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September 2011

In This Issue

Tropical Storm Irene Damage Highlights Need for Stronger Farm Safety Nets
By Annie Cheatham, President, New England Farmers Union

NEFU President Annie Cheatham

New England was badly damaged by the floods from Tropical Storm Irene. There are several reasons for this: The storm was enormous and slow moving, and it pulled in a lot of water on its northern side as it ran up the Connecticut River watershed from New York to Canada. New England’s soils were already saturated from heavy August rains. We don't have much soil to begin with (New Hampshire is called the Granite State for a reason), so topsoil is thin without much saturation potential. In addition, the terrain is hilly, so water runs quickly downhill. The region is also very wet, in that we have many streams, gullies, small rivers, ponds (made by beavers and by people) and wetlands. All of these factors led to historic flooding that left Vermont with 40 percent of its roads damaged, and dozens of towns in Vermont, New York and Massachusetts accessible only by helicopter.

The best farmland in New England is along the Connecticut River, which creates the border between New Hampshire and Vermont, then runs south through Massachusetts and Connecticut into the Long Island Sound. The river bottom land is farmed intensively because of the depth and richness of the topsoil. Many farms in this valley have sustained a total loss from flooded fields. In some places, rushing water carved new channels through the bottom land. Fully mature late-summer crops and nearly ripe fall crops are gone, with pumpkins and tomato plants torn from their roots and sent a mile downstream.

The hilltowns away from the rivers are good grazing land and support our dairy herds. But with so much infrastructure damage, trucks weren’t able to get to farms to pick up milk and farmers were dumping it at the farm — another blow to the hard-hit New England dairy industry. (USDA recently announced that dairy farmers who had to dump their milk as a result of Irene are eligible to receive full-market prices.) Few New England farmers have flood insurance, especially those in the hilltowns, and losses will have to be borne from 2011 profits, if there are any. (See Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program Will Help Farmer Flooded by Irene.)

Fall foliage season is coming and with it, thousands of tourists and millions of dollars for the farm economies of our six states. This year, agritourism will likely be adversely affected in some states since so many roads and bridges are damaged.

This month, seven New England farmers went to Washington, D.C., for the National Farmers Union annual legislative fly-in (see Record Number of NEFU Members Attend Legislative Fly-In). They represented New England Farmers Union and National Farmers Union, both of which strongly support permanent disaster and crop insurance programs for farmers throughout the United States. At times like these, we must provide some safety net for farmers who are helpless against natural disasters that can destroy their farms in a matter of hours.

Become part of our efforts to provide farmers with programs that will assist them when hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, droughts and other natural disasters turn their lives upside down. And watch this YouTube video of what it was like on Sunday morning, August 28, from the offices of New England Farmers Union on the Deerfield River in Shelburne Falls, Mass.

Save the Date: NEFU Annual Meeting

New England Farmers Union (NEFU) will hold its annual meeting on Friday, December 9 at the McLane Audubon Center in Concord, N.H., from 1 to 8 p.m. 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. More details will be posted on our website soon. To RSVP, please send an email to info@newenglandfarmersunion.org.

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program Will Help Farmer Flooded by Irene

As Congress begins working on the 2012 farm bill, New England Farmers Union will be highlighting farms throughout our region that have benefited from federal agricultural programs. This is the second article in the series.

Farm stands. Farmers’ markets. CSAs. Pick-your-own. All abound in New England, creating a vibrant agricultural sector and making our region the national leader when it comes to direct-to-consumer sales.

Fields in fertile river valleys not only lost their crops to flood waters; many also inherited several inches of silt.

But when Tropical Storm Irene ripped through the Northeast on August 28, the destruction borne on our farms and fields left farmers devastated. That’s because most of the crops grown in New England are not eligible for federally subsidized crop insurance.

New England Farmers Union (NEFU) and National Farmers Union (NFU) are working to get broader crop insurance coverage and a permanent disaster-relief program included in the 2012 farm bill. That won’t help the hundreds of farmers who lost crops, animals, milk, hay and infrastructure to Irene’s wind, rain and ensuing floods, though.

NEFU member Bruce Howden is one of those farmers. He runs Howden Farm, which grows pumpkins and corn and lies on the banks of the Housatonic River in Sheffield, Mass. When the storm was over, Howden assessed the damage: 10 acres of pumpkins were under water.

