Mike Orlando is a law student in the HLS Food Law & Policy Clinic and a guest contributor to this blog. On February 14, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, head of the USDA, testified in front of the House Agriculture Committee (the “Ag Committee”). He urged the Ag Committee to act quickly to pass the next farm bill, noting that delays…
Naima Drecker-Waxman is a law student in the HLS Food Law & Policy Clinic and a guest contributor to this blog. There is a long history of racial discrimination in access to and delivery of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. Under directives from President Biden and Congress, USDA formed the USDA Equity Commission to evaluate equity issues in USDA…
Kaitlynn Dixon is a law student at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and a guest contributor to this blog. Organic farming was first developed in the early 1900s by agricultural researcher Sir Albert Howard, emphasizing the impact that preserving soil’s natural biome has on crop viability. As agriculture became more industrialized in the 1940s, relying heavily on chemical fertilizers…
Brooke Christy is a 3L at University of Pittsburgh School of Law and a guest contributor to this blog. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Equity Commission is tasked with providing recommendations for reducing barriers to access the Department’s programs and services. In the September public meeting, the Equity Commission turned its attention to county committees. Congress established the county…
Samantha Capaldo is a law student at Drake University Law School. She is a guest contributor to this blog. On July 28, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research held the first committee hearing on challenges facing the hemp industry and how the 2023 Farm Bill can address those concerns through the Hemp Production Program. Chairperson Plaskett opened…
Ava Cilia is a law student in the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic and guest contributor on this blog. Last week, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. The Plan includes historic provisions to address generations of systemic racism and discrimination towards “socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers” (SDFRs) by…
Merve Ciplak is a law student at Harvard Law School and former clinical student of the Food Law & Policy Clinic, where she worked on the report linked below. She is guest contributor on this blog. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges in all facets of society. Members of our communities are having a hard time affording, accessing, and purchasing…
Todd Carney is a law student at Harvard Law School and guest contributor on this blog. Many recall the popular ad campaign, “got milk?” but few know the source of these ads. The ads came from “checkoff programs.” Checkoff programs gather money from farmers in a shared industry; and conduct research and advertising to promote that industry. The United States…
Libby Dimenstein is a law student enrolled in the Harvard Law School Food Law & Policy Clinic and guest contributor on this blog. After three long days, it finally happened: the major news networks called the 2020 presidential election for Joe Biden. Although farmers expressed strong support for Trump in months leading up to the election, perhaps because they feared…
Mariana Munera is a law student at NYU School of Law and guest contributor on this blog. The USDA Farmers to Families Program is now entering its fourth round of funding with an additional $500 Million in funding. The program originally started as a way to bridge the gap between farmers, who lost business from restaurants, hotels, and other sources…