Glynwood Harvest Awards Seek Nominees
Do you know visionary farmers who not only raise amazing food but have
also developed innovations in growing, marketing, and collaborating with
their community in new and exciting ways? Are there inventive
individuals, organizations or businesses in your community developing
cutting-edge models to connect people with sustainable,
regionally-produced food? Please help us recognize outstanding
accomplishments from around the country by nominating someone whose work
you admire for a Glynwood Harvest Award. The Harvest Awards honor
individuals, organizations, and businesses across the United States
demonstrating innovation and leadership in support of regional 2010.
http://www.glynwood.org/Programs/HarvestAwards/NominateSome.html
America's Favorite Farmers' Markets" Contest Underway
American Farmland Trust is sponsoring "America's Favorite Farmers'
Markets" contest. The purpose of the America's Favorite Farmers'
Markets(tm) contest is to spread the No Farms No Food(r) message and to
raise national awareness about local farmers' markets, the role they
play in supporting local farms and food, and the importance of local
farms and farmland to our communities. It is a free national contest
that will let your customers show support for your market, help you earn
free media coverage, and bring in new shoppers who want to support
farmers' markets in your community and beyond. We will be promoting
farmers' markets on
the national level while we continue to work toward our goal of
protecting productive farmland and spreading the No Farms No Food(r)
message.
http://www.farmland.org/actioncenter/no-farms-no-food/farmers-market-managers.asp
USDA Evaluating Small Meat and Poultry Processing Needs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a preliminary study
revealing existing gaps in the regional food systems regarding the availability of slaughter facilities to small meat and
poultry producers. The study by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection
Service (FSIS) is a first attempt to identify areas in the U.S. where
small livestock and poultry producers are concentrated but may not have
access to a nearby slaughter facility. The data creates a
county-by-county view of the continental United States, indicating the
concentration of small farms raising cattle, hogs and pigs, and chicken,
and also noting the location of nearby state slaughter facilities and
small and very small federal slaughter establishments. The presentation
"Slaughter Availability to Small Livestock and Poultry Producers - Maps"
may be found at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/KYF_maps-050410_FOR_RELEASE.pdf.
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/br_news.php/2010/05/27/usda-evaluating-small-meat-and-poultry-processing-needs
Survey: Foodies
Willing to Pay More for Organic
More than 83 percent of foodies say they'll pay more for at least some
organic or all natural foods, according to a recent survey from Healthbuzz, a new go-to resource for nutrition and
wellness information and inspiration launched by Foodbuzz, an online
food community. Knowing where food comes from and what goes into the
foods we eat was an important trend in the survey results. For example,
69 percent offoodies
surveyed "always" read the nutrition panels of foods that they
purchase. In addition, the majority of foodies surveyed (83 percent)
believe locally grown food to be generally healthier. The importance of a
food's source is also significant when foodies dine out. An
overwhelming 96 percent of foodies like knowing where a restaurant's
food comes from, which is underscored by the increasing number of
restaurants including this type of information on their menus. Twelve
bloggers, including registered dieticians and nutritionists, will serve
as Healthbuzz Featured Editors, providing expert advice on subjects such
as diet and nutrition, healthy recipes, specialty diets and fitness,
all connected to a central theme. For example, this month, Featured
Editor Nancy Oliveira, a Boston-based registered dietician and publisher
of the blog Fit Mama Eats, provides content on children's health.
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/br_news.php/2010/05/26/survey-foodies-willing-to-pay-more-for-organic
Energy Audits and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grants
The USDA's energy audits and renewable energy development assistance
program is designed to help agricultural producers and rural small
businesses reduce energy costs and consumption and help meet the
nation's critical energy needs. The 2008 Farm Bill mandates that the
recipient of a grant that conducts an energy audit for an agricultural
producer or a rural small business require the agricultural producer or
rural small business to pay at least 25 percent of the cost of the
energy audit, which shall be retained by the eligible entity for the
cost of the audit. Proposals are due July 26, 2010.
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=hnhFMDbQQ2fSRk206zv2wWyXdGvH12dWpcxrJJGrrM712JBvLqVv!-527379068?oppId=54851&mode=VIEW