Las Vegas, NV, FEbrurary 1, 2012: The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) approved a resolution to support a Local Foods Title within the US Farm Bill, put forth by the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts.
The resolution originated from the Hillsborough County Conservation District, was approved at the NH Association of Conservation Districts Annual meeting in November, and presented to the NACD at its annual convention in Las Vegas, Nevada by Linda Brownson of Wentworth, New Hampshire’s delegate to the NACD.
A specific Title in the Farm Bill to address small farms and local distribution of farm goods will enhance farm viability in the Northeast and across the country. Economically successful farms can be better stewards of our water and soil resources.
“A farm’s economic sustainability is a conservation principle unto itself in New Hampshire” said NH’s Delegate Linda Brownson.
The 2008 Farm Bill expires in September of 2012 and a new farm bill will be debated over the coming year. A local foods title incorporated into the new bill will help farmers by addressing production, aggregation, processing, marketing, and distribution needs to access growing local and regional food markets. The local foods legislation will also assist consumers by improving access to healthy food. The measure will provide secure farm bill funding for critically important programs that support family farms, expand new farming opportunities, create rural jobs, and invest in the local food and agriculture economy.
The National Association of Conservation Districts is the nonprofit organization that represents America’s 3,000 conservation districts and the 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. Conservation districts are local units of government established under state law to carry out natural resource management programs at the local level. Districts work with millions of cooperating landowners and operators to help them manage and protect land and water resources on all private lands and many public lands in the United States.
Since 1946, the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts (NHACD) has provided statewide coordination, representation, and leadership for Conservation Districts to conserve, protect, and promote responsible use of New Hampshire’s natural resources.
