USDA micro-loans for beginning & small farmers

2014-01-11T02:34:49+00:00

Earlier this year, USDA announced a new microloan program that would specifically target the smaller credit needs of beginning farmers and other small farm operators selling to local and regional food markets.  Launched in January 2013, the program has so far made over 3,400 loans in all 50 states, including the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Western Pacific Territories. Over the past nine months, local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices across the country were able to provide over $66.8 million in micro farm loans to help beginning, minority, and small farmers pay for annual operating expenses such as seed and feed, rent and insurance costs, [...]

USDA micro-loans for beginning & small farmers2014-01-11T02:34:49+00:00

Newman’s Own Supports Iowa Women Farmer Veterans

2013-12-03T21:58:41+00:00

STORY CITY, IA – Women, Food and Agriculture Network has been awarded a $25,000 grant from Newman's Own Foundation, the independent foundation created by the late actor and philanthropist Paul Newman. Newman's Own Foundation gave seven grants this week totaling $300,000 as part of its "Honoring Women Who Serve" campaign to support career development for female veterans.WFAN will use the funds to create an Iowa Women Farmer Veteran Network within its broader network for women engaged in healthy food and farming nationwide. The project will serve Iowa women veterans interested in farming careers. WFAN will connect aspiring and beginning women farmer veterans [...]

Newman’s Own Supports Iowa Women Farmer Veterans2013-12-03T21:58:41+00:00

Newman’s Own Supports Iowa Women Farmer Veterans

2013-12-03T21:58:41+00:00

STORY CITY, IA – Women, Food and Agriculture Network has been awarded a $25,000 grant from Newman's Own Foundation, the independent foundation created by the late actor and philanthropist Paul Newman. Newman's Own Foundation gave seven grants this week totaling $300,000 as part of its "Honoring Women Who Serve" campaign to support career development for female veterans.WFAN will use the funds to create an Iowa Women Farmer Veteran Network within its broader network for women engaged in healthy food and farming nationwide. The project will serve Iowa women veterans interested in farming careers. WFAN will connect aspiring and beginning women farmer veterans [...]

Newman’s Own Supports Iowa Women Farmer Veterans2013-12-03T21:58:41+00:00

Want “safe” food?

2013-11-05T21:23:26+00:00

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 [...]

Want “safe” food?2013-11-05T21:23:26+00:00

Veterans Farming in Washington

2013-10-06T21:00:12+00:00

We played "connect the dots" this week, for veterans who are or want to be farming in the green, green, green state of Washington. First stop, the Port Townsend Film Festival where Ground Operations scored the award for "Inspiring Community" and learned of a new project, the Peace Patch Farm (PPF). In its infancy, PPF is the dream-child of farm owner, Liz Goldstein, and Vet Connect founder (and master gardener) Bob Logue. It is intended to be an Ag training program for veterans through Washington State University's Sustainable Agriculture program, which will offer reduced tuition rates. Starting with one veteran, they plan [...]

Veterans Farming in Washington2013-10-06T21:00:12+00:00

Urban Ag gets a Boost – So Does Farmer-Veteran

2013-10-03T16:46:58+00:00

So I'm reading the L.A. Times this morning, thrilled to read about our new CA tax law allowing urban property owners to reduce the assessed value of their land (read lower taxes) if they will commit it to urban agriculture for 5 years.  And I think wow, I've got to tell D'Artagnan, one of the veterans in "Ground Operations" who's doing urban Ag in L.A. -- and by golly, there he is being quoted in the next two paragraphs!! D'Artagnan Scorza is a force of nature, inciting his food-scarce community to take up rakes and shovels, and build their own food [...]

Urban Ag gets a Boost – So Does Farmer-Veteran2013-10-03T16:46:58+00:00

Reversed equation: Farmers to Soldiers

2013-08-28T16:32:22+00:00

Okay, I knew that about 40% of the military comes from rural farm communities.  I assumed a lot of that was because with the mechanized industrial food system, we've put a lot of people out of work with our bigger badder machines. And that is probably true. What is creepy is what celebrity-farmer Joel Salatin recently heard straight from the mouth of our Secretary of Agriculture about why we need so many new farmers: (paraphrased by Joel) "....although rural America only has 16 percent of the population, it gives 40 percent of the personnel to the military. Say what? You mean [...]

Reversed equation: Farmers to Soldiers2013-08-28T16:32:22+00:00

Growing Warriors – New Group, New Film Screening

2013-07-24T17:13:48+00:00

Kentucky Proud is what they call themselves. The Growing Warrior Project is a partnership that includes veterans, civilians and organizations. The intention is to bring these partners together to work as one as a driving force to help develop a local reliable food system.  They have developed their own food label in Kentucky, Homegrown Heroes.  They have developed a multi-farm CSA called Acres of Harvest, an on-line food hub and buying club, that is a group of small family farms adhering to Certified Naturally Grown Principles, which insure that the soil is enriched each season, pesticide regulations are more stringent than even Certified [...]

Growing Warriors – New Group, New Film Screening2013-07-24T17:13:48+00:00

The Food Bill, oops, Farm Bill Needs YOU!

2013-05-31T22:19:59+00:00

If only we called this the Food Bill, everyone would be paying attention.  This only comes up for review every 5 years folks -- so if you care about local food, organic food, GMOs, environmental conservation and how to help our veterans become the next generation of farmers and ranchers, get your phone finger poised to call your Congressional reps. Feel like you don't want to say?  Here's the short list from our friends at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (and others), so you can quote chapter and verse: Ask them to co-sponsor the:  Beginning Farmer & Rancher Opportunity Act (S.837, [...]

The Food Bill, oops, Farm Bill Needs YOU!2013-05-31T22:19:59+00:00

Veterans Farm graduates getting their own farms

2013-05-23T17:10:09+00:00

The Veterans Farm, founded by Army veteran Adam Burke, and sponsored by Work Vessels for Veterans are donating working farms to their veteran graduates!!  Talk about a great graduation gift. Blake Grosdidier, former combat Marine, will receive a 5-acre farm and equipment. Shaun and Gail Ranking, former Navy, will be given a 2-acres of land and equipment to start a new farm. Adam Ennis, former combat Marine, and his wife Jenny will go on to start an organization to serve and feed the homeless in Jacksonville, Florida. To see a clip of Adam talking about the Veterans Farm, check out our [...]

Veterans Farm graduates getting their own farms2013-05-23T17:10:09+00:00
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