Award-winning news and commentary about the U.S. food system. Sign up for our weekly newsletter: https://civileats.com/newsletter/https://bsky.app/profile/civileats.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mx7ly3j5jc2bThe Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont aims to decrease isolation and build community around local, organic food by funding Long-Handled Spoon Dinners. Through this program, the association awards its members a $200 micro-grant to host their neighbors for a meal. https://civileats.com/2026/10/06/what-happens-when-farmers-dine-with-their-neighbors/06 Oct 2026 14:05 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx7ly3j5jc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mx66h7d77i2rExperts say the Regenerative Pilot Program could be beneficial, but it doesn’t represent a new investment in better farming, and staff cuts could hamper its impacts. https://civileats.com/2026/09/21/inside-the-usdas-new-regenerative-pilot-program/06 Oct 2026 00:30 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx66h7d77i2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mx5ykzm7xu2pJust days after farm and environmental groups filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s gutting of the Rural Energy for America program, the agency published a final rule last week that will make it even harder for farmers to get help installing solar arrays and wind turbines. https://civileats.com/2026/10/05/usda-finalizes-changes-that-could-end-support-for-solar-on-farms/05 Oct 2026 22:45 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx5ykzm7xu2phttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mx5kdfgghb2h“Regenerative really means to bring life back or to add life to something,” says Farmer Tommy Shireman. On his small, diversified farm, he uses regenerative practices like no-till organic vegetables and intensive grazing to rebuild the health of his soil. https://civileats.com/2026/09/22/this-is-what-regenerative-farming-sometimes-looks-like/05 Oct 2026 18:30 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx5kdfgghb2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mx53aqmqua22"What’s needed is aligned, bold action—globally. Thankfully, for advocates in the U.S. food system, we can draw on lessons and models from around the world,” writes Anna Lappé, executive director of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, in an op-ed. https://civileats.com/2026/09/23/what-californias-paraquat-ban-means-for-the-future-of-pesticide-policy/05 Oct 2026 14:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx53aqmqua22https://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mx3ixoh2md26The economy of Point Roberts relies on cross-border traffic—and that includes the only grocery store in town. “Canadian customers are part of who we are and part of who we have always been.” https://civileats.com/2026/10/01/trumps-canadian-tariffs-hit-this-sole-washington-grocery-store/04 Oct 2026 23:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx3ixoh2md26https://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mx2ksknpcp26“We are losing the family fishing businesses.” Fishers nationwide lack insurance protections, while late federal relief forces many out of business. https://civileats.com/2026/09/24/as-super-el-nino-approaches-pacific-fisheries-demand-disaster-relief-reform/04 Oct 2026 14:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx2ksknpcp26https://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwy2czpc662rOp-ed: Agricultural ‘Efficiency’ Is a False Promise https://civileats.com/2026/09/30/op-ed-agricultural-efficiency-is-a-false-promise/03 Oct 2026 14:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwy2czpc662rhttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwwhzbeeen2ySign up for our Crash Course: Climate Solutions in Food & Farming, an email-based course that will explore how climate change is impacting the food system, and some of the solutions that can address those impacts. 🌎⬇️ https://civileats.com/about/courses/02 Oct 2026 23:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwwhzbeeen2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwvjyp47ui2uThe Perilla People’s Garden at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum of Art features more than a dozen perilla varieties and aims to bring people together to probe the deeper questions about colonization and the movement of people and plants. https://civileats.com/2026/09/28/at-this-public-garden-an-asian-herb-offers-a-portal-to-the-past/02 Oct 2026 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwvjyp47ui2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwtxldwkbx2a“Canadian customers are part of who we are and part of who we have always been,” says Ali Hayton, owner of the International Marketplace grocery store in Point Roberts, Washington. Due to the international trade war between the U.S. and Canada, Hayton says business has declined by almost 50%. https://civileats.com/2026/10/01/trumps-canadian-tariffs-hit-this-sole-washington-grocery-store/01 Oct 2026 23:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwtxldwkbx2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwtihms5lj2f“Efficiency is valuable. But efficiency is a tool, not a social objective. A perfectly efficient system can still produce terrible outcomes,” writes Tim Gibbons, executive director of the National Family Farm Coalition, in an op-ed. https://civileats.com/2026/09/30/op-ed-agricultural-efficiency-is-a-false-promise/01 Oct 2026 18:30 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwtihms5lj2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwszo3jzvd2xAli Hayton, owner of the International Marketplace grocery store in Point Roberts, Washington, says escalating trade tensions with Canada are putting her business at risk of closing, an outcome that would eliminate the area’s only grocery store and put residents’ food security at risk. https://civileats.com/2026/10/01/trumps-canadian-tariffs-hit-this-sole-washington-grocery-store/01 Oct 2026 14:05 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwszo3jzvd2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwrh46sbga22"Efficiently extract value from rural communities, and it can transfer decision-making from thousands of people to a handful of institutions. That is why we need a broader definition of efficiency,” writes Tim Gibbons, executive director of the National Family Farm Coalition, in an op-ed. https://civileats.com/2026/09/30/op-ed-agricultural-efficiency-is-a-false-promise/30 Sep 2026 23:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwrh46sbga22https://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwqxym3vlj22Appropriators in Congress provided $7 million during the 2025 fiscal year and $5 million in 2026 to be used for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production