“Our fields are sandy loam. They should drain like a colander and normally they do. But now there are puddles,” Howden said a week after Irene dumped more than four inches of rain on the southwestern corner of Massachusetts. “In a dry year, the loam works to our advantage because it holds the moisture.”

Thankfully Howden’s pick-your-own pumpkin patch was unharmed, so he’ll be open for business when the pumpkins ripen in a few weeks. His seed pumpkins were wiped out by Irene, though.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture allows farmers to insure commodity crops under the farm bill’s crop insurance provision. In New England, insurable crops include apples, field corn, sweet corn, peaches and potatoes, among others. Farmers who grow those crops can take out a policy with a private insurance company. The federal government subsidizes those policies by reimbursing the insurance company for administrative and operating costs, and by offsetting the premium price. If the farmer loses the crop, the insurance covers a percentage of what the farmer would have reaped had the crop been successfully harvested and sold. The government, the insurance company and the farmer all share the risk.

But most fruits and vegetables that New England’s farmers raise — including pumpkins — are not covered by federally subsidized crop insurance policies. Instead, they fall under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), which is administered by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and is more limited in its scope.

Participation in NAP costs $250 per crop per year, for up to three crops. For $750 a year, farmers can cover everything they grow that isn’t eligible for the federal crop insurance program. In order to receive payment from USDA, farmers have to sign up and pay at the beginning of the season. Of course, there are limitations to what NAP will cover.

“NAP is only an indemnity against a catastrophic loss,” said Aimee Thayer, executive director of the FSA office in Berkshire County, where Howden’s farm is located. “You have to have 50 percent loss before the program will pay. And it only pays 55 percent of your loss. So you only really get back your input costs.”

Despite the limited scope of NAP coverage, Thayer said she is surprised by how few farmers in her county participate in the program. When late blight wiped out tomato crops across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states in 2009, Thayer worked hard to educate farmers about NAP.

“After we had the tomato blight, I expected to see more people the following year. I had only a couple producers of vegetables sign up for NAP,” she said. Those who did sign up rely on tomatoes for a large portion of their income, so it made sense to insure the crop as best they could. Thayer pointed out that often, “the more diversified an operation you are, the safer you are” when it comes to natural disasters and crop failures.

Because pumpkins represent a significant percentage of Howden’s income, he has chosen to participate in NAP. USDA inspectors visited his farm the day after the storm and took pictures, and they will determine a dollar figure to place on his loss. Howden’s sweet corn is covered by federal crop insurance.

By the time it reached New England, Irene had only tropical storm-strength winds. But heavy rains in the preceding days had saturated the ground, so when the storm tore through the region that Sunday, there was nowhere for the water to go. Meandering streams turned into gushing rivers, and rivers spewed over their banks from Connecticut to Vermont. Fields in fertile river valleys not only lost their crops to contaminated flood waters; many also inherited several inches of silt, making clean-up efforts labor-intensive and costly, and leaving many to question their ability to raise crops in those fields next season.

Extending insurance coverage to “specialty food” crops like fruits and vegetables would give New England farmers greater financial security. In the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, then, the message that participants brought to lawmakers in Washington, D.C., during the NFU legislative fly-in this month was especially timely for New England’s farmers.

Ten NEFU members, including Howden and six other farmers, visited 38 members of Congress from New England and New York during the fly-in. Among the points they stressed in their conversations is immediate disaster assistance funding for New England farmers who suffered damage from Tropical Storm Irene and the need for improved risk-management options in the 2012 farm bill.

NEFU and NFU support a risk-management provision that would:

Given the large federal budget deficit, new spending programs aren’t likely in the 2012 farm bill. Thayer is optimistic, though, that NAP funding will remain intact.

“NAP has been regularly funded every year. It is a policy that folks buy in to, meaning that farmers assume some of the risk and the government isn’t shouldering all of it,” Thayer said. “In a way, that’s good for the program. I’m not sure if that’s good for the farmer in the long run. But I have heard nothing that NAP is at risk at all.”

NEFU will continue educating members of Congress on the need for strong risk-management programs. In the meantime, Thayer said she wants to remind consumers that given the destruction from Irene, it’s more important now than ever before to support your local farmer.

“Not every crop was under water,” she said. “Go to the orchards and to the farm stands. If they’re open, they’re selling something. It’s not the end of the growing season.”

