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In This Issue

NEFU is Growing, Thanks to our Members
By Annie Cheatham, NEFU president

NEFU President Annie Cheatham

New England Farmers Union (NEFU) is working with National Farmers Union (NFU) and Midwest Insurance Agency to provide insurance to our members. For the last 18 months, we have met with insurance agencies and companies throughout New England. Business relationships like this take time to bear fruit, but the commitment from NFU to NEFU is stronger than ever, and I am confident that we will bring competitive insurance benefits to our members.

For those who wonder why a national agriculture organization would invest considerable time and money in New England -- a region with combined sales of agricultural products totaling less than one large Midwestern state's output -- the answer is simple: NFU is investing in New England because of you.

We have grown by more than 500 members since we launched our membership program in the spring of 2010. You have travelled to Washington to lobby Congress about the need to support programs that sustain our region's farmers. You have attended the NFU convention, bringing the New England perspective to our allies from around the country. You have visited congressional leaders at state offices. You have told your friends about us. You have posted our messages on your websites. You have passed out our brochures at events and conferences. You have visited our tables at farm shows and talked with us about our organization. You have stepped forward to say that you want a voice that represents New England farmers and fishermen at the national table.

Insurance policies, discounts with major chains (see Discount on National Hotels Now Available to NEFU Members), progressive policy positions in Washington that support programs beneficial to New England farms -- all of these are being made possible by you, your membership, your promotion of our development and your dedication to New England's farms and fisheries as important economic partners in our communities.

NFU will keep supporting NEFU as long as we keep growing and strengthening our membership. To that end, we will be launching a membership recruitment challenge this summer. Look for a letter in your mailbox soon describing how you can help ensure that policymakers in Washington hear the voice of New England agriculture loud and clear.

NEFU to Honor Olver at Berkshire Co-op Market

Rep. John Olver

New England Farmers Union (NEFU) invites you to join us in recognizing Rep. John Olver, D-Mass., for his commitment to agriculture and rural issues. Olver has received the Golden Triangle Award, the National Farmers Union's highest legislative honor.

The award is given to members of Congress who have shown leadership on behalf of farmers and rural communities. In particular, Olver has supported "buy local" efforts and development of our region's food system infrastructure. He has also been a strong supporter of land conservation efforts in western Massachusetts, including securing funds for the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, in the Connecticut River Valley, and co-authoring legislation to create the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, in southwestern Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut.

When: Wednesday, June 29 from 3 to 3:30 p.m.

Where: Berkshire Co-op Market, 42 Bridge St., Great Barrington, Mass.

NEFU Urges Senators to Preserve Energy Programs

New England Farmers Union has spoken with staff from each of our region's senators about signing on to a letter in which Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, urges the Senate Appropriations Committee to preserve energy programs in the farm bill that currently face deep cuts. In late May, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee passed its fiscal year 2012 appropriations bill, which completely defunds the Rural Energy for American Program (REAP) and the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). Both of these programs are crucial to commercializing the next generation of biofuels and getting renewable energy projects off the ground. REAP and BCAP are already having an impact in rural America, creating jobs, stimulating local economies, and increasing energy security.

Farm Bill Process Begins in Congress: Time to Get Engaged

A new farm bill will have to be drafted and passed by Congress in 2012. This sprawling and intricate legislation, rewritten and passed into law roughly every four years, provides the framework for federal agriculture policy. The bill covers everything from crop insurance to conservation programs, loans for beginning farmers to marketing and economic development programs, nutrition programs to renewable energy incentives and more. Far from being legislation merely for the 2 percent of the nation engaged in agriculture, this bill affects everyone. It plays a significant role in what crops are grown, how food prices are set, whether agriculture remains a vibrant part of the economy, how the environment is protected and much more.

Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, says the committee will likely begin work on the bill in March 2012. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, R-Mich., chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, anticipates beginning work on their version next January. The Senate committee began the hearing process last month.

