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October 2011

In This Issue

A Declaration of New England Agricultural Policy
By Marge Kilkelly, Board Vice President; Chair, NEFU Policy Committee

NEFU Policy Book

“We, the members of the New England Farmers Union (NEFU), in the following policy statement, strive to articulate the fundamental principles for a food, fiber and energy policy that will be essential to our region’s long-term sustainability.  These issues transcend every social, economic, environmental and geographic boundary of our region. We are interconnected, and we are still dependent on the soil underneath our feet and the waters off our shores. We believe that in order to maximize New England’s strengths and take advantage of numerous opportunities, we must develop a regional voice for a wide range of issues. This policy is our contribution to that mission.”  From the Preamble of NEFU Policy Book, revised October 2011

At our inaugural annual meeting on December 15, 2010, NEFU members ratified our first official policy book. Since then, NEFU members have proposed changes that have been incorporated into the current draft put forth by the NEFU Board of Directors. This policy represents two year's worth of work on the part of NEFU staff and consultants, and rigorous review by our members. The book serves as a guiding document for our work, representing a touchstone for us to refer to as we make decisions on where to focus our efforts and what legislation and regulations to support or oppose.

This is, above all, a living document. Members of NEFU can propose changes, additions or other revisions at any time, and those proposals will be considered and voted on by the membership at annual meetings. We encourage you to read our updated policy, send your suggestions for revisions, attend our annual meeting on December 9 in Concord, NH.

Annette Higby: New Policy Director for New England Farmers Union and NEFU Education Foundation

Annette Higby

Annette Higby, Policy Director for NEFU and NEFU Education Foundation.

The Board of Directors is very pleased to announce that we’ve hired Annette Higby to serve as our new Policy Director. Annette brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the job. Her career as an attorney, educator, policy analyst and advocate for family farm agriculture spans 30 years. Most recently she was the Grassroots Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. She also coordinated the 2008 farm bill campaign for the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture. Her Vermont law practice focused on generational farm transfer, farm business formation and farmland leasing, and land tenure issues. Annette lives in Randolph, Vermont with her husband Marty Strange and their son Benjamin.

“I am so excited to be a part of this team and especially at this moment,” said Higby. “It’s never been more important to bring our region’s voice to the farm policy debate. This next farm bill will be a fierce battle to win the resources we need to build local and regional markets for New England farmers and consumers, to protect our resource base and to ensure regional equity in farm program spending. NEFU brings a unique and potent combination of farmers and consumer co-ops to the table and I am thrilled to have a part in ensuring that those voices are heard.”

Annette will be leading NEFU’s policy development at our Annual Meeting on December 9, 2011 in Concord, N.H.; and she will be the project manager for a collaborative effort with American Farmland Trust (AFT), Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG), and Wholesome Wave Foundation to strengthen the coalition of New England leaders for the 2012 Farm Bill.

You can contact Annette at Annette at newenglandfarmersunion.org.

Farm Bill 101
By Annie Cheatham, President, New England Farmers Union

Who gets the biggest portion of Farm Bill dollars?

1) Organic dairy farmers?
2) Large industrial farmers?
3) Nutrition programs?
4) Soil management programs?

When asked this question by Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan on her recent trip to western New England, 70% of the audience said that the answer was #2. Take a look at the pie chart below and you will see that the largest portion of farm bill funding goes to nutrition programs. And this pie chart is based on 2009 figures. Today, nutrition programs constitute over 75% of the farm bill’s budget.

Federal Spending on Farm Safety Net

Of the overall farm bill budget, 14% goes to the farm safety net. Providing a safety net for farmers is an old tradition in our country. For generations our government has agreed that farmers should be provided with some sort of assurance that if disaster strikes, if weather conditions reduce or eliminate their yields, if market prices fall far below the cost of growing crops, we will, as a society, provide some insurance for them so that they can recover and plant again. Farmers produce food for us to eat, and for people of the world to eat. Theirs is the riskiest business there is, without any protection from weather and weather related disasters. Already in 2011, over 40 states in the U.S. have experienced weather related agricultural disasters. A safety net is part of our contract. Farmers grow food for our society; we take care of farmers in emergencies.

