Recently PR Newswire reported, “More than half of American consumers would like to talk to a farmer even though the vast majority–94 percent–indicated in a recent survey sponsored by Bayer CropScience that they have no connection with agriculture or farming.” The article continued on to say, “Consumers trust farmers
Point Reyes Ranchers in the Crosshairs
Federal agencies planning a project that might impact the environment are required to use the process outlined in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). While NEPA is a formal process, its essence is common sense: gather the relevant information, think about it, then make a decision based on the facts. Public agencies
Advancing Food Sovereignty in Maine
I’ve been asked to share with you today words about food sovereignty and farming, about access to food from farms in Maine, about how communities can determine how our own food needs are met. Water is life. And, FOOD is life. We have a right to life. We have a right to food.
Va. HB 1290: Groundbreaking Bill Supports Local Food Choice
The Virginia Food Freedom Act, HB 1290 [sponsored by Rob Bell (R-58)], has been introduced into the Virginia General Assembly. The bill aims to allow direct sales of home- and farm-produced foods without burdensome regulations. Specifically, HB 1290 provides an exemption from the authority of the Virginia Board of Agriculture
The Fog of Farming
Back in the day, if a pesticide cloud strayed onto a neighboring farm due to high wind or an inept crop duster, it was likely welcomed, a free service that the farmer would have had to pay for anyway. In some places today, that might still be the case. Unless, of course, you are an organic lettuce
Virginia Farmer’s Property Rights Dispute With Green Group Hits Another Snag
Virginia farmer Martha Boneta thought her long-running dispute with a local green group was coming to an end. But now, that light at the end of the tunnel has gone dark again. Efforts to reach a settlement with a local green group, the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), are on hold. The PEC currently
2015 – Year of the Small California Farmers Market Farmer
Protecting our small farmers with a 2-tier food regulatory system
You weren’t invited to participate in the major rewrite of regulations impacting small farmers. Small farmers weren’t invited or consulted either. These bills created a stealth competitive barrier for small farmers in farmers markets, and a
Rule by Bureaucratic Fiat in Vermont
With the passage of the Administrative Procedures Act in the states and at the federal level, government agencies have been given powers traditionally reserved to the legislative and judicial branches. The result has been less representative government and situations where the bureaucracy rules by administrative fiat with little or no input from
Right to Farm Protection in Michigan Threatened
A major development in the American system of government has been the rise in power of the executive branch and the corresponding weakening of the “separation of powers” doctrine. In this article, Wendy Banka, President of the of the Michigan Small Farms Council, reports on the
Living with GMOs: A Letter from America
See digital billboard message
An open letter to the citizens, politicians, and regulators of the UK and Europe about the hazards of genetically modified crops—the warning comes at a critical time as the European Parliament will vote in January whether member states can decide for themselves to grow GM crops or not. If this legislation is passed, the UK