Blog

The National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) has just released their land policy report and its FREE to EVERYONE at the link below. To learn more about this initiative, take some time to explore their website. Land, policy, and power are closely intertwined. As millions of acres of U.S. farmland are changing hands, public policy holds […]

As part of Food Week of Action, the Presbyterian mission, sponsors of the week, bring us a message of climate justice today. God created the earth, and it is sacred. As Psalm 24:1 proclaims, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it.” Therefore we are called to stewardship of the earth. When […]

The Sacred Stones Camp at Standing Rock has put out the call for immediate emergency action to stop the drilling below the Missouri River for the Dakota Access Pipeline after yesterday's announcement by the Army Corps of Engineers of their intent to issue permission to proceed with construction, ignoring a previous order to conduct an […]

Ever late to the party, The New York Times is finally giving Standing Rock some much-deserved coverage. This gorgeous and inspiring video (and its accompanying article) gives sober context to Thanksgiving celebrations all over this country last week. Caitlyn Huss, 25, a manager of a vegan hostel in Los Angeles, was closing up late one night last month […]

We can do this .

The following message is from our friends at the Cornucopia Institute and references the recent GMO labeling law, so called the DARK (Deny Americans the Right to Know) Act, which purports to mandate GMO labeling while, in reality, does not give the FDA the ability to enforce the act, allows companies to opt for labeling […]

EPA is making moves again on neonicotinoid insecticides with report saying--- in a dramatic understatement typical of the agency that has rarely regulated agricultural chemicals with any rigor ----that the insecticide in question (imidacloprid): "Potentially poses risk to hives when the pesticide comes in contact with certain crops that attract pollinators." You have 60 days to […]

Thursday July 16th, 2015, 4pm Rally, 5pm Action Monroe St. & San Pablo Ave., Albany, CA On July 16th, 2015, farmers and neighbors of the historic Gill Tract will gather to hold a rally and take action to protect the historic Gill Tract Farm from looming development by UC Berkeley to build a Sprouts Supermarket, and to highlight the public health impacts […]

seriously. There are about 800 of you reading this posting today. If those of you who are not in the middle of planting a field could please  click over to Farm Aid and help them make this comment campaign a success? The farmers among us are STRAPPED hustling to plant in between deluges of rain. […]

on Nestle's actions in the rainforests of Indonesia.  You can download the full report HERE. Nestlé uses palm oil to make a wide array of its products including Power Bar, Coffee Mate, Nestle Crunch Crisp, and Maggi Soup mixes. In the last three years, Nestlé’s use of palm oil has nearly doubled. A growing demand […]

if you're part of an organization you can sign on to this letter to Secretary Vilsack from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Please consider adding your organization’s name to our letter urging Secretary Vilsack to make critical improvements to the Conservation Stewardship Program and to initiate a 2010 Sign up as soon as possible. The letter […]

Tell USDA to Stop Delaying Implementation of the CRP Transition Option for Beginning and Minority Producers!

Farm Aid is collecting your signatures until Friday!  Here's a note from them: As a Farm Aid supporter, you know that nobody is more committed than we are to helping family farmers keep their land and their livelihood. While we encourage federal efforts to assist farmers, the fact is that not all government policies are […]

via United Farm Workers: We've been telling you about the outrageous behavior of Giumarra--the world's largest table grape company, whose labels include Nature's Partner. Giumarra harvests approximately 1 out of every 10 bunches of grapes picked in the US. Because the company is so huge, their behavior helps set the industry standard. Instead of being […]

Next week begins the first of seven public hearings regarding a proposed National Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement [see Federal Register Notice], that would lay out food safety rules for the growing and marketing of leafy greens. See below for more information about the process and SIGN THE PETITION from NOC member, FOOD & WATER WATCH […]

Greenhorns - comments are due Sept 28th! This is an alert from the National Sustainable Ag Coalition. Since the 1930s we've been paying farmers to produce corn, wheat, rice, and cotton. What if instead we paid farmers for producing healthier soil, cleaner water, climate change mitigation and greater bio-diversity? That's the "Big Idea" behind the […]

Yes. We agree with this. Family farmers. ...and the family of farmers that includes: city farmers farmworkers young farmers aspiring farmers we are the team of agricultural conspirators who are launching our small businesses around the country-- carving out new territory and growing strong soil in the hills, and in the laser-land valleys of the […]