Today, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released the 2008 figures for Washington State’s agricultural value and the top forty commodities. What’s changed since 2007? Overall, Washington State’s agricultural production value has decreased from $8.32 billion in 2007 to $7.88 billion in 2008. While this is a significant drop, compared to other states, Washington has…
In a recent article from The Globe and Mail, Sarah Elton discusses how big brand companies and supermarket chains are adopting the “‘buy local’ zeitgeist with marketing efforts aimed at capturing this audience.” Elton refers to several ad campaigns from companies like Frito Lay and Hellmann’s mayonnaise (a Unilever brand) utilizing depictions of farms that…
PSFN Team Member Lucy Norris just passed on this interesting tidbit about the formation of a new organization in New York called Basis. The brainchild of former management consultant Bion Bartning, Basis is a newly formed company that recently acquired (and greatly expanded) Farm to Chef, a wholesale distributor connecting small local farms to haute…
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on Wednesday the launching of new online tools to guide consumers through the wide-world of food. These tools evidence a new stance on food education from the USDA and an embrace of technology as communication tools. USDA web-tools: Know Your Farmer promotes food issues, presents dinner options and celebrates food…
According to recent reports from the UK Climate Change Committee, it’s not just cars and cows that are contributing to CO2 production. Airplanes could account for 15-20% of all CO2 emissions produced by 2050. The CCC has made some drastic, albeit slow, recommendations to the UK: Aviation emissions in 2050 should be cut to 2005…
With the advent of the mad cow scare, pasteurization and various e.coli concerns, it was only a matter of time before the blogosphere focused its attention on Food Safety. Now, thanks to the US government and lawyer Bill Marler of Marler Blog, there are at least two ways to learn more about the latest in…
The Puget Sound Food Network is pleased to welcome Elliot Trotter to the Content Manager position. As Content Manager, Elliot will be responsible for developing and managing the PSFN website and blog as well as creating rich media content. Elliot joins PSFN from work promoting, designing and managing content with Terra Organics, a Tacoma-based organic…
From our inbox via Washington State’s Farm-to-School Director, Tricia Kovacs. WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2009 – Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today announced a new initiative to better connect children to their food and create opportunities for local farmers to provide their harvest to schools in their communities as part of USDA’s ‘Know Your Farmer, Know…
The Puget Sound Food Network is quickly becoming a vibrant regional supply network that links independent producers with businesses looking to buy and move more regional food. Lucy Norris and Tim Crosby have been contacting regional producers, buyers, and distributors and connecting them with each other by gathering buyer’s product needs and matching them with…
