Slow Food Spokane River

10/15/2025

This is about knocking the legs out from under industrial livestock production (protecting the environment) and giving farmers back their economic power (relocalizing the food system).

The Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA) advocates for independent farmers and ranchers. Last month, FARFA helped secure the introduction of the LOCAL Foods Act in the House (H.R. 5341) and hosted a successful Virtual congressional Fly-In of farm freedom activists to put pressure on lawmakers. Next week FARFA is heading to Washington, D.C. to meet directly with congressional offices about the LOCAL and PRIME Acts.

PRIME would allow farmers to sell meat processed at local state-inspected custom processors to consumers within the same state ending the USDA's dictatorial hegemony on meat processing. As filed, it covers even grocery store sales within the state – but the core focus is on getting a direct-to-consumer version into the Farm Bill.

LOCAL would make it easier for families who buy animals by shares to process on-farm with local or itinerant butchers, allowing farmers to have the animals processed on-farm without the cost or stress of transport.

Both of these bills will remove long-standing road roadblocks to building thriving local and regional food systems and economically viable small- and medium-scale producers.

You can help by making sure your lawmakers hear from you before the upcoming meetings. Follow the link below for instructions and congressional contact information.

Please don't be silent. The U.S. food system is broken. These bill would go a long way to fix that if Congress hears from YOU!

https://prod.cdn.everyaction.com/emails/van/EA/EA003/1/72405/9tspDPkCUAfAhdXUA6r3FGj6_IMC0rnUQq_7XftEY0A_archive

08/11/2025

This weekend!! It's FREE. Register at spokanepermaculture.org.

03/24/2025

Come learn about Permaculture & Millwood Community Garden.🌱 eating

02/13/2024

Tilth Alliance and the Coalition for Organic and Regenerative Agriculture (CORA) are hoping every organic/regenerative farmer in Washington state – as well as every possible organic eater – will sign on in support of SSB 6278 before Friday, Feb. 16.

It only takes a minute and every PRO sign in will make a difference. Go here:

https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Testifier/Add?chamber=House&mId=31920&aId=159038&caId=24063&tId=3

SSB 6278 directs Washington State Dept. of Agriculture to develop an organic agriculture action plan that will serve as a guide to “increase the amount of organic and regenerative agricultural practices in the state" and “leverage organic and regenerative agriculture to address economic, social, and environmental challenges, create opportunities for farmers wishing to transition to organic farming, increase resiliency in agricultural methods, and build a robust regional food system."

01/26/2024

Come and join us at the first area seed swap of the season TOMORROW- National Seed Swap Day - at the Kettle Falls Library 11:00 - 2:00. There will be a short discussion, probably around 12:30, on community food production and regenerative agriculture, including growing grain and the use of our cleaner and related equipment. We will also hold a discussion on seed saving after the swap, at 2:00. We'll have a kids area set up so you can spend your time looking for seeds. Bring seeds to trade, or plan to get some from our seed library, grab a cup of something from a local coffee shop, and come join the fun!

01/25/2024

Join Slow Food USA for a two-day retreat into the world of seeds! They will be hosting a virtual gathering on March 1-2, 2024, which will feature discussions, presentations and opportunities to connect with others about soil, human and planetary health.

The theme of the 2024 Slow Seed Summit is Ground yourself: Seeds and systems change for soil, human and planetary health. Keynote presenter Rupa Marya, author of Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice, will set the stage and illuminate the connection of our food system to our inflamed soils, bodies and planet.

$30 student/farmer rate. Tickets at:
https://slowfoodusa.org/2024-slow-seed-summit/

05/25/2023

Quillisascut Culinary Professional Development Workshops 2023

If you have always wanted to attend a farm culinary workshop at Quillisascut there are openings in their Aug 23-28 workshop and there is a scholarship opportunity for Food service professionals.

This workshop is an intensive immersion in farm to table ingredients.

During week-long programs, participants will observe goats being milked, make cheese, help care for farm animals, transplant vegetables, and harvest produce from the gardens. Students also visit neighboring organic farms and hear presentations about market gardening. Lively group discussions about food systems, culture and globalization round out the experience.

Each day, students will work with a chef to prepare lunch and dinner using only ingredients from the garden and products from local farms. Dinner is a culmination of the day’s work–a time to feast on the bounty of the farm, reflect on the discussions of the day, and build community around the table.

Learn more here:
https://quillisascut.com/workshops/farm-culinary-101/

05/21/2023

Folks, this is really important and related to our northeast Washington bioregion.

A listening session for the public provided by the US negotiation side for the Columbia River Treaty is coming up on May 31 at 5 pm PST.

This follows the 17th negotiation session (May 16-17) between the US and Canada. Negotiations continue to end without progress on key issues, such as flood control, and your awareness and input may be helpful in support of a call for flexibility on water management to include attention to a healthy ecosystem.