grants. None of that money has been made available to date, and the 2027 fiscal year starts this week. ➡️ buff.ly/hnJ3NQl30 Sep 2026 18:30 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwqxym3vlj22https://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwqivt4xfo2y"Multinational corporate 'efficiency' is not the same thing as resilience, and consolidation is not inevitable,” writes Tim Gibbons, executive director of @familyfarmco.bsky.social , in an op-ed. https://civileats.com/2026/09/30/op-ed-agricultural-efficiency-is-a-false-promise/30 Sep 2026 14:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwqivt4xfo2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwowmlmpoz2oThe Perilla People’s Garden at the Carnegie Museum of Art aims to bring people together and probe the deeper questions the herb presents about colonization and the movement of people and plants. The garden will be on display through January 3, 2027. https://civileats.com/2026/09/28/at-this-public-garden-an-asian-herb-offers-a-portal-to-the-past/29 Sep 2026 23:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwowmlmpoz2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwocrjfx6x24The U.S. Department of Agriculture failed to distribute $12 million in funding allocated to support farmers in urban and suburban areas over the past two years. https://civileats.com/2026/09/29/lawmakers-press-usda-on-funding-for-urban-ag/29 Sep 2026 17:05 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwocrjfx6x24https://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwnyjbmsg327We’ve updated our Crash Course: Climate Solutions in Food & Farming to include how the U.S. is addressing climate change. Stay up-to-date by signing up for our refreshed climate solutions course. 🌎️⬇️ https://civileats.com/about/courses/29 Sep 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwnyjbmsg327https://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwmg66qcz52pSunni Park, a Korean-American chef in Pittsburgh, says she has always viewed perilla as a steady companion and a “doorway” through which she could explore her own culture. “When I’m eating perilla, I’m thinking of all my ancestors.” https://civileats.com/2026/09/28/at-this-public-garden-an-asian-herb-offers-a-portal-to-the-past/28 Sep 2026 23:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwmg66qcz52phttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwlx2wtygo2pTrump’s latest pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration told senators the agency does not have the resources to implement a key food safety policy. https://civileats.com/2026/09/24/fda-nominee-says-agency-needs-more-resources-for-gras/28 Sep 2026 18:30 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwlx2wtygo2phttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwliavv64627The Perilla People’s Garden at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum of Art features more than a dozen perilla varieties and aims to bring people together to probe the deeper questions the herb presents about colonization and the movement of people and plants. https://civileats.com/2026/09/28/at-this-public-garden-an-asian-herb-offers-a-portal-to-the-past/28 Sep 2026 14:05 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwliavv64627https://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwjvp3ezub2o“I just feel like it’s my obligation to not degrade the soil.” Farmer Trey Hill runs a 3,000-acre commodity row crop operation where he pays close attention to the health of his soil. In order to do so, he’s adopted regenerative practices. https://civileats.com/2026/09/22/this-is-what-regenerative-farming-sometimes-looks-like/27 Sep 2026 23:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwjvp3ezub2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwixo6xss32oThe Trump administration’s Regenerative Pilot Program shows promise with benefits that support practices with real environmental value, but the rollout has been hampered by USDA staffing cuts, and it doesn’t represent a new investment in better farming. https://civileats.com/2026/09/21/inside-the-usdas-new-regenerative-pilot-program/27 Sep 2026 14:03 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwixo6xss32ohttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwhfaxhjvc2yWant to stay informed about the climate crisis? Our email-based course, Climate Solutions in Food & Farming, will take you on a deep dive into how climate change is being felt across the U.S. food system. ➡️ buff.ly/GEDhTcO26 Sep 2026 23:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwhfaxhjvc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwgh2wni2q22Op-ed: Here’s What California’s Paraquat Ban Means for the Future of Pesticide Policy https://civileats.com/2026/09/23/what-californias-paraquat-ban-means-for-the-future-of-pesticide-policy/26 Sep 2026 14:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwgh2wni2q22https://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mweurpmoyj2zThese two farmers say they use regenerative farming to keep their soil healthy, but their operations couldn’t be more different. We visited their farms to see how regenerative practices can be used. https://civileats.com/2026/09/22/this-is-what-regenerative-farming-sometimes-looks-like/25 Sep 2026 23:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mweurpmoyj2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwefobbd5r2pIn dozens of conversations with Civil Eats, farmers and experts said the Regenerative Pilot Program has benefits, but that the rollout has been hampered by staffing cuts at local field offices, where USDA employees are overwhelmed. https://civileats.com/2026/09/21/inside-the-usdas-new-regenerative-pilot-program/25 Sep 2026 18:30 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwefobbd5r2phttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwdwngod6n2jIn a new survey conducted by Consumer Reports, consumers named “reduced use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides” as one of their top priorities when purchasing food. But that goal is not a focus of most companies’ regenerative agriculture commitments. https://civileats.com/2026/09/14/can-big-food-make-good-on-promises-of-regenerative-agriculture/25 Sep 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwdwngod6n2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/civileats.com/post/3mwceci4xzz24Ocean advocates and fishermen groups say that the super El Niño highlights the need to reform how disaster relief is delivered to fishers as climate-change impacts accelerate and small family businesses are forced to close. https://civileats.com/2026/09/24/as-super-el-nino-approaches-pacific-fisheries-demand-disaster-relief-reform/24 Sep 2026 23:00 +0000at://did:plc:q6at5lbkcj6pvec3azath2v6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwceci4xzz24