Politics & Activism
rally keep the soil in organic! - oct 8th and 15th
"Organic without soil is like democracy without people." -Vermont Lieutenant Governor-elect David Zuckerman at the Rally In The Valley The first of two rallies to keep the soil in organic takes place this Sunday October 8th at the Intervale Center (180 Intervale Rd) in Burlington VT. The second rally is being planned for Sunday, October 15th on the green at Dartmouth College in […]
learn about the history and anthropology of mead with this awesome mead-zine
Check out this awesome zine about making mead sent to us by our friend Jonathan Tanis. It starts with an introduction contextualising fermentation as a political act which is both democratizing and embraces the commons, bubbling away with "unrealized possibility" for forming human connections and alliances. It then moves on to explain the historical and […]
save the date: october 17th for the 2017 food sovereignty prize.
The Food Sovereignty Prize honors grassroots organizations who are challenging corporate control of the food system. This years honorees of the ninth annual Food Sovereignty Prize are Zimbabwe Small Holder Organic Farmers’ Forum (ZIMSOFF) ,and the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA). The prize giving ceremony takes place on October 17, 2017 and is streamed live online at 12PM EDST. This […]
listen: Severine talks seaweed on the BBC
Severine spoke to BBC radio in the UK this about the need for an informed and sustainable approach to seaweed farming, one of the fastest growing aquaculture sectors anywhere right now. Listen to her talk about the culinary benefits of seaweed, and tell the story about how she got into seaweed herself on the coast […]
pick for chief scientist of the usda...is not a scientist
Sam Clovis, Trumps nominee for chief scientist of the USDA, is not a scientist, he does however, question the scientific consensus that climate change is a result of human activity. "I have looked at the science," Clovis said, "and I have enough of a science background to know when I'm being boofed. And a lot […]
carbon farming workshop: sequestering carbon for climate change mitigation
Believe it or not, there is some good news about climate change; agriculture, if done correctly can play a powerful role in removing carbon from the atmosphere where it is wreaking havoc. This can be done by taking carbon from the atmosphere and putting it into the soil where it has the power to increase […]
black farmer from charlottesville address the subtle racism that he faces in his community.
Chris Newman is a farmer in Charlottesville working towards a sustainable, healthy and organic future for his family and community. Yet despite this, Chris, as a black man faces racial profiling and discrimination on a regular basis. He has been attracting a lot of attention lately due to his recent facebook post that called out […]
the right to repair movement takes on apple and john deere in nebraska
"Kyle is one of many farmers in the US fighting for the right to repair their equipment. He and others are getting behind Nebraska’s “Fair Repair” bill, which would require companies to provide consumers and independent repair shops access to service manuals, diagnostic tools and parts so they aren’t limited to a single supplier. They […]
fda questions safety of the 'impossible burger'
Recent documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that the Impossible Burger, a meatless burger derived from a protein found in the root of the soy plant is not necessarily safe for human consumption. The burger in question has received a lot of high profile attention recently because despite containing no meat, it […]
transnational corporations, factory farms and the economic colonization of rural america
John Ikerd, August 3rd, 2017, In These Times "The sense of impotence and dread in rural America is a consequence of decades of economic extraction and exploitation carried out in the guise of rural economic development. Rural areas are suffering the consequences of prolonged “economic colonization”—a term typically used in reference to neoliberal economic development […]
proposed immigration legislation could have devastating effects on agriculture.
President Donald Trump has today endorsed legislation proposed by two republican senators (David Perdue of Georgia and Tom Cotton of Arkansas), which would introduce new limits on legal immigration. The new system would be based on merit over any other criteria, which means that highly skilled workers will receive priority over lower skilled workers or […]
action alert! upcoming farm bill listening sessions.
As the next Farm Bill approaches, the House Agriculture Committee members are beginning to gather input from farmers, ranchers and other stakeholders. As you may know, several current programmes that contribute to the success of organic agriculture are under threat of elimination as so it is imperative that policy makers hear directly from organic farmers, […]
wonderful job opportunity in the country at the schumacher centre for a new economics.
The Schumacher Centre for a New Economics is seeking a Development and Communications Director to join their non-profit organisation in Western Massachusetts, to further the transition to a new economy. The centre's mission is to educate the public about an economy that supports both people and the planet. They believe that a fair and sustainable economy […]
trailer: 500 years: life in resistance, a story about indigenous land struggles in Guatemala
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvOEltvXrME&w=640&h=360] 500 which premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, is set in the years between 2013 and 2016. It documents the trial of the former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt in 2013, who was tried and convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity, when it was found that there was significant […]
wright-locke farm's speaker series july 19th 2017 - molly anderson
As part of their 2017 speaker series, Wright-Locke Farm are hosting their second monthly speaker, Molly Anderson, on July 19th. Molly is a professor of food studies at Middlebury College, a member of the Network Design Team of Food Solutions in New England and is co-author of A New England Food Vision 2060: Healthy Food […]
biochar, worth all the hype?