The farm bill debate will most certainly focus on budget constraints, with programs being targeted for cuts or elimination in order to balance the federal deficit. Talk has already begun about reducing or eliminating direct payments to commodity crop growers, and many programs have already taken hits during the appropriations process (see Conservation Programs Slashed as FY2012 Budget Process Begins). To survive the process, programs will need to demonstrate a track record of success and efficiency.

New England Farmers Union (NEFU) is committed to raising the voice of our region's farmers and consumers to ensure that the farm bill reflects our members' priorities. Programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program have been critical to the success of New England agriculture, using small amounts of federal dollars to leverage significant long-term benefit to farms, the environment and our food system. By telling the stories of these successes, and others, we will build support in Congress to maintain these programs.

Educated farmers and consumers can wield a great deal of power during this debate, particularly since New England has five members of Congress on agriculture committees. NEFU staff members are available to speak to groups about the importance of the farm bill and how we as individuals can engage in the process. We will continue to write about the farm bill in our newsletter, and we encourage our members to read further to become educated about the process and the implications of this legislation.

Below are some valuable educational resources:

Conservation Programs Slashed as FY2012 Budget Process Begins

The Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has approved the agriculture appropriations budget for fiscal year 2012. The bill would provide for $17.25 billion in discretionary spending for agriculture programs, a 16% cut from last year and a 26% cut from fiscal year 2010. At press time the full House was scheduled to take up the bill in mid-June, with the Senate Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee expected to begin deliberations in July. If Congress passes the bill as written, conservation programs would be slashed by more than $1 billion, including these cuts to programs that are vital to New England farmers:

The bill also cuts all funding for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program and scales back the Wetlands Reserve Program and Grasslands Reserve Program. The Natural Resources Conservation Service, which oversees all of these programs, will lose $128 million in operations money, which allows the agency's staff to provide technical assistance to farmers.

The Rural Development program was cut by $338 million, agricultural research programs (including the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program) lost $354 million, and significant cuts were made to programs providing oversight and inspections related to animal health and food safety. Programs meant to encourage farmers to innovate----the Value Added Producer Grants program and the Rural Micro-entrepreneur Assistance Program----were also cut.

"Our economy, especially in rural areas, is on the edge of recovery," said National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson. "When funding is slashed for research, rural development, and renewable energy, we are taking our foot off of the accelerator and stepping on the brakes. Farmers' ability to comply with environmental regulations is harmed by cuts to conservation programs."

Of particular concern to NFU is a policy rider that prohibits the use of any funds to write and implement the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration rule on livestock competition. The rule was intended to curb unfair and deceptive practices by livestock and poultry packers and processors in their dealings with farmers and ranchers. The proposed rule would also increase market fairness and transparency and decrease the ability of a few large multinational corporations to manipulate prices paid to farmers and ranchers, but this legislation would stop implementation of these safeguards.

Demonstrating that little will be held sacred in these difficult budgetary times, the committee's bill did include some amendments that would significantly limit direct payment of subsidies to farms. Under this bill, only farmers with a gross income of less than $250,000 a year would be eligible. The current income threshold is $750,000.

There is still a long way to go in the budget process, but this first step is an indication of the uphill battle farmers will have to wage to maintain even the meager amounts allocated to programs vital to them. Of particular concern is the fact that a new farm bill will be drafted in 2012, and much of that legislation's funding is based on trends from recent years. These deep cuts being proposed, then, will have long-term implications for federal investment in agriculture.

Dairy Reform on Fast Track in Congress

The National Milk Producers Federation's dairy market stabilization program, called Foundation for the Future, appears headed for Congressional debate soon. A bill based on that proposal has been circulating on Capitol Hill and has been analyzed by the Congressional Budget Office. The House Agriculture Committee's ranking member, Collin Peterson, D-Minn., says he would like to introduce the bill soon, before the farm bill process, so that it would be in place to stave off another huge loss of dairy farms should milk prices decline precipitously.

But New England dairy farmers have raised concerns about the proposal, which would replace the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) safety net program with an untested insurance system. Some analysis of the proposed system suggests that it would benefit large dairy operations, while not providing smaller-scale farms, such as those in New England, with as much financial protection as MILC does.

