Shocking News from the USDA: Farmers' Markets on the Increase

The USDA (rather belatedly) began tracking farmers' markets in 1994. Although they're still not very good at it (a check of their database shows exactly THREE in Cincinnati which of course in reality hosts dozens every week) even with their limited knowledge of and connection with actual farmers (!) they're seeing significant growth in number of farmers' markets over the years.

USDA steals "Certified Naturally Grown" from small farmers

Walter Jeffries in his excellent blog Sugar Mountain Farm reports that his new label design has been rejected by the USDA for using the term Certified Naturally Grown. Trouble is, that's what his last label design used, also, and that design was approved by the USDA less than one year ago -- which as Walter points out, represents a policy change. And all this despite the fact that the term Certified Naturally Grown was developed by small farmers in reaction to the USDA stealing the term 'organic' -- which had also been developed by small farmers -- and selling it to Big Ag.

There's really no getting around it. The USDA is bought and paid for by Big Ag. Everything they do, they do with the interests of Monsanto, Cargill, ADM, and other major industrial agriculture corporations firmly in mind.