news

Local Food Rules
Chrissy Pearson May 11, 2011 news 0 comments
While the popularity of 'eating locally' continues to grow, sourcing local foods, particularly in restaurants, is not always simple. At the top of the list of challenges facing chefs striving to serve locally grown, fresh and healthy ingredients are state and national food regulations designed with the intent of ensuring food safety. In a recent article in the The New York Times, several Connecticut restaurant owners and chefs expressed their frustrations over current regulations. As one chef explained, "I understand the need for regulations. On the other hand, their approach is essentially that food is dangerous. For me, the really dangerous food is the stuff that’s mass produced." As the...
Senate Passes Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
FarmPlate Aug 09, 2010 news 0 comments
The Senate passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act on Thursday, a bill that will provide $4.5 billion to make school food more nutritious. The New York Times reports the bill was passed unanimously by the Senate and will now move to the House of Representatives, where it is also expected to pass. The current school nutrition legislation will expire on September 30. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act will continue the existing nutrition programs in schools and add the first non-inflationary increase in funding since 1973. The funding will allow schools to update their menus with healthier choices and set higher health standards that include more fruits and vegetables and less salt and fat....
Food News: Egg Laws, Food Safety Bill & Fracking
FarmPlate Jul 13, 2010 news 0 comments
Only Free-Range Eggs in California. A new law says egg producers located outside California that want to sell their eggs in-state must meet the same humane requirements for their chickens as California egg producers. The law says that hens must have enough living space to be considered "cage-free." The cage-free ruling will most likely increase the price of California eggs for the consumer because the farmer’s overhead costs will be more expensive. However, the upside is that humanely raised chickens can improve food safety because hens living in stressful conditions have reduced immunity to illness, and their eggs can put the consumer at risk. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the new...
NOAA & FDA Discuss Fishing In Wake of Oil Spill
FarmPlate Jul 06, 2010 news 0 comments
In the wake of the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and officials from the FDA met in New Orleans with gulf coast state officials to coordinate a protocol for sampling and reopening waters that have been contaminated by the massive spill. Also present at the meeting were representatives from the National Marine Fisheries Service and the EPA. [caption id="attachment_4195" align="alignleft" width="282" caption="A fishing boat cuts through oil spilled in the Gulf of Mexico."][/caption] The goal for last week’s meeting was to establish a multi-agency program to ensure that any seafood coming from the Gulf of Mexico and certified...
Bountiful Harvest at 1600 Pennsylvania
FarmPlate Nov 03, 2009 news 0 comments
Mrs. Obama is a strong advocate for healthy lifestyle habits, especially for children. In addition to the vegetable garden, she’s hula hooped to promote exercise and appeared on Sesame Street to teach kids about farming basics. Tours of the The WHOFarm are available to elementary, middle and high school students in the Washington DC area, free of charge. Regional News Oct. 28: The historic building housing Leunig's Bistro on Church Street in Burlington, VT, will install solar panels in early 2010. Seven Days Oct. 31: More details emerge on the shutdown of a Grand Isle, VT, slaughterhouse. WCAX Oct. 31: Cabot Creamery in Cabot, VT, gave open farm tours for the first time to raise awareness...