NEFU and NFU are working to educate Congress about the value of the MILC program, and are committed to seeing it remain in place. The program has proven to be a very cost-effective way to protect and preserve dairy farms of all sizes, and should remain a component of any federal dairy support system.

Leafy Greens Proposal Threatens Small Growers

kaleAs reported in the last edition of NEFU's e-news, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a proposal to create a National Leafy Green Marketing Agreement (NLGMA), aimed at standardizing food quality and safety requirements for farmers, handlers and retailers of fresh greens. While billed as voluntary, the proposed Agreement would place a great deal of power in the hands of sellers, processors and distributors of greens, and would essentially force farmers to comply with standards that they will have little role in crafting. NEFU is opposed to the proposed Agreement, out of concern that it will lead to further concentration in an industry that has already seen a significant decline in the number of family farms.

The plan, as written, would place a great deal of power in the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, which has not traditionally played a role in setting food safety standards, and would duplicate the existing Food and Drug Administration standards and oversight. Further, by falling under the umbrella of the USDA, rather than the FDA, the standards would not need to offer the same exemptions that are granted to small farms in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, passed earlier this year.

The Agreement would effectively suggest that large farms and processors that adhere to the standards are producing food that is safe, and small farms that sell directly to consumers are not. Even though evidence, based on trends in food-borne illnesses, proves otherwise, such a message would threaten the viability of small growers.

Proponents of the Agreement say that any farm can choose to comply with whatever standards are set, or can opt out if they don't wish to have access to the wholesale market, and so the system is not unfairly stacked against small operations. But best-practices guidelines often mandate either expensive management techniques that are cost-prohibitive for small farms or the use of pesticides or other chemicals that can't be used in organic operations. Calling such an Agreement "voluntary" disregards the diversity of the industry and the market, and the likelihood is great that small producers will be marginalized by its implementation.

NEFU will be filing comments in opposition to the proposal, and we urge our members to do the same. Comments are due by July 28 and can be submitted online at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/leafygreensagreement.

Helping Family Farmers Thrive Member Profile: Tara Sad

New Hampshire state Rep. Tara Sad

Thinking globally makes Democratic New Hampshire state Rep. Tara Sad act locally. She has watched the world economic crisis unfold over the last couple years, devastating dairy farmers throughout New Hampshire and fueling financial meltdowns as far away as Athens and Dublin. She also knows that the planet's population is nearing 7 billion. And she's worried. For Sad, that worry translates into a deepening commitment to create a strong local and regional food system.

"When people start going hungry because of the lack of arable land in the world, it's going to be pretty scary. Hungry people will be desperate," she said. "In order to protect ourselves, we need to be self-sufficient here."

The town of Walpole, where Sad has lived since the early 1990s, has more dairy farms than any other town in New Hampshire. It made sense, then, that when Sad was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2006, she became a champion for family farms and local food. She has served on the Environment and Agriculture Committee since taking office.

Growing up in central Ohio, Sad was surrounded by a very different kind of farming. She saw giant corn fields everywhere, but never knew the farmers. Now farmers are her neighbors, and she uses her position as an elected official to do everything she can to help them survive and thrive.

She wants farmers to see a larger piece of the economic pie and cited the importance of the National Farmers Union Farmers Share document, which shows how little of the money consumers spend on food actually makes its way into farmers' pockets. "Getting food directly from the farm to the consumer is always going to be the best way to help the farmer and agriculture," she said.

That's why she supports getting rid of the middle man and promoting direct sales through farmers' markets and CSAs. Food co-ops are also important, she says, because they value their connections with local farmers and offer a larger percentage of the retail price to farmers than traditional supermarkets. Sad trusts that all of these methods will bring greater economic stability to farmers in New Hampshire and throughout the region.

The pull of big agriculture and mainstream market forces that tend to shut out the family farmer are strong across the nation. In New Hampshire, though, the lack of state sales and income taxes presents the added challenge to those in public office, like Sad, who would like to create programs to help small farms.

