Trump’s USDA is still withholding reimbursements owed to 30,715 local, regenerative and organic farmers promised $2.3 billion, including a grant we administer for an allied organization. Meanwhile, the biggest grain, bean, pea, and oilseed farmers who service factory farms, junk food processors, and exporters are getting a new $10 billion chunk of funding!

Until the courts or Congress get Trump’s USDA to abide by current law, what use is there trying to pass new ones–even if we could. The Republican plan for the Farm Bill is really bad, cutting SNAP (food stamps) just to give bigger subsidies to industrial ag. Senate Ag Committee Chair Boozman belongs to Tyson Foods; the Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar to Cargill. House Ag Committee Chair GT Thompson is owned by the Farm Bureau; Ranking Member Angie Craig, Cargill.

Things are not looking good for regenerative organic agriculture, but that’s when we have to fight the hardest. Honestly, the most powerful thing you can do right now is to buy your regenerative organic organic food straight from the farmer, and support local farms in any other way you can.

But, we can’t give up on giving Congress a piece of our minds, even if it’s only to complain.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to force Trump’s USDA to fulfill farmer contracts!

Chloë Roberts writes for Earth.org:

“For years, media headlines have depicted a dire situation regarding global bee populations. While it is true that honey bee numbers in certain areas, especially in North America and Europe, have plummeted due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change, recent data reveals a more nuanced picture. In fact, bee populations in some Asian countries have been steadily increasing. This contrasting trend prompts important questions: why are bees flourishing in some regions while facing challenges in others?

In the United States, bee populations have encountered significant obstacles in recent decades. Data shows that honeybee colonies have been on the decline since the 1960s. The primary causes include habitat destruction, pesticide exposure, climate change, diseases, and parasites.

Our analysis indicates that while managed bee populations in Asia and Africa are likely to grow, North America may face further declines unless significant conservation efforts are implemented.”

Learn about how if regions facing declines adopt stronger conservation policies and sustainable farming practices, they could stabilize and even boost their bee populations in the years ahead

Read: What Happens to Ecosystems When Bees Disappear?

TAKE ACTION: Ask your state legislator to support a ban on bee-killing neonic seed treatments!

Around the world, forests are protected against illegal logging, but companies get away with deforestation by bribing law enforcement.

Organic Consumers Association’s campaign to protect the forests of Michuacán (the monarch butterflies’ winter home) has started to have some success. A few U.S. importers have pledged not to buy avocados grown on recently cleared land. It’s up to the governor of Michuacán to enforce the law. Will the effort be scuttled by bribery?

Calavo Growers, one of the companies that’s made the pledge to get deforestation out of its supply chain, recently admitted that it was conducting an internal investigation into whether its Mexico business is violating the anti-bribery law, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Now, Trump says he won’t be enforcing this law. He’s giving a free pass to companies like Calavo to bribe foreign officials to get away with illegal deforestation. That’s one reason the Organic Consumers Association is joining Saturday’s protests.

LEARN MORE: Trump, Avocados & Bribery

BUY ORGANIC & FAIR TRADE: Be Sure Your Avocados Didn’t Come From Illegally Cleared Land

JOIN THE PROTESTS SATURDAY APRIL 4TH: Tell Donald Trump & Elon Musk, Stop Taking Away Our Power to Hold Corporations Accountable!

Robin Sweetser, Farmers Almanac:

“Most of us know that gardening benefits our bodies and makes us happy. Even so, it’s very cool to see how research backs up why gardening improves both your mental health and your immune system! If you’re resolved to live a healthier lifestyle, eat better, and exercise more, gardening can give you all of these.

Many studies have shown that gardening improves people’s health and well-being. There have even been studies that show that people who garden live longer! Over a decade ago, author and longevity expert Dan 
Buettner visited communities known for having many centenarians (people who live to be 100 or older) to discover the secrets to their well-being and longevity. He was surprised to see one common and shared activity: Gardening!”


Read about the benefits of getting your hands in the soil

PlasticList Report:

“We were, like many others, asking ourselves if plastic chemicals would turn out to be the next public health crisis for humanity to overcome. We realized it was important to try and get closer to the true answer. Finding out how many plastic chemicals all of us really eat seemed like a good point to start, because (1) we could test that with precision and (2) if it turned out we don’t eat plastic chemicals, then maybe we shouldn’t care about their alleged health harms. So we got to work.



Our goal was to test the foods that our friends in the Bay Area eat: common items like fast food, sodas, water, milk, yogurt, produce, and snack bars, but also some local bougie favorites like Blue Bottle coffee, Salt & Straw ice cream, La Croix, Fairlife Core Power protein drinks, and Tartine sourdough bread. We ran a survey, received 7,500 votes for over 700 unique products, and combined those votes with suggestions from X and from our friends to make our final list.”

Read about what they learned and how there was detected plastic chemicals in 86% of the foods tested

If you’re interested in running your own tests, check out their DIY instructions

By Merlyn Miller, Food & Wine:

“As soon as a piece of produce is harvested, it starts to lose some of its nutrients. By the time fresh fruits and vegetables reach a typical supermarket, it’s often been several days or even weeks since they were picked. In contrast, frozen produce is usually frozen immediately after it has been harvested — and luckily, freezing slows down the deterioration of nutrients.

