News From Other Sources
There’s a lot going on in the world of organic farming. Our community is always striving to grow and educate. We’ll aggregate and share other organic news from a variety of sources in this section.
OFRF News
House of Representatives Passes a Farm Bill
June 22, 2018 – While the House Farm Bill was wholly opposed by Democrats, who were joined by some Republicans in their opposition, the House of Representatives passed their version of the Farm Bill, by a vote of 213-211 with two Republicans and two Democrats not voting. The U.S. Senate is currently working on their text for the Farm Bill (read about it here), which is different than the House version. If the House and Senate pass different bills, the differences will be parsed out in conference committee, and if approved, will [...]
Senate Agriculture Committee Passes Farm Bill with Big Wins for Organic
June 13, 2018 – Today the Senate Agriculture Committee voted to favorably report the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (S. 3042), the Senate Farm Bill, out of Committee by a vote of 20-1. Senator Grassley (R-IA) voted against the bill. The next step is the floor of the Senate, where members will vote on passage of the Farm Bill. During the debate, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-MY) promised that the bill will reach the Senate floor before the Fourth of July. With the Senate Agriculture Committee’s passage, organic agriculture [...]
Simple Gifts Farm
May 15, 2018 – We recently had the opportunity to talk with OFRF Board President Jeremy Barker Plotkin of Simple Gifts Farm in Amherst, Massachusetts. Jeremy and his team are stewards of the North Amherst Community Farm (NACF), community-owned land preserved in perpetuity for farming. They are working to ensure the land remains an organic community farm, a wildlife corridor, and a place for local residents to enjoy nature and walking trails. They run the farm as an ecological unit, integrating vegetable crops and livestock, and connecting the community with their [...]
Ferd Hoefner Honored by James Beard Foundation
May 10, 2018 – OFRF is thrilled to share the news that Ferd Hoefner, Senior Strategic Advisor at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), was honored with a 2018 Leadership Award from the James Beard Foundation. Ferd, a long-time member of OFRF’s Advisory Board, was recognized for his dedication to ensuring the voices of family farmers and the sustainable agriculture movement are heard on Capitol Hill. “I am inspired by the commitment I see from so many dedicated sustainable farmers and ranchers all over the country to land stewardship and [...]
