This Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), the Local Food Safety Collaborative and National Farmers Union want to honor the contributions of Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx farmers and … Read More
Blog
Continuing Resolution Provides Much Needed Disaster Assistance, Averts Government Shutdown
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 30, 2021 Contact: Lyndsey Medsker (202) 557-5328 [email protected] Washington – Earlier today, the Senate and House took final action on the Continuing Resolution to fund federal … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: Introducing Keep Growing Detroit
By: Billy Mitchell & Tricia Wancko When thinking of Detroit, most people have images of an industrial area focused on auto production alongside a soundtrack of Motown songs and KISS … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: Introducing Missouri Farmers Union
By Billy Mitchell & Tricia Wancko Missouri Farmers Union (MOFU) works to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life of agricultural producers—whether they are long-established or new … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: A Food Safety Community Grows in the Northeast
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator Lowering produce safety risks. Growing great food. Building community. Growers and service providers have a long list of top priorities. The voluntary … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: Meaningful Collaboration at IAFP
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator “Representation matters.” “Meaningful collaboration.” These simple yet powerful sentiments were shared by Armitra Jackson-Davis (Alabama A&M University) and Kranti Yemmireddy (University of … Read More
What Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition Means for Agriculture
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director To address corporate consolidation in nearly every sector, President Joe Biden last week signed a sweeping executive order aimed at promoting competition and fairness throughout the … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: Preparing to Lead
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator, & Tricia Wancko, NFU Food Safety Grant Coordinator The Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training provides an excellent opportunity both for growers to … Read More
Don’t Be Duped by Deceptive Labeling
By Danielle Endvick As we head into the holiday weekend, many families will be firing up the grill and celebrating with burgers and steaks cooked to sizzling perfection. Or, in … Read More
Blistering Temperatures Scorch Crops, Threaten Farmers and Workers
This week, the Northwestern U.S. has experienced some of its hottest temperatures ever, with some cities and towns surpassing previous record highs by double digits. The heat wave, which is unquestionably related to anthropomorphic … Read More
Gullah Geechee Cooperative Builds with Food Safety Focus
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator, & Tricia Wancko, NFU Food Safety Grant Coordinator A visit to the Gullah Farmers Cooperative processing, packing, and distribution facility on St. … Read More
Beekeepers Work to Protect Hives By Keeping Them Local
By Jeanne Janson, NFU Journalism Fellow With honey bee populations declining at rapid rates, beekeepers, farmers and consumers alike are grasping for solutions that will tackle the big picture problems like … Read More
Celebrate Juneteenth By Keeping Our Promises to Black Farmers
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director Until recently, Juneteenth has been celebrated only in certain Black communities, with barbecues, parades, rodeos, and other festivities. A portmanteau of “June” and “nineteenth,” … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: Food Hubs and Food Safety
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator, & Tricia Wancko, NFU Food Safety Grant Coordinator “I’m really passionate about helping to make the local food movement in Alabama successful, … Read More
Spring Brings Another Year of Local Food Safety Collaborative
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator Bags of asparagus. Hot pepper jams. Turkey tail mushrooms. Over the past year and half, consumers recommitted to sourcing locally and discovered … Read More
Farmers Deserve the Right to Repair Their Tractors
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director Thanks in large part to the introduction of machinery like tractors and combines, farms today are far more efficient and productive than they were … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: The ABCs in School Gardens
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator Farm to school programs continue to grow in popularity, with some schools taking part in hyper-local sourcing by using school gardens and farms to provide students with opportunities … Read More
Alpha Gamma Rho Donates $2,600 to Support Farm Mental Health
By Connor Hultman, previous Noble Ruler of Alpha Gamma Rho chapter at Iowa State University In the Fall of 2020, the men of Alpha Gamma Rho at Iowa State University … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: Take 5 with Gretchen Wall of the Produce Safety Alliance
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA), a collaboration between Cornell University, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the United States Department of … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: Good Design for Good Practices
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator On a recent episode of the Tilth Alliance Farm Walks Podcast, Ryan Lichttenegger of Steel Wheel Farm in Fall City, Washington, and Andy … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: Take 5 with Michigan Farmers Union
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator Over the past year, Mary Mcgraw and Blain Becktold provided outreach and education with the Michigan Farmers Union as part the Local … Read More
Diagnose and Discuss: Food Safety Clinic Benefits Growers
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator If you have a community-based farm and want to identify ways to strengthen your operation, there’s no better place to go for suggestions and solutions than other farmers— alongside some back up from … Read More
Drought Grips Western U.S.
After a year riddled with pandemic-related challenges, farmers were hoping for an easy, uncomplicated growing season. Unfortunately, for many that dream seems unlikely, as much of the Western half of … Read More
Small Business Loans Extended
A day before the Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was set to expire on March 31, President Joe Biden signed a two-month extension into law. The program, which provides forgivable loans to … Read More
Scaling Good Manufacturing Processes Education to Small-Scale Processors
By Tricia Wancko, Food Safety Grant Coordinator Many small-scale farms and food businesses—whether they are chopping, canning, preserving, aggregating, or dehydrating value-added products—might not know where to begin when navigating the Preventive Controls Rule (PCR) of the Food Safety Modernization … Read More