The Brewers run cattle and grow some alfalfa across 12,000 acres of grassland that’s a combination of owned land, leased tribal land, and federal trust land. This complicated arrangement isn’t unusual for Indigenous producers, who…
Browsing Category Sustainable farming
USDA Unveils Streamlined Local Food Funding – National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the 2023 Regional Food System Partnership, Farmers Market Promotion and Local Food Promotion program awards, totaling $32 million for 98 projects to bolster local and regional food…
Could Dry-Farming Wheat in San Diego Seed a Local Grain Economy?
Wheat is still a tiny part of California’s economy: In 2021, it comprised 380,000 planted acres out of 27 million, or 1.4 percent, and it’s concentrated in the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys and used…
Animal Welfare Advocates Want a Say in the Next Farm Bill
This is the latest installment of our series Faces of the Farm Bill, wherein we set out to humanize the real-world impacts of ag policy. The 2018 Farm Bill expired on September 30th, and it doesn’t seem likely that…
Strengthening Local Processing Act – Critical Reasons for Support in the Farm Bill
The Strengthening Local Processing Act (SLPA) is the most comprehensive meat processing bill around, with specific provisions that address competition, demand for local products, and access to value added services in the meat processing sector….
A Culinary Worker Strike Could Reshape the Nation’s Restaurants
These massive corporations have been merging and gaining power. Wall Street private equity influence is very powerful, and workers are fearful of being left behind. And that’s something that we see at our sister local…
From Commodification to Conservation: Restoring Agrobiodiversity Through Seed Breeding – Part II:
Editor’s Note: This post is the second in a two-part series about seed breeding. This series explores the history of seed breeding in the US, the impacts of consolidation and concentration of seed breeding on…
What the Expiration of the 2018 Farm Bill Means for Food and Agriculture
On October 1, 2023, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 – more commonly known as the 2018 Farm Bill – expired. The expiration did not come as a surprise, as Congress’ timeline for reauthorizing the…
Photo Essay: Montana Meat Producers Carve Their Own Paths
For Black Dog Farm in Livingston, Montana, the early COVID lockdowns were a boon for business. “It’s undeniable that the pandemic had a huge positive effect on our business,” said co-owner Kira Jarosz. “We’re out…
California Will Help BIPOC Collective Cultivate Land Access for Underserved Farmers
Surrounded by low-income apartments, senior housing, and the cheerful hum of an elementary school playground, We Grow Farms is an unlikely yet central landmark in West Sacramento. Just a few miles from California’s state capital,…