Crop insurance and direct payments have been the predominant mechanisms for this protection. Today, the U.S. Congress and the White House are giving intense scrutiny to these and other agriculture programs with the aim of reducing funding to unprecedented levels. In budget and appropriations passed by the U.S. Congress in the last 2 years, agriculture spending has suffered cuts 2 or 3 times deeper than other federal programs. During the next 10 years, the current farm safety net is projected to make up less than 0.28% of federal spending. Programs that have a large impact on New England farmers, the conservation and energy programs, are expected to account for only 0.12% of federal spending. Still reductions continue to be made in programs that help farmers.

Farm Safety Net Spending

New England Farmers Union Priorities
During the September fly-in, 10 New England Farmers Union members visited all of the offices of New England members of Congress to tell them our priorities for the farm bill. They are these:

Dairy

Conservation and Energy

Regional Equity
Continue the $15 million regional equity provision for conservation programs. Conservation funding is particularly critical in New England, as our region’s population density and high land, labor and inputs costs mean significantly higher conservation project costs. Without the regional equity provision, New England states’ allocation of funds for these programs would decline precipitously.

Specialty Crops
Specialty crops are what are mostly grown in New England—fruits and vegetables. Dairy is the only commodity product produced by farmers in our region. As you can see from the chart above, only a small percentage of the overall farm bill budget goes for dairy and specialty crops. NEFU calls for increased flexibility for specialty crop funding, and have it based on state priorities. Differences in regional growing conditions, consumer demand and access to markets should take precedence over aggregate federal priorities when allocating funds for specialty crops.

Nutrition
Support farmers’ market coupon programs through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), previously known as food stamps. Such programs benefit SNAP recipients by giving them access to fresh, healthy food. They benefit local farmers by opening up otherwise inaccessible markets.

What you can do:
Senator John Kerry is the only New England member of Congress to serve on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, or the “supercommittee,” as it is called. The 12 members of Congress on this committee have unprecedented power. They will be writing farm bill language in the next few weeks. Email or call Senator Kerry and tell him you support NEFU’s priorities.

Gaining Strength Together: 2011 Annual Meeting of the New England Farmers Union

Susan N. McLane Audubon Center

Susan N. McLane Audubon Center.

The New England Farmers Union annual meeting is a time for members to help set policy goals and chart our direction for 2012. It is also an time to learn about the state of New England's agricultural community and an opportunity to meet new friends and reconnect with old ones. Please join us and bring a friend. All are welcome!

When: Friday, December 9 from 1 to 8 p.m.
Where: Susan N. McLane Audubon Center in Concord, N.H.,

During the afternoon, members will focus on NEFU’s policy and future direction. Following a light dinner (free for NEFU members; $18 for non-members), the evening program will feature:

Click here for more details and to RSVP for the meeting. We encourage you to introduce a friend to the important work of New England Farmers Union! Questions? Send an email to info@newenglandfarmersunion.org.

This event is being sponsored by generous contributions from the following sponsors (to date):

Farm Credit East logoBen & Jerry's Foundation Blue Seal logoAcadia Insurance logo

Farming Magazine logo NH Audubon logoCountry Folks logoNFU logo

Through the Eyes of a Beginning Urban Farmer
By Tess Brown-Lavoie, NEFU member

Farmer and NEFU member Tess Brown-Lavoie.

I was not born on a farm; I was born in a city, but I built a farm around me. Unlike most of the farmers I met at the Beginning Farmers Institute, I am a first generation farmer, so my path to this work has been different. Sidewalk Ends Farm—which I founded with my sisters this past winter—is situated on a vacant lot on the West End of Providence where, as recently as March, the soil was contaminated with lead and covered by tall weeds. Since then, we have excavated the lead soil, replaced it with clean compost, leaves, and lime, built raised beds, a chicken coop, and a rabbit hutch, and planted seeds. Our specialty is salad greens, and we grow cooking greens and herbs, too. Although we do not have much space, we grow carrots, beets, radishes, and potatoes; tomatoes and tomatillos; ground cherries and raspberries; garlic, squash, cucumbers, flowers, and some specialty items like cardoon. We maximize the space we have by planting intensively, experimenting with biodynamic spacing and otherwise creative methods. We use organic growing practices.