Looking for information on how you can help farmers and business owners who were devastated by Irene? Visit our Tools for Growth section, which highlights four funds from throughout our region, including the Hurricane Irene Recovery Fund, which was created by NEFU members Cooperative Development Foundation and the Neighboring Food Co-op Association.

Record Number of NEFU Members Attend Legislative Fly-In

NEFU member Bruce Howden (left) gave hats from his farm to Secretary Tom Vilsack (right) and other government officials during the fly-in.

Comfortable shoes are a requirement. The ability to summarize your points in less than 15 minutes is a must. An appreciation for the fact that you are talking with people who set policy for our country helps make the conversation flow.

This should give you a sense of what it’s like during the National Farmers Union (NFU) legislative fly-in, when hundreds of farmers and their supporters descend on Washington, D.C., for meetings with Congressional leaders and administration officials. Three days of gatherings, discussions, policy proposals and lunches wherever you can grab them bring rewards not experienced when you are simply a tourist in our nation’s capital.

From Sept. 11 to 14, 10 New England Farmers Union (NEFU) members worked tirelessly on behalf of our region’s agricultural community. Our team consisted of the following individuals:

NEFU would like to thank Berkshire Co-op Market, Concord Cooperative Market, Littleton Food Co-op and Wild Oats Market for helping to recruit farmers to attend this fall’s fly-in.

The fly-in started with a briefing at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told us that he and his team have three priorities:

“Farmers have been cautious and they have still increased productivity,” Vilsack said. “But we need to educate the public about what farmers and rural people do for America. We have an advantage over the rest of the world: We can feed ourselves. Rural America is supplying 44 percent of our military, yet farmers are taken for granted.”

Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., said some programs might not be cut in the 2012 farm bill because they are part of multi-year payouts. Still, Lucas warned, “The budget picture is not good for agriculture. You are here at a perfect time. Please help us educate members of Congress about the importance of sustaining our farming communities.”

For Capitol Hill visits, our delegation split into two groups and visited 38 House and Senate offices of New England and New York Congressional members. During those visits we spoke in person with 10 senators and representatives.

At every stop, we discussed priorities for our region’s farmers and consumers. Top among those priorities are:

By the end of the fly-in, our feet were sore, our minds were full and our hearts were opened by our contact with policy leaders in Washington. And we left our mark. After learning that government officials can accept gifts under $20, Bruce Howden, from Howden Farm in Sheffield, Mass., and breeder of the industry-standard Howden pumpkin seed, left two dozen Howden Farm hats with Vilsack and with members of Congress and their staff. The colorful hats will remind people of our visit and how our New England delegation is committed to strengthening agriculture, as we make sure the 2012 farm bill supports our region’s innovative approaches to agricultural development.

NEFU Recognizes Congressional Leaders from New England

NEFU members present Rep. Chellie Pingree with the Golden Triangle Award. From left to right: Tim Wennrich (N.H.), Pingree, Ida DeFrancesco (Conn.), Joe DeFrancesco (Conn.) and Roger Noonan (N.H.).

Members of Congress from New England are supportive of farmers and fishermen. And why wouldn’t they be? They see the benefits that farming and fishing bring to our region. They understand the economic stimulation, the environmental advantages, and the sheer goodwill brought to our towns and villages through agricultural and fishing enterprises. And so it is with much gratitude that each fall, New England Farmers Union (NEFU) takes time to recognize several lawmakers by giving them the Golden Triangle Award, the highest honor bestowed on members of Congress from the National Farmers Union (NFU).

NFU is founded on three principles:

Together, these three sides of the triangle define the values of our national organization.

During the annual legislative fly-in last week, NEFU gave a Golden Triangle Award to four members of Congress: Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine., Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine.

Collins represents a diverse agricultural economy in her state, with a dominant potato sector and vibrant fishing and aquaculture industries. She has supported efforts to strengthen Maine’s regional and local food systems, especially its Senior FarmShare program that allows low-income seniors to receive coupons for CSA farm shares.

Kerry has a long record of voting in favor of farm bill legislation that includes provisions for conservation programs, on-farm renewable energy projects and nutrition programs, including farmers’ market coupons for seniors and low-income individuals. He has supported health care reform that will benefit uninsured farmers and fishermen, and he has long advocated for responsible fiscal reform that supports community development and access to credit for farmers and fishermen.

