutchinson for Greenfield Community Television. Hear Annie in her own compelling words describe why she has taken on the challenge of launching the New England Farmers Union. She talks about the issues farmers face in New England and what we can do to help. To view this video, click this link and type NEFU in the search field to locate the episode on Annie Cheatham.

New England Goes to DC: Taking a Seat at the Table

Do you want to feel heard in Washington, DC? What better way than to walk the halls of Congress, talk with legislators and their staffs, and meet with administration employees who run programs that impact New England every day. Until they hear the power of our collective voice, New England won't have a say in agriculture policy making.

From September 12-15, the National Farmers Union is inviting farmers, fishermen, and consumers from all 25 Farmers Union chapters to meet with lawmakers. Click here to view the preliminary agenda (last updated 7/22/2010). Here is your chance to tell lawmakers, firsthand, how national policies affect farms, farmers markets, greenhouse operations, livestock production, dairy farmers, orchardists, and forest management. Join us for these advocacy sessions. Go beyond buying local, beyond the farmers market, beyond the CSA or the CSF, beyond state policy. Bring your New England voice to the national table.

We have some funds to defray travel and housing expenses, available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are interested in taking our local voice to the national table, click here to download the registration form. Email the completed form to Cayte McDonough or fax it to 413-625-3061.

Seize this opportunity to prepare for the 2012 Farm Bill. Of the $180 billion in the 2008 Farm Bill, less than 5% was returned to New England states. Meanwhile, between 2002 and 2007, the number of farms in all six states grew from between 19% to 27%. To learn more about why New Englanders need to show up and participate in this DC event, click here. If you cannot join us, consider helping fund another attendee.

Call to Action: Support Creation of Massachusetts Food Policy Council

Massachusetts is considering a law that would create a 15-member statewide food policy council. The four food system goals are:

Increase production, sales and consumption of Massachusetts-grown foods;
Develop and promote programs that bring healthy local foods to Massachusetts residents and increase access in communities with disproportionate burdens of obesity and chronic diseases;
Protect the land and water resources needed for sustained local food production;
Train, retain, and recruit farmers and provide for the continued economic viability of local food production, processing, and distribution.

Please take 2 minutes to let your state representatives know this is important to you. Click this link to get the contact information for your Massachusetts state legislators by town.

For more information about the reasons for creating this council, read The Case for a Massachusetts Food Policy Council provided by American Farmland Trust.

Two Surveys: NEFU and Seafood

Thanks for Sharing Your Opinions with NEFU—We've Extended Our Survey Deadline

Thanks to all of the founding members and friends of New England Farmers Union who have taken the time to answer our survey questions. For everyone else, it is not too late to weigh in. Your opinions are critically important to us as we develop our programming and policies. Please respond to our survey by clicking on this link. With your help, we can devote our energy to the issues you care about most! Thanks, NEFU Staff.

Want Local Seafood? Share Your Thoughts

The Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association is conducting a survey to determine how much community interest there is in establishing a Community Supported Fishery (CSF)* locally. Click here to take their seafood survey.

Meet Suzette Snow-Cobb, Co-General Manager of Franklin Community Cooperative, Founding Member of NEFU

Suzette Snow-Cobb, Co-General Manager, Franklin Community Cooperative, and NEFU Founding Member

Full Name: Suzette Snow-Cobb, Co-General Manager, Franklin Community Cooperative, in Massachusetts.

People know me as: Suzette

I'm from: Massachusetts, almost all my life. I've lived in Turners Falls since 1995.

I love/live in New England because: of the variety in landscape, agriculture, weather, culture, and people!

Some of my favorite local spots include:

Our co-op stores: McCusker's Market in Shelburne Falls and Green Fields Market in Greenfield.
The People's Pint: They use a lot of local food, and Green Fields Market bread.
The Rendezvous: A popular local gathering place in Turners Falls.
Farmers' markets: Especially Greenfield and Turners Falls.
Farm stands

Other local favorites: The Montague Reporter and the West County Independent both have features on town news and what's happening. The papers help with building strong communities and providing access to local information—they are great papers with a local flavor.

My favorite local food and farm/nursery event is: Organic strawberry picking season at Uppingill farm, the North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival in Orange, MA.

My passions and interests include:

Building a co-operative economy, and working with people to gain control of things in their lives that are important to them through co-operatives and relationship building.
Biking along the Connecticut River.
The Great Falls Community Garden—now in its13th season—where my family has a plot.
Supporting public art. I love that River Culture has been successful.

I decided to join NEFU as a Founding Member because: the mission of NEFU resonates with what our members value and want their co-op to work toward. Helping farms and farmers remain viable—that is what it boils down to. When I look at what our co-op is about, one of the top things we work for is providing access to healthy food that is procured in a way that is sustainable as well as providing a diversity of farms/products. People (in our co-op) are interested in:

how food is sourced, from farm to table;
farmers' livelihood;
diversity of farms in our region.

