By: Billy Mitchell One of the many strengths of the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) is their ability to build community. A collaboration between Cornell University, the Food and Drug Administration … Read More
Food Safety and Fellowship
Blog
Family Farmers and Ranchers Want Updated Packers and Stockyards Act Rules
This opinion piece originally ran on Agri-Pulse on March 1st, 2024. By: Jeff Kippley, Vice President, National Farmers Union The recent opinion piece by the President of the National Cattlemen’s … Read More
Through the Eyes of a College Student: 2024 College Conference on Cooperatives
I am an undergraduate college student, who like many of my peers, had heard of cooperatives in a general agricultural setting, but did not know much about how they work. … Read More
Key Information to Strengthen your Co-op
Co-ops are often central pieces in their communities, especially in rural areas. But a healthy co-op community can only form when members fully understand the basic structures of the co-op, … Read More
Staying Informed with Co-op Legislation
It is important to stay up to date with legislative changes that may affect the operations and success of your co-op. Let’s explore a few resources and tips to ensure … Read More
Three Years of SCRUB
By: Vern Grubinger, Billy Mitchell, and LFSC editor After three years, the SCRUB project – formally known as Sanitization and Cleaning Resources for your Business – project has wrapped up. … Read More
Recap from IAFP 2023: Diversity, Design, & Discussion
By: Billy Mitchell, edited by Hayley Wood The International Association for Food Protection, a member-based association of more than 4,500 food safety professionals, hosted its annual meeting this past July in … Read More
Reflecting on their first year: advice for new farmers
By: Billy Mitchell and Kathryn Kavanagh “Being outside and working with my hands – it’s the best thing.” The first year working on a farm is always going to be … Read More
Small scale in a small town: market farming in a rural area
By: Billy Mitchell If you think about small-scale farming, you may think of tiny plots in large cities, like the half acre farms of Seattle, Houston, Chicago, or Atlanta. Perhaps … Read More
Nicolas Cage, Risk Assessments, and You
Photo acquired from Deposit Photos, Photo ID #47064127. By: Billy Mitchell Sometimes, two great things go together incredibly well. Like Dolly Parton and roller coasters, puffins and rocky shorelines, … Read More
Farmer, Educator, Drummer (not always in that order)
By: Billy Mitchell; edited by Hayley Wood Justin “MasterPeace” Nickelson is an Atlanta based farmer, educator, and drummer who currently works as the AgLanta Grown Local Foods Promotion Program Coordinator … Read More
Starting from scratch: Lessons in connecting with help and resources
By: Billy Mitchell and Hayley Wood Patty, the founder of Bed Head Plant Nursery, is a first generation nursery and medicinal herb grower. When asked to define her her role … Read More
Lessons Learned at Market
By: Billy Mitchell and Kathryn Kavanagh As spring turns to summer in 2023, we wanted to reflect back on a conversation we had with farmer market farmers on the first … Read More
Community-Focused Aerated Static Composting
By: Billy Mitchell and Hayley Wood Maria and Michael of Code of Return (COR) Compost turn food scraps from businesses and homes into compost that feed the soils of the … Read More
Solar Energy on Farmland: Finding a balanced approach
By Aaron Shier, NFU Government Relations Director Solar energy is the fastest-growing source of new electricity generation in the United States. Due to multiple factors, including declining costs of solar … Read More
NFU Statement on House Action Regarding Rail Disputes
November 30, 2022 [email protected] NFU Statement on House Action Regarding Rail Disputes WASHINGTON – Today, National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew issued the following statement in response to … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: Take 5 with Iowa Farmers Union
By Kathryn Kavanagh, Food Safety Project Coordinator Since 1915, Iowa Farmers Union (IFU) members have worked together to strengthen Iowa independent family farms through education, legislation, and cooperation by supporting … Read More
Another Year of Local Food Safety on the Horizon
By Kathryn Kavanagh A global pandemic, fragile supply chains, and rising food prices may sound all doom and gloom, but they’ve also sparked a new wave of interest in local … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: Take 5 with Minnesota Farmers Union
By: Kathryn Kavanagh, Food Safety Project Coordinator Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) works to protect and enhance the economic interests and quality of life of family farmers, ranchers, and rural residents, … Read More
Food Safety for All Types of Learners
By: Katherine Olvera, NFU Intern How do you learn best? Some of us turn to workshops hosted by experts where we can see things firsthand and ask questions. Others like … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: Bins, Brushes, and Brains
By: Billy Mitchell Totes, fish baskets, buckets, RPCs, and more – harvest bins on a farm go by many names. At the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association conference, TOFGA … Read More
Hot Reads for Cool Nights
By: Billy Mitchell & Tricia Wancko Y’all, it is cold outside. Sure, colder in some places than others—how Montana Farmers Union members survive the winter without their eyebrows freezing off, … Read More
Compost – the Gift That Keeps on Giving
By: Billy Mitchell Soil gives us so much. It feeds us physically by providing incredible local food to eat. It feeds us emotionally as a medium for beautiful flowers that … Read More
Food Safety Coast to Coast
By: Billy Mitchell and Tricia Wancko Although miles apart, the East and West coasts of the US share a lot of things like beautiful views and amazing wildlife. Another thing … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: Introducing the Montana Farmers Union & Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center
By: Billy Mitchell & Tricia Wancko Montana Farmers Union took root in their state as homesteaders—a classic way to say local food producers—who discovered the necessity of working collaboratively to … Read More