Yearly Archives: 2011

24 posts

Townsend Shuts Down NC Plant

August 10, 2011
A week and a half ago, Ukrainian buyer of Townsend announced that it was closing its two North Carolina processing plants. More than 150 North Carolina poultry farmers learned that their contracts will be terminated in 60 days.
Read >

How & Why to Get a Farm Number

July 29, 2011
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's farm programs are administered on the local level through county-based Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices. The FSA provides and administers farm loans, crop insurance, and disaster assistance compensation. You must register your farm with the FSA to be eligible for any of these programs.
Read >

A Visit to Harold Wright's Farm

July 25, 2011
Last week, I traveled to Bladen county to document farmer Harold Wright's grant project-- a pastured poultry production expansion. I was amazed at how sandy the soil is, so close to the coast in southern North Carolina, compared to the red clay soil where I'm living. Harold and his family run Happy Land Farm.
Read >

Food Justice Certification Gains Momentum: Certifiers and Farm Worker Representatives Complete Training and Qualifying Exam

July 14, 2011
The Agricultural Justice Project proudly announces the awarding of certificates to representatives of four organic certification agencies and four farm worker organizations who successfully completed a 3-day training on the requirements for the Food Justice Certified label. Twenty one people took part in the training May 3 – 5, 2011, in Eugene, Oregon, which included formal presentations on AJP standards and policies, and three practice inspections on area farms and a business.
Read >

The Farmers' Hands

July 11, 2011
When I began documenting the Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund projects of innovative farmers for RAFI-USA this fall, I knew I wanted to take portraits of the farmers' hands. Hands - just as faces, I think - tell stories.
Read >