"Every other state that tries to help farming has some sort of tax credit," Sad said. "In New Hampshire, we can't help farmers unless we take it out of the general fund. There's a lot of legislation I would love to do. There are new programs that would help with local food production. But we can't give them a leg up, because there isn't any money."

Given those financial limitations, Sad is doing what she can to improve the farming landscape in New Hampshire. Legislation that the Environment and Agriculture Committee will introduce next year includes defining the number of chickens an operation must have to be exempted from state inspection; allowing towns to include right-to-farm initiatives in their master plans; creating tax exemptions for barns and the land they cover; and strengthening the integrated pest management rules around schools and other areas where children congregate.

New Hampshire farmers and food activists are lucky that Sad is fighting on their behalf. She knows there's a lot of work ahead, but is optimistic about the future of family farms throughout our region. In the next 10 to 20 years, Sad said, "I hope to see in New Hampshire and in New England a growth of locally grown food and people changing their eating habits."

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 info@newenglandfarmersunion.org. Feel free to nominate yourself, too!

New Englanders Heard in Global Grain Price Discussion

Dr. Daryll Ray, director of the Agricultural Policy Analysis Center

Recent years of dramatically fluctuating grain prices have made it difficult for New England dairy farmers, livestock producers and consumers of farm products to predict economic trends and prepare for the consequences. When the price of corn skyrockets, the price of feed for livestock in New England jumps. And yet rarely are New England's agricultural needs represented in discussions about commodity prices.

In early June New England Farmers Union (NEFU) President Annie Cheatham did just that at a summit examining possible solutions to wheat and corn price instability. Cheatham joined National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson and Dr. Daryll Ray, director of the University of Tennessee's Agricultural Policy Analysis Center in Knoxville, along with presidents from two other Farmers Union chapters and a handful of Farmers Union staff members. The group met with researchers from the University of Tennessee to start considering ways to minimize wide fluctuation in grain prices.

While grain prices have an impact on feed costs for farmers in our region, there are also global effects of price volatility. Unstable prices keep governments and farmers on edge the world over. When the price of wheat exceeds historic levels, developing nations experience food riots. We have witnessed this across the globe in recent years. By participating in these discussions about agricultural policies that affect farming in our region and have national and global implications, NEFU is ensuring that the needs and concerns of New England's farmers are taken into consideration.

Discount on National Hotels Now Available to NEFU Members

New England Farmers Union members can now save 20 percent on lodging at more than a dozen national hotel chains. This latest member benefit is available for all hotels within the Wyndam Hotel Group, including Ramada Worldwide, Days Inn, Wingate Inn, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, Super 8, Baymont Inn, Microtel Inns and Suites, Hawthorn Suites and Knights Inn. The discount is available off the lowest regularly available public rate, which means a savings even compared to internet travel sites such as www.hotels.com and www.expedia.com. Read more about how to access this exclusive member benefit.

NEFU Members Go Solar with Pickling Plant

Real Pickles owners Dan Rosenberg and Addie Holland

Dan Rosenberg and Addie Holland take the idea of "locally produced" very seriously. In their business, Real Pickles, based in Greenfield, Mass., they only use vegetables grown on nearby farms in their award-winning naturally fermented products. Now they also are producing their own electricity.

In late May, a 17-kilowatt solar array was installed on the roof of the Real Pickles processing plant. The 80 solar panels will provide all of the electricity needed to power the 6,500-square-foot facility.

"When I realized that we could produce all of our own electricity I knew we had to find a way to do the project," Rosenberg said. "We've always had a commitment to buying all of our vegetables locally and this was the perfect next step for enhancing the sustainability of our business."

The new solar array atop the Real Pickles processing facility.

The new solar array atop the Real Pickles processing facility.

The solar array was designed and installed by Pioneer Valley PhotoVoltaics, a Greenfield-based worker co-operative that designs and installs renewable energy systems for homes, businesses, municipalities and institutions across the region. Real Pickles will be receiving a grant from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and state solar renewable energy credits to help offset the cost of the project.