We sell our produce to our neighbors, at a farmers market located a few blocks away, and through a small CSA. We also sell produce to restaurants through our growers cooperative, the Little City Growers Co-op, which is made up of six farms and 10 farmers across the city. Without the personal, collegial, and infrastructural support of the co-op, we would not have had the success we achieved in our first year. Next year we will start our season with clean soil, and will have a fresh chance to grow better beets, carrots, and alliums. I end every season with a combined sense of success, humility, and anticipation. The seeds inevitably sprouted, and we grew beautiful produce, but next year we will do it better.

Bean Rows at Sidewalk Ends Farm

Bean rows at Sidewalk Ends Farm.

I joined the New England Farmers Union this spring at a time when I wanted to align myself with agriculturalists across New England and across the country as the national labor dialogue intensified. I believe that my work on urban land—the type of farming I practice, and my business model—is a critical but partial facet of American agriculture. My farm looks different from many rural and suburban New England farms. It certainly operates differently from an industrial scale farm in any region. It is a small farm in a New England city, but I can still relate to farmers from other backgrounds, and learn from their experiences. Fundamentally, we are all trying to feed people, and so learning about other people's methods and practices helps me to understand more about the politics of my own business.

I applied for and was accepted into the National Farmers Union’s Beginning Farmer Institute (BFI) in order to better understand my business as an economic and political entity. I came to farming with little knowledge about credit, loans, or grants: all important aspects of owning and operating a business. I wanted to expand my existing network of beginning farmers. Farmers have been the best resources in helping me to get my farm business off the ground. As a first generation farmer, what I did not learn through trial and error, I learned through exposure to other farms and farmers, and their ideologies and practices. It has been broadening to look outside of the farm networks that I came up through to see what other beginning farmers are doing and struggling with across the country.

NEFU members Bruce Howden and Tess Brown-Lavoie in DC.

Thanks to my participation in the New England and National Farmers Union, I am beginning to see how my operation fits into a larger picture of American agriculture. In some ways, the issues facing a beginning farmer in an urban setting are dramatically different from those facing a rural beginning farmer; lead poisoning might not be a concern for a beginning farmer on her parents' land, for example. Also as a first generation urban farmer, I did not have to confront the complexity of intergenerational family dynamics. Still there are parallels between agricultural enterprises of all types.

In learning about the farm bill through the National Farmers Union fly-in to Washington, DC, this September, I got a sense of some of the challenges facing family farmers; land access is an issue that affects beginning farmers in cities and in rural communities. Through BFI, I gained exposure to institutions—Farm Credit East, for example—and vocabularies that are important in advocating for useful farm policy. Perhaps more importantly, I left Washington feeling aligned with farmers from across the U.S.

I have a lot to learn about agriculture, but I came home to Rhode Island inspired to help integrate urban ag into the into the national agricultural landscape, and to keep making connections with rural and urban farmers from different regions.

Meet Mary McClintock, Local Food Columnist and NEFU Founding Member

Mary McClintock

NEFU member Mary McClintock.

Full Name: Mary McClintock

People know me as: the author of a weekly column in The Recorder (Greenfield, Mass.), "Savoring the Seasons: Enjoying Locally Grown Food Year-Round."

Originally from: born in Oakland, Calif.—I grew up in California and Hawaii. When I was 21, I spent most of a year working as an irrigator in orange groves in the Central Valley of California.

I love/live in New England because: I love the seasons and changes in the New England landscape through the year. I especially enjoy the rural and small town communities in which I live and all the many events and activism that happen here.