NEFU's work helps support all of this.

Some of my biggest concerns about the New England agriculture are:

Access to land is a big concern. This includes:
- access to land for new farmers including farmland affordability, as it often presents a financial struggle for farmers and aspiring farmers;

loss of traditional farmland to development and overpaving.

Isolated farming operations and lack of coordination/cooperation among farmers is another concern.
- If we are going to maintain agriculture in New England, how can farmers work together to maintain a sustainable collaborative system?
- Small farmers working together is key. I think it's a necessity, rather than being an economic competition. Is there opportunity to look at commonalities among farmers in same sector/producing same commodities/products?
- In New England, we need towns/town governments to show support for farmers and general agriculture issues—this strengthens our relationship to farmers.
Influencing agricultural legislation is a key concern.
- New England farmers are smaller scale. How do we make sure small farmers' needs are reflected in the agriculture legislation that's modeled for big players? I am concerned about lack of influence on these laws and regulations when small farmers feel the most impact. We joined NEFU knowing that they can help influence policy in favor of small farmers.

I'm helping to implement change through:

Implementing policies and buying practices that support sustainable farming in New England and other regions were our food comes from.
Collaborating with other food co-ops in the wider valley through The Neighboring Food Cooperative Association.
Providing information to our shoppers and member/owners about food issues, farming practices, and helping them build a healthy relationship with their food.

My wish for New England agriculture is: To be around in a 100 years! To be seen as a viable and important part of our community. When kids growing up say "I want to be a farmer, that's an important job." For New England agriculture to be viewed as an integral and important part of our community and quality of life. It's good, viable, interesting, and hard work, and for farmers to be as honored as hard working professionals.

If you would like to nominate an individual or an organization to be included in a future member profile, please email their name and contact information to newenglandfarmersunion@gmail.com. Feel free to nominate yourself, too!

Meet Marge Kilkelly, NEFU Founding Board Member

Marge Kilkelly, NEFU Founding Board Member

Full Name: Marjorie Kilkelly, Deputy Director, Council of State Governments, and Dragonfly Cove Farm, Dresden, Maine

People know me as: Marge;
Spouse: Joe Murray (we're a team)

I was born: in Connecticut but my parents were from Maine. They moved to CT to find jobs along with many others of their peers, but returned quickly to Maine when I was about 6. That's why I've always been interested in economic development. I want people to be able to find work and raise their families where they grew up if they choose.

I love/live in New England because: of my connection to our culture and history. I like the challenge of winter and knowing that I can do it. I need the four seasons to provide a life rhythm which has become part of me. We talk about retiring to the Islands, and that always sounds great in the late winter. By spring it is "Why would we do that?" Appreciating a perfect day, sunny spring, warm summer, crisp fall, warm winter—those are experiences we share and value as New Englanders. I would really miss that.

My favorite local food and farm events are: farmers' markets, wherever they are. Joe does four markets and every one of them has a slightly different flavor. Farmers markets provide a great nexus for growers and consumers. The educational opportunities are important as well. Most US consumers are five generations away form growing their own food; they don't even have an oral history of their family farming. They need to be able to ask questions and learn about growing, preparing, and eating real from the garden veggies, from the farm meats. The best farm fresh food in the world will not sell unless folks know what to do with it. I find farmers' markets always to be a rich experience. When I am working in NYC I go to the market at Borough Hall in Brooklyn and find things like white peaches that I never find at home. Folks should visit Markets wherever they travel for a 'taste' of the community. Joe and I visited one in Inner Mongolia, meeting farmers and vendors was one of the major highlights of the trip.

My passions and interests include: fishing—one of my great loves. We live at the confluence of the Kennebec and the Eastern Rivers, and I love to go down and sit on the rock and fish. They call it "fishing" and not "catching" because you had better have passion for the process if you are going to be happy fishing.

Also I love cooking. It's a central part of who I am. I love feeding people as a way to express my hospitality and to welcome people to our farm. We had guests from China here recently and shared with them our very rustic and simple life, including fresh crab rolls, asparagus from the farm down the road, and raspberry-rhubarb pie from a market baker. It is wonderful to show people from other countries that all agriculture in America isn't 10,000 acres with large combines.

I decided to join NEFU as a Founding Board Member because: I know from my professional work how important it is to have a voice at the table when decisions are being made at the federal level. I wanted to help bring that voice to New England.

Some of my biggest concerns about New England agriculture and fisheries are: that we could miss an opportunity. We are in a unique position that we need to take advantage of. There is increased awareness about food—where it is grown, the economics of local food, and what it takes to farm. We need to bring together various aspects about New England agriculture to develop a message for those consumers. It doesn't matter whether the farm is organic or non-organic; whether it is part-time or full-time. What matters is that we have a large group of people who want to see farming and fishing thrive. I hope we don't miss this opportunity because we are being too competitive with each other.