McGovern has been a long-time advocate of nutrition programs and has been especially focused on feeding the hungry in his district and beyond. He has supported efforts to increase conservation funding for farmers, has backed food system legislation, and has a long record of seeking assistance for diverse agriculture in the central part of Massachusetts.

Pingree is the highest-ranking New England member of the House Committee on Agriculture and she is a tireless advocate for the farmers and fishermen in her district. She has been an active voice for New England on all debates related to agriculture, fishing and aquaculture, and she has initiated an effort to introduce a new local food title to the 2012 farm bill. (See Rep. Pingree to Introduce Local Food Title to Farm Bill.) Pingree has also been a strong supporter of the full implementation of the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule that was proposed in 2006 and would bring competition back into livestock and poultry markets.

We are pleased to recognize the efforts made by these members of Congress as they work to support, through federal policy, our region’s farming and fishing culture and economy.

The Birth of a Small-Farm Advocate and Filmmaker
Member Profile: Kristin Canty

NEFU member and filmmaker Kristin Canty.

The director of the new documentary “Farmageddon” hasn’t always been an outspoken advocate for family farmers.

“I always cooked, so I thought we were eating healthy. But I clipped coupons and tried to keep our food costs down with boxed foods,” said first-time filmmaker Kristin Canty, of Concord, Mass., who is also a member of New England Farmers Union (NEFU).

Canty’s family’s eating habits changed when her third child developed severe allergies when he was 3 years old. He seemed to be allergic to everything, including grass and dust. Caring for him took more and more time, so Canty quit her job as a speech pathologist. And because the medications her son was taking didn’t seem to be alleviating his symptoms, she started researching alternatives.

She went to a homeopath and learned about the health benefits of eating whole foods. Still, with four young children, Canty didn’t have lots of time to devote to cooking. She made small changes where she could. “We were still eating packaged foods, but we were eating Annie’s rather than Kraft.,” she said.

Then she read that raw milk could be a cure for some allergies.

“I was a germaphobe at the time and I was so grossed out by the idea of drinking unpasteurized milk,” Canty said. But she’d read enough to decide to give it a try. “I drank a lot of it myself before I gave it to my kids.”

Slowly she increased the amount she gave to her son. Within six weeks his allergies had cleared up completely. “We didn’t believe it at first,” she said, adding that with each change of the season or introduction of a new variable, she and her husband expected some kind of allergic reaction from their son. It’s been 10 years since the family started drinking raw milk, and her son is strong and healthy. “He doesn’t even have seasonal allergies,” she said.

As Canty read more about raw milk and the regulations that control its production and sale, she was shocked to learn that government officials have raided dairy farms to prevent farmers from selling unpasteurized milk. In early 2009, she decided to make a film about how our country’s food and agricultural laws are destroying small farms. “Farmageddon” was released in June and is showing throughout New England this fall.

With a name like “Farmageddon,” it’s easy to think that this is another alarmist food system movie. But Canty is quick to articulate how her documentary is different from films such as “Food, Inc.,” “King Corn” and “Fast Food Nation.”

“The other food movies are about the industrial ag system, but my movie doesn’t go there. The goal of my movie is to show the plight of small farmers and the restrictions that can drive them out of business,” Canty said.

For the record, Canty doesn’t advocate getting rid of all food or farming regulations. She does believe that rules and policies should be scale-appropriate. “A farmer with four cows should not have to follow the same rules as a farmer with 100 cows,” she said.

“Farmageddon” certainly has its detractors, but it has gotten praise from farmers, consumers and film critics alike. It was a critic’s pick in the Washington Post in June and in the New York Times in July. Viewers from around the country have told Canty how her film has prompted them to be more intentional about supporting local farms, and grassroots groups are forming in Sedona, Ariz., Grass Valley, Calif. and Tampa, Fla., to bolster and protect their local food systems.

The action prompted by “Farmageddon” that Canty is most excited about, though, has happened at the heart of the U.S. regulatory system that the film critiques. For many years, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, has introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to allow the sale of raw milk across state lines. No one has ever co-sponsored the legislation. After seeing “Farmageddon” earlier this year, Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, signed on to Paul’s bill and has told Canty that she would like to have a screening for the House Committee on Agriculture.

“It brought together a Tea Partier and a very liberal Democrat,” Canty said. “The common goal of saving our food system is not a party issue; it’s a human issue.”

