USDA's Down Payment Loan Program can help beginning farmers find help transitioning the land from retiring farmers, working with both the Farm Service agency and commercial loans.
Don't think 3-foot tall, like I did. "Mini-cattle" means the original heritage Hereford stock of 900 pound cattle, instead of the hormone & grain-gorged (up 3,500 pound) versions most ranchers raise today. These are the real deal folks, and they're raised by a Vietnam Marine Corps veteran and his wife down in East Texas. (She's a 6th generation Texan … since before the Alamo!) At Falster Farm they raise livestock and crops organically and biodynamically and have been for decades, so they're no newcomer to the trade. Their stock is grassfed and finished off on clover, making that beef oh-so tasty. And [...]
Everyone wants clean safe food. That's a given. So when you hear the USDA promoting the "Food Safety Modernization Act," you likely think ... "good, the government is improving things." Think again. The new rules of the game have been drafted to suit Big Ag and will likely make it super difficult and expensive to farm organically or sustainably, on a smaller lever. Ground Operations joins with FarmAid and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition to urge the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) & USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) to make changes to the proposed rules under the Food Safety Modernizatoin Act [...]
Wow - what surprising good news just landed in the "In Box", from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. A sweet $22 million has been made available to increase healthy food in low to moderate-income under-served communities - rural, urban and suburban (... that's everyone, right?) through the creation and expansion of healthy food retail outlets like grocery stores, farmers markets and co-ops. And get this - it also applies to food hubs -- for packaging and distribution, so essential to local food. $22 million isn't really so much, but it's surprising how helpful $25,00 - $250,000 can be to a local [...]
Ground Operations: Battlefields to Farmfields' goal is to strengthen the growing network of combat veterans who are transitioning to civilian life with new careers in sustainable agriculture. We are connecting people with resources, so that veterans can create healthy new lives for themselves and food security for communities across America. We have begun our national campaign in California. Ground Operations creates engaging events with scrumptuous seasonal food, a local farmer-veteran telling their story, the film screening and a conversation with the audience. The energy in the room is electric! Grown men cry, rousing standing ovations ensue, and ideas are flying round the room. It's [...]
The Community Food and Justice Coalition monthly newsletter just announced a line-up of job offerings in California and across the country. See if any of these fit for you or someone you know. Connect with the CFJC to be on their monthly newsletter and help them continue their good work in food justice: cafoodjustice.org California Palo Alto- Local Food Lab is hiring an additional team member for a three month summer position with the potential of becoming full time. From June to August, this person will travel with the team and work with sustainable food entrepreneurs all over the country. Please send a resume and cover [...]
The Farm Bill really ought to be called the Food Bill, because it sets the federal government's plan of action and funding for our food system for 5 years at a shot. So if you want more money for beginning farmers and ranchers (like our vets), or more help for farmers to convert to organic practices, or for folks to be able to shop for fresh veggies at the farmers market with their food stamps (to name just a few issues), the Farm Bill sets that policy. For years, it's been held hostage by Big Ag --- the multinational corporations growing [...]
