FarmsReach

Check out some practical insights and advice from our interview with Shermain Hardesty, former UC Small Farm Director and advisor/consultant for farmers for over 30 years. Some topics: - key metrics (beyond profitability) that all small farms should be tracking - when/whether to diversify your operation beyond raw product (e.g., processed goods, agritourism, etc.)... - services Cooperative Extension offers that small farms should take advantage of but typically don’t - collaborative farming - small farms serving underserved populations - small farms’ role in the evolving food system - finding economies of scale - AgTech for small farms - Cooperative Extension’s ongoing evolution http://blog.farmsreach.com/transitions-shermain-hardesty-u/

Tell the USDA that you oppose the proposed withdrawal of animal welfare standards in organic... http://cqrcengage.com/ota/home The deadline for public comments is January 17th, 2018.... In December, the USDA announced its intention to withdraw the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) Final Rule despite widespread support throughout the organic industry. The OLPP specified a set of standards for organic livestock and poultry designed to facilitate natural behaviors, minimize stress and promote well-being, and was the result of over a decade of discussion and input from the organic community. Let's use our collective voice to defend organic! Tell the USDA that you do not support the withdrawal of the OLPP. Visit the Organic Trade Association to make a public comment.

Introducing The Guest-imator! It’s a dinner party calculator that helps you estimate how much food to make for dinner parties, just in time for Thanksgiving, courtesy of our Save the Food campaign. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0wYITFUXLk

https://www.facebook.com/events/582545391869774/

https://www.washingtonpost.com//146f72b2-9e4d-11e7-8ea1-ed

WOW. Big news today: https://www.nytimes.com//business/dealbook/amazon-whole-fo

A new report by Food Democracy Now! and the Detox Project, "Glyphosate: Unsafe On Any Plate", exposes shocking levels of glyphosate contamination in popular American foods, including Cheerios, Doritos, Oreos, Goldfish and Ritz crackers and Stacy’s Pita Chips. New scientific evidence shows that probable harm to human health could begin at ultra-low levels of glyphosate e.g. 0.1 parts per billions (ppb). Popular foods tested for glyphosate measured between 289.47 ppb and at l...evels as high as 1,125.3 ppb. Click here to read the report "Glyphosate: Unsafe on Any Plate" http://bit.ly/glyphosateFood Take Action here: http://bit.ly/2ey7FWv Tell the EPA to investigate the real harms from Monsanto's weedkiller glyphosate, end the collusion between regulators and Monsanto and release all the scientific data submitted for safety approvals. https://s3.amazonaws.com//FDN_Glyphosate_FoodTesting_Repor

Call to Action: The seed industry is one of the most consolidated in agriculture, and it's getting worse. Yesterday Bayer announced it will purchase Monsanto for more than $56 billion, creating the world's largest supplier in seeds and agricultural chemicals. DuPont and Dow, and ChemChina and Syngenta, have also announced agreements to merge. If the Department of Justice (DOJ) allows these mergers, three corporations will sell nearly 60% of the world's seed. This level of co...ncentration will lead to fewer seed options for farmers, less crop diversity in our fields, and a tighter corporate grip on our seed and food supply. Organic Seed Alliance has partnered with Seed Matters on a letter addressed to the DOJ asking for immediate action to stop these mega-mergers. Sign this petition and then share with your friends. It's not too late to take back control of our seed! http://seedmatters.org/mr-seed-dc/

Wonderful news for farm workers! Sobering news for the majority of farm operators who aren't running profitable businesses as it is... We need an economic overhaul of the family farming sector.... http://www.sacbee.com//politics-government/capitol-alert/a

For many of us who have worked in regional food systems for many years, Farmigo's shutting down is no surprise. Aside from ethical issues of "borrowed" IP from Local Harvest's CSA software, they struggled with their business model. $26 million later, they are closing up shop. Here's Farmigo's perspective on what happened: http://foodtechconnect.com//farmigo-shutting-down-online/

Contenders at the recent FOOD IT: "Solution Harvest; challenges, solutions, design thinking and innovation from all around." - Athena, a food-centric platform and supply chain risk management application utilizing natural resource, processing, and production practice data. - Avolved, providing a smart plant growing system that measures air temperature, humidity, lighting variables, CO2, soil moisture, and nutrient levels.... - Byte, feeding the millions of office workers stranded in food deserts using RFID-enabled refrigerators to sell fresh food 24/7. - Edenworks, powering year round production of fresh, local produce through indoor aquaponic agriculture at enterprise scale. - FreshSurety, tackling the problem of produce shelf-life by enabling accurate tracking and measurement of freshness throughout the supply chain. - Maiaki, led by the former Minister of Agriculture from Georgia, is an online platform for international food trade allowing farmers to easily reach new global markets. - Monj, a mobile app, provided through corporate wellness programs, inspires healthier eating habits through social gaming centered on cooking and skill building in the kitchen. - SnapDNA, enables complex DNA tests in minutes from a fully automated low-cost handheld device allowing food producers and farmers to test for pathogens at the source. Read more: http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/

The Resurgence of Black Farmers: After a long decline, the number of Black farmers in the United States is on the rise again.... http://civileats.com//07/15/the-resurgence-of-black-farm/

Registration is open for the Women in Sustainable Agriculture conference, happening this year in Portland, Oregon in November: http://2016wisa.org/