Food and Agriculture

Companies want to keep consumers in dark about GMO foods Read more »

Tomorrow, February 7, will mark one year since President Obama signed the 2014 Farm Bill. Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree celebrated the many ways the bill has expanded opportunities for Maine farmers over the last year, thanks to several reforms she introduced that were incorporated into the final bill. “For all the years of hard work it took to reauthorize the Farm Bill,… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said this morning that Portland-based Cultivating Community will be getting a $750,000 federal grant to give new immigrants the agricultural skills they need to start their ownfarm businesses. "Farming in Maine is growing," Pingree said. "More young people and women are taking up farming and new immigrants are adding diversity to our agricultural… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said she's looking forward to hearing President Obama talk about issues that matter to average families in his State of the Union address tonight. "Making college more affordable, giving working families a tax break and asking the rich to pay more of their fair share is something that I think most Americans agree with and I'm looking forward to hearing the… Read more »

Provision would prevent schools, USDA from buying poultry processed in China for nutrition programs An amendment introduced by Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro and cosponsored by Chellie Pingree that would ban the purchase of chicken raised in the US and processed in China for school lunches is heading to the President’s desk for signature. The bill passed the House of… Read more »

Bill would block laws in Maine and other states requiring labels on food containing GMOs Congresswoman Chellie Pingree spoke to hundreds of people from around the country who gathered in Washington today to oppose a bill that would ban GMO labeling laws. "You are here representing the 90% of American people who wantto know what's in their food," Pingree said. "Thank you for… Read more »

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 »