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!

NEFU Members Win Four Awards for Cheese

New England Farmers Union members Pam and Ray Robinson, of Robinson Farm in Hardwick, Mass., won three gold medals and a silver at the Big E Cheese Competition last month. Their winning cheeses are Robinson Family Swiss (gold); Tekenink Tomme (gold); A Barndance (gold); and Hardwick Stone (silver). Congratulations Pam and Ray!

Rep. Pingree to Introduce Local Food Title to Farm Bill

Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, is working to do what many food and farming advocates have dreamed of for many years: Combine all federal policies and programs that deal with local foods under one farm bill title. Later this fall she will introduce a local food title. Pingree has invited New England Farmers Union (NEFU) to participate in discussions about this development.

The local food title will aim to advance the development of local and regional food systems. Such an initiative holds the potential not only for connecting consumers to where their food comes from but also for boosting farm income and stimulating job creation and economic development.

A 2010 National Grocery Association consumer panel reported that when choosing a grocery store, 83 percent of all respondents assign importance to the availability of locally grown food. Yet significant barriers exist to expanding this segment of agriculture, including:

While several federal agricultural programs already support the burgeoning food and agriculture movement, policy reforms are needed to overcome barriers and more fully capitalize on the new farming opportunities, jobs and economic growth that a strong local and regional farm and food system could deliver.

NEFU Partners with Farming: The Journal of Northeast Agriculture

New England Farmers Union and Farming: The Journal of Northeast Agriculture are pleased to announce a strategic marketing partnership. The partnership was formed to help New England farmers gain better access to the information, legislative and business services offered by the two separate organizations.

New England Farmers Union was formed in 2006 as a chapter within the National Farmers Union, one of America’s largest agricultural associations. It was created to provide New England farmers with a formal framework within which to cooperate and speak with a collective voice on important regional and national issues.

Launched in 1997 by Moose River Media in St. Johnsbury, Vt., Farming: The Journal of Northeast Agriculture is the largest integrated media brand serving the information needs of New England famers. The magazine is published monthly and is circulated to more than 28,000 subscribers.

“New England Farmers Union greatly values the benefits of partnerships,” said NEFU President Annie Cheatham. “This collaboration with Farming magazine will expand our capacity to tell the many stories of New England’s unique agriculture. Our region is on the cutting edge for buy local campaigns, farmers’ market development, aquaculture and the production of dozens of food products available year round. We welcome the opportunity to bring the voice of farmers, landscapers and consumers to the regional and national discussion about food, farming and environmental issues.”

“We’re excited about our partnership with New England Farmers Union,” said Korry Stagnito, president and CEO of Moose River Media. “Our market focus is extremely well-aligned and we believe that the synergy will greatly benefit the New England farming community.”

NEFU Education Foundation’s “Buy Local” Carbon Credit Project
Credit for Stream Bank Stabilization?

In collaboration with Winrock International, New England Farmers Union Education Foundation (NEFU Education Foundation) 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, NEFU Education Foundation is running a series of articles in our newsletter outlining the program and describing the farming practices we hope to include. This is the final article in the series and explains why the NEFU Education Foundation will not be crediting one particular practice.

During a recent conversation with one of the organizations funding our carbon credit program, we were asked why we were not including stream bank stabilization — holding the soil in place to keep nutrients and carbon from washing away — among the practices we are assessing. Our explanation follows.

When we selected the practices that we thought had the best chance of being viable for carbon crediting, we had two main criteria:

Though stream bank stabilization work is somewhat prevalent in New England, we are not aware of any efforts to make stabilizing stream banks a carbon-crediting practice, and the NEFU Education Foundation is not equipped to research or establish the best crediting methodology for this practice. 

For any crediting practice, you need a reduction of carbon emissions when compared with the former baseline emissions level. To measure the potential emissions reduction for a stream bank stabilization project, you would have to quantify the amount of carbon that could be released into the air and washed into the water if the bank were to collapse. Determining with reasonable certainty how much of a bank on each bend of a particular stream or river would collapse would be quite difficult, and would be more expensive than the resulting crediting income. Because each bend of each stream or river is so unique, it would also be impossible to devise a formula that could be used to determine the carbon emissions reductions from multiple bank stabilization projects.