Real Pickles, a NEFU founding member, got its start in 2001 selling jars of pickled local vegetables to a few stores in western Massachusetts. In 2009 Rosenberg and Holland moved into their own processing facility after sharing space for years in the Franklin County Community Development Corporation's commercial kitchen. Last year, Real Pickles processed 150,000 pounds of vegetables from local producers and sold 120,000 jars, an increase of 20% over the previous year. The business sells to over 300 retail outlets in the Northeast, including many NEFU-member food co-ops.

Recognizing 2012 as International Year of Co-operatives

New England Farmers Union (NEFU) and affiliate member Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) are joining with the United Nations to recognize 2012 as the International Year of Co-operatives. Both organizations will spend the year working to raise public awareness of the important role co-operatives play in our local and regional economies, as well as across the nation and around the world.

The boards of directors of both NEFU and NFCA have passed resolutions echoing the U.N. proclamation, which states that co-operatives "in their various forms, promote the fullest possible participation in the economic and social development of all people, ... are becoming a major factor of economic and social development and contribute to the eradication of poverty."

National Farmers Union was founded in 1902 on the principle that a co-operative business model is an effective and powerful tool in increasing farmers' bargaining power in the economy. Co-operatives exist in nearly all sectors of the U.S. economy. There are more than 29,000 co-operatives across the nation. They employ 2 million people and generate $652 billion in revenue annually. NEFU's resolution highlights the importance of co-operatives in the agricultural sector: "The majority of our country's 2 million farmers are members of about 3,000 agricultural co-ops, helping them to sustain their farms, livelihoods and communities." Read more about co-operative enterprises and their importance to New England agriculture.

"Buy Local" Carbon Crediting

In collaboration with Winrock International, New England Farmers Union Education Foundation (NEFUEF) is working to make greenhouse gas offsets derived from growers and landowners in our region available to utilities and other companies in New England. As we develop our "buy local" carbon credit project, NEFUEF will run a series of articles in our newsletter outlining the program and describing the farming practices we hope to include. This is the first article in the series.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, agricultural greenhouse gas emissions represent 6.1 percent of all emissions in the United States. Farms, forestry operations and other agricultural ventures can help prevent global climate change by taking steps to store carbon dioxide in trees and soils. There are many forms this storage can take, but the general process through which agricultural practices remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is called carbon sequestration.

In turn, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions may help slow the impact that climate change will inevitably have on agriculture. Reductions in emissions and enhanced soil carbon sequestration will also increase agricultural sustainability and productivity, while achieving many benefits for the environment. Spurred in part by a very real sense of self-preservation, then, some agricultural organizations around the country have started working actively to reduce and sequester the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.

In some parts of the U.S., farmers are compensated for diminishing their greenhouse gas emissions. Their reductions are sold as carbon credits to companies that are either required by government regulation to reduce or offset their emissions, or to companies that are doing so for altruistic or marketing reasons. NEFUEF is working to develop such a program in New England, where farmers can capitalize on their sustainable agricultural practices by selling credits to utility companies, industry groups or institutions.

New England farmers employ agricultural practices that provide many benefits for residents: clean air, clean water, open lands and a diverse economic base. NEFUEF's "buy local" carbon credit project is working to create a market incentive for farmers to implement even more practices and projects that reduce or sequester greenhouse gasses, to further benefit all of New England.

NEFU Members Accepted to Beginning Farmer Institute

Three New Englanders were among the 10 individuals chosen to participate in the 2011 National Farmers Union Beginning Farmer Institute. Congratulations to Ida and Joe DeFrancesco, of Connecticut, and Tess Brown-Lavoie, of Rhode Island!

Institute participants will learn about financial planning, farm management and farmer-owned cooperatives. In addition, they will help determine the agenda based on what they have identified as important on their farm. Topics may include marketing, understanding U.S. Department of Agriculture programs, renewable energy, recording keeping or understanding the local food system.

NFU Blog Now Live

National Farmers Union has launched a blog, which will be used to encourage dialogue about Farmers Union events throughout the country, as well as provide information about education and outreach, our members, cooperative development and issues that have an impact on family farmers, fishermen and their communities. We encourage you to visit the blog regularly to stay connected with Farmers Union happenings.

