This week, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund and Kenduskeag Kitchen agreed to dismiss litigation against the State of Maine Health and Human Services because we got what we wanted: changes to the Maine Food Sovereignty Act. The law now explicitly empowers communities to decide whether preparation of meals from a home kitchen with local ingredients is lawful […]
UPDATE: USDA-APHIS Order Unlikely to Include Federal Testing of Raw Milk for Human Consumption; State Testing Still May Occur
FTCLDF reported on the December 6, 2024 that USDA APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) issued and order that would apply to raw milk producers providing wholesome, raw milk for human consumption. It is now the understanding of FTCLDF that USDA APHIS will NOT be testing raw milk provided directly to consumers, or intended […]
USDA Announces Testing of Raw Milk
On December 6, 2024, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) announced a new rule authorizing testing of raw milk for the H5N1 virus. The order specifies: “Upon request from APHIS any person responsible for a dairy farm, bulk milk transporter, bulk milk transfer station, or dairy processing facility that sends or […]
The Chevron Doctrine: How the Supreme Court’s Recent Decision to Overrule the Doctrine Could Affect the USDA’s RFID Ear Tag Mandate
On June 28, 2024, the United States Supreme Court overruled its landmark 1984 decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, 467 U.S. 837, which created what is known as the “Chevron Doctrine,” The Chevron Doctrin called for judicial deference to agencies in situations where the law is unclear. The Court’s overrule of the doctrine […]
July 4 Marks 17 Years of Work for Food Freedom
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund was founded on July 4, 2007 to protect Food Freedom. In the beginning, we defined Food Freedom as the rights of farmers and consumers to engage in direct commerce with each other without interference. Today, FTCLDF works to protect, defend, and broaden the rights and viability of independent farms and ranches, […]