This is not to say that this work is not important. It carries many benefits for producers, waterways and wildlife, and those working in this field should continue and expand research into ways to share costs with and support producers that are implementing these projects. It is unlikely, however, that stream bank stabilization work will be incentivized through a salable carbon credit.

Upcoming Events

Farmageddon
Through September 22 (AMC Boston Common, Boston, Mass., and Real Art Ways, Hartford, Conn.)
Screenings of the new documentary about the plight of the small farmer, directed by NEFU member Kristin Canty.

Edible Education: The Rise and Future of the Food Movement
October 5, 7 p.m. (Lecture Center, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington, Mass.)
NEFU member Berkshire Grown is screening a 10-week UC Berkeley class coordinated by Michael Pollan and featuring guest speakers about the food movement. The screenings are free, but please let Berkshire Grown (Barbara@berkshiregrown.org) know if you plan to attend.

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.

NEFU Annual Meeting
December 9, 1-8 p.m. (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. More details will be posted on our website (www.newenglandfarmersunion.org) soon. To RSVP, please send an email to info@newenglandfarmersunion.org.

In the News

Hurricane Irene Adds to U.S. Farm Woes
Farmers are taking stock of crop damages that ranged from potentially catastrophic to “could have been worse.” Still in question is what impact the storm will have on food prices and the agricultural economy.

USDA Assists Dairy Producers Damaged by Hurricane Irene
USDA is allowing dairy producers to get market value for any milk that had to be dumped because of power outages and washed out roads as a result of Hurricane Irene.

Proof of Loss by Sept. 30 Critical for Disaster Aid
Farmers who have experienced weather-related losses this year can get federal disaster assistance if they document those losses by Sept. 30, the date the assistance programs expire.

On Food Safety, a Long List but Little Money
The landmark food safety law passed by Congress last December is supposed to reduce the frequency and severity of food safety problems, but the roll call of recent cases underlines the magnitude of the task. The Food and Drug Administration is taking on its expanded mission at a time when Washington budget-slashing means that regulators have little hope of getting additional money.

As Farmers’ Markets Go Mainstream, Some Fear Glut
Farmers in some pockets of the country say the number of farmers’ markets has outstripped demand, a consequence of a clamor for markets that are closer to customers and communities that want multiple markets.

Demand for Locally Grown Produce Spurs Rise of Urban Farms
From New York to Seattle, cities are attempting to create jobs, foster economic development, feed impoverished neighborhoods, and fill long-vacant lots by returning to their agrarian roots. The demand for locally grown produce hit a high point this year, fed by urbanites looking to save money as well as documentaries and books that explore industrial food production.

Organic Dairying Not All Peaches, Cream and Granola
A new study from the University of Vermont shows that organic dairies face stomach-churning economic pressure, just as their conventional neighbors do.

Manure Money: St. Albans Entrepreneur Buys up Waste
A Vermont businessman is buying farmers’ manure for a mobile system he has developed that extracts 20 percent of the phosphorus from the waste before it is spread on farmers’ fields. This should help to address the problem of too much phosphorous making its way into Lake Champlain and other bodies of water in the Champlain Valley.

Digging Deeper

Path to White House is a Dirt Road
Barack Obama recognized something in 2008 that few Democratic presidential hopefuls before him had: Rural voters matter. And the best way to cultivate their support is on the farm. A continued courtship appears to be well underway for 2012.

Transforming Rural Economies: Bridging the Digital Divide
The “digital divide” is real and consequential for rural communities that cannot attract businesses for lack of Internet infrastructure.

Food Stamp Program Taking a Severe Hit, as Unemployment Remains High
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.

Tools for Growth

Helping Farmers Devastated by Tropical Storm Irene
The immediate clean-up efforts are behind us, but many farmers continue to reel from the damage they suffered as a result of Irene. Here are a few organizations throughout New England that are helping local farmers and food producers: Vermont Community Foundation; Cooperative Development Foundation; the Center for an Agricultural Economy; and West County Relief Fund.

Farm Service Agency Disaster Assistance Programs
Learn about all the disaster assistance programs available to farmers from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency.

Farmers’ Guide to the Conservation Stewardship Program
The breadth of the Conservation Stewardship Program is truly remarkable, with goals of improving soil, water and air quality; providing increased biodiversity and wildlife and pollinator habitat; sequestering carbon in the soil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to slow climate change; and conserving water use and energy use.

 

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2010 E-Newsletter Archive
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