I first heard about biochar from a gentle and unassuming older lady who was making biochar at home in her kiln. She explained the role that biochar could play in both the fight against climate change and the improvement of soil quality, before gifting me a small bag of it to try out in my […]
forthland, art, community and harvesting the commons
[vimeo 164326896 w=640 h=360] We have recently discovered fourthland, a collaborative art and performance community in the UK which first emerged in 2008. It's hard to do justice to fourthland and the work that they do in words. They create and explore objects, land, people and myths in interlinked creative and unconventional social and artistic […]
watch: island earth
[vimeo 186219395 w=640 h=360] To feed all the humans on the planet, we are going to have to grow as much food in the next 35 years as we have grown since the beginning of civilization. Shocked when he found out that chemical companies were using Hawaii as the testing ground for their GMO crops, […]
calling all artists: remembrance day for lost species needs your help!
The ONCA are looking for contributions for Remembrance Day for Lost Species 2017. Human created pollution, climate change and deforestation is causing unprecedented species loss. 40% of the wildlife on earth has disappeared in the last 40 years. Remembrance Day for Lost Species is a chance each year to learn and tell the stories of species […]
largest field study of its kind shows that pesticide use is killing bees.
We posted last week about a study carried out on bee populations in NNY and the effects that pathogens and parasites are having on bee populations in the region, however it seems as though bee health is the flavour of the month as another, much larger study has just been released which studied the effects […]
crops of the future.
When portrayed by the film and TV media, the one thing that all fictional futures seem to have in common is a coffee shortage. Only the elite and the lucky manage to get their hands on a coveted cup of joe. In the dystopian fictional future, coffee is a black market product and in the […]
watch: in our hands
[vimeo 210027143 w=640 h=360] The Landworkers Alliance, is an organisation based in UK made up of farmers, growers and land workers working together to find solutions to the shared challenges they face, and raising awareness about the contributions that they make to their communities. In Our Hands, is their documentary, made to share their quiet revolution […]
sowing the seeds of food sovereignty.
The mission of A Growing Culture is "supporting farmers to reshape the food system" to ensure that the future of agriculture is just, sustainable and supportive of farmers. We are very excited about the wide range of resources they have to support farmers, not least their much anticipated Library for Food Sovereignty. The library, due for release in […]
Northern NY Bee Health Survey Results Reveal Insights Into Colony Loss.
Bee colony loss is an increasingly serious issue for the entire beekeeping industry causing in some cases an unsustainable loss of 1/3 of beekeepers operations. In response to increasing levels of colony loss, the first ever survey of parasites and pathogens in regional bee colonies has just been carried out and released by the […]
ICE to undocumented Farm Workers: “You should be uncomfortable. You should look over your shoulder. You need to be worried.”
As we know, farm workers are one of the most essential parts of the food supply chain. Without their dedication and hard work, the food they produce would never reach our table. In the US, the vast majority of farm workers are undocumented and so are constantly subject to persecution, low wages and deportation. The […]
Farms not Factories are rooting for real farms in a bid to end factory farming
FarmsNotFactories have just launched their new video series which aims to champion the #TurnYourNoseUp at pig factories campaign in the UK. The first installment of the 12 episode series features chef Damian Clisby and Harry Boglione, a young organic farmer who left London and returned to the land to raise his happy, healthy pigs. FarmsNotFactories aims […]
letter from keep the soil in organics!
Dave Champan from Keep the Soil in Organics discusses the movement and the latest developments at the Nation Organic Standards Board.
watch: practicing for when peace breaks out on the latest our land
Great things are happening at the intersection between social justice, farming, and faith. Watch the latest episode of outland to get inspired!
california: do not make an uber mistake with homemade food laws
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT6A3kWTsNM&w=560&h=315] Learn more and take action at the Sustainable Economies Law Center!
2017 ag census
Register your farm for the 2017 agcensus to help inform the government of our growing presence in agriculture.
guess who's going to congress
We are unbelievably proud and excited to stand with over 100 organizations in support of the Young Farmer Success Act, a bill that would help our nation's young farmers manage their student loan debt and has finally gotten to the floor of congress. The legislation has been in the works for years now, due in large part […]
how to be your own light in the age of trump
In the Age of Trump, it's important to never forget who you are. Write your biography!
the open source ethos in agroecology
A great read on open source in agroecology-- its history, potential, and-- ultimately-- its utter necessity.
a legal step forward in the fight against herbicides
Monsanto's Roundup is facing increasing legal pressure with it's active ingredient being labeled as potential carcinogen. From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s marquee product, Roundup, is coming under fire from hundreds of legal challenges across the U.S., with individuals alleging that the herbicide is carcinogenic and linked to cases of […]
wages, immigration, and a labor shortage on california farms
Why are California farms struggling with a labor shortage?
insights from peaceful resistance
"...why the things are what they are, how the things would be if they were as they should be, and how a path can be made from the things as they are to the things as they should be." These are the words of Peter Maurin who, along with Dorothy Day, cofounded the Catholic Worker […]
ice detained migrant farmer activists: thousands responded.
A recap of the ten-day campaign to free two young farmworker activists from ICE detention.
happy boy farms needs your help!
Help Happy Boy Farms in their time of need!
talking empires: cotton and capitalism
Watch this awesome lecture on the relationship between the history of cotton and capitalism.
stay local but stay informed
Interested in knowing what your fellow farmer movements are working towards across the world?