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Grassroots and Dirty Boots: A New OEFFA Policy Podcast!
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new podcast, Grassroots and Dirty Boots, which can be found on Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Apple Podcasts. In this podcast, we will talk about movements of change from the ground up and highlight stories from advocates and leaders across the food and farm system. Each episode centers on grassroots movements in the heartland and uplifts the experiences of OEFFA members and others who are part of our vibrant community of changemakers.
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Marker Bills We Oppose
The farm bill expired for the third time on September 30, after little movement earlier last year. While the agriculture community anxiously awaits an updated version better suited to modern farm needs (not those of 2018), marker bills are still regularly being introduced.
As a reminder, marker bills do not get passed on their own. Instead, they’re introduced by members of Congress with the hopes of being included in larger legislative bills—like the farm bill. Think of them as “building blocks” to amass attention and build support for certain policy proposals.
Our team has been tracking OEFFA-endorsed marker bills here. Based on discussions with members of our Consolidation Caucus, we would also like to highlight a few marker bills that we oppose.
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Strengthening Local Food Systems: A Q&A with The Local Butcher
Farmers and food businesses alike are facing consistent setbacks resulting from recent federal actions. Multiple approaches can be taken to support local businesses, like The Local Butcher. We had the opportunity to chat with the Meeks family of the Athens, Ohio-based meat processing plant.
Read on to learn about how policy can lead to much-needed investments for The Local Butcher, our local communities, and our local food systems.
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Unpacking the MAHA Report
In mid-May, the White House released “The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Report.” The report makes proclamations linking food and chemical corporations with our country’s health crises, particularly those impacting children. It sounds the alarm about corporate influence over our food system, the dangers of pesticides, and the increasing concerns brought about by environmental toxins, to name just a few.
Read on to learn what the MAHA Report says about agriculture and what we see as potential implications of its publication.
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CAFOs: A Q&A with OEFFA Member Emily Kichler
We are so thankful for our vast number of policy member leaders who interact with us on a regular basis. Emily Kichler recently reached out with her research on CAFO systems that we wanted to share with our OEFFA network.
Emily Kichler is a cook, a student of environmental policy at Virginia Wesleyan, and a long-time food system reform advocate—from WWOOFing and learning about different methods of sustainable farming around the country, to work in food assistance, to composting legislation advocacy, to farm policy advocacy with OEFFA and Farm Action. Emily is an active participant in the OEFFA Policy Caucuses and joins us at the Statehouse for advocacy days.
We had the opportunity to chat with Emily about CAFOs. Read on for her take.
FARM POLICY MATTERS