Advocates for small farms and ranches in North Carolina say the companies are ready to bring local, affordable meats and produce to residents, but they need more resources.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said buyers would pay 3% to 4% more for food this year, and about 6% more for eating out. Thus, the emphasis is on local and sustainable agriculture to help meet the needs.
B. Ray Jeffers, a North Carolina-based farmer and policy and program manager for the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI-USA), said that to reliably feed communities, small farmers need better access to processing and storage facilities and transportation options. .
“Anyone starting a new business has hurdles to overcome,” Jeffers acknowledged. “But when you add unnecessary government policies, access to land prices, unaffordable capital and physically demanding work, a new level of challenge arises.”
He pointed out that rising supply and equipment costs are putting additional pressure on the agricultural industry. Fertilizer costs have more than doubled since last year, due to global instability caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as strong global demand and lack of competition among fertilizer producers, according to the USDA.
Jeffers added that groups like RAFI-USA can help small farmers navigate the complexities of federal policies and programs.
“You know, farmers are often beholden to the political machine of government spinning and dealing,” observed Jeffers. “The final version of US farm bill is a big part of that. And that’s not always good news for farmers working in sustainable agriculture.”
He added that the USDA recently announced $130 million in funding for the Local Farmer’s Market Programto expand opportunities for farmers to sell their products to large local institutions, such as universities and hospitals.
Jeffers explained that the average cost of farmland in the United States has also increased, adding another hurdle for small producers.
“But in terms of stability and longevity of the farm business, ownership remains the goal for most farmers,” Jeffers pointed out. “And the biggest barrier to owning land is, you know, the affordability gap.”
From 45,000 farms in North Carolina, about two-thirds are less than 100 acres in size.
Disclosure: The Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA contributes to our fund for reporting on Policy and Budget Priorities, Environmental Justice, Rural/Agricultural Justice, and Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
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A new program seeks to help Wisconsin grain farmers build more environmentally and economically resilient farms.
the Midwest Grains Resources and Immersive Training (GRIT) aims to strengthen the Midwest grain basin by increasing the number and diversity of small and medium-sized farms in the region that grow food-grade grains.
Christine Johnson, Midwest GRIT program manager at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, which oversees the program, said building farmer resilience benefits local consumers throughout the supply chain.
“So having this established and strong regional food system will help both the farmer and our communities moving forward,” Johnson said.
According to US Agricultural Censuswhich is conducted every five years, Wisconsin gained small and large farms from 2012 to 2017, but lost more than 4,200 medium-sized farms.
The GRIT program includes a year of paid training and education programs for current and future grain farmers. Applications for the program are open until the end of March.
At least a third of the open places in the program will be reserved for women farmers. Johnson, who is a farmer herself, said the initiative includes programs specifically aimed at supporting gender barriers for women farmers and entrepreneurs.
“We also make space for other communities, such as black and indigenous farmers, and we really strive to reduce barriers in our region for all farmers who want to succeed,” Johnson explained.
Johnson added that agricultural census data and state grain worker education surveys suggest that only 15 to 20 percent of grain workers in the Midwest identify as female. About 35% of all farm operators in the state were women, up 16% from 2012.
Disclosure: The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute contributes to our Fund for Hunger/Food/Nutrition, Rural/Agriculture and Sustainable Agriculture reports. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
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Over the next few months, residents of North Dakota will be filling baskets with local farmers markets. As vendors prepare this year’s produce, communities across the state remember the economic benefits associated with these markets.
This week, various stakeholders related to local food production participated in a workshop to discuss the intersection of farmers’ markets and community support.
Becca Jablonski, assistant professor and food systems extension economist at Colorado State University, shared research on the topic. She noted that while these markets may not be huge economic drivers, they do create positive gains that are felt in a variety of ways.
“These sectors that are affected will not only be in the case of a farmers’ market, an agricultural sector, will they?” said Jablonski. “They’re also going to be where employees, for example, spend their money. So for things like childcare and grocery sales.”
She noted that vendors often buy local equipment, animals and other essentials to help with their food production, which adds to the ripple effect.
Executives in some North Dakota markets say common barriers include access to suitable venues, as well as connections to local business leaders who could help with sponsorships.
Simone Wai – co-founder of Folkways, which hosts the Red River Market in Fargo – said local marketing partnerships are another way communities can help these businesses succeed and become an economic asset.
“These organizations want to use the Farmer’s Market to introduce new residents to their community,” Wai said. “I know many communities in the area are struggling to attract new residents. And this is a great way to do that.”
She and other organizers said helping create markets can make them more attractive for events such as concerts.
The discussion also focused on promoting growth in areas where there isn’t as much competition, but where there are still enough customers to drive local food sales.
Through a federal grant, the outreach effort is led by Dakota College’s Horticulture Entrepreneurial Center in Bottineau.
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Thousands of coal miners and their families are uncertain about the future of the federal government Black Lung Disability Trust Fund.
At the end of last year, the fund’s source of income, an excise tax on coal produced and sold domestically, was cut by more than half, and experts say the fund is poised to run out of money. Democratic lawmakers have law Project to extend the excise tax at its initial rate until 2031.
Arvin Hanshaw, president of the Nicholas County Black Lung Association, said the monthly stipend helps cover miners’ heavy medical bills and living expenses.
“Without your oxygen, your inhalers and whatever else you need, they won’t be able to afford it,” Hanshaw explained. “And communities, too, will suffer.”
According to the United States Government Accountability Office, the investment fund has borrowed from the general treasury fund nearly every year since 1979. In addition to facing enormous financial challenges, the GAO reported in 2020 that the Department of Labor’s poor oversight of local miners’ insurance put further stress on the future of the fund in jeopardy.
Hanshaw added that he was concerned for currently employed miners who are exposed to coal and silica dust daily and could develop black lung disease. later in life.
“For those who are in the coal mines right now, they’re going to come into contact with the black lung, it’s going to be an ongoing thing,” Hanshaw asserted.
He added that the miners were giving up their health to do their job.
“We just want what was promised, so we won’t have to worry about our livelihoods,” Hanshaw pointed out.
One in 10 underground coal miners with at least 25 years of mining experience will develop black lung, according to 2018 report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The study looked at X-ray data collected from miners’ medical records between 1970 and 2017.
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