Local Food Columbus » National
Market Forces: Creating Jobs through Public Investment in Local and Regional Food Systems
A new report outlines the many benefits of investing in local food systems, including creating jobs. Market Forces: Creating Jobs through Public Investment in Local and Regional Food Systems | Union of Concerned Scientists. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Farmer's Markets, Featured Articles, National, News, Policy and Regulation
Celebrate National Farmers’ Week: August 7th – 13th, 2011
The Farmers’ Market Management Network is highlighting the accomplishments of our Ohio Farmers’ Markets that are achieving their missions by boosting the local economy, providing small business and job opportunities, improving health, and bringing people together. Featured Ohio Farmers’ Markets: … Read entire article »
Filed under: Farmer's Markets, National
Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Assoc. Joins Suit Against Monsanto
Organic Farms and Seed Sellers File Suit Against Monsanto: Preemptive Action Seeks Ruling That Would Prohibit Monsanto from Suing Organic Farmers and Seed Growers if Contaminated by Roundup Ready Seed On behalf of 60 family farmers, seed businesses, and organic agricultural organizations, including the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA), the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured Articles, Legal, National, News
WikiLeaks: US targets EU over GM crops
WikiLeaks: US targets EU over GM crops US embassy cable recommends drawing up list of countries for ‘retaliation’ over opposition to genetic modification via WikiLeaks: US targets EU over GM crops | World news | The Guardian. … Read entire article »
Good News for the Local Food Movement
Good News for the Local and Regional Food Movement President Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act today, after a long bout of legislative wrangling by local food advocates, small farmers and their allies for food safety rules that protect consumers without curbing the growing movement toward fresh, local and regional food. The food safety bill passed by the House in July of 2009 would have imposed a one size fits all regulatory system biased toward industrial agriculture with a regressive registration fee, expensive food safety plans, and regular on-farm FDA inspections regardless of the degree of the potential risk for food borne illness. The new regulatory burdens threatened to erect formidable barriers to the developing local and regional markets for … Read entire article »
Filed under: Farmer's Markets, Local Food Processing, National, News, Policy and Regulation
Food Safety Bill Passes, Now Goes to President Obama
Earlier today the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2751 The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act with 215 voting for and 144 against. Ten Republicans voted for the bill (see Final Vote). This is the bill that the Senate passed by voice vote on Sunday, December 19th, with the Tester-Hagan amendment protecting small farms intact. The food safety bill hit a roadblock after passing the Senate in late November because a provision requiring the collection of user fees violated the Constitutional mandate that all revenue-generating measures must originate in the House. House leaders then attached the bill as an amendment to two separate spending bills, neither of which were able to gain Republican support in the Senate. Senate … Read entire article »
Filed under: Farmer's Markets, Local Food Processing, National, News, Policy and Regulation
Online Farm Link Tool for Beginning Farmers
On Monday, December 13, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the release of TIP Net, an online tool to help link retiring farmers who have expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts with beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers who want to buy or rent land for their operations. Under the Transition Incentives Program (TIP), administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency, retired or retiring owners or operators with expiring CRP contracts can receive up to two additional annual rental payments if they sell or lease the CRP land to beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers who are interested in bringing the land into production using sustainable grazing or crop production methods, including transitioning to organic. National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition » Archive … Read entire article »
Filed under: National, New Farmers, News
Update on S. 510 Federal Food Safety Legislation
The Farmers Market Management Network of Ohio has been following the Senate’s food safety bill closely and just issued an alert to keep in the amendments that protect small farms and processors that sell locally. The two articles below give a good overview of where the legislation is now. Your action is needed to keep local food growing. Action Alert – Local and Regional Food at Risk Action Alert December 8, 2010 Local and Regional Food at Risk Call Your Representative Food Safety Legislation passed by the Senate and to be… » Update on Federal Food Safety Bill S.510 On Tuesday, November 30, a year after it was reported out of Committee, the Food Safety Modernization Act (S.510) passed the Senate, 73-25. The bill,… » … Read entire article »
Filed under: Farmer's Markets, Local Food Processing, National, News, Policy and Regulation
Sara Lee Greenwashes new bread product: “Eco-grain” – buyer beware
This is hot off the newswire: “EcoGrain” Marketing Blitz — Greenwashing New Bread Produced with Toxic Agrochemicals as Something /Better/ Than Organic *Cornucopia, Wisconsin:* With the growing success of organics, and increasing consumer interest in buying foods that were grown on sustainable farms without toxic chemicals, Sara Lee Corporation has launched, with much fanfare, a marketing campaign for its /Earthgrains /bread, chock-full of environmental-friendly catchphrases. Sara Lee claims that “Eco-Grain™,” an ingredient actually used in small proportions in its Earthgrains brand breads, is /more/ sustainable than organic grain. What has been described as a “crass and exploitive marketing ploy” has angered many in the organic community. “Corporations like Sara Lee clearly want to profit from consumers’ interest in ecological and healthy food production. But unlike … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured Articles, National
USDA Hearing on the Leafy Green M.A. in Columbus
As food safety concerns continue to be topics of discussion among growers and policy makers, I thought I would pass along this following information. There will be a hearing in Columbus on Oct. 6, 2009. Details are below. … Read entire article »
Filed under: National, Policy and Regulation
