Tales from an Upstate New York Produce Department By Michele Marchetti In early December, as snow fell steadily on the Finger Lakes, Andrew Hernandez II (right) huddled with eight New York farmers to map out plans for the abundance that, come summer, turned GreenStar’s stores into a backdrop for...
The Fall 2020 Cultivator, Cornucopia’s quarterly newsletter, is now available online. Download the PDF. In it you’ll find: Industrial-scale Organic Exploitation South Africa’s Organic Authority Back-to-School Snacks Food Justice and GreenStar Co-op Beef Finishing Hawaiian Organic Noni
The Wisdom of Wood Prairie Family Farm by Rachel Zegerius, Co-Director of Development and Communications at The Cornucopia Institute Hardcover books, almanacs, seed catalogs, and three-ring binders spilling loose leaf papers reach skyward behind Cornucopia advisor Jim Gerritsen as...
Organic farming sustains ecological systems—of which humans play an inextricable role. But the USDA organic standards fail to address how farmers are paid or how anyone who plays a role in getting your organic food to the table is treated. In 1999, the Agricultural Justice Project (AJP) was founded...
As consumers call for improved animal welfare, stewardship of the soil, and conservation of dwindling water supplies, Aurora Organic Dairy is preparing to open a heifer factory on 1,900 acres in the dry High Plains of Colorado. The feedlot will house 7,000 “organic” heifers (a young cow that hasn’t born offspring...
Cornucopia’s scorecards help you make the best choices for your school kids If you’re one of millions of Americans for whom back to school means getting your kid back to Zoom, the cafeteria has moved to your dining room. Even if your kids or grandkids are headed for the...
The Animal Welfare, Farming, and Consumer Benefits of Silvopasture by Kestrel Burcham, JD, Director of Domestic Policy at The Cornucopia Institute With the huge push for pastured poultry in today’s marketplace, grassy expanses marked...
Values-based solutions in a time of need “Concern for community” is one of the seven guiding principles of cooperatives. It’s also at the core of the responses and solutions offered by co-ops throughout the country...
Buying the Best Burger Requires Scrutiny by Kestrel Burcham, JD, Director of Domestic Policy at The Cornucopia Institute If a trip to the store to buy beef leaves you bewildered, you are not alone. Understanding...
A message from the interim executive director The Cornucopia Institute has a 15-year history of boldly standing up for the integrity of ecologically based organic farmers and food. We have fought many battles to improve or elevate the good food movement and authentic organic farmers. Last year we arrived...
After a long, painful wait, The Cornucopia Institute’s full-court press to compel USDA to address the influx of fraudulent organic imports is finally yielding action. The department held a virtual Town Hall on July 8, unveiling a draft of the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule. Meant to address organic...
Withdrawn animal welfare rule still under USDA analysis An unusual action by the USDA has left us scratching our heads. In April of this year, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) requested public comments on the economic analysis of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) Rule—despite the...
The Cornucopia Institute, through research and investigations on agriculture and food issues, provides needed information to family farmers, consumers and other stakeholders in the good food movement and to the media.
