Farmers & Rural Communities
District Court Strikes Down Carveout for Medium-Sized Factory Farms
Today in a victory for rural community, sustainable agriculture, and animal welfare groups, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the United States Department of…
The American Prospect: Farmers Pay Big Ag to Lobby Against Them
The checkoff program, intended for marketing promotion but used as a slush fund for consolidated agricultural interests, is facing pressure for reform.
The next Farm Bill can only be “climate-smart” if it reduces agricultural reliance on pesticides, says diverse coalition
Today, 50 organizations sent a public letter to the House Agriculture Committee and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, calling for a transformative 2023 Farm Bill. They urged…
Law360: Racial Bias Suit Dropped After Aid Cut For Minority Farmers
A group of white farmers led by Texas’ agriculture commissioner has abandoned its claim that a federal loan relief program for minority farmers is racially discriminatory, after President Joe Biden — in a…
Reuters: Analysis: Biden debt relief plan disappoints Black farmers for avoiding race
Some Black farmers say they are disappointed by a new U.S. agriculture debt relief program that stands to save thousands of farmers from foreclosure, after the plan failed to specifically…
Agri-Pulse: This time, USDA will have broad latitude to aid farm debtors
More than a year after courts forced the Agriculture Department to shut down a debt forgiveness program for minority farmers, Congress is set to give USDA wide open authority to…
The Fern: Today’s Quick Hits
A U.S. district court judge in Texas ruled that the National Black Farmers Association and the Association of American Indian Farmers can intervene in a lawsuit by Texas Agriculture Commissioner…
Texas court grants farmers of color groups to represent their own interests in debt relief case
Today, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas granted a motion to intervene in a case concerning debt relief for farmers of color. Public Justice filed…
E&E News: Biden’s CEQ has a Stephen Miller problem
Former Trump administration aide Stephen Miller is on the minds of Biden White House staffers as they work to channel federal investments toward disadvantaged communities.