Report highlights cost-effective strategies to protect wildlife habitat and save taxpayers, farmers and consumers money

National Wildlife Federation
Mékell Mikell

American farmers provide food, fuel and fiber for a growing nation. In the face of challenges including tight budgets, increasing threats to natural systems, climate change and extreme weather, farmers can implement strategies that assure yields and farm income while helping to address these challenges. A new report from the National Wildlife Federation, Future Friendly Farming: Seven Agricultural Practices to Sustain People and the Environment, offers techniques that farmers and ranchers can use to increase profits, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and protect soil, water and wildlife habitat. Read Full Article »

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State of Ohio dropping regulation in face of organic community pressure

PRNewswire-USNewswire

WASHINGTON — The State of Ohio today agreed that it will no longer pursue regulations limiting labeling on organic dairy products. Ohio had attempted to prohibit statements on labels which informed consumers that organic dairy products are produced without antibiotics, pesticides or synthetic hormones. After the Organic Trade Association (OTA) sued the State of Ohio, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with consumers’ right to know and gutted the Ohio rule, finding that it was unconstitutional. Ohio has now agreed to abandon the rule rather than trying to revive it, recognizing that the First Amendment allows organic dairy products to proudly state that they are produced in accordance with the organic standards, without the use of synthetic growth hormones, pesticides, or antibiotics.

“This is significant for all of us who support what the organic foods are about, and for consumers who carefully read food labels to find out what’s in their food and how it’s produced,” said Christine Bushway, Executive Director and CEO for OTA. “The Sixth Circuit opinion made it clear that states cannot unduly restrict organic labels or consumers’ right to know how their food is produced, and the State of Ohio’s actions today make it clear that the fight to keep labels accurate by OTA, its members, farmers, and consumers was worth it.” Read Full Article »

Posted in Media/News

The Hill
By Pete Kasperowicz

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) on Wednesday introduced a broad proposal to revamp the farm bill next year by moving billions of dollars away from the large agribusinesses that have benefited from past farm programs, and instead focus on aid to family farmers, new farmers and the production of healthy, local food.

Speaking on the House floor, Blumenauer said his proposals should find the support of many on the left and right that have protested against what they say is a cozy relationship between large companies and the federal government that has led to billions in subsidies.

“Helping more people at less cost by reducing subsidies to large agribusiness also speaks directly to the frustrations of protestors from coast to coast, whether they are occupying Wall Street, or they’re Tea Party protesters,” Blumenauer said. Read Full Article »

Posted in Media/News

Native Iowan returns to buck trend in organic farming by going big

The Des Moines Register
Written by DAN PILLER

Harn Soper understands why the vast majority of Iowa farmers focus on producing grain for biofuels and livestock feed.

“It’s hard to walk away from a model that lets you grow corn and soybeans in the summer, harvest in the fall and head for Florida in winter,” Soper quipped.

Soper, 63, has returned to his native Iowa after a three-decade career in the music business in California. He’s midway through the three-year process of converting most of his family’s 100-year-old, 1,000-acre farm to production of organic corn and vegetables, grass-fed cattle and chickens raised outside of confinements.

“Iowa has never been a huge vegetable producer,” said Neil Hamilton, director of the Agricultural Law Center at Drake University. “He is changing the scale of sustainable agriculture.” Read Full Article »

Posted in Media/News

Reuters
By Carey Gillam

Opponents of Monsanto’s new genetically modified sweet corn are petitioning national food retailers and processors to ban the biotech corn, which is not labeled as being genetically altered from conventional corn.

A coalition of health, food safety and environmental organizations said they have collected more than 264,000 petition signatures from consumers who do not want to buy the corn.

The coalition includes the Center for Environmental Health, the Center for Food Safety, and Food & Water Watch. It said it is pressing 10 of the top national retail grocery stores to ban the corn, including Wal-Mart, Kroger and Safeway. It is also asking top canned and frozen corn processors including Bird’s Eye and Del Monte to ban the modified corn. Read Full Article »

Posted in Media/News