I'm helping to implement change through: almost everything I do in my professional and personal life, including cooking!

My wish for New England agriculture, fishing and forestry is: that they, as our heritage industries, will continue to be a vibrant sector of the New England economy. To do that means some will embrace new technologies and others will embrace traditional methodologies. Either way, the entire sector moves forward by working together and supporting the whole. For folks who farm, fish, or work in the forest, their work is not what they do, it is who they are. Their passion is what builds and nurtures strong communities. Rural Economic Development needs to appreciate and value rural businesses that bring in jobs 1 by 1 as much as the businesses that make a splash in the papers. The economic impact of the heritage industries is invisible to all who do not know where and how to look for it. The job we all have is to constantly identify our role in the economy and assure that public policy addresses our needs as well.

Agritourism in New England

Liberty Hill Farm, Rochester, Vermont

By Annie Cheatham, NEFU President

Recently I joined a group gathered at Liberty Hill Farm in Rochester, Vermont to discuss agritourism in New England. Liberty Hill Farm and its owner Beth Kennett reside in the center of Vermont's Green Mountains, the hub of New England agritourism. People from New England and around the world seek out Liberty Hill's Vermont Farm Vacations. Nearly a decade ago, Beth started Vermont Farms!, a state association of working farms that are open to the public. At the start of the meeting, Beth fed us a full scale breakfast, enough to fuel a great conversation. Participants included Beth from Liberty Hill Farm, Stu Nunnery of New England FarmWays, Ben Amsden of Plymouth State University, and Lisa Chase of UVM Extension. Other attendees via conference call included: Gail Makuch of UVM Extension, Lynda Brushett of Cooperative Development Institute, Diane Kuehn of SUNY ESF, Marc Edwards of UMaine Cooperative Extension, and me from New England Farmers Union.

From L-R: Lisa Chase, Stu Nunnery, Beth Kennett, Annie Cheatham, Ben Amsden

We talked about how to develop a regional agritourism effort building on work done by the group with a 2-year SARE grant. One outcome of the grant has been that 39 farmers have improved farm viability by adding on or expanding agritourism activities. We discussed how the 2012 Farm Bill could include language and funding for regional agritourism activities. I pledged to work with National Farmers Union on that.

Agritourism is a value-added, economic development activity for New England farmers and fishermen. Beth Kennett's Liberty Hill Farm is a great reminder of how this added activity helps farmers and consumers alike, and that we need to promote it throughout New England.

Visit NEFU at New Hampshire and Massachusetts Events

NEFU's Cam Weimar and Blayne Matty, Manager of Portsmouth Farmers Market

Meadow's Mirth Farm at Portsmouth Farmers' Market

Portsmouth Farmers' Market: July 31

Come talk with NEFU staff at the Portsmouth Farmers Market, one of the longest-running in New Hampshire. This market brings together a wide variety of producers and vendors in New Hampshire's Sea Coast area, with offerings including produce, meats, baked goods, fruits in season, pottery, goat's milk soaps, wool yarn, and other agricultural products. Market vendors are known for a bit of showmanship and entertainment, with active demos, sampling, and education about their farm goods at many booths. They draw a steady crowd and bridge the gap between farm and table.

As part of a sponsorship with SeaCoast Growers Association, NEFU will host a booth at the Portsmouth Farmers Market on July 31.

Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Summer Conference: August 13-15

Look for NEFU on August 13 to 15 at NOFA's 36th Festive and Educational Annual Summer Conference and Celebration of Sustainable Living located on the campus of University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA. This 3-day event has an attendance of approximately 1,500 people from New England, New York, New Jersey, as well as distant parts of the United States and Canada, and features workshops on a variety of farming and gardening topics, organic meals, and plenty of fun events for children and adults. NEFU will be in the exhibition tent and we look forward to seeing you there. For more information on the NOFA conference go to http://www.nofasummerconference.org.

Coming Soon in New Hampshire:
Presentations on Sustainable Agriculture, Energy, and Climate Policy

NEFU Climate and Energy Educator Cam Weimar is arranging a series of Sustainable Agriculture, Energy, and Climate Policy presentations throughout New Hampshire for this summer and autumn. His talk is being hosted by organizations such as the Appalachian Mountain Club, Seacoast Local, Slow Food Seacoast, and several food co-ops. Dates and times will be announced in upcoming e-newsletters.

How can you make a difference? There are many ways!
Help us grow New England Farmers Union:
If you are not a member, please join!
If you are a founding member, please invite your friends and co-workers to join.
Take our survey to let us know what is important to you.
Contact us about volunteer opportunities at NEFU.
Contact us to share your ideas or questions. We invite dialogue.

Add your voice to our collective, regional chorus so the agriculture policy makers in DC hear it
loudly and clearly. Together we will be heard.

2010 E-Newsletter Archive
Late June
Early June