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    October 20-22, 2014 Lexington, Kentucky The Farmland, Food and Livable Communities conference will bring together leading experts from around the country for the first nationwide conference focused on farming, land use and food policy. It will showcase and encourage best practices and inspire efforts to protect farmland, support the next generation of farmers, […]

If you are a farmer with 2+ years of experience farming and a clear idea of what you're looking for, California FarmLink now offers a new service which allows for landowners and land-seeking farmers to connect directly online (rather than through their regional coordinator). Here’s how the new system will work: Landseekers and landowners must register […]

Beekman 1802 Mortgage Lifter Sauces is a pasta sauce company which has pledged to donate 25% of their profits to help give individual small farms a "lift." On April 29th, 2014, Beekman 1802 will divide $13,264 between four small American farms (entries due by midnight, April 22nd). The amount will be divided into four "Mortgage […]

OURLAND  Episode 4: Access to Grazing Market demand continues to swell for ethically raised, pasture-based livestock, poultry, eggs and milk. These products fetch a major price premium over the conventional, confinement raised alternative, and present the possibility for small scale producers to make a livelihood. Young graziers are joining the fray to meet that market […]

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s National Organic Program (NOP) is the team that develops and enforces national standards for organically-produced agricultural products. They support consumer confidence that products with the USDA organic seal meet consistent, uniform standards. In 2014, the NOP will be recruiting for multiple positions, including: Policy Analysts, Accreditation Managers, and Materials Specialists; […]

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Happening right now in Brussels. Burning Ice Festival: The Gentech Future That Never Was A great roster of speakers and attendees: http://www.kaaitheater.be/mediastorage/FSDocument/1038/nl/BI7_conference_affiche_A3_.pdf The theme of the seventh Burning Ice is the genetic technology approach to world food issues and the agro-ecological alternative that centres on resilience and biodiversity. The growth of the world’s population, the pursuit of […]

The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development is a great resource in general, but you might want to take a look at this back issue from 2010, which has a focus on "Growing New Farmers".

OUR LAND: A SYMPOSIUM ON FARMLAND ACCESS IN THE 21ST CENTURY In the next two decades 400 million acres of U.S. farmland will change hands. Will that land be consolidated into larger holdings and treated as a commodity or investment asset? Or will it prove the foundation for a new business, a next-generation farmer, a […]

an idea for the off-season, for our farmer/writers. Amtrak is excited to announce the official launch of the #AmtrakResidency program. #AmtrakResidency was designed to allow creative professionals who are passionate about train travel and writing to work on their craft in an inspiring environment. Round-trip train travel will be provided on an Amtrak long-distance route. Each resident will be given a […]

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/73783583] Thirty years after Koyaanisqatsi, Godfrey Reggio–with the support of Philip Glass and Jon Kane–once again leapfrogs over earth-bound filmmakers and creates another stunning, wordless portrait of modern life. Presented by Steven Soderbergh in Black and White digital 4K projection, VISITORS reveals humanity’s trancelike relationship with technology, which, when commandeered by extreme emotional states, […]

596 Acres.org This map shows sites of potential community projects. We have taken several different sources of information about vacant publicly owned land, chosen the most accurate information from each and shared them here. This is our commons. We also add few private lots whose owners have volunteered their land for community use. Tools for […]

How tiny house communities can work for both the haves and the have nots By Eve Andrews Ryan Mitchell lives and breathes tiny houses. He has been running the popular website The Tiny Life for the past five years; is currently planning a tiny house conference for approximately 120 people in Charlotte, N.C., where he […]

From Mid-Missouri Public Radio Unmanned aerial vehicles aren’t just for spies or for the battlefield. Farmers all over the country think drones can give them a leg up, too. Tech-savvy farmers have been waiting for years for the government to make up its mind about the commercial use of unmanned aerial vehicles. Right now, anyone […]

http://an-atlas.com/ An Atlas of Radical Cartography is a collection of 10 maps and 10 essays about social issues from globalization to garbage; surveillance to extraordinary rendition; statelessness to visibility; deportation to migration. The map is inherently political-- and the contributions to this book wear their politics on their sleeves.

