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A new food labeling law takes effect in the U.S. this week, requiring country-of-origin labels on fresh produce and meats. An Associated Press article describes the changes consumers will see as a result of the rule, and explains some of the exemptions. USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has a web page devoted to COOL information, including links to guidance documents.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the new name of USDA's Food Stamp Program, effective October 1. The new name, a result of the recently enacted Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, more accurately reflects the Program's mission to provide food assistance and nutrition education to assist participants as they move to a healthier lifestyle and self-sufficiency.

The National Organic Action Plan (NOAP), a project that articulates a vision for the future of organic food and agriculture in the United States, will convene about 200 participants in an NOAP National Summit in February 2009. The National Organic Action Plan is a collaborative project initiated and led by The Rural Advancement Foundation International – USA. The summit will develop a plan to advance policy objectives and innovative marketplace tools that ensure organic agriculture’s integrity. Organizers say it will help members of the organic community take action on federal, state, and local levels.

Duke Farms Foundation has announced a partnership with the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey to bring programs on sustainable agriculture and organic gardening to Duke Farms, according to the Somerset Reporter. The report says NOFA-NJ will be developing agricultural and horticultural programs and workshops for farmers and landowners on a variety of topics, including how to integrate wildlife enhancement and management strategies with farm production practices and assessing and improving soil health. Organic gardening programs will also be offered, and NOFA-NJ will move its offices to the site.

North Dakota Farmers Union has opened its second Washington, DC-area restaurant. Founding Farmers opened September 18, just three blocks from the White House. Founding Farmers focuses on providing meals made from fresh, locally-sourced and family farm-sourced ingredients. The menu includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, centered on homemade “scratch” cooking, with a blend of old and new recipes. In 2006, NDFU opened Agraria, another restaurant featuring family-farm sourced ingredients, in lower Georgetown.

Massachusetts is now offering a specialty license plate that will support local farmers. Proceeds from these plates will go to the Massachusetts Agricultural Trust Fund. The Trust will fund programs and services that help farmers remain on the cutting edge in today’s market, like innovative practices, research, improvements in managing resources, marketing, training and education.

SARE’s Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) has changed its name to SARE Outreach. The national outreach office aims to advance the findings of SARE’s regional grant program to the nation’s farmers, ranchers, educators, and researchers by developing and disseminating educational resources from its Beltsville, MD location.

Bullfrog Films is distributing a film that highlights the sustainable food system of the Pacific Northwest. Good Food visits farmers, farmers' markets, distributors, stores, restaurants and public officials who are developing a more sustainable food system for all.

A new campaign has been announced to raise the profile of New York state agriculture by encouraging consumers to include more locally grown foods in their meals. The Sample New York campaign will include the Web site www.SampleNY.org, which is scheduled to start in early October. Sample New York is presented by the New York Wine and Culinary Center.

To help crop farmers negatively impacted by a ban on baiting and feeding deer in the Lower Peninsula, the Michigan Farm Bureau has launched the Web-based Michigan Feed Exchange to help these niche growers find alternative markets for their carrots, sugar beets and other commodities. The site can be accessed at www.michfb.com/feed. The Michigan Feed Exchange operates as an online clearinghouse where potential sellers and buyers can list and exchange information for free with the intention of finding mutually beneficial partnerships, such as a cattle producer willing to buy carrots from a vegetable grower to feed cattle rather than deer. The Michigan Farmer reports crops intended to be sold as deer bait and feed were being harvested or were near harvest when the Michigan Department of Natural Resources implemented the feeding and baiting ban on Aug. 26 to help prevent the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease in the state's privately owned and wild deer herds.

Fay Benson at Cornell University's Small Farms Program is working with the USDA Risk Management Agency to get the word out about a new insurance program for pasture and forages, which is being piloted in the Southern Tier region and in Cortland County, NY. The Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) (PDF/27KB) is an insurance program for farmers who want to manage the risk of weather fluctuations on their pastures and forage fields. The program began last year in parts of the country including Pennsylvania. This year the RMA is including the NY Southern Tier and Cortland County. If farmers find it useful it will be offered across the United States.

