Dear Cornucopia members and supporters, Pat Slattery of Middle Ridge, Wisconsin is the self-professed Brussels Sprout King of the Midwest. Pat has long been dedicated to high-quality wholesale and retail organics, as the photo indicates, and supportive of the community of farmers. We have been friends for over two decades—thank you to the Slattery family… Read more »
Cornucopia’s Take: Organic producers meet regularly in communities, conferences, and online to share stories and seek solutions to the growing crisis in the organic marketplace. As outlined in the article below, there are now two organics: life-affirming agricultural practices adhering to the spirit and letter of organic regulations and industrial-scale production methods, based on conventional… Read more »
The Organic Trade Association (OTA), the industry’s lobby group, has launched a campaign they call “Organic Myth-Busting Month.” The majority of what they are communicating seems pretty accurate in portraying the advantages of choosing an organic diet. However, two of their social media subjects are a direct damage control effort to counter the work of… Read more »
Burlington Free Press By Lisa Rathke, The Associated Press MONTPELIER — A new report predicts that 1,500 jobs could be created in Vermont over the next decade if residents double their consumption of locally produced food. The Farm to Plate Strategic Plan presented to lawmakers and the governor Wednesday outlines 33 goals and 60 strategies… Read more »
Over 125 national, state, and grassroots organizations are notifying members of the United States Senate that an amendment proposed by Sen. Jon Tester (MT) and Sen. Kay Hagan (NC), is critical to ensuring that the food safety bill being considered by the Senate does not injure the livelihoods of family-scale farmers and undercut consumers’ opportunity… Read more »
Family farmers, environmental advocates in 27 states object to toxic gas reporting loophole EarthJustice Washington, DC — More than 70 groups from 27 states are objecting to a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency that would exempt factory farms from reporting emissions of toxic gases from animal waste. The public interest law firm Earthjustice submitted… Read more »
Newsday.com By Delthia Ricks Antibiotic use in poultry processing has been controversial for decades, but researchers now say workers who handle “broiler chickens” in manufacturing plants are at risk of contracting drug-resistant E. coli and spreading it in communities. Public health investigators at Johns Hopkins University estimate that workers in poultry factories in the United… Read more »
Cornucopia’s Take: The Organic Trade Association’s critical, behind the scenes lobbying for the toothless GMO labeling bill passed by Congress continues to cause fallout for the lobbying group from ethical companies that feel betrayed. Escalates Commitment to Organic Agriculture and Other Causes Dr. Bronner’s, North America’s leading natural brand of soap and organic body care… Read more »
Food Safety News by James Andrews Credit: Kattebelletje If headlines over the past 48 hours have been any indication, the world of artisanal cheesemaking has narrowly dodged a huge setback for the centuries-old practice of aging cheese on wooden shelves — at least for now. “Cheese World Fears Crackdown on Wood Boards,” stated one headline,… Read more »
By Jim Goodman Advocates of cloning would have us believe it is just another technology on a continuum of breeding methods used in agriculture, and clones are identical twins to the “parent”, just born at a different time, –sure–. It is not just another form of natural breeding or a simple advance on selective breeding… Read more »
