The Cuban Agroecological Experiment
Small farms thrive under Cuba’s unique blend of agrarian reforms, farmer autonomy and state support By Christina Bronsing-Lazalde, Food First Cuba Tour Coordinator and leader of upcoming Cuba delegation. The son of two pioneers of the Cuban agroecology movement, Fernando Funes-Monzote has been steeped in sustainable farming his entire life. Two years ago, he decided […]
Land Contracts: Owner Financing with a Twist
by Ben Waterman from New Farmer Project Blog In the spirit of examining ways to acquire land through seller-financing, it is time to take a look at land contracts. The land contract is a variation of the owner-financed sale, with both mechanisms being a way for a farmer-buyer to come to terms with an owner-seller, […]
Farm Tenancy in Kansas 1917-Now
by fourth generation Kansas farmer Tom Giessel The Twentieth Biennial Report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture was published in 1917. The very first chapter was dedicated to the topic of Rural Welfare and began with an article by George E. Putnam, Associate Professor of Economics in Lawrence, Kansas. He devoted the first twenty […]
Wall Street Banks Eye American Farmland
From the Oakland Institute: The wolves of Wall Street are eyeing millions of acres of U.S. farmland that will soon come up for sale, much of which has been in the hands of family farmers for generations, according to Down on the Farm, a new study from the Oakland Institute. “Institutional investors”–including hedge funds, private equity, […]
At Long Last . . . Legislation
For those of you following the Illiad of the 2014 Farm Bill (once called the 2012 Farm Bill . . .), the final passing gives us 5 years of regulation surrounding Agriculture and other national food concerns. This graphic from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition helps show the ups and downs of the version passed […]
New Farm Finance Options Guide: Affording Our Land
In April of 2013, Kendra Johnson, Severine Fleming, and Kristen Loria completed the guidebook “Affording our land: a farmers guide to farm finance options.” It has been at the head of our growing Resource List and is available for free to download. This guidebook is meant as a compilatory resource for farmers looking for land, […]
Considering Land Access — Nationally
Syndicated NPR show All Things Considered featured the creativity of young farmers earlier this week. Highlighting Maple Avenue Market Farm in Virginia and talked to Lindsay Lusher Shute of Hearty Roots Farm in New York. Listen, see pictures and read the story by Dan Charles at the NPR website.
How Globilization Effects Farmers and the Food We Eat
Early in 2013, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), published this paper on what we call “land grabs”, or purchase of farmland by non-farming parties. Land Grabs and Fragile Food Systems: The Role of Globalization, by Sophia Murphy Used under creative commons license from CIMMYT. Farmers around the world are having land they’ve […]
Women Taking Over the Land
The fate of farm and ranchland transferred into the hands of the next generation is not always a continuance of the agricultural legacy. Deep in the heart of Texas, women farmers may change that fate. Read this Texas Tribune story about women farmers taking over the land.
Iowa Public Radio Examines Organic Corn Shortage
The demand for organic food is growing, but in the Midwest, organic is far from king. A report from Iowa Public Radio examines the demand and need for supply of organic corn. The article follows farmer Tom Frantzen (see Farm Profile) who has made the transition to organic, and examines a changing food chain. […]