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ISSUES AND ACTIVITIES OVERVIEW
To realize this vision, NESAWG's activities focus on: 1) public policy reform and development; 2) professional training and education; 3) accountability on the part of our publicly funded institutions; and 4) public education in four issue areas:
- Farm economic viability and food system economic development
- Natural resource conservation and enhancement
- Community food systems and food security
- Food 'citizenship'
Farm economic viability and food system economic development:
- NESAWG fosters the development of buy local and farm-to-institution programs by training Extension and other agriculture professionals to lead, facilitate or contribute to efforts to develop these programs in their communities. This project is funded by Northeast SARE, and is in partnership with the Community Food Security Coalition and FoodRoutes Network.
- NESAWG organizes Northeast stakeholders to participate in federal policy reform and development. One key policy opportunity is the federal Farm Bill that encompasses agriculture, forestry, and food and nutrition programs. NESAWG works in collaboration with the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, and draws from its database of over 3000 contacts bring a Northeast voice to federal policy, and to assure that Northeast farmers and others make optimal use of federal programs.
- NESAWG trained twenty-four agriculture economic development practitioners
from 12 Northeast. Strengthening ag development as an economic development
activity is critical in our highly urbanized region.
- Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) originated in this country in the
Northeast, and there are more CSA farms in our region than in any other. NESAWG
led a four-year project to strengthen the CSA movement in the Northeast and
nationally. We held three CSA conferences, sponsored two research projects,
designed a national CSA farm census, and created a CSA website (www.csacenter.org)
and the Robyn Van En Center for CSA Resources in PA.
Natural resource conservation and enhancement:- Several Farm Bill conservation programs are important for the Northeast --for example, the new Conservation Security Program and the Farmland Protection Program. Many Northeast states can benefit from the federal matching program to purchase development rights on important farmland. NESAWG is working with advocates to make sure that qualifying states benefit from a new "regional equity" provision that guarantees conservation payments to traditionally under-served states.
- NESAWG provided mini-grants to eight communities to hold community food
system meetings. The goal of the meetings was to draw representatives from
various sectors, including farmers, nutrition professionals, economic development
practitioners, and others, and to set the groundwork for ongoing collaboration
around identified needs.
- NESAWG members were instrumental in the passage of the federal Community Food Projects program in the Farm Bill. NESAWG sponsored several trainings for organizations to develop community food projects.
- NESAWG publications educate the public about our food system and encourage
active engagement. Northeast Farms to
Food: Understanding Our Region's Food System is NESAWG's recent publication
that offers a wealth of information about the Northeast food and agriculture
system, from production through consumption.
- A "buy local" message with NESAWG information appeared on 1 million Cabot
Creamery butter boxes -- listing reasons to support local agriculture. NESAWG-created
radio spots about food security and to support buy local campaigns help local
groups broadcast their messages.
- Outreach tools such as the 350-subscriber list
serve, website, directory,
and annual events bring citizens as well as food and agriculture professionals
into dialogue and sharing.
- NESAWG sponsors opportunities for citizen engagement such as the Citizens Panel on the Future of the New England Food System, with University of New Hampshire. NESAWG disseminates information on topics such as agricultural biotechnology, the national organic certification program, food safety, dairy policy, farmland preservation, and nutrition issues.
