Spoiler Alert & Healthy Acadia: A Food Donation and Case Study

July 14, 2016Conservation, Consumers, Direct to Consumer, Environment, Farm Economics, Food Hubs, Food Justice, Nutrition, Regional Food Systems

Guest blog post by: Farmers Union member, Spoiler Alert Healthy Acadia is a Maine-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to build healthy communities. In partnership with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Healthy Acadia coordinates gleaning opportunities throughout Hancock and Washington counties, a region characterized by significant levels of poverty and food insecurity. Healthy Acadia connects volunteers … Read More

Food Safety From Farm to Table

May 12, 2016Consumers, Direct to Consumer, Farm Safety, farm-to-school, Farm-to-Table, Farmers, Farmers Markets, Farming Practices, Legal Issues

GUEST BLOG POST By Elanor Starmer  IF you are a farmer interested in selling produce wholesale or direct to a retailer, restaurant or institution, you probably have food safety on the brain. A growing number of buyers require farms to demonstrate compliance with a food safety standard, often through an audit and certification program. That takes … Read More

Study Finds GMO Label Will Not Act as Warning Label

April 18, 2016Agriculture Research, Consumers, Food Labels, GMO, Nutrition, Product Marketing

GUEST BLOG POST By Joanna Schroeder Consumers have a right to know what’s in their food. It was this statement that began a movement that included genetically modified organism (GMO) labeling initiatives. The first such “contains GM” labeling legislation (Act Relating to the Labeling of Food Produced with Genetic Engineering) was passed by Vermont and on … Read More

Spirited Convention Includes Keynotes from Sec. Vilsack, Gen. Clark

March 16, 2016Conservation, Consumers, Country of Origin Labeling, Direct to Consumer, Farming Practices, GMO, Grass Roots Policy, National Farmers Union, NEFU Members, Trade, Transparency in Labeling

Family farmers and ranchers are the best advocates for agriculture, and over the last four days, the National Farmers Union has provided more than 500 members and delegates of the 114th Anniversary Convention with the advocacy tools they need to be better informed about topics important to farm policy and the industry. “We came to … Read More

Gatherings Bring Together Co-op Supporters

March 7, 2016Consumers, Cooperatives

Co-operators from food co-ops throughout New England gathered in Greenfield, Mass., this weekend at the fifth Annual Meeting of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA). The NFCA is an affiliate member of New England Farmers Union, and the two organizations have partnered on many projects and programs, including Healthy Food For All, a program that … Read More

Direct Marketing is Invaluable for Consumer Education on Agriculture

February 3, 2016Beginning Farmers, Consumers, Direct to Consumer, Farm Bill, farm-to-school, Farmer Leaders, Farmers Markets, Grass Roots Policy, House Agriculture Committee, Meat and Poultry, National Farmers Union, NEFU Members, USDA

GUEST BLOG POST By Katie Fisher, government relations intern, National Farmers Union On Feb. 2, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research held a hearing examining the opportunities and challenges in direct marketing. It provided first-hand accounts from farmers and ranchers involved in direct marketing ventures, such as local farmers markets, direct to restaurant or … Read More

Understanding AMS’ Withdrawal of Two Voluntary Marketing Claim Standards

January 19, 2016Consumers, Meat and Poultry, Product Marketing, USDA

New England Farmers Union Note: USDA AMS withdrew its grass-fed standard last week and there were a lot of questions from Farmers Union members. The New England Farmers Union legislative chair joined a recent stakeholder call to find out more about how this impacts producers. FSIS has committed to ensuring that all grass-fed claims remain truthful. … Read More

Convention Paints Strong Picture of Local Agriculture

November 12, 2015Beginning Farmers, Climate Change, Conservation, Consumers, Cooperatives, Country of Origin Labeling, Direct to Consumer, Farm Bill, Farm Bill 2013, Farm Demographics, Farm Economics, Farm Transfer Issues, Farm Workers, farm-to-school, Farm-to-Table, Farmer Leaders, Farmers Markets, Farmland Preservation, Food Hubs, Food Labels, FSA, FSMA, Grass Roots Policy, National Farmers Union, NEFU Members, Regional Food Systems, Regional Policy, SNAP, Trade, USDA

New England Farmers Union’s sixth annual convention, Gearing Up for Success, drew roughly 60 members of the farming community when it met on Nov. 6-8 at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord, NH. Attendees heard from national, regional, state, and local agricultural leaders on subjects such as federal agricultural policy, food safety, local and regional … Read More