In a breakthrough for the local food movement in Tennessee, the state Office of the Attorney General has issued an opinion holding that “there is no limit on the number of owners for whom a custom slaughterer may
State Raw Milk Bills – 2017 Update
Forty-two states currently allow access to raw milk through statute, regulation, or policy. In the 2017 session, legislators have introduced raw milk bills in several states where any raw milk sales or distribution is illegal; in addition, a number of other states have introduced legislation that would
Heather Retberg Wins FTCLDF Activism Award
Falls Church, VA—February 2, 2017—The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) is proud to announce that Maine farmer Heather Retberg is the winner of the second annual Gravel Road Gang Activism Award
Reclaiming Our Traditional Foodways
For the majority of this country’s history, unregulated farmer-to-consumer direct commerce was the norm in most of the United States. Consumers could even purchase meat, a food heavily regulated today, from farmers that were not
Preserving Aquaculture Heritage in Virginia – HB 1897 & SB 1529
Virginia House Bill 1897 (HB 1897) and Senate Bill 1529 (SB 1529) are companion bills introduced, respectively, by Delegate Nick Freitas and Senator Jill Holtzman Vogel to make it crystal clear that aquaculture is
HB 2030 – Support Virginia Food Choice, Family Farms & Local Artisans
Virginia House Bill 2030 would allow the face-to-face sale of food products at farmers markets or through farm-based and home-based sales directly to consumers as long as the producer
Casualties of the Raw Milk Ban
Humpback Dairy, the largest camel milk producer in the U.S., has stopped shipping raw milk for human consumption across state lines. In a January 6 letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Sam Hostetler, owner of
Michigan MDARD Seeks Destruction Order for 18 Oatmeal Cookies and 17 Apple Muffins
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has filed a complaint with the Livingston County Circuit Court asking that the court order the destruction of, among other foods, 18 homemade oatmeal cookies and 17 homemade apple muffins. MDARD seized the cookies
Introduction to the FTCLDF On-Farm Poultry Processing Map
In 1968, Congress passed Public Law 90-492, amending the Poultry Products Inspection Act. The amendments created exemptions allowing for the sale of uninspected poultry that is slaughtered and processed on a farm, meaning an inspector does not have to be
Wisconsin DATCP Shuts Down Mobile Slaughter Business
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP, pronounced “dat-cap”) is commissioned by the state legislature to promote the interests of Wisconsin agriculture. With Congress’ repeal of