Time to Begin Sowing Seeds; USDA Announces Support for a More Resilient Food System; Big Wins for Restaurant Opportunities Centers United; Seattle Swings Into Food Policy Action

Posted on March 13, 2018

Don’t Wait! Start Sowing Seeds Now

Photo by Mother Jones, originally published in report about “two dozen state legislatures have passed Seed-preemption Laws designed to block counties and cities from adopting their own rules on the use of seeds, including bans on GMOs.” Read more here.

It’s time to think of sowing peppers and eggplants, and long-season crops that need heat and time to produce, but it’s also time to get sowing those peas, lettuces, scallions, radishes and greens that will be the first harvested produce from many an urban farmers’ garden. You can buy seeds from your local farmer (usually they have seedlings started for you, if you don’t have time now to sow your seeds), or even order them online. Check out Turtle Seed Biodynamic Seeds and their array of produce online here.

USDA Announces Support Available for Specialty Crops, the Local Food Sector, and Agricultural Marketing

March 7th, USDA Released Statement – “The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced nearly $89 million in available funding to support specialty crop growers, strengthen local and regional food systems, and explore new market opportunities for farmers and ranchers. USDA helps fund projects that bolster rural economies across the country.” Read the full article here.

Big Wins for Equality in Restaurant Industry and Worker’s Rights to Tips

Photo taken from Union of Concerned Scientists Blog post, “Trump Administration Raids Workers’ Tip Jars, Buries Data Showing That’s a Horrible Idea”

New York Times published a powerful report affirming research by Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United, which has shown over the last several years that “the subminimum wage for tipped workers is the source of the industry’s egregiously high rates of sexual harassment.” Moreover, after six months, ROC has successfully organized more than 350,000 people to push back on Trump’s proposed rule to make tips the property of workers. Now, Secretary of Labor Acosta has admitted that worker’s tips should be the property of workers. Read more in NY Times accompanying editorial on ‘Wage Theft’ here.

Upcoming Food Tank Summit in Seattle: Join the LiveStream!

The Summit, titled “Growing Food Policy,” will be held in partnership with the Environmental Working Group, Food Action, Garden-Raised Bounty (GRuB), the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Seattle University’s Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability on March 17, 2018. The Seattle Food Tank Summit is now SOLD OUT, but please sign up for our waitlist HERE – more tickets may become available. If you can’t attend in person, you can still join the conversation! Please join us via livestream on our Facebook Page or FoodTank.com.

Posted in In The News Tagged with: #agriculture, #local food sector, #peppers, #policy network tank, #restaurant opportunities, #roc, #seattle, #secretary of labor, #sow seeds, #specialty crops, #summit, #trump, #united, #usda March 13, 2018 Bhavani Jaroff

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