You can register for the listening session at:
https://www.state.gov/virtual-listening-session-following-the-17th-round-of-negotiations-to-modernize-the-columbia-river-treaty-regime/
(the registration link is at the bottom of the page)

The Columbia River Treaty is a 1961 agreement between Canada and the United States on the development and operation of dams in the upper Columbia River basin for power and flood control benefits in both countries. Four dams were constructed under this treaty: three in the Canadian province of British Columbia (Duncan Dam, Mica Dam, Keenleyside Dam) and one in the U.S. state of Montana (Libby Dam).

The treaty has always been limited in scope to include only issues related to power generation and Image showing location of Columbia River Treaty Damsflood control. Many in the region believe modernizing the Columbia River Treaty is a critical opportunity for Canada and the United States to join together to acknowledge damage done, right historic wrongs, and commit to stewardship of this great river in the face of climate change. They advocate for applying socially and scientifically informed ethical norms in the negotiation process that fully account for the way people and other living things are affected by the way the river is managed. Indigenous communities and their allies and accomplices want the negotiations to include more qualitative assessments of healthy 'ecosystem-based function,' not just quantifiable assessments of 'ecosystem services.' Ironically, a predecessor treaty from around 1909 did include fish and wildlife conservation in its provisions, but those values were abandoned in the 1930s when negotiations for the Columbia River Treaty began.

For more information, read a backgrounder on the treaty negotiations that Chrys Ostrander wrote for the Inland Foodwise Journal in 2021 here:
https://inlandfoodwise.online/web/archive/ethics-ecology-and-sovereignty-the-renegotiation-of-the-columbia-river-treaty

and visit the Citizens for a Clean Columbia website:
https://citizensforacleancolumbia.org/

The Columbia River Treaty re-negotiation is an opportunity to join together to acknowledge damage done, right historic wrongs, and commit to stewardship of this great river in the face of climate change.

05/12/2023

Washingtonians with a cottage food permit can sell homemade food products such as baked goods, candies, jams, jellies, preserves, and dry tea blends without a food processor's license. Permitholders are currently limited to $25,000 in gross sales annually. When House Bill 1500, goes into effect on July 23, however, that limit will increase to $35,000, and the permit will be valid for two years instead of one.

Cottage food producers will see a $10,000 increase to the annual cap on their gross sales under a new law signed earlier today. Washingtonians with a cottage food permit can sell homemade food products such as baked goods, candies, jams, jellies, preserves, and dry tea blends without a food processo...

03/31/2023

Action Alert! Protect Farmers' Freedom to Feed You and Your Right to Eat What You Choose.

Family farmers have a long tradition of farming, raising, and processing their own food for themselves, families, friends, and neighbors. Clarifying and allowing small producers and conscious consumers to process, trade and consume local livestock is not just in benefit to farmers, but also workers, and the community economy. Moreover, small local ranchers are real stewards of their land and thus our shared environment. It is important that the USDA has a clear and transparent process based on established law that is not subject to arbitrary changes at the discretion of the administration or the whims of powerful lobbyists.

On-farm slaughter remains a key component of food security and economic well-being for a tens of thousands of Americans, especially in rural areas. Furthermore, it helps foster the most foundational elements of agricultural literacy--a basic understanding of farming realities, agricultural know-how, and traditional foodways that are fading away all too quickly.

Please support the national petition to defend on-farm slaughter and sign-on! You can also help by calling your US Senator and Representative to ensure they “Clarify On-Farm Slaughter is Legal!” as part of their policy priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill! Go to https://ruralvermont.org/onfarm-slaughter to learn more and to Congress.gov/members/find-your-member to find the contact info! , , , and

A full media kit to help you spread the word about this important effort is available at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F6A1wsfNO9ZfIt_h0ICeHxDR_y0nzT1BB6RTP4Z7hdU/edit

Some background explaining why this is needed is at:
https://inlandfoodwise.online/web/archive/usda-advisory-committee-urges-unnecessary-tinkering-with-custom-exempt-meat-and-poultry

11/11/2022

New Release!
Terra Viva - My Life in a Biodiversity of Movements
By Vandana Shiva

Vandana Shiva has been described in many ways: the “Gandhi of Grain,” “a rock star” in the battle against GMOs, and “the most powerful voice” for people of the developing world. She has been at the forefront of seed saving, food sovereignty, and connecting the dots between the destruction of nature, the polarization of societies, and indiscriminate corporate greed.

In Terra Viva, Dr. Shiva shares her most memorable campaigns, alongside some of the world’s most celebrated activists and environmentalists, all working toward a livable planet and healthier democracies.

A powerful new memoir published to coincide with Vandana Shiva’s 70th birthday.

Published by Chelsea Green.

My Life in a Biodiversity of Movements