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Stephanie Rael:Fighting for Farms
Above: Farmhand Stephanie Rael at Peaceful Belly Farms in Boise, Idaho. “I was raised on a lot of processed food. Canned goods, Hamburger Helper, frozen entrees, that sort of thing. I’ve always loved to eat but it wasn’t until I volunteered on an organic farm in Germany that I found my passion for good,…
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Tom Varcalli
Above: Tom Varcalli at his home in Sheridan, Wyoming. Tom Varcalli wants to see farms supporting families again. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture noted that the average American farm operated at a net loss — requiring off-farm income and health insurance just to break even. “The farm can make money — but not…
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Wink Davis: Commitment to Consumers over the Industrialization of Small Scale Farms
On his sixtieth birthday, Wink Davis gave himself a present. He and his wife, Max Eisele, bought a farm in Hotchkiss, Colorado. Today, Wink and Max raise certified organic peaches, apples, wine grapes, table grapes and Babydoll Southdown sheep. And there’s the winery. Mesa Winds Farms & Winery rests in the North Fork Valley,…
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Doug Yankton: Protecting Spirit Lake Nation
Above: Doug Yankton Senior, the Crow Hill District Representative of Spirit Lake Nation and the Tribal Vice Chairman. “People of Spirit Lake have been here long before the city of Devils Lake and the surrounding communities. Long before the state was even named the state. So for them to not consider us and asking…
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Scott Horner on the Farm Bill
The Farm Bill dictates the origin of your food, the economic health of your community, the amount of control of big agriculture and factory farms, subsidies and who gets them, the price of your groceries, and whether or not you know where the food you eat comes from. It’s easy to write off the…
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Wyoming Food Freedom Act Provides Opportunity for Producers
Joe Wesnitzer was surrounded by the gentle hum of a heater while working in his greenhouse harvesting fresh lettuce in late October — a rarity in Wyoming. Outside, his herd of Scottish Highland cattle grazed the frosty ground. The sun was just beginning to set but Joe was still hard at work preparing for…
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Young Roots Farm: Mindful Food for Mindful People
In the hills above Sutton Creek, southeast of Baker City, Oregon, a group of Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs trot over sagebrush and bunchgrass filled pastures towards farmer Amy Young. She stands on a paddock smiling and ready to greet them. “My pigs are the happiest pigs you’ll ever come across,” Amy says, scratching one…
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Devils Lake, North Dakota: When a Confined Animal Feeding Operation Comes to Town
The town of Devils Lake and the surrounding counties are threatened by a CAFO that would produce 44,000 piglets a year. The area is known for serious flooding, making it a huge environmental concern for intensive animal agriculture due to run off.