Whose FDA Is It Anyway?
Wanted: An rBGH-Free Appointment (can we still say that?)
A recent article on the Organic Consumers Association website joins the vetting process for Obama's Secretary of Agriculture appointment. Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff's name has surfaced as a potential pick for this post, and anyone that remembers his campaign against rBGH-free labeling will wonder how this appointment could possibly bring the change Obama mentioned in his Rural Plan (namely, to "Prevent Anticompetitive Behavior Against Family Farms" and "Encourage Organic and Sustainable Agriculture"). Visit the OCA site to read…
Animal Welfare Approved Program to Provide all Audits for American Grassfed Association Members
Animal Welfare Approved program director Andrew Gunther is pleased to announce a new partnership with the American Grassfed Association (AGA) in which Animal Welfare Approved will audit AGA members for both AGA standards and Animal Welfare Approved standards. This new partnership begins immediately. "Our standards require pasture and/or range access, which aligns us philosophically with the American Grassfed Association, an organization that protects and promotes grassfed producers and grassfed products," remarked Gunther. "We are looking forward to a long and…
Maveric Heritage Ranch Needs Your Support Following Tragic Barn Fire
On November 19, one of our farm families suffered a tragic barn fire caused by an electrical malfunction. We ask that you hold them in your thoughts as they struggle to care for the surviving animals and work to repair damage caused by the fire. Arie McFarlen of Maveric Heritage Ranch Co. raises Mulefoot hogs and other rare breeds with her husband Bret Kortie in Dell Rapids, South Dakota. They have worked for ten years preserving rare breeds, and are…
President of National Black Farmer’s Association on Short List for Secretary of Agriculture Post
Dr. John Boyd isn't just a family farm owner—he is a political pioneer for small farmers like himself across the nation. As the founder and president of the National Black Farmer's Association, Boyd has been lobbying and litigating for black farmers since 1995. After campaigning diligently for President-elect Barack Obama over the past several months, Boyd now finds himself under consideration for the new administration's Secretary of Agriculture. Several articles, including the one below from the online site Grist have…
