A weekly roundup of news and events concerning food, farms, the environment, local communities- and anything else that may catch our eye. Beginning farmers are getting a boost from the USDA through a program that helps them gain access to affordable land. The Transition Incentive Program (TIP) preserves existing farmland and supports new sustainable agriculture operations by allowing retiring farmers and ranchers to transition their farmland to new farmers. But, as always there are a few guidelines to follow in order to participate in the program. In the Midwest, the Central Illinois Farm Beginnings education program is also assisting new and entrepreneurial farmers in an effort to increase collaboration within the region. Through the Central Illinois Sustainable Farming Network (CISFN), Farm Beginning graduates continue their education through workshops participation, mentor relationships, and access to a network of farmers with similar interests. Concern over the relationship between farmland loss and diminishing food supplies was the topic of an article by Politics Daily columnist Bonnie Erbe. The story featured AFT’s own Julia Freedgood who commented on the average loss of a million acres of American farmland each year! In the political realm, a recent letter to the EPA and to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack voiced concerns over the analysis informing proposed climate and energy legislation.  Previous examination, the organizations contend, excluded potential offset types and subsequently skewed the findings.  The group, which included American Farmland Trust, expressed their desire for the EPA and USDA to work more closely with the agriculture community to better understand the possible effects the most recent legislative proposals may have on the agriculture community. Our own Dennis Nuxoll recently spoke at a clean energy and climate change workshop in Fargo, ND, where proposed cap and trade legislation has beet farmers in North Dakota’s Red River Valley anxious over the industry’s future. However, Nuxoll noted that an analysis by Informa Economics, Inc. for the National Association of Wheat Growers and American Farmland Trust shows that a direct regulation scheme by the EPA will harm agriculture and farmers more than clean energy legislation. Finally, be on the lookout for Senate Ag Committee hearings regarding the 2012 Farm Bill. The hearings kick-off in Washington with various dates, locations and topics over the next few months.