Farmers have a vital role to play in producing and utilizing compost to restore depleted soils. Permit exemptions authorize compost operations on farms and smaller-scale facilities, such as community gardens, thus avoiding superfluous permitting requirements intended for larger, full-scale compost facilities. Because there are often significantly less risks or hazards associated with on-farm and small-scale composters, … Read More
New York requires agricultural composters who accept any amount of food scraps from off-site to apply for a permit. In addition to the permit requirement, composters must adhere to specific performance standards including methods of vector and pathogen reduction. Some non-food materials, including animal manure and no more than 3,000 cubic yards of yard trimmings per year, may be conditionally exempt from the permit requirement.… Read More
A growing number of farmers are selling their products directly to consumers. Expanding localmarkets for agricultural products connects producers with eaters and increases farmers’ incomes by eliminating the middleperson.Food and dollars stay in town, transportation costs are minimized, anda connection between farmers and the community is fostered. Usingfarmers markets, community supported agriculture, and new statemarketing and inspection programs, a new turn towards local markets hasbegun. As these markets expand, local food systems are being rebuilt toreplace the centralized, corporate ones currently in place. Below arethe rules and trends that are driving such a transition.… Read More
The Packers and Stockyards Act passed in 1921 to maintain competition in the livestock industry.
TheAct contains provisions banning price discrimination, the manipulation of prices, weight manipulation of livestock or carcasses, manipulation of carcass grades, commercial bribery, and misrepresentation of source, condition, or quality of livestock, in addition to other unfair and deceptive practices. The importance of the law has increased as concentration in the livestock industry continues to grow dramatically.
To protect its citizens from deceptive advertising, the state of Vermont implemented a law in 2008 that says that labels like "local" and "locally grown" may be applied only to food and other goods that originate in Vermont or within 30 miles of where they are being sold.… Read More
A 1998 Iowa law required state agencies to give soy-based hydraulic fluid a purchasing preference. In April 2000, this law was amended to include a preference for greases and other industrial lubricants as well as hydraulic fluids. Soy is still the raw material of choice. In addition, the new law also removes two prerequisites for the purchasing preference: one said that the lubricant must be within the agency’s budget, and the other that the lubricant must be consistent with the manufacturer’s specifications for the equipment.… Read More
Genetically Modified Organisms have raised questions of safety across the world.
In the 1920’s, the farm cooperative marketing movement sought to organize commodity cooperatives that could control the supply of goods in an attempt to stabilize markets. But without an ability to control production, they failed. The idea of supply management has resurfaced every few decades since, most notably in the 1960’s and 1980’s. In the early … Read More
During the 1980’s farm crisis the idea of a supply management system for agriculture was proposed by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Bill Alexander (D-AK). In 1985 they introduced the Farm Policy Reform Act(S.1083). Title I of the Act required the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct referendums (in 1985, 1989, 1993, and 1997) to determine by majority vote if a mandatory supply management program should be in effect for the succeeding four-year program period. If the referendum failed, the Secretary would determine the farm program for the succeeding four-year period.… Read More