NEWS:

House Approves New Food-Safety Laws

(New York Times) – In a major step toward an overhaul of the nation’s food safety system, the House of Representatives passed legislation on Thursday to require more frequent inspections of processing plants and give the government the authority to order the recall of tainted foods.  “No legislation like this has moved forward this far in decades to overhaul the food safety laws,” said Erik D. Olson, director of food and consumer product safety issues at the Pew Charitable Trusts. “It’s a pretty historic moment.” House passage sets the stage for the Senate to take up the issue, though probably not until the fall. The Obama administration has voiced strong support for a comprehensive food safety revamping. The bill passed the House on a vote of 283 to 142. Democratic support was overwhelming, but Republicans were split, with 54 voting in favor and 122 against. Much of the opposition centered on lesser provisions that critics said would add burdensome bureaucracy for farmers. The legislation seeks to remedy problems in the food safety system that have been discussed for decades. Its chief sponsor, Representative John D. Dingell, Democrat of Michigan, said it would “fundamentally change the way in which we ensure the safety of our food supply.” The measure would require the Food and Drug Administration to conduct inspections every 6 to 12 months at food processing plants that it deems high-risk. These could include plants that have experienced food safety problems in the past or that handle products that spoil easily, like seafood. Full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/us/politics/31fda.html

USDA will aid struggling dairy farms

 (AP) – The Agriculture Department is helping struggling dairy farmers by raising the price paid for milk and cheddar cheese through a dairy price support program. The department estimates the temporary increases, which will be in place until October, will boost dairy farmers’ overall revenue by $243 million. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Friday that the price increase will provide immediate relief, helping to keep dairy farmers on the farm while they weather what he called “one of the worst dairy crises in decades.” Many dairy farms around the country have been in danger of closing as milk prices have hit lows and operational costs have skyrocketed, and lawmakers from high-producing dairy states have been pushing the department to temporarily boost the prices. Full article here: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j7RZ2EsYpY-xQadb6AxbZBU_xdvgD99PEP902  

Michelle Obama cultivating food policy

(Washington Post)  – It was the ultimate photo op – 36 smiling fifth graders eating a healthful meal they’d cooked themselves at a picnic table in the first lady’s garden. The story line was as simple as it was seductive: They came. They planted. They harvested. In three short months, Michelle Obama had accomplished what other food advocates could only dream about. Good food was no longer just virtuous. It was cool. That was easy. Now what? Full article here:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/14/AR2009071400669.html 

Going with the grain that grows in Maine

(Portland Press Herald) – When artisanal bakers and farmers get together this weekend at the third annual Kneading Conference in Skowhegan, they’ll have lots to talk about – and celebrate. For years, Maine bakers have bemoaned the lack of locally-grown wheat that could help them create fresher, better-tasting bread products. Now the issue is finally taking a giant leap forward with a new $1.3 million federal grant that will be used to develop organic wheat farming in Maine and Vermont. The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will fund a four-year project that brings together scientists, farmers, bakers and millers from both states to expand organic wheat production in New England, once a bread basket of the nation. Ellen Mallory, a sustainable agriculture specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service who is leading the project, estimates that Maine produces 200 to 500 acres of organic wheat. Vermont produces about the same. “It’s hard to get a handle on what the demand really is, but we know that we’re well below supplying that demand,” Mallory said. Full article here: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=273544&ac=Food 

N.H. embraces ‘eat local’ theme during August

(Foster’s Daily Democrat) – Governor John Lynch has proclaimed August as NH Eat Local Month! Each of the four weeks has a theme: “Visit a Farmers Market”, “Family to the Farm” (visit a farmstand or farm), “Share the Harvest” (providing food for those in need), and “Looking Ahead” (preserving and storing food for the winter).  Last year, the first week of August was declared “NH Eat Local Week”, and was marked by local dinners and other events, and more interest is anticipated in this month-long celebration of New Hampshire’s farmers and their harvest. New Hampshire residents and visitors are showing unprecedented interest in local food, and this celebration offers a great opportunity to feature New Hampshire grown foods. Visit www.nheatlocal.org for event and activity information. Full article here:  http://tinyurl.com/nuyqgl

Late blight yields bitter harvest across region

(Boston Globe) – Slumped in his tractor, Ari Kurtz looked out at his fields, where rotting fruit and gnarled plants fringed with dead leaves were all that remained of what should have been a bountiful tomato harvest. In just the past week, Kurtz, the farm manager at Lindentree Farm, lost the season’s crop, a half-acre field that at this time of year typically yields up to 2,400 pounds per week, to a contagious fungus that has spread to farms and home gardens across the Northeast. “You have to understand how disappointing this is,” said Kurtz, who added that in 20 years of farming he has never seen such a virulent crop disease. “They looked wonderful; then we looked everywhere, and they were dying.” Produce farmers in Massachusetts and elsewhere in New England – already struggling with one of the wettest, coolest summers in recent history – are now battling late blight, a fungus with tiny spores spread by the wind that rots tomato and potato plants. It is the same disease that was responsible for the 19th-century Irish potato famine. Organic farms, including Lindentree, have been hit especially hard by the outbreak, because they cannot use the strong, synthetic fungicides that work best to protect their harvest. “This has been one of the most challenging years organic farmers have faced in the Northeast,” said Bill Duesing, president of the Northeast Organic Farming Association. Organizers recently canceled Slow Food Connecticut’s heirloom tomato festival, Duesing added, because tomatoes are too scarce and the farm that hosts it is too soggy. Full article here:

http://tinyurl.com/mj6ypc

Truck farm takes love of veggies to New York City streets

(Mother Nature Network) – Ellis and Cheney, the duo behind award-winning documentary King Corn, knew that they needed to do more than just dump a bunch of dirt into the back of Cheney’s old gray Dodge. New York City-based green roof company Alive Structures showed them how to do it right, with a root barrier, erosion blanket, drainage mat and special lightweight soil made out of Styrofoam, clay and organic matter. Now, they’ve got a truck bed full of lettuce, broccoli and other veggies grown from heirloom seeds. Naturally, Cheney and Ellis decided to film the project, using a solar-powered time-lapse camera mounted on the roof of the truck for some of the shots. The series of musical video shorts includes original songs by The Fishermen Three, with excerpts available for viewing on YouTube. Full article here:  http://www.mnn.com/food/farms-gardens/stories/truck-farm-takes-love-of-veggies-to-new-york-city-streets  

Schools look for ways to buy locally grown food

(The Capital) – Schools across Maryland are taking the first steps to include more locally grown food in their cafeterias, but it will be a long, bumpy road to get there, participants in a conference in Crownsville learned yesterday. Still, there was a clear determination to do what it takes to get more local food into schools, not only for its nutritional benefits for children, but also as a boon to farmers and local economies. “Maryland Farm to School: A Ripe Opportunity” was how one presenter put it. “We really look for people who are asking how, not why,” said Jane Storrs of the Maryland Department of Agriculture, who helped organize the event at Indian Creek School in Crownsville. “We are thinking priority versus possibility.” Full article here: http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/top/2009/07/30-31/Schools-look-for-ways-to-buy-locally-grown-food.html  

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