MOFGA Receives Major USDA Grant for New Farmer Training MOFGA Receives Major USDA Grant for New Farmer Training Three-year grant of $599,913 will support development of new Maine Farm Resilience Program targeting advanced-beginner farmers with five to nine years of experience 241 October 2, 2018 – The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) today announced it has received a major farmer training grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The $599,913 award comes through the department's Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) and will help support training of 116 farmers over the next three years through MOFGA's existing Journeyperson Training Program and its new Maine Farm Resilience Program.
‘Real thirst for compost education’ drives students learning that science in Monmouth 14 October 17, 2018 – By Betty Adams, centralmaine.com – The Maine Compost School, which carried out exercises Wednesday at Highmoor Farm in Monmouth, teaches that heat, texture and odor are critical to breaking down organic material successfully.
Sikkim receives UN award for becoming world's first 100% organic state 14 October 16, 2018 – Business Today – Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling received the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) Future Policy Gold Award for paving the way for the rest of the world. The CM received the award as Sikkim became the world's first fully organic state. "Let us build an organic world together," he said while accepting the award from FAO's Deputy Director Maria Helena Semedo, who praised the state for setting an example.
U.S. Boasts 6.5 Million Acres of Organic Certified Land with 460 New Operations in 2018 12 October 16, 2018 – Mercaris, GlobeNewswire – The USDA NASS confirms it will not be issuing data on organic acreage for 2018.
Food wasted by rich nations could end world hunger - U.N. 12 October 16, 2018 - By Thin Lei Win, Thomson Reuters Foundation – Rich nations waste $750 billion of food each year, double the amount needed to end global hunger, David Beasley, head of the United Nations World Food Programme, said on Tuesday.
Dow wants to bolster use of a pesticide shown to hurt bees’ reproduction 12 October 16, 2018 – By Brian Bienkowski, Environmental Health News – The request seeks to expand use of sulfoxaflor to millions more acres and on some plants that pollinators frequent.
Invasion of the ‘frankenbees’: the danger of building a better bee 13 October 16, 2018 – By Bernhard Warner, The Guardian – Beekeepers are sounding the alarm about the latest developments in genetically modified pollinators.
The Country's First-Ever Credit Union to Lend Exclusively to Farmers and Food Producers Hits Milestone and Moves Forward 31 October 15, 2018 – By Maine Harvest Credit Union, PR Newswire – Maine Harvest Credit Project has reached its $2.4M fundraising goal – a critical milestone in becoming Maine's 56th credit union and the country's first-ever to lend exclusively to farmers and food entrepreneurs. Once chartered, Maine Harvest will offer specialized loans and mortgages with a statewide goal to boost Maine's growing agricultural economy.
The case for USDA organic 10 October 15, 2018 – By David P. Carter, The Hill – The Trump administration last spring withdrew a final rule that would have strengthened organic poultry welfare standards. Last week, we learned that the issue will have its day in court.
A Private Equity Veteran Wants to End Animal Factory Farming 11 October 15, 2018 – By Paul Tullis, Bloomberg Quint – The first investor network dedicated to alerting the financial community of the risks and opportunities stemming from intensive livestock production has seen its assets under management nearly double in the past five months, to $9 trillion spread across 90 members.