This week the House and Senate Agriculture Committees are working on the 2013 Farm Bill!
Things are really picking up with the new Farm Bill. After the painful slowness of last year, it’s surprising to see Congress actually building real momentum into writing the new five-year bill. Here is the latest news from Washington: Last week, the House and Senate Agriculture Committees released draft farm bills. Now, members of the Committees will “mark up” each draft bill by introducing amendments that will change the content... Read More
Act now for beginning farmers – support the Opportunity Act!
It’s not too late to speak up for beginning farmers! The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act is worth getting excited about!But first let’s make sure it gets the support it needs: Click here now! Last month, we announced that Republicans and Democrats in both houses of Congress introduced a new bill to give young and beginning farmers the support they deserve. Despite all the partisan bickering in Washington these days, the... Read More
A Brief History of the 2012 Farm Bill
We get a lot of questions about exactly what went down with the Farm Bill last year. (Honestly, it was head-spinning confusion even for seasoned policy experts.) To help shed a little light, here’s a play-by-play recap: How the process should work For starters, what is the Farm Bill and how does it affect me? The Farm Bill is an omnibus bill (that is, one that incorporates many different topics) passed every five-ish years by the US Congress... Read More
New Website Database to Support Beginning Farmer Success in MA
The Beginning Farmer Network of Massachusetts (BFN/Mass), a coalition of farmers and farm service providers in MA, have officially released their new website clearinghouse for resources and information for beginning farmers in the state. The website, www.bfnmass.org, is designed to allow for simple navigation through a database of service provider-offered loan and grant programs, classes, and other services. At the same time, the website helps... Read More
USDA’s “Know Your Farmer” Compass Expanded
The USDA just expanded their “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” Compass, an online database of resources for farmers, now including resources from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Labor, EPA and many other federal agencies. The Compass is a searchable map of projects that have received some form of support for food work from the federal government. The goal is to show the resources that the USDA – and now... Read More
With BFRDP, Grassworks Resists Corporate Dairying by Training Young Ranchers
In Wisconsin, as in most of the country, the path to becoming a teacher or a lawyer is well defined. But suppose you want to become a dairy farmer without a farm to inherit: That career path is less certain. And, with an aging population of farmers, it’s more important than ever to educate the next generation of ranchers. Many farms without successors are being sold to become large animal confinement operations. Wisconsin’s Bureau of Apprenticeship... Read More
Massachusetts Beginning Farmer Network Forum Next Week
NYFC is pleased to be able to spread the word about this beginning farmer network starting up in Massachusetts. MA farmers – check it out! Anyone in other areas not yet involved with a young/beginning farmer coalition, contact us to learn how to get one going. BFN/Mass Fall Forum- November 13th from 10:30 to 2:30 at the Charlton Public Library. Register at www.tinyurl.com/bfnmassfallforum Are you a new farmer or thinking about... Read More
Stabenow and Cantor Express Support for a Farm Bill this Fall
Senator Stabenow inspecting blueberries. Photo courtesy of Sen. Stabenow website. Last week, Senator Debbie Stabenow, head of the US Senate Agriculture Committee, and House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor both firmly expressed that a Farm Bill would be passed in the lame-duck session after the election. During a campaign stop on Boise, ID, Cantor said that he had delayed action before the recess, which began earlier this fall, because they didn’t... Read More
Team Up with NYFC for a Better Farm Bill
It seems like lately it’s been all trick and no treat when it comes to Congress’ advocacy for farmers! The Farm Bill expired nearly a month ago and Congress is now on recess until after the election. What can we do? NYFC has teamed up with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition to generate a massive amount of input from farmers and foodies across the country. Please sign on to the petition below and give your reasons why... Read More
The Farm Bill’s Real Impact – BFRDP Helps Train the Next Generation
My name is Sophie Ackoff, I have been an apprentice at Glynwood Farm. Like so many other beginning farmers today, I don’t come from a farming family and I have no land or agricultural skills to inherit from my parents. I believe that the government needs to support beginning farmers and shouldn’t short-change farmer training programs. Please act now to send that message to Congress. I grew up in suburban Southern California, a region... Read More
