| Organic no-till still target for soil management, even as farmers start with moderate improvements | In this op-ed, Lisa Hamilton seconds author Paul Roberts’ opinion that the food movement got too narrow in simply championing organic and local food production, while the threat of soil erosion – induced by climate related problems – constantly shadows food producers. | Mar 19, 2009 |
| Ontario government cracks down on cosmetic pesticide use | The Ontario government is set to announce new regulations that would ban the use of 85 chemicals used in about 250 lawn and garden products. | Mar 16, 2009 |
| NAIS tracking would hurt smaller farmers, help CAFOs, without public health benefit | The National Animal Identification System, which would mandate all livestock to be tagged and tracked, presents fixed costs for farmers, regardless of farm size. | Mar 11, 2009 |
| Lack of supply control and uniform standards means troubling times for organic dairy farmers | In a climate of race-to-the-bottom price cutting, oversupply, and declining demand for organic dairy, many marketers, including Organic Valley are forced to take farmer-unfriendly steps like lowering their pay prices for organic milk and asking farmers to reduce production by 10-15 percent. | Mar 11, 2009 |
| Milk processor cuts spur search for in-state markets and label | As milk demand drops off with the growing recession (especially for organic, which can carry twice the price tag), Hood abandons contracts with eight Maine organic farms and has asked hundreds of others to scale back on production. | Mar 11, 2009 |
| When the manure outsells the milk | A few years ago, a pair of Connecticut dairy farmers wondered what to do with the grainy-smelling solids left over from harvesting methane from manure in their biogas digester. | Mar 02, 2009 |
| Animal tracking systems found to carry a host of problems | Threatening small farms, bolstering agribusiness and factory farms, and rewarding environmental destruction have been only a few effects of the USDA’s animal tracking standards. | Mar 02, 2009 |
| Merrigan pick at USDA delights sustainable, organic communities | Sustainable and organic farming advocates celebrated President Barack Obama’s choice for the No. 2 spot at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kathleen Merrigan. | Feb 25, 2009 |
| National organic seal holds promise for Canada | The Canadian organic sector got a boost from the national government, which unified once-fragmented and sometimes questionable local standards into a credible national seal, requiring no less than 95 percent of ingredients in certified organic products to be organically produced. | Feb 25, 2009 |
| New GM-organic “co-existence” rules in Wales tightened to avoid contamination | Wales has announced proposals for strict new rules on the planting of genetically modified crops. | Feb 25, 2009 |