Some of my favorite local spots include:

My favorite local food and farm event is: I've helped organized The Free Harvest Supper of Locally Grown Food since it began in 2005. The Free Harvest Supper is a great community event each August held on the Greenfield, MA Town Common. The Supper features a free bountiful meal of locally grown food donated by farmers prepared by local chefs, live music, children’s activities, educational displays, and a Really, Really Free Market. The Free Harvest Supper has three goals: to encourage everyone to eat locally grown food; to support local agriculture; and, to raise money for Farmers’ Market coupons distributed by the Center for Self-Reliance Food Pantry. While the Supper is free to all, donations are accepted and are used for the coupons which help achieve the supper’s goals. Local residents in need of food get coupons from the Food Pantry, use them to purchase locally grown food at the Greenfield Farmers’ Market, and then Food Pantry staff pay the farmers for the coupons they have accepted. It’s a win-win-win system. In 2011, we raised $4,000 for the Farmers Market Coupon project. See www.freeharvestsupper.org for more information and to read about how to create a similar event in your community.

My passions and interests include: community, standing in the weekly peace vigil I helped start 9 years ago, encouraging everyone to enjoy locally grown food, feminism, singing, sea kayaking, hiking, watching birds and wildlife, writing.

I decided to join NEFU as a Founding Member because: I want to support New England farmers, and want New England agriculture to be represented in state and national government.

Some of my biggest concerns about the New England agriculture are: Helping small family farms be sustainable as they provide a living for the farmer families, food for our community, and a healthy environment for us all.

I’m helping to implement change through: my writing and activism related to locally grown food, peace, and community.

My wish for New England agriculture is: communities that support their local and regional farms and farmers.

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!

Join NEFU and Help New England Food Banks

Feeding America logoNew England Farmers Union has joined with National Farmers Union to meet a challenge grant benefiting Feeding America. Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, works with a network of more than 200 food banks across the country to supply 3 billion pounds of food and grocery products annually to needy families. The Howard G. Buffet Foundation has offered to match every dollar given in the name of National Farmers Union to Feeding America, up to his $50,000 challenge.

Howard G. Buffett is a farmer and philanthropist and an advocate for of Feeding America’s fight against hunger. The challenge grant provides a medium for the agricultural community to support hunger relief and help their neighbors in need. Nine food banks in New England will benefit from NEFU-tagged donations.

When you join New England Farmers Union, your membership dues are not only helping NEFU to continue work on our ambitious agenda; they also are helping to feed your hungry neighbors. From now until March 1, 2012, $2.50 of every new member’s dues will be matched by NFU, and then that $5 will be matched by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, resulting in a total donation of $10 to Feeding America. Feeding America will then give all the funds raised from NEFU memberships to nine food banks in our region.

Feeding America reaches 37 million hungry Americans each year, nearly 14 million of them children. Join New England Farmers Union and help feed hungry neighbors.

Toastmasters for Farmers?
By Annie Cheatham, President, New England Farmers Union

NODPA attendees

L-R:  Ed Maltby, Executive Director, NODPA; Liana Hoodes, Executive Director, National Organic Coalition; Kelly Shea, Vice President, WhiteWave Foods Company; Francis Thicke, Radiance Dairy, Fairfield, Iowa.

Farm or Frack? What will be the impact of natural gas exploration on organic certification for dairy farmers in the Northeast? How do private labels impact the pay price for organic dairy products? How can organic dairy farmers forcefully advocate for dairy legislation that benefits Northeast farmers?

Conversations were numerous over two days in late September, when members of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA) gathered in Cooperstown, N.Y., for their annual field days. Francis Thicke, keynote speaker and farmer from Iowa, said, “Change is happening. We have peak oil and we have increasing demands for more local food. Ecological farming is about biodiversity, self-sufficiency, conservation and recycling. We are designing and managing agricultural systems that counter the ‘get big or get out’ attitude.”

The need to tell that story to legislators was made clear on day two when Liana Hoodes from the National Organic Coalition, and Kelly Shea from Horizon Organic joined Francis to talk about advocacy. And an idea emerged from the group that few expected: sign up for a Toastmasters group in your town or county and practice public speaking. Farmers, and non-farm advocates for farmers who attend fly-ins and/or meet with state and federal officials can benefit from skills taught by Toastmasters. “What is your elevator speech?” one farmer asked. “If President Obama gets on the elevator with you, what are you going to say that he will remember?”

