Judith W.

Ecoripe is a community-anchored, member-driven enterprise built on the idea that producers deserve equity, access, and scale. By organizing smallholder farmers into a cooperative structure, Ecoripe strengthens market access, improves pricing power, and reinvests value directly into the people and communities that grow the product. This cooperative model flips the conventional agricultural value chain. Instead of extractive intermediaries capturing profit, members capture ownership and share in both financial and social outcomes. It’s system design that aligns incentives with impact.

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The U.S. organic market is growing fast, but much of that growth comes from imports instead of U.S. farms. To increase market growth in the U.S., the bipartisan Domestic Organic Investment Act (DOIA) of 2025 will invest in storage, processing, and transportation so American organic farmers and businesses can continue to thrive. This bill supports rural jobs, strengthens supply chains, and keeps the U.S. a leader in organic agriculture. 📣 Farmers & Organizations: Sign on to urge Congress to act. 👇

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New Farm Bill Advances in Senate Committee: Key Impacts for Hunters & Anglers https://lnkd.in/diiV595K Today, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee advanced the Agricultural Act of 2026 on a party line vote – bringing us closer to a comprehensive ag policy update than we have been since 2018. A lot has happened in agricultural conservation policy since then, but without a Farm Bill, there has been no opportunity to improve the underlying structure that makes these programs work. "It has been far too long since the Farm Bill conservation programs that fish, wildlife, hunters, anglers, and farmers depend on were updated. We're grateful to Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, and members on both sides of the aisle who are working to advance positive updates to these critical programs.” said Aaron Field, TRCP's director of private lands conservation. “This is a significant step, but there is still a lot of work to do and very little time to do it. Despite that challenge, we encourage bipartisan commitment to passing a Farm Bill that works for sportsmen, sportswomen, and working lands alike.” TRCP dug into the bill to break down what it means for fish and wildlife habitat and hunting and fishing access - from Farm Bill dynamics on Capitol Hill to the specific provisions that matter most for sportsmen and sportswomen. Read our full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/diiV595K 📸: NickMKE

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They drink wine every night. Eat bread at every meal. And live past 100. The catch? It's not about the wine or the bread. On our podcast, Thriving to the Finish Line, we talked with two UF nutrition researchers who've spent years living in Blue Zones — Icaria, Greece and Sardinia, Italy. What stood out wasn't the food. It was the pace. 🍷 One glass of wine, sipped over hours — not a bottle, rushed 🍞 Two-hour dinners, no phones, just conversation 🥘 Stop eating at 80% full, every time 🌱 Food comes from the land and season — not a plan As the researchers told us: no single food adds years to your life. It's the whole way of living — slow, social, unrushed — that seems to matter. We debate keto vs. paleo vs. whole30. The people actually living longest are just eating dinner with people they love, slowly, until they're mostly full. Maybe living well to the finish line starts with something as simple as slowing down at the dinner table. Full podcast link in comments. #BlueZones #AgingWell #Longevity #MillerElderLaw #ThrivingToTheFinishLine #HealthyAging

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Today, we officially launched the U.S. Food Systems Infrastructure Lab, welcoming an inaugural cohort of 16 Fellows. Across the country, communities and organizations are developing innovative approaches to regenerative agriculture, cooperative finance, culturally rooted foodways and distribution, community wealth building, ecological stewardship, market access, and more. While these efforts respond to the distinct needs and opportunities of their regions, many encounter similar barriers—and are developing approaches that could benefit others working across the country. The Lab creates a space to connect this work: supporting organizations in advancing their own priorities while creating better ways to learn across regions, share promising approaches, and build shared social, technical, and financial infrastructure. Over the coming year, Fellows will: - Strengthen regional implementation through individualized workplans, tailored support, and access to Open Impact as shared digital infrastructure. - Connect across regions through peer learning, shared knowledge, and documentation of promising approaches. - Build together by identifying common needs and co-developing shared resources, workflows, tools, and other infrastructure. - Grow pathways to resourcing by connecting emerging needs and opportunities with aligned resources, partners, and complementary capital pathways. The cohort brings together organizations doing deep and vital work at regional and national scales, and we are grateful for the opportunity to learn, grow, design, and build alongside them. We’re honored to welcome: Agricultural Platform Collective • American Sustainable Business Network • The Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive (CoFED) • Del Norte and Tribal Lands Community Food Council • Federation of Southern Cooperatives • Foodshed Capital • Foodshed Small Farm Cooperative • Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming • Hudson Valley Food Systems Coalition • Local Seeds Coalition • Locus • MSU Center for Regional Food Systems • Small Farms Research & Innovation Center at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University • The Platform for Agriculture and Climate Transformation • ROGUE VALLEY FOOD SYSTEM NETWORK • The Farmers Land Trust We’re excited to learn alongside this group and to explore what becomes possible for us all when strong regional efforts connect, share, and build together. Meet the Fellows and learn more about the U.S. Food Systems Infrastructure Lab: https://lnkd.in/gS-gp6YM In town for New York Climate Week next week? We’ll be hosting an interactive workshop series focused on regional food systems resilience next Thursday. Apply to join us: https://luma.com/hv54j7fp

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GrantTalk Ep 41: FFAR Is Fueling Innovation with Agricultural Grants | Magda Galindo 🌿💼 The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is transforming how we grow, produce, and sustain our food systems. 🌾 In this episode of GrantTalk, Magda Galindo joins Libby Hikind, CEO of GrantWatch, to discuss funding that drives agricultural innovation and supports the scientific workforce. 🏆 Plus, see how GrantWatch celebrates grant success with an exclusive “I Won a Grant” mug ☕ that proudly says, “I did it!” 🎥 Watch the episode here: https://lnkd.in/eWVyEbRC #agriculturalresearch #agroecosystems #animalandcropsystems #animalhealth #cropresilience #environmentalcontaminants #foodmanufacturing #grantprocess #granttalkpodcast #grantwatch #letterofintent #matchingcontributions #nonprofits #prizesandcompetitions #scientificworkforce 🌱📊✨

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🌱 New Episode: Food Forest Podcast: Tara Lynn Hubbard – How to transform your existing orchard into a food forest? What does it mean to truly rewild Florida? In this episode, Louis De Jaeger speaks with Tara Lynn Hubbard – farmer, conservationist, and steward of Florida’s unique ecosystems. From agritourism and sustainable wildlife management to the struggles of the citrus industry, Tara shares her vision of regeneration and the urgent need to restore balance with nature. In this conversation, Tara explores: 🌴 Florida’s extraordinary biodiversity – and why it must be protected 🦉 Sustainable wildlife management for coexistence 🚜 Agritourism as a bridge between people & nature 🌱 Rewilding as a tool for renewal and resilience 🍊 Lessons from the challenges facing Florida’s citrus industry 💚 The deep connection between human well-being & thriving ecosystems 🤝 How community-driven action fuels regeneration 🎧 Listen to Episode 23 now: ApplePodcasts – https://lnkd.in/ehGdwZ7p Spotify – https://lnkd.in/ggVXwAdQ YouTube – https://lnkd.in/exygqy3F ✏️ Show notes & more: https://lnkd.in/eqPuSKmX

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