Your Guide to Indivisible Action

Last month, a crowd-sourced document was published live on Google Docs by former congressional staffers with the intention to “help fight Trump’s racism, authoritarianism, & corruption on their home turf.” Primarily, the information outlined in the Indivisible Guide focuses on how grassroots advocacy has worked in the past and includes tips for working with the incoming administration. Please, share this important doc with your friends and use your social media to spread the knowledge of how to mobilize locally and fight Congress!

The Dirty dozen and the Clean Fifteen

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has been advocating for organic food and farming for more than two decades, with much of [their] research documenting how the practices and finished products of both conventional and organic agriculture influence our health and the environment. The results are in and show time and again the importance of organic in preventative health care!

They’ve published this year’s ‘Clean Fifteen‘ to help you take control of what’s in your refrigerator and pantry. Strawberries (most small berries or fruits with thin skins!!!) are still on the top of the ‘Dirty Dozen‘. Spread the word!

Sign the petition here to show your support of organic agriculture!

Organics Matter

“Conventional farming and food production practices in this country are creating serious environmental and public health problems. Every day, an industrial farming system spinning out of control confronts all Americans with serious challenges. Among these are the explosion in toxic algae blooms in sensitive waterways, cancer-causing pesticides on foods we feed our children, the rapid spread of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, and, of course, contaminated drinking water, all courtesy of corporate agribusiness.” – Food Tank

Hopefully the future offers other solutions to pesticides… Until then, vote with your dollar and buy organic!

Tell Cuomo NO Pilgrim Pipeline

“The Pilgrim pipelines, proposed to carry billions of gallons of explosive, fracked Bakken shale oil and refined products, would cut a 100-foot swath through backyards, farms, drinking watersheds and public parks paralleling the New York State Thruway from Albany, NY, to Linden, NJ. The two pipelines, designed to carry up to 16.8 billion gallons oil a day, would cross the Hudson River (twice), putting communities up and down the Hudson Valley, their economies and the environment at risk.” – Riverkeeper

Call the Governor (866-846-4075) and tell him that the proposed Pilgrim pipelines (Jan 23-27):

Threaten the drinking water for millions of people in New York and New Jersey

Put the Hudson River and nearly every major tributary on the west side of the Hudson Valley at risk of disastrous oil spill

Jeopardize the safety of communities along the route, as well as communities in the path of crude oil “bomb” trains proposed to supply the pipelines

Promote fracking and are contrary to the Governor’s clean energy goals

Pilgrim’s Thruway Authority permit should be denied.

Governor Cuomo has the authority to halt the project by denying Pilgrim a permit to use the Thruway’s right-of-way for its pipelines. Tell Governor Cuomo to stand up to the oil industry and reject this terrible proposal!

Sign the petition here at Food and Water Watch.

Support Local and Buy From Small Farmers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday rolled out a proposal for a research and promotion check-off program, which could unfairly promote large organic processors’ needs over those of family farmers.  Organic farmers and processors continue to oppose an organic checkoff program.

“This is a disappointment for the organic sector—checkoff programs are not a good match for independent organic farmers,” said Kate Mendenhall, a spokesperson for the coalition.

The USDA proposal fails to address many concerns outlined by organic farmer organizations in past USDA formal correspondence and partial proposals.

Visit here to learn more about why the NO Organic Checkoff Coalition believes that “organic farmers would be well served to hold onto their marketing money and invest it into their farming businesses, not commit it to a new federally mandatory organic checkoff program.”

The coalition will be encouraging farmers and processors to submit comments here to the USDA in opposition to the proposed organic checkoff.