There are a couple of big happenings in the world of Chesapeake Bay restoration in regards to farmers in the region- and for those out of the region too, since the Bay is likely to be the model for other watersheds across the country.
First, as of May 11, 2010, a federal judge found
Continue reading The 64,000 Mile Chesapeake Bay Plan
While others debate how to reduce carbon emissions, students at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, are calculating the carbon footprint of their activities, then paying local farmers to offset those emissions with healthy farming practices that capture carbon and preserve the land.
The initiative, organized as StoCarb (St. Olaf Carbon Offsets: Seeking Forgiveness for Our
Continue reading Band Plays Environmentally-Friendly Tune with Help of Farmers
Yet another study records high marks for protecting farmland through Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement (PACE) programs. The recently released New York Farmland Protection Survey* echoes the results of earlier studies on the satisfaction, motivation and future plans of farmers participating in these conservation programs.
This latest study reports New York farmers to have an overall
Continue reading Farmers See Benefits in Protecting their Land
Before I came to American Farmland Trust, I was the Counselor to the Administrator for Agricultural Policy at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). One of my primary efforts at EPA was to start the first-ever agricultural advisory committee for the agency so that they might advise the agency on how environmental policy issues affect
Continue reading Farmers and Environmentalists: Working Toward Mutual Understanding
Last week, The Los Angles Times ran an op-ed that should be of interest to all those involved in the countless farm and food related debates happening across the nation.
Titled “The Facts about Food and Farming,” the piece is an excellent examination of the farm policy debate that is useful for thoughtful people whether they
Continue reading The Farms and Food Debate