NFU Teams Up with National Direct-to-Consumer Online Marketplace Home Grown Cow

Home Grown Cow logoNational Farmers Union (NFU) has a new partnership with Home Grown Cow that will provide farmers an opportunity to market certain products directly to consumers. Home Grown Cow gives consumers an opportunity to browse products by location and farming style. "This is a great opportunity for family farmers ... to create additional revenue and market their meat, poultry and cheeses to a larger market," said NFU President Roger Johnson. "This also gives consumers an opportunity to know the farmer they are purchasing from and what practices he or she uses. It is a very transparent marketplace that benefits both producers and consumers."

Obama Administration Establishes White House Rural Council to Strengthen Rural Communities

On June 9 President Barak Obama signed an executive order establishing the White House Rural Council. The Council will coordinate programs across government to encourage public-private partnerships to promote economic prosperity and quality of life in rural communities nationwide. Chaired by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and consisting of representatives from 25 federal agencies and offices, the Council will be responsible for providing recommendations for investment in rural areas and will coordinate Federal engagement with a variety of rural stakeholders, including agricultural organizations, small businesses, and state, local and tribal governments. The Council will focus on rural economic development in 10 areas: job training, agriculture, credit access, energy innovation, regional networks, expansion of health technology, increased education, broadband internet access, infrastructure investment, and opportunities on working and public lands.

Upcoming Events

Hanover and Lebanon Co-op Food Stores' Dairy Day
June 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Lebanon, N.H.)
NEFU will be tabling at this lively event featuring food, music and entertainment. Stop by our table to say hi and see what we've been up to!

Adding Value Through Animal Welfare and Other Third-Party Certification
June 25, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Braintree, Vt.)
Increase value through animal welfare and other third-party certifications. Royal LaRocque will share his experiences with third-party certifications, including animal welfare and organic. Erica Voogd of Voogd Consulting (and student of Temple Grandin) will present the new Vermont Humane Handling Training Program, a bilingual training module for slaughter facility employees. Free for those who pre-register; $7 for walk-ins.

HACCP Training for Meat and Poultry Processors
July 12-14 (University of Vermont Extension Office, Berlin, Vt.)
This 3-day course covers the fundamentals of HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) and its application in meat and poultry slaughter and processing operations. It provides hands-on experience in developing a HACCP plan, required for USDA inspection, and meets USDA requirements for HACCP training.

Raw Milk: Sustainable Dairy in Practice and Policy
July 15-17 (Tinmouth, Vt.)
A workshop presented by Rural Vermont organizer Robb Kidd and Jersey Girls Dairy farmer Lisa Kaiman, in the Sustainable Agriculture Tent.

Farmer to Farmer Workshop Series From Cow to Customer: Producing Raw Milk for Direct Sale
July 21 and August 11, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (West Townshend and Washington, Vt.)
Current and aspiring raw milk farmers will learn about the regulations governing the sale of raw milk, and have an opportunity for folks to see a successful raw milk micro dairy at work.

37th NOFA Summer Conference with Northeast Animal-Power Field Days
August 12-14 (Amherst, Mass.)
More than 225 workshops on organic farming, gardening and land care; draft animals in farming and forestry; homesteading; sustainability; nutrition; food politics; activism; and more.

NFU Fly-in
September 11-14 (Washington, DC)
Join Farmers Union members from around the country in Washington as we visit elected officials to urge them to support policies that help small farms. Contact winton@newenglandfarmersunion.org.

It Takes a Region 2011: A Conference to Build Our Northeast Food System
November 11-12 (Albany, N.Y.)

The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group and its partners will draw on the success of the 2009 and 2010 "It Takes a Region" conferences. Participate in discussions about exciting efforts underway in our region, including distribution logistics, research, messaging, access and nutrition, as well as policy and advocacy.

In the News

USDA Campaign Reshapes Dietary Guidelines Symbol
The new USDA dietary guideline image is a plate divided into four roughly equal parts, for fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins, with a glass of milk, representing dairy products, on the side. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he could see the new symbol - which replaces the food pyramid - encouraging family farmers to grow more fruits and vegetables.

