Capturing the Cover

When an issue is on a cover, it’s top of mind! AFT staff working in Lancaster County, PA, hosted editor Joe Link on visits with farmers who have struggled with the question: "Should I sell my land or protect it? And how?" The result of Link’s trip was the March Progressive Farmer cover story, “Saving Our Farmland.”  Dwight Hess, Gene Garber and Mike Brubaker all told their stories in hopes of helping other farmers chose to protect their land for future generations. AFT’s expertise is highlighted and you can learn about different farmland protection approaches in this updated toolbox fact sheet (PDF) at the Farmland Information Center.

Study Explores Whether San Francisco Could Feed Itself from Local Farms

Like other American cities, San Francisco residents rely on distant sources of food that travel an average of 1,500 miles to get to their tables. But the city is surrounded by unique agricultural lands, with a mild Mediterranean climate capable of producing nearly every kind of food enjoyed in the Bay Area. AFT's San Francisco Foodshed Study is looking into whether San Francisco residents could feed themselves exclusively from sustainable farms located within 100 miles of the Golden Gate Bridge. The project will result in a strategy to maximize the potential for the city to feed itself locally, while protecting the farmland critical to the San Francisco foodshed.

Smart Growth Meets Smart Food Video

Follow the trail of local food (mp4) as it winds its way through rural/urban edge farmland in Virginia to restaurants and customers in Washington DC-metro area. The video highlights the network of relationships and issues that support or threaten the continuing food community connection and the people whose forethought and persistence have enabled this local food network to grow.   

 

Should We Pay Farmers to Help Keep Rivers Cooler, Water Cleaner and Wildlife Habitat Intact?

The state of Washington thinks so. Recently passed legislation, supported by AFT, is aiming to create farm-based conservation markets that “pay” farmers in Washington to address environmental challenges—a growing trend as communities are faced with increasing water treatment and ecological costs. A cost-saving conservation markets program to keep Oregon’s Tualatin River “cool” has farmers committed to planting trees along waterways while farms participating in the Great Miami River Watershed Water Quality Credit Trading program will improve water quality and could save Ohio communities more than $300 million. And an endangered Texas songbird is being protected through “conservation credits” awarded to a ranching family in exchange for ranch management practices that preserve habitat.

Farm Bill Do or Die

During their two-week recess, lawmakers came to agreement on a $10 billion over baseline, 10-year farm bill framework. Under the new framework, conservation programs could secure a $4 billion increase, and it looks like the the Average Crop Revenue program, now named ACRE, is slated for inclusion. However, some Senators remain stalwart against the latest proposal, which cuts crop insurance, direct payments and does not identify funding sources. Funding remains the key to securing White House support, but with the April 18^th deadline rapidly approaching, will two weeks be enough time to finish the bill? 

Around the Country

Stop by our exhibit and attend our sessions, Urban-Rural Links in Agricultural Preservation and Farming and Endangered Species, at this year’s American Planning Association (APA) conference, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The first pool of carbon credits for rangeland is now available for ranchers in 15 Great Plains and Western states.

Virginia releases state money for agricultural conservation easements for the first time.