With funding from Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, and the USDA Risk Management Agency, the Northeast Network of Immigrant Farming Projects developed a series of documents which are geared towards low-literacy populations. These guides provide clear, simple, and more accessible text for readers, to help reduce misunderstandings, errors, enquiries, and overall lack of comprehension. Titles available are Plain Language Guide to Starting a Value Added Food Business (PDF/632KB); Plain Language Guide to USDA's NASS End of Season Fruit and Vegetable Inquiry (PDF/238KB); Plain Language Guide to Harvesting Your Crops (PDF/810KB); Plain Language Guide to Managing Risks on the Small Farm (PDF/746KB); Plain Language Guide to Applying for a Farm Service Agency Loan (PDF/988KB); and Plain Language Guide to Selling at a Farmers Market (PDF/1.1MB).

The number of farmers markets in the United States continues to grow, reports USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), reaching a total of 4,685 in August 2008. This represents a 6.8 percent increase since mid-August 2006, when AMS reported 4,385 farmers markets nationwide. AMS focuses on direct-to-consumer marketing issues and continually updates a comprehensive list of U.S. farmers markets. The database can be accessed on-line at http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets.

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) released the results of its presidential election questionnaire completed by Senators John McCain and Barack Obama. In the Q&A document, both candidates responded to AFBF's inquiries about farm bill implementation, renewable fuels, climate change and death taxes, among other issues. Their responses are in the current edition of FBNews (PDF/1.6 MB).

A growing student interest in sustainable food and farming systems that are good for people and the environment has led to new classes and development of a new major at UC Davis. Starting this year, new freshman-level courses in food systems and sustainable agriculture and an upper division course in agroecology, the study of the ecology of the entire food system, will be offered. A new major is expected to be approved within the next 18 months. It is a collaborative effort by the UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI) and affiliated faculty and staff, and will provide students with a broad background in sustainable agricultural and food systems, according to institute director Tom Tomich.

300 Days of Grazing is a program designed by Animal Science Extension faculty of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture to help Arkansas livestock producers evaluate their forage practices and attain 300 days of grazing with only 65 days of hay feeding annually. A few farms throughout Arkansas will be selected to demonstrate how recommended management practices can be implemented cumulatively to achieve 300 days of grazing. Contact a local county agent if you are interested in participating in one or more of the program demonstrations.

Penn State Cooperative Extension recently named Jeffrey Hyde, as the state program leader for entrepreneurial and value-added agricultural systems. As state program leader, Hyde will work to unify existing extension efforts into a focused state program. He will coordinate with university administrators, faculty and extension personnel to facilitate the translation of new knowledge into extension educational programming. "We felt this was a priority for the organization to support the emerging area of entrepreneurship and value-added systems," says Daney Jackson, director of Penn State Cooperative Extension and University associate vice president for outreach.

National Farm Safety & Health Week is an annual promotion from the National Safety Council commemorating the hard work, diligence, and sacrifices of our nation’s farmers and ranchers. The 2008 event, set for September 21-27, marks the 65th consecutive signing of a proclamation by a U.S. President, beginning with FDR in 1944. With the theme "Protect Your Investment," the 2008 observance includes a focus on safety on roadways.

USDA has announced the award of 85 grants totaling $3,445,000, as directed by the new farm bill to spread the use of farmers' markets. Regional local governments, nonprofit and economic development corporations, agricultural cooperatives and tribal governments in 43 states may use the money to establish, expand and promote farmers' markets and other direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities. Eighteen of the grants promote a new electronic benefit transfer (EBT) system to help low-income consumers buy locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. A complete list of recipients and grant amounts appears online.

On September 16, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) filed a reply brief in its suit against Ohio's Department of Agriculture (ODA). On June 30, OTA filed suit challenging as unconstitutional Ohio's emergency rule seeking to prevent labeling that tells consumers whether the cows were treated with rbST. The suit alleges, among other things, that the emergency rule is preempted by the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), that consumers want and have a right to know about the products they purchase, and that organic farmers and processors have a right to communicate truthfully to consumers about the federally regulated organic production practices that they follow.

