While the sale of raw milk is illegal in Virginia, raw milk advocates have used the concept of herd sharing to obtain the revered, nutrient-dense food for decades. In a herd share agreement, consumers pay a farmer a fee for boarding their animal (or share of the animal), caring for…
Herd Shares in Virginia: The Stumbling Beginnings
In 1975 when I first started milking goats on my small ten-acre farm near Charlottesville, I was besieged by persons allergic to pasteurized cow milk and/or just wanting to consume raw milk. Not knowing the law but having heard
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
FTCLDF Member Bavuso Before Virginia Supreme Court Again
On September 15 at 9:00 a.m. the Virginia Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the case of York County Board of Supervisors et al. v. Bavuso, marking the second time in three years that oyster farmer and Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund member Anthony Bavuso will
No Chickens Allowed on the Farm
Henrico County Virginia officials have told FTCLDF member Stewart Goodwin that she cannot have chickens on her property that is zoned for agriculture. Here is Stewart’s account of her dispute with the county.
Who Makes Law in Virginia? FDA
On February 1, the Virginia House Agriculture Sub-Committee quietly killed an amended version of the Virginia Food Freedom Act (HB 619) by tabling the bill during a subcommittee hearing. The amended version of HB 619 would have
Bavuso’s Fight for Local Aquaculture in Virginia Continues
Anthony Bavuso began oyster farming on his property in York County, Virginia because he wanted to be a producer and saw oysters as a way to help improve
Food Freedom Farce in Virginia
When is a final committee vote on a bill not final? In Virginia, it’s when the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) decides it doesn’t like the outcome.