Rhode Island is fortunate to have an active network of food producers, both on land and at sea. And we’re leading the way when it comes to growing our local food economy.
The 2017 Rhode Island General Assembly session recessed on June 30, leaving the fate of lots of proposed legislation up in the air. The House and Senate reconvened on September 19 to handle much of the unfinished business. It appears that this year’s session is now done until January (save for PawSox hearings). CLF was… Continue reading Rhode Island 2017 Legislative Recap: Food and Water
As Director of Agriculture and Environment for Nuestras Raíces, a Holyoke-based community organization, Rafael Herrero is overseeing an ambitious effort to train 100 new farmers in earth-friendly practices over the next two years.
“From local innovators to the small farms that blanket our state, our food economy is at the heart of Maine’s cultural identity,” said CLF advocate Phelps Turner. “CLF’s Legal Food Hub helps these food businesses move beyond costly legal needs so they can focus on growing, thriving and providing for the community. Today this program hits a major milestone, but the work of creating local and sustainable food systems across Maine is far from over.”
Rhode Island just took a historic step this past month with the launching of the state’s first comprehensive food strategy, a plan to grow and sustain markets for locally grown food for the good of communities, the environment, and the economy.
CLF works throughout New England to help local food entrepreneurs and farmers not just survive, but thrive. Here in Rhode Island, the local food movement is burgeoning – our rate of new farmers is growing faster than in other New England states. But even as the number of new farmers grows, many experienced farmers are looking… Continue reading Helping Rhode Island’s Local Food Movement Grow
The Maine Legal Food Hub, which provides pro bono legal assistance and training for farmers and food businesses, celebrates its second anniversary in 2017, kicking off the year with a presence, for the second year in a row, at the Maine Agricultural Trades Show January 10-12 in Augusta. On January 11 and 12, the CLF… Continue reading Maine Legal Food Hub Revs Up for Second Year
Local Food, Local Farms, and Lawyers Lending a Hand Noah Fralich moved back home to Maine with one ambition: to open a business on his family’s land in New Gloucester. His fledgling Norumbega Cidery was just getting off the ground when he hit a snag – the name of his business was already trademarked by… Continue reading The Legal Food Hub
CLF’s Ben Tettlebaum, a staff attorney in our Maine office, is featured in this Portland Press Herald article about farmers and labor law. At the Agricultural Trades Show in Augusta last month, the Conservation Law Foundation’s Legal Services Food Hub hosted a panel on Employment Law for farmers, with the goal of “untangling the web… Continue reading Old Labor Laws Run up against New Farming Approaches
We’re building a robust local food economy for all.
