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Senators Introduce Generous Bill: Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act of 2013

Jill Ettinger — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:30:19 +0000

Making fresh local food more accessible to consumers and lucrative farmers is the goal of the Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act of 2013, introduced to Congress this week by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine).

U.S. Consumers Willing to Pay Premiums for Organic, Local Foods

Jill Ettinger — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 09:52:54 +0000

A new report finds that as many as 46 percent of U.S. shoppers regularly seek out local, organic food and are willing to pay more for these food options as well.

Healthy Food Demands Growing in U.S. Shows New Survey

Jill Ettinger — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 08:29:31 +0000

Take it with a grain of hand-harvested crystallized pink Himalayan sea salt, but Whole Foods Market—the iconic gourmet natural and organic grocery chain—is reporting that more Americans than ever are opting for natural and organic foods.

San Luis Obispo, CA Announces ‘Buy Local’ Food Policy

Jill Ettinger — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 18:53:35 +0000

The city of San Luis Obispo, located in central California has announced a "buy local" food policy for its jail and Juvenile Services Center, reports the San Luis Obispo's Tribune.

Home Chef Revival! California Prepares to Legalize Homemade Food

Jill Ettinger — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 07:00:08 +0000

The California Homemade Food Act, a bill that was proposed last year, is up for vote by the California State Assembly's health committee on April 10. If approved, the bill would make California the 33rd state to allow the sale of certain homemade food items without the costs of permits or the rental of professional kitchens imposed on the purveyors. The bill would also encourage locally produced food, while keeping money circulating within local communities.

Is Demand for Local Food Growing Too Fast?

Jill Ettinger — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:00:44 +0000

The demand for local food is exceeding the infrastructure says a new report from the USDA's Economic Research Service, titled Direct and Intermediated Marketing of Local Foods in the United States.

Louisiana Bill to Reward Restaurants that Go Local

Jill Ettinger — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 07:00:30 +0000

Louisiana's legislature is considering a bill that would offer financial rewards to area restaurants that use locally grown fruits and vegetables in their menu items.

NYC Greenmarket Food Stamp Purchases Doubled in 2010

Brianne — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:00:39 +0000

With high unemployment and high grocery prices, even the most successful New Yorkers are taking a hit, so you can imagine what kind of state the low income families are in. It’s no secret that many low income neighborhoods lack in fresh food markets and for that reason have been linked to obesity for years. So in an effort to supplement wholesome, fresh meals to low income families, New York City Greenmarkets have been accepting food stamps for quite a while. However, with more NYers out of work, last year the purchases doubled to half a million in sales.

Iowa School Children Meet a Farmer

Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:00:30 +0000

Where does your food come from? If you say “the supermarket,” then stop reading and go sit in the corner. But the truth is a lot of people don't know where their food is grown, raised, cooked, whatever. That's why the Iowa City School District is taking time to introduce kids to farmers.

"We're looking to introduce the kids to their local farmers," a spokesperson from the Johnson County Local Food Alliance told the Iowa City Press-Citizen. "We want to make it fun because eating local is delicious and healthy."

University of New Mexico Students Setup Organic Fruit Stand

Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:47:07 +0000

Some kids at the University of New Mexico don't want their fellow students chomping down junk food and snacks.

So they've setup a healthy alternative, an organic fruit stand. It opened for business today, and will sell fruit for $0.50 to $1.

They get the fruit in bulk from a local co-op, and plan to offer apples, pears, peaches, plums, and nectarines.

In addition to the fruit, kids working at the stand will pass out information and try to educate people on the benefits of locally grown food.

School officials were down with the idea right from the get-go, saying it's a great example of collaboration between outside businesses and the campus, but they need more students to help out, if it's going to be a weekly event.

No doubt, this is an awesome idea, but it would never work at my college. I've long since graduated, but I remember vividly watching one of my classmates eat two hotdogs covered with ketchup and a bowl of Lucky Charms for dinner.

So you try convincing a knucklehead like that to eat more fruit. Good luck.

Via New Mexico Daily Lobo.

Image credit: Loren Javier