This question left all of us thinking about how we could improve our communications skills, learn to be more concise, and drive our messages home. I’ll leave it at that. If you want to know more about this important meeting, visit the NODPA website. See you at the next Toastmasters meeting.

Farmers and Food Co-ops Work Together for Change

NFCA logo“Food for Change,” a new film commissioned by the Franklin Community Co-op in Greenfield and Buckland, Mass., documents the history of co-operatives and the role of food co-ops in food system change. Steve Alves, the filmmaker, showed edited clips from the film to a group of 60+ food co-op managers and board members from around New England—all members of the Neighboring Food Co-Operatives Association (NFCA). We had gathered for a day long meeting to discuss the 2012 Farm Bill and how food co-op members could engage with policy and advocacy. Steve’s film (to be released in 2012) was a reminder of how potent co-operatives have been in changing political, economic and cultural history.

NFCA meeting attendees

L-R:  Ed King, Store Manager, Littleton Food Co-op; Mike Claflin, Board Member, Littleton Food Co-op; Roger Johnson, President, National Farmers Union.

Roger Johnson, President of National Farmers Union (NFU), also made the connection between farmers and co-operatives with stories about his home state of North Dakota and the number of co-ops in place there—credit and energy co-ops, farmer owned marketing and food processing co-ops, among others. Johnson catalogued the history of NFU’s 110 year long commitment to support and promote co-operative development for farmers and consumers alike, and he talked about how local economies benefit from the resilience of co-operatives.

Both Johnson and Erbin Crowell, Executive Director of NFCA, reaffirmed their organizations’ commitment to the U.N. Year of the Co-operative in 2012, and Johnson reported that NFU was preparing co-operative themed curriculum for youths and adults to be released in 2012. He encouraged food co-ops around New England to use the curriculum with their members. This curriculum will soon be available for downloading from the NFU website.

In addition to talking about policy and cross-sector collaboration between farmers and food co-ops, we also discussed David Dolginow’s (from Sunrise Orchards and Vermont Refrigerated Storage) project to flash freeze fruits and vegetables during the growing season and distribute to food co-operatives. And another panel, led by Betsy Black of Co-op Fund of New England, discussed the successes and challenges in making healthy foods and food co-ops more accessible to low income communities. Annie Cheatham, from New England Farmers Union (NEFU), provided background on the 2012 farm bill and talked about how food co-ops could engage their members in policy discussions.

NEFU is pleased with its collaboration with NFCA, an affiliate member of NEFU. And we are also grateful to the following food co-operatives that have joined NEFU as members. If your food co-op isn’t on this list, please consider joining now. The benefits of this collaboration are expanding and we welcome your participation in our partnership.

Meat Farmers Are Getting Butchered

Cows"Buy 1, Get 2 FREE," shouted this week's flyer from the Big Y World Class Market, a Massachusetts-owned grocery store chain. One-pound packages of ground beef are on sale, as are whole chickens, boneless rump roasts and pork tenderloin. Buy one, get two free is a good deal, and many shoppers will fill their carts with ground beef and other meat products. But you have to wonder if the farmer is making any money on this.

Beef cattle, hogs, chickens and turkeys are raised on farms throughout the United States, but they are processed by fewer and fewer meatpackers. Currently, the top four beef packers control more than 81 percent of the sales of cattle for slaughter in the U.S., and the top four swine processors control about 65 percent of hog sales. Perdue and Tyson control our country's poultry market. These levels of concentration give the packers a huge advantage, and they use their leverage to force farmers to accept unfavorable terms. This reduces farmers' profit margins and ultimately drives them out of business. More than one million family-owned beef and hog farms have gone out of business since 1980 due to abusive practices by processors. But these practices are also bringing Big Y shoppers the advantage of low prices for meat and poultry products.

So why rock the boat when meat is reasonably priced at the supermarket? Because we are losing small, family farms at an alarming rate, and our food supply is being concentrated in a few corporate hands.