A model. There will be a cow salon/photo booth, cow milking lessons, farm tours at 2:30 and 3:30, live music, some foods, a raffle for farm store treats, calf cuddling, and acquaintance making of neighbors and friends.  We will also be kicking off farm store season with a special 20% discount card we are calling Milk […]

In today's press release, the USDA has announced new figures that show the organic industry continues to grow domestically and internationally. Certified organic farms and businesses in the United States have witnessed a 245% increase since 2002 while consumer demand continues to increase exponentially. To help producers further access these markets, the 2014 farm bill […]

Posted from AgrarianGrrl's Blog 

Sea shipping accounts for 3 to 4% of global CO2 emissions and the largest 15 ships could be emitting as much carbon and greenhouse gases as 760 million cars! Enter Denmark's Maersk shipping company, owner of the massive Triple-E container ship. This ship  could help cut the carbon emissions per container by 50% ! For more […]

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  Part IV begins next week.  Our policy workshop webinar series investigates four broad themes in food and agriculture policy. Part I explores linkages between theory and practice in food justice; Part II, a legal framework for the new food movement; Part III part examines GMOs and intellectual property; and Part IV, the farm bill […]

This farmer in Suffolk  has moved her innovative dairy, using crowdfunder to make it happen.  She runs a small, commercial dairy with suckling calves.  Take note, follow her work, and pitch in if you can! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl5OG8B-0gM&w=560&h=315] Crowdfunder  Fiona Provan's Calf at Foot Dairy in Suffolk is unique and very special. Fiona's small herd of 100% pasture-fed Jersey […]

An interesting project to follow in the coming years: Pedal and Plow Pedal and Plow is a documentary web series following Lydia Caudill, Creator and host of Pn’P, as she rides her bike from Paraguay all the way home to Washington state. Along the way she’ll be documenting alternatives to industrial agricultural from those on the front lines […]

They've still got a few spots open!  Here's the scoop: If this epic winter has you plotting your next moves in sustainable farming, you are in luck. The UVM Farmer Training Program has a few spots left for 2014 and the final application deadline is March 21. Apply now to join an incredible group of students for […]

Rainton Herdshare David Finlay - 11 March 2014 I’m afraid this isn’t an article about how our broken food system is driving climate change, biodiversity loss, diffuse pollution, resource depletion, anti-biotic resistance, animal and social welfare degradation, ill health and food insecurity. And it’s not about how someone (else)should do something about it. I assume […]

  Much more information HERE

  The demand for regional and organic products is higher than ever in Germany. If young farmers can get started, the thinking goes, they'll have no trouble selling what they reap. But that's the problem ... getting started. Young farmers are competing for land with big companies who are buying up property as a safe […]

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The Agrarian Resistance Mixtape is looking for musical submissions! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldxY1SkEwXY] Please send songs by April 15th in the following format to: [email protected] Track title: Artist: Written by: Link to a recording: Contact of musician(s): Link to lyrics: Permission to use material? (Please state YES)

April 22-27, 2014 Washington DC On April 22nd, a group of ranchers, farmers and tribal communities from along the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline route, called the Cowboy Indian Alliance, will ride into Washington DC and set up camp near the White House to tell President Obama to reject the pipeline.On April 27th, thousands of […]

A recent NYTimes opinion article begs the public to support your local slaughterhouse. Why? Costs and regulations have caused a sharp decline in slaughterhouse facilities across the state. As a result, small producers in California are being included in a blanket recall for 8.7 million pounds of beef.   "Our beef comes from grass-fed cattle. […]

Episode #8 – Judith McGeary and The Texas Legislative Process Join TXYFC, as we dive into the Texas legislative process with Judith McGeary, director of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA). Judith has been working for years to create and pass legislation that helps promote and support small farms in Texas and beyond. On […]

Cole Huling, a casting producer for Orion Entertainment, is currently working on a new TV series that features women who are leaving behind the city/suburban life to become farmers/ranchers/etc., working the land and raising animals. They are looking for women who have recently moved to a farm as well as women who are preparing to […]

    Here's an excerpt from a recent post in the Ranching for profit blog. The whole post can be found HERE "According to one cattle industry leader quoted in a prominent publication, Those who are not willing to take advantage of the new technology may not be able to survive. He isn’t alone in believing […]

[vimeo 36960419 w=500 h=281] Aluna ALUNA is made by and with the KOGI, a genuine lost civilization hidden on an isolated triangular pyramid mountain in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, nearly five miles high, on the Colombian-Caribbean coast. The Kogi say that without thought, nothing could exist. This is a problem, because we […]

for our Canadian readers: And check out their website and youtube channel. The time has never been more ripe to nourish a literacy that can help break the cycles of an unsustainable culture. The world is starved for people with the ability to enrich the planet while improving soil and the human ecology. You’ve dreamed of making a […]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ArDX-wJ0Oo&w=560&h=315]) HERE. On Sunday, March 2, 2014, a group of young people called XL Dissent organized a march from Georgetown University to Lafayette Park, which is opposite the White House, to register their opposition to the possible approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Going into more depth than the NEWS BRIEF, this video gives […]

Farm Commons delivers fast-paced webinars that help farmers move forward on the legal issues that affect their farm operation. Our webinars are engaging and practical- this isn’t just theoretical learning! Topics include: Overview of Farm Legal Issues, Community Supported Agriculture Legal Issues, Hosting On-Farm Events, Workers and Employees, Starting a business, and much more. Check it Out. […]