The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published its final rule on Animal ID. Thanks to the pressure from the grassroots, the agency included important changes that make it significantly less burdensome for family farmers, ranchers, and backyard poultry owners.
We have come a very long way from Big Ag’s and USDA’s proposal for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). In this final rule, there is
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Help Save Drakes Bay Oyster Company
The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund has agreed to administer a litigation fund to be used to help finance the Drakes Bay Oyster Company’s lawsuit against the United States National Park Service. Drakes Bay Oyster Company (DBOC) is a family-owned, environmentally sustainable oyster farm on the
Crowdfunding and Farmer Access to Capital
Lack of available funding for their business operations remains a major obstacle for farmers. Banks have generally refused to make loans to small farms direct marketing their products to consumers; grants from government agencies such as USDA often have strings attached which frequently make the cost of compliance with the grant’s terms too high to […]
Tell Congress to Dump the Monsanto Rider Action Alert
Congress is back in session, and it has to address how to fund the government in the coming year. The dangerous “Monsanto” rider is still on the table for the 2013 Appropriations bill, and we need to stop it!
FDA’s Vendetta Against Estrella Family Creamery in Washington State
Might the FDA, In Its Vendetta Against a Raw Milk Cheese Maker, Possibly Stub Its Toe By Interfering with Local Production? At first glance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s two-year legal assault on Estrella Family Creamery in Washington state appears entirely vindictive. The FDA seems intent on using its enormous enforcement powers to cruelly […]