In June 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture clarified the law that governs the relationship between livestock producers and meatpackers/processors. This proposed change, known as the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule, would improve bargaining rights for individual producers and restore competition to agricultural markets. Predictably, it prompted an immediate and vigorous backlash from meat processors.

That's because the rule protects farmers from retaliation when they speak out against unfair business practices. The rule also prevents packers and processors from driving farmers and ranchers out of business one farm at a time. Poultry companies will no longer be allowed to force growers to make expensive equipment changes without compensation. Livestock markets will be more competitive because two or more packers will be prohibited from sharing a single livestock buyer. Hog farmers who are currently kept in the dark about each others' contracting agreements could compare their contracts and other vital documents to make sure they are being treated fairly.

The USDA released this rule 16 months ago. It is past time to implement it. Call the White House comment line at 202-456-1111 and say that you stand for the protection of America's livestock and poultry farmers. They are producing the meat that Big Y is selling this week. They are being driven out of business in the process. Give them a break and let them know you want the GIPSA rule implemented without delay. Your action is as important to farmers as "Buy 1, Get 2 FREE" is for your family's pocketbook.

Annie Cheatham
President, New England Farmers Union, Shelburne Falls, Mass.
Marydale DeBor
Member, New England Farmers Union Board of Directors, New Haven, Conn.
Marge Kilkelly
Vice President, New England Farmers Union; owner of Dragonfly Cove Farm, Dresden, Maine
Ed Maltby
General Manager, Adams Farm Slaughterhouse; Executive Director, Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Association; Member, New England Farmers Union Board of Advisors, Deerfield, Mass.

Upcoming Events

Deadline to Submit Comments on Proposed National Animal Identification Rule
November 9
USDA’s proposed animal identification rule would require that all animals being transported across state lines be officially identified and accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection or other documentation. Read NEFU’s analysis of the proposed rule.

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.

Gaining Strength Together: 2011 NEFU Annual Meeting
December 9, 1-8 p.m. (Susan N. McLane Audubon Center, Concord, N.H.)
During the afternoon, members will set NEFU’s policy goals and chart our direction for 2012. Following a light dinner (free for NEFU members), the evening program will feature National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson; N.H. Commissioner of Agriculture Lorraine Merrill; and N.H. State Representative Tara Sad. Click here for more details and to RSVP for the meeting. We encourage you to introduce a friend to the important work of New England Farmers Union! Questions? Send an email to info@newenglandfarmersunion.org.

Carbon Farming 2012: Workshops in Regenerative Agriculture
January 17-February 5 (Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.)
Carbon Farmers combine cutting-edge agricultural practices with the tools of ecological design to build healthy soil and profitable farms. The Carbon Farming Course is a series of workshops by renowned presenters.

In the News

Vilsack Says Safety Net, Rural Grants Needed in Next Farm Bill
Vilsack said the bill needs a safety net to assure farmers’ survival, but also needs rural development programs, and called specifically for the continuation of the Rural Energy for America grants known as REAP and the Biomass Crop Assistance Program and programs for microenterprise development.

Conservation Ranks High in Public Survey of Farm Bill Priorities
Results of a national public opinion survey on agriculture and the environment were released recently. The goal of the survey was to assess how Americans view U.S. agriculture policy, with an emphasis on assessing opinion on the role of conservation in the Farm Bill. The survey also gathered information on where conservation priorities should fit into the debates on the federal budget deficit and the national debt.

Building Toward 2012: The International Year of Co-ops
The fact that the United Nations (UN) has declared 2012 the International Year of Co-ops is an unprecedented opportunity to talk about the co-operative alternative. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon puts it simply: “Co-operatives are a reminder to the international community that it is possible to pursue both economic viability and social responsibility.”

Study: New England Beef Markets Not Yet Feasible
The idea of slaughtering New England-raised cattle and selling the beef locally is based more on idealism than economic reality, says a report commissioned by the six states' agriculture departments.

