Food and Agriculture

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 »

Legislation would roll back nutrition standards that have made for healthier school lunches Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said she will oppose efforts in a House bill to roll back nutrition standards for school lunches that are paid for with federal funds. The provision is part of the Agriculture Appropriations Bill that is being debated on the House floor today. “If the… Read more »

Seaside specialty crushes cheese steak, ham biscuits and boardwalk fries in Congressional Quarterly Roll Call’s Taste of America competition Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that the Maine lobster roll has made the final round of Congressional Quarterly Roll Call’s Taste of America contest, and the polls are currently open for Americans to vote for the… Read more »