News and Insights for Florida and North Carolina communities.

This program is not perfect. But one problem-limits on funding-is surmountable for growers who apply early. So consider applying now.

On April 24, 2020, the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement became law. Read how this affects farms and agricultural enterprises.

Coronavirus-induced food supply anxiety has led to a renewed interest in home gardens-similar to the "war gardens" movement of World War I and the "victory garden" efforts around World War II.

If this happens, states would lose their ability to protect consumers, workers, and businesses that want to ensure safety without being at a competitive disadvantage.

In the founding of our country, hemp wasn't just legal. Hemp production was patriotic. Our founding fathers wrote drafts of the Declaration of Independence on hemp. Hemp became a monetary staple.

Coronavirus highlights the need to build a sustainable future, to preserve our local food systems. This means preserving the land that sustainable agriculture depends on.

Paycheck Protection, like the EIDL, grew bigger under the CARES Act – the coronavirus relief bill signed into law on March 27.

A long time ago, in what the Florida Supreme Court calls "ancient law," no human appreciated the distinction between groundwater and surface water.

The Florida Food Policy Council works to address gaps and affect policy within the food system through integrity and collaboration for the benefit of all Floridians and the environment.

During this time, it is important that we come together as local food communities. As I have previously blogged about, community food provides us with security, safety, and serenity.

The coronavirus stimulus bill is now law. Its official name is the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act–or for those of us who more easily remember cute acronyms, the CARES Act.

This is the last of a series about the contribution of our local food systems to public health and safety, although I will continue to provide tips on dealing with COVID-19. For now, I am going to focus on the contribution of community agriculture to wellbeing.

This is the third post in a series on local food systems on local food systems and public safety. Today's post is about food-borne illness caused by the accidental poisoning of our food supply.

In 6th century B.C.E., the Assyrians, in modern day Iraq, poisoned enemy wells with rye ergot, a fungus disease.

This is the first in a series of blog posts on local food systems and public safety, starting with Coronavirus. That is the crisis right now.

There is no better starting point to think about the future than reflecting on the history of agriculture.

In honor of Pi day, for the first 3 people who contact me, I will offer unlimited legal advice for $95 a month. This offer is good for 14 days only --that's until March 28.

Eighty Billion Dollars. That is one estimate for the amount of unclaimed property in the United States, as reported by the New York Times.

We need to develop a network of farms, non-profit organizations, academic organizations, and local government. Dr. Brooke Hansel refers to this sharing space as a "collaboratory."

J. Haskins Law, P.A. is a proud sponsor of Sweetwater's twenty-eighth Pesto Festo, to be held on April 4, 2020 in Sweetwater Community Farm.

Small scale farms, ranches, and food producers only have so much buying power by themselves. But buyers with similar interests can pool their buying power.

I am excited to make a presentation about engaging community supported agriculture subscribers as investors. I will be talking at the Florida Organic Grower Symposiums in Tampa on March 6, and in Tallahassee on March 20.

In general, Florida's Cottage Food Law has been a great thing. The law excuses business with gross sales less than $50,000 from permitting requirements, so long as the business produces “cottage food products” only.