Senate votes to block Obama proposal that would limit potatoes, french fries in schools
Following a bipartisan agreement on the issue, the Senate by voice vote accepted an amendment by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) that would block the USDA from putting any limits on serving potatoes or other vegetables in school lunches.

USDA Food-Safety Programs Unlikely to Be Cut, Vilsack Says
According to Secretary Tom Vilsack, food-safety programs may be less vulnerable to cuts than other areas of U.S. Department of Agriculture spending because of the importance placed on the nutrition supply.

Listeria Outbreak in Cantaloupes Is the Deadliest in a Decade
The latest food-borne illness outbreak is yet another reminder of the importance of knowing where your food comes from and knowing your farmer.

Ag Committee Chair Addresses Farm Bill
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., says the Senate Agriculture committee is coalescing around a safety net structure for the 2012 Farm Bill that contains revenue protection and expanded federal crop insurance, but does not include the direct and counter-cyclical payment programs.

High Costs Make It Harder To Grow Young Farmers
This NPR piece explores factors that make it even harder for the next generation of farmers to secure the financing they need to get on the tractor.

White House Rural Council Feedback Report
Since the establishment of the White House Rural Council in June, President Barack Obama and a number of senior Administration officials including Secretary Tom Vilsack met with folks throughout the country to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing rural America. This White House Rural Council feedback report provides a summary of the places they visited and many of things they learned.

Digging Deeper

The Adams Family and Their Farm
In 2006 the Adams family's business went up in flames. They have rebuilt with help from Dr. Temple Grandin—creating a thoughtfully designed, humane system that takes the animals through the slaughtering process. The article begins on page 86.

A GIPSA Study and Its Analysis
Daryll Ray and Harwood Schaffer write a regular column on agricultural policy called Policy Pennings. We include these in our monthly newsletter for those who want to dig a little deeper into the world of agricultural policy. Daryll Ray is an advisor to the National Farmers Union on agricultural policy. You can find their previous essays here.

New Report Highlights Critical Links Among Food Security, Climate Change, Human Rights, and the Economy
A new report, The Wheel of Life: Food, Climate, Human Rights and the Economy, examines how major crises of our day—hunger, climate change, and more—are deeply interlinked. Yet too often government and international institutions address these issues as if they are disconnected from one another. Issued by the Center for Food Safety and the Heinrich Böll Stiftung Foundation.

CRS Releases Report Comparing Farm Bill Proposals
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) recently released a report entitled “Farm Safety Net Proposals for the 2012 Farm Bill,” looking at various farm bill proposals from members of Congress and agriculture groups.

A Push to Farm Smarter—Not Bigger—to Feed the World's Hungry
Many aid experts now see the small farmer as the long-term solution to hunger, with the global population estimated to reach 9 billion people by 2050, requiring a 70 percent increase from current food production.

Rural and Romney: What would a Romney presidency mean for rural America?
Folks looking for insight into how Mitt Romney would treat rural America as president can learn from his record as governor of Massachusetts. No amount of "Farmers 4 Mitt" signs drawn by campaign staffers can paper over Romney's abysmal record as governor when it comes to helping our Commonwealth's 6,000 commercial farmers.

Maine Voices: Bad Roads Hurt Economic Development
In Maine, "you can't get there from here" is an oft-repeated phrase that is a reminder of how hard it is to get around that coastal and rural state. The old saying is part of Maine lore, but the truth is Maine's geography is a huge challenge for the state's economic development.

Tools for Growth

Carrot Project Farm Loan Funds
The Carrot Project is accepting prequalified applications for their loan fund serving farms and on-farm value added businesses in Massachusetts. The Fall application deadline is November 4th, 2011 for loans of $35,000 or less

Farm Service Agency Disaster Assistance Programs
Learn about all the disaster assistance programs available to farmers from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Click here for an announcement about assistance for farmers in certain New Hampshire counties.

Urban Agriculture: Innovative Farming Systems for the 21st Century
The University of Massachusetts will offer this new online course during their January term. Using case studies, it explores urban agriculture through the investigation and evaluation of current urban farming system.

 

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