Research has shown that frozen vegetables have at least [as much] and sometimes more key nutrients than their fresh counterparts. Much of the difference comes from the transportation and exposure of fresh vegetables that can degrade many nutrients. Sometimes fresh vegetables are also allowed to ripen in transit, not on the vine as in the case of frozen vegetables. Allowing produce to ripen on the plant allows for greater intake of nutrients from the ground and plant itself as it ripens to peak quality. This gives the vegetables higher nutrient levels at the time they are picked and then subsequently frozen.”



Learn what should you look for when buying frozen fruits and vegetables

By Colin Rhodes, Earth.org:

“On his first day in office, President Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Agreement, halted offshore wind lease sales and permits for onshore and offshore wind projects and revoked a Biden administration ban on new offshore oil and gas development along US coastlines.

Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum released a directive that paves the way for opening additional federal lands for fossil fuel and mining development, shrinking protected national monuments and weakening protections for migratory birds and threatened plants.

If the US is to make progress protecting habitat and preserving biodiversity, the burden will fall on state and local governments and non-governmental organizations that are not dependent on federal funding to operate.

The 1,281 non-profit land trusts operating in the US are a critical driver of land conservation, preservation and stewardship. These are primarily small, community-driven organizations operating at the local, state, and regional levels with private landowners, tribes, government and community partners to protect habitat and working landscapes and create publicly accessible parks and green spaces.”

Read about how land trusts can play a vital role in growing local and national parks by acquiring privately held land and transferring to it a government agency for public use

Grace Snelling reports for Fast Company:

“The nonprofit Environmental Working Group just released an update to its Tap Water Database, finding that nearly half of the American population is drinking water containing PFAS, otherwise known as ‘forever chemicals.’

The EWG is a research advocacy group dedicated to monitoring agricultural subsidies, toxic chemicals, and drinking water pollutants. It’s been creating a Tap Water Database for nearly two decades, with the last report issued in 2021. To create its latest database, the EWG audited water quality data from nearly 50,000 American water systems between 2021 and 2023. It identified 324 contaminants—like nitrate, arsenic, and disinfection byproducts—in drinking water across the country, ‘with detectable levels in almost all community water systems.’

In many cases, the report notes, these detectable levels fall below the legal limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency, but they nevertheless exceed the ‘health-based standards’ established by the EWG itself. And, despite recent federal efforts to regulate PFAS in tap water, the group found that a large portion of Americans are consuming forever chemicals on a daily basis.”

Learn more and check out your water source at the Tap Water Database

TAKE ACTION: Tell Your State Legislators to Ban Toxic PFAS!

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is fighting for the rights of local, regenerative, and organic farmers who have been denied $2.3 billion in reimbursements by Trump’s USDA.

Meanwhile, large-scale industrial agriculture operations are receiving billions in funding. The current Farm Bill proposal threatens to cut SNAP (food stamps) and increase subsidies for industrial agriculture, further marginalizing small-scale farmers.

Take action and please consider donating. Your support is crucial in this fight and will help amplify the voices of organic farmers and advocates nationwide.

Here are some ways you can help:

Buy local – Purchase regenerative organic food directly from farmers, promoting healthy food systems and supporting local economies.

Contact Congress – Demand that lawmakers pressure Trump’s USDA to fulfill farmer contracts and prioritize organic agriculture.

Donate to OCA – Contribute to our advocacy efforts, internship program, and community development initiatives.

Every donation counts, and together, we can make a difference. Organic has never needed you more.

Make a tax-deductible donation to Organic Consumers Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Make a tax-deductible donation to Regeneration International, our international sister organization

Make a lasting impact through monthly giving, stock donations, planned giving, and IRA charitable distributions

OCA’s Weekly 3 offers three simple, impactful actions each week to drive change in environmental policy, sustainable agriculture, and personal health. These actions are designed to raise awareness, influence decision-makers, and create lasting change. We’ve already seen significant victories, but real change happens through collective action. By committing to just three actions each week, you become part of a movement for a healthier planet and a more just food system. Together, we can make an even bigger difference!

1. Take Action: Tell your state legislators that our farms shouldn’t be toxic waste dumps. Sign the petition today and demand a ban on sewage sludge fertilizer!

Toxic “forever chemicals” are contaminating U.S. farmland, thanks to decades of the EPA promoting sewage sludge as fertilizer. While the Biden administration has finally acknowledged the problem, real action is still missing. Writing to your state legislator ensures your voice is heard, shapes policy, and strengthens democracy by holding officials accountable.

2. Personal Health: Reduce your exposure to Glyphosate. Avoid non-organic oats and these breakfast cereals!

Choosing organic oats can significantly reduce your exposure to harmful pesticides like glyphosate, which is commonly used in conventional oat farming. Studies have found that 100% of oat cereals tested contained glyphosate residues, with some levels exceeding safety benchmarks for children’s health. Although organic oats may still have trace amounts due to environmental factors, they generally contain much lower levels. Opting for organic oats supports healthier eating and promotes sustainable farming practices. 

3. Environment: Join a CSA this spring!

Want to eat healthier, support local farmers, and help the planet? Join a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program this year! CSAs provide you with fresh, seasonal produce straight from local farms while ensuring farmers receive fair, upfront support for their work.

By choosing a CSA—especially one practicing regenerative agriculture—you’re helping restore soil health, protect biodiversity, and reduce harmful chemicals in our food system. Find a regenerative farm near you using the Regeneration International Regenerative Farm Map and make a difference for your health, your community, and the environment.

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