Food and Agriculture

Town of Unity wins competitive 'Local Foods, Local Places' assistance Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said this week that the Town of Unity has been selected as one of just 26 communities from around the country to participate in a federal initiative called Local Foods, Local Places. The town will receive expert technical advice to help develop and highlight the local agricultural… Read more »

EPA decision today will allow big farms to apply a herbicide that contains a chemical used in Agent Orange New herbicide approved by EPA could lead to further declines in Monarch Butterfly populations. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree had harsh words today for a decision by federal regulators that will allow the use of a controversial new herbicide called Enlist Duo. The decision… Read more »

Grants help variety of projects, including honeybee research and UMaine partnership to develop hops industry Projects include building the hops industry in Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that Maine will be getting over $600,000 in federal Specialty Crop Block Grants to fund a number of effortsthat will strengthen and grow the local food economy. Pingree… Read more »

Pingree and others pushed FDA to modify regulations that would have hurt small, local farmers Find text of the proposed rules and links to submitting comments on the FDA's website. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said new food safety regulations proposed by the Food and Drug Administration would be less of a burden on smaller farmers than the rules the agency had originally proposed… Read more »

Urges EPA not to approve toxic herbicide designed to work with new seeds Congresswoman Chellie Pingree expressed disappointment in the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) decision yesterday to approve the sale of genetically modified corn and soybean seeds designed by Dow Chemical Company and intended to be used with a toxic new herbicide. "Dow is making all sorts of… Read more »

Pingree #2 on list, behind head of UN World Food Programme Congresswoman Chellie Pingree was recognized today by sister magazines Fortune and Food and Wine as one of the "Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink." Pingree is #2 on the list of 25 women, behind Erthain Cousin, the head of the UN World Food Programme. The list, an extension of Fortune's "Most Powerful Women" series,… Read more »

Pingree fought successfully for a dramatic increase in funding in the 2014 Farm Bill Today Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced that five Maine small businesses would receive a total of $471,571 in federal Value Added Producer Grants from the USDA. Funding for the program has risen dramatically—from $15 million to $63 million over five years—thanks to Pingree’s… Read more »

New genetically engineered crops could drastically increase use of ‘Agent Orange’ compound With just weeks before a final decision is to be made, 50 members of Congress, led by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reject new GE… Read more »

Funding more than doubles this year thanks to Pingree’s efforts in Congress Congresswoman Chellie Pingree welcomed the USDA’s recent announcement that $13 million is available nationwide this year to assist farmers with the costs of achieving organic certification—up from $5 million the year before. Pingree requested the increased funding in agriculture reforms she… Read more »

State leads New England in farmland, sales up nearly 25% over five years Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that farming in Maine is on the increase, with Maine leading New England in the number of farms in operation. "The farm economy in Maine is alive and well and growing," Pingree said. "It's grown by almost 25% over five… Read more »