Outbreak in Europe May Revive Stalled U.S. Effort to Tighten Rules on Food Safety
The rare E. coli bacteria strain that has caused widespread illness in Europe could force U.S. officials to look more closely at our meat and produce industries.

Survey: Most Willing to Pay More for Better "Food Safety"
Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed by the Pew Charitable Trust feel it's worth a 1 to 3 percent increase in the cost of food to pay for new safety measures in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.

USDA Invests in Local Agriculture Farmers Markets
The Farmers Market Promotion Program is getting $10 million to develop and expand markets in order to help consumers, farmers and local economies by diminishing the number of "food deserts" across the country.

House Panel Votes to Cut Farm Subsidies
Commodity crop prices have reached record levels and lawmakers are looking to decrease the dollars paid directly to farmers.

House GOP Pushes Back Against Health Measures Affecting School Lunches, Tobacco
House Republicans have used an agriculture appropriations bill to try to limit the reach of government into daily life. Specifically, they have targeted childhood hunger and nutrition programs and tobacco regulations.

States Lead Debate Over Modified Food Labeling
Vermont is one of 14 states nationwide that is considering whether to mandate labeling for genetically modified foods sold within their borders.

U.S. Honey Bee Losses at 30 percent for 2010-2011 Winter
The rate of loss is similar to that in recent years, which means that Colony Collapse Disorder does not seem to be worsening. But losing a third of the population each year causes great economic strain for beekeepers.

Digging Deeper

Food Guide at Odds with Subsidies
The USDA's new symbol for healthy eating suggests that about half the food we eat each day be fruits and vegetables. The recommendations illustrated in the icon, though, are in sharp contrast to the government's agricultural spending.

New Child Nutrition Law Strikes a Healthy Balance
A recent House Education and Workforce subcommittee hearing examined the "regulatory overreach" of the new child nutrition law. But the new law does not extend federal reach, nor is it an unfunded mandate for states and localities.

E. coli Again: A Troubling New Twist with Serious Consequences
Daryll Ray and Harwood Schaffer write a regular column on agriculture policy called Policy Pennings. We include these in our monthly newsletter for those who want to dig a little deeper into the world of agriculture policy. Daryll Ray is an advisor to the National Farmers Union on agriculture policy. You can find their previous essays here.

Tools for Growth

America's Subsidy Garden
If Michelle Obama's garden was planted proportionally with the crops that U.S. tax payers subsidize, 35% of her plot would be dedicated to corn. Just 1% would be planted with "specialty crops" like vegetables and fruits.

Understanding the Farm Bill
The farm bill affects everyone who eats. And for those who grow and produce food, it has a direct impact on your livelihood. This resource shows you how the bill affects everything from soil health to food stamps.

Farmers Market Promotion Program Grant Applications Due July 1
USDA has $10 million to award to projects that will improve and expand domestic farmers' markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, agritourism activities and other direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities.

Proposed Milk Supply Control Program Would Weaken U.S. Economy, Study Shows
An economic review drawing from analyses of a controversial dairy market stabilization program shows that, if implemented, the program would slow U.S. job growth in agriculture, curtail the U.S. dairy industry's export potential and impede worldwide food security while increasing domestic price volatility.

Northeast Pasture Consortium's Grazing Guide
Get research findings, extension information, upcoming event details and more in this central location.

Women and Hispanic Claims Program
More than $1 billion is available through a claims process for farmers who allege that the USDA, in making or servicing farm loans between 1981 and 2000, discriminated against them because they were female or Hispanic.

Community and Regional Development Resources
Convenient, affordable and reliable access to safe nutritious food is important to the long-term health of individuals, families and communities. The initiatives and resources listed here offer support and insight into this community and regional development work.

USDA Releases Plan to Promote Agroforestry
Agroforestry intentionally combines agriculture and forestry to create integrated land-use systems that take advantage of the benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock.

 

 

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