Five Ohio farming families have been honored with the 2008 Conservation Farm Family Awards sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Soil and Water Conservation, Ohio Farmer magazine and Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. Since 1984, the Conservation Farm Family Awards program has recognized more than 125 Ohio farm families for their exemplary efforts of conserving soil, water, woodland and wildlife and other natural resources on the land they farm. Conservation farm families also host a variety of educational programs, opening their farms to schools, scout groups, farm organizations and others. This year's recipients are the Rethmel brothers from Defiance County, John Scherer of Richland County, Robert and Karen Hunter of Holmes County, Ralph and Christine Dull and sons of Montgomery County, and William and Deborah Shaw of Hocking County.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released for public comment draft guidance on the regulation of genetically engineered (GE) animals. The guidance document is intended to clarify the FDA's regulatory authority in this field, as well as the requirements and recommendations for producers of GE animals and products derived from GE animals. Under the draft guidance, in those cases in which the GE animal is intended for food use, producers will have to demonstrate that food from the GE animal is safe to eat. Depending on the species of animal and its intended use, the FDA will coordinate with agencies in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and with other federal departments and agencies in regulating GE animals. The comment period for the draft guidance, titled "The Regulation of Genetically Engineered Animals Containing Heritable rDNA Constructs," closes November 18, 2008. The 25-page document is available online. Meanwhile, Consumers Union has criticized the proposed rules because they will not require labeling of genetically engineered animals sold as food.

Farm Aid announced the launch of its web-based Farmer Resource Network to help farmers answer the consumer call for more quality family-farmed foods. Across the country, more people are reaching for local, organic and sustainably-grown food from family farms. Farm Aid's Farmer Resource Network links family farmers to new and innovative ideas to help them meet this rising consumer demand. The Farmer Resource Network also contains tools to help put new farmers on the land.

A common ingredient in residential landscape herbicides may damage or kill woody plants. “Cracking, splitting and separation of bark from the underlying wood usually associated with sunscald in the West may actually be caused by glyphosate,” said Heidi Kratsch, Utah State University Extension ornamental horticulture specialist. “This type of injury was once thought to be largely associated with alternating warm and freezing temperatures during the winter. It now appears that glyphosate can weaken the bark structure, making it susceptible to the freeze-thaw injury we commonly see on the south and southwest side of the trunks of susceptible trees.” Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide used as a broad-spectrum, post-emergent weed killer, she said. When used too closely to trees and shrubs, glyphosate can be taken up by these non-target plants and transported to active, growing tissues such as leaves and roots.

The Pride of New York Program and Wal-Mart stores throughout New York State are celebrating the bounty of the harvest season this week with a weeklong showcase of foods grown and made in New York. Through next Monday, New York Wal-Mart will highlight locally grown, fresh produce, as well as other New York products, with signage and promotional support from the Pride of New York Program. Wal-Mart has an on-going initiative to keep local produce in all of its stores across the country whenever it is available. Even though this particular promotion is for only one week, customers can always identify locally grown items in their Wal-Mart produce department by looking for the "Locally Grown" signage, reports New York Ag Connection.

A new Web site from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln provides access to a wide variety of UNL expertise on water issues. UNL research and extension experts from many water-related disciplines developed http://water.unl.edu. The site allows visitors to identify their personal interest – whether they're a crop or livestock producer, landscape professional, prospective student, city dweller or rural resident, for example – and go immediately to content specific to their interest. There are links to interactive tools, publications and other information, as well as links to other key university Web sites.

The "Select Michigan" day at the state Capitol will take place on the lawn and feature a farmers' market to promote locally grown fruits, vegetables and more. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday September 18. "Select Michigan" Day Farmers' Market on the East Lawn of the state Capitol will promote and sell fresh, local Michigan produce and specialty food products. More than 50 farmers and specialty food vendors from across the state are participating.

The Community Food Security Coalition has summarized the legislation for farm to school programs. Farm to School Legislation: A State by State Listing (PDF/224KB) offers summaries of and links to the legislation in eighteen states.

Sow the Seeds Fund and numerous participating organizations have launched a "Local Longer" campaign to help make the season longer for local farmers and for shoppers who love local food. The effort seeks to enable farmers to plant earlier in the spring and harvest later in the fall, to help farmers' businesses grow and the supply of locally grown fruits and vegetables to expand. Funds raised through Sow the Seeds will be used primarily to support farmer outreach and education, and research into production-related season extension methods that are suited to the Upper Midwest's growing conditions. Support for season extension activities in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa will be the central focus and funds will be channeled through non-profits, educational institutions.