Author Archives: Honesta Romberger

Why Arizona Democrats, Republicans Agree (Mostly) On Welfare Bill

Honesta Romberger May 11, 2018

Via: 91.5 KJZZ It’s not often you hear bipartisan support at the state Capitol to increase spending on social welfare. But it’s happening. Supporters say the program will provide low-income Arizonans with more nutritional food and boost the bottom lines for local farmers. Farmers Markets And Food Stamps On a recent Saturday morning at the…

Introduction to Recordkeeping and Farm Service Agency Programs – May 19, 2018

Honesta Romberger

Introduction to Farm Recordkeeping and Farm Service Agency Programs | Saturday, May 19 • 9 a.m.–noon Presented in collaboration with County of Hawai‘i and USDA Beginning Farmer-Rancher Development Program North Hawai‘i Education Research Center, 45-539 Plumeria St, Honoka‘a, Hawai‘i Island Agricultural producers are invited to participate in this free workshop to learn recordkeeping essentials and…

Farmers Market Coalition Statement of Opposition to House 2018 Farm Bill

Honesta Romberger May 7, 2018

May 7, 2018 – The Farmers Market Coalition (FMC), a national non-profit dedicated to strengthening farmers markets for the benefit of farmers, consumers, and communities, has joined more than 370 organizations in opposition of the House 2018 Farm Bill. While FMC is pleased by the increased support for the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program,…

Farm Bill Update: Our Best Opportunity for Action

Honesta Romberger April 27, 2018

by Ben Feldman, FMC Policy Specialist | ben@farmersmarketcoalition.org Last week, the House Agriculture Committee passed a version of the farm bill on a strict party line vote. The Committee entertained very few amendments, and as a result, the bill that now goes to the House floor is little changed from the original version introduced by…

Arizona-grown produce bill good for families in poverty

Honesta Romberger April 25, 2018

Via Arizona Capitol Times SB1245 provides a state funding match for a privately funded pilot program successfully operating in urban and rural areas throughout our state. The program targets populations who are on the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. The program offers more choice and increased access to healthy foods, specifically,…

2018 National Direct Agricultural Marketing Summit

Honesta Romberger April 24, 2018

In partnership with the USDA, Food Distribution Research Society, National Value-Added Agriculture Conference, and Farm Credit Council, FMC is excited to host the 2018 National Direct Agricultural Marketing Summit – the first of its kind in the United States! When: September 15-18, 2018 (Pre-conference activities on September 15-16) Where: Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia Why should you…

Arizona leads nation in female farmers

Honesta Romberger April 20, 2018

Via Arizona Sonora News: In Queen Creek, Arizona, you can find a 1.33-acre lot growing oranges, apples, figs, peaches, pears, grapes, sugarcane, lettuce, tomatoes, pepper, eggplant, okra, corn, green beans – and also raising chickens for meat and eggs, sheep for meat and goats for milk. It is one of 7,835 farms in Arizona run…

Farmers Market Metrics Platform is Now Open to FMC Members!

Honesta Romberger April 18, 2018

  Exciting news! FMC’s Farmers Market Metrics data collection platform, which has been under development and testing with a closed group of pilot markets over the past three market seasons, is now open to all FMC members, ready to help you start collecting and sharing data on your market. Farmers Market Metrics was designed to support…

Farm Bill Update: the Good, the Bad, and the Uncertain

Honesta Romberger April 16, 2018

Last Thursday, the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Mike Conaway, introduced draft farm bill legislation, which Democrats and anti-hunger groups were quick to deride. For farmers markets, the legislation in its current form would be something of a mixed bag. The best news in the bill for farmers markets comes from the Food Insecurity…

UH Studies How People’s Connections With Land Affect Their Health

Honesta Romberger April 6, 2018

Via: Civil Beat University of Hawaii researchers are teaming up with a farm on Oahu’s west side to study how people’s connection with the land affects their health. A key partner in the project is the local non-profit Ma’o Organic Farms, which the researchers say has a big impact on Waianae by producing organic foods for…