We are using the tool wordle at www.wordle.net to create word art for our clients. Our unique process for life long prosperity, The Prosperity Experience, helps clients identify their values, intentions, purpose and goals for their personal prosperity.
We use the wordle tool to create word art, frame it, and send it to all new clients as a gift to visually reinforce what is really important in their lives.
There are many other uses, for teams, kids, presents, families.... and just fun. Try it out!
May prosperity be yours,
Mackey McNeill, CPA/PFS
President and CEO
Mackey Advisors
www.CultivatingProsperity.com
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
New Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan for federal student loans
This caught my eye in the August 13, 2009 Weekly Forefield Alert:
On July 1, the federal government's new Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan for federal student loans went into effect. Under this program, a borrower's monthly student loan payments will be based on his or her income and family size. More specifically, annual loan payments will be 15% of the difference between a borrower's gross income and 150% of the federal poverty level (the latter depends on family size and state of residence). Monthly payments are then calculated as one-twelfth of that amount. After 25 years of qualifying payments, the principal loan balance may be forgiven.
The program is open to graduates who have a Stafford, Graduate PLUS, or consolidation student loan made under either the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan or Federal Family Education Loan programs. The loans could be for undergraduate, graduate, or professional studies, as well as for job training. To enroll in the plan, borrowers should contact their lender.
Details are available on the studentaid.ed.gov website.
From:
Alert@forefield.com
Forefield
33 Boston Post Road W
Suite 190
Marlborough, MA 01752
tel: 508-630-1100
fax: 508-630-1164
On July 1, the federal government's new Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan for federal student loans went into effect. Under this program, a borrower's monthly student loan payments will be based on his or her income and family size. More specifically, annual loan payments will be 15% of the difference between a borrower's gross income and 150% of the federal poverty level (the latter depends on family size and state of residence). Monthly payments are then calculated as one-twelfth of that amount. After 25 years of qualifying payments, the principal loan balance may be forgiven.
The program is open to graduates who have a Stafford, Graduate PLUS, or consolidation student loan made under either the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan or Federal Family Education Loan programs. The loans could be for undergraduate, graduate, or professional studies, as well as for job training. To enroll in the plan, borrowers should contact their lender.
Details are available on the studentaid.ed.gov website.
From:
Alert@forefield.com
Forefield
33 Boston Post Road W
Suite 190
Marlborough, MA 01752
tel: 508-630-1100
fax: 508-630-1164
Monday, August 17, 2009
In Celebration of the Tomato
I just finished enjoying my favorite summertime lunch … a tomato sandwich, made with whole grain bread, a generous portion of Duke’s mayonnaise, and a thick slice of just-picked tomato, with a dash of salt and pepper. It makes my mouth water every time I think of it.
In the spring of 2008, Barry and I purchased and planted a variety of heirloom tomatoes. As autumn approached, I chose the best tomatoes from my favorite plants, diligently removed the seeds, and stored them in a cool, dark, and dry place. In February of 2009, I carefully planted these tiny seeds in small containers filled with rich soil and placed them near a southern window in my home. They did just what seeds are supposed to do, and after five months of anticipation, Barry and I gathered and savored our first tomato from the garden. Now, one month later, we have moved into full scale operations for drying, canning, and freezing an abundance of tomatoes.
This is the rhythm of a garden. From tiny seeds folded into intensely prepared soil and blended with a healthy dose of anticipation, mixed with staying after the bugs and weeds while constantly monitoring moisture, to the joy of picking the first few vegetables, to an abundant payoff in a short, sweet sixty to ninety day period filled with wonder and gratitude.
Bountiful gardens require a lengthy period of time in preparation, tending and monitoring for a brief and glorious display of the abundance of nature.
With all of the complexity that surrounds investing and wealth management, it too is a natural cycle. We prepare, tend, and monitor for many years, and then harvest our abundance for a relatively short period toward the end of our lives.
Even investment cycles, for all their seemingly incomprehensible volatility, follow a harvest cycle. There are long periods of little or negative market return, interspersed with brief intense periods of upward movement. Consider these facts:
In the spring of 2008, Barry and I purchased and planted a variety of heirloom tomatoes. As autumn approached, I chose the best tomatoes from my favorite plants, diligently removed the seeds, and stored them in a cool, dark, and dry place. In February of 2009, I carefully planted these tiny seeds in small containers filled with rich soil and placed them near a southern window in my home. They did just what seeds are supposed to do, and after five months of anticipation, Barry and I gathered and savored our first tomato from the garden. Now, one month later, we have moved into full scale operations for drying, canning, and freezing an abundance of tomatoes.
This is the rhythm of a garden. From tiny seeds folded into intensely prepared soil and blended with a healthy dose of anticipation, mixed with staying after the bugs and weeds while constantly monitoring moisture, to the joy of picking the first few vegetables, to an abundant payoff in a short, sweet sixty to ninety day period filled with wonder and gratitude.
Bountiful gardens require a lengthy period of time in preparation, tending and monitoring for a brief and glorious display of the abundance of nature.
With all of the complexity that surrounds investing and wealth management, it too is a natural cycle. We prepare, tend, and monitor for many years, and then harvest our abundance for a relatively short period toward the end of our lives.
Even investment cycles, for all their seemingly incomprehensible volatility, follow a harvest cycle. There are long periods of little or negative market return, interspersed with brief intense periods of upward movement. Consider these facts:
- In the 82 years between 1925 and 2007, one dollar invested in the S&P 500 grew to $3,186. If you missed the best 37 months (out of 984) of market movement, your one dollar would have been worth a mere $19.17.
- If you invested $10,000 in the S&P 500 in the beginning of 1980, it would have grown to $286,000 by the end of 2007. If you missed the best ten days, your return would have shrunk to $131,000, a 54% difference for missing ten days out of twenty seven years.
What are the lessons of the harvest? Can we use those lessons to give us more peace and optimism about today and the future?
Planning, patience and persistence pay off when it comes to a garden. Ditto for wealth management and investing.
Studies show that individuals with a financial plan achieve more wealth that those without a plan. Just as in gardening, financial planning pays off in tangible rewards. Patience and persistence are required to be a successful gardener. You cannot hurry a tomato to ripen or wish an ear of corn into its sweetness. Rather you have to care and tend the garden, and the harvest takes care of itself. The same is true for investing. We care and tend by devoting time and energy into developing and researching our investment plan, followed by action and monitoring our results.
Worry, denial, lack of attention, lack of planning, either make our garden less productive or make no difference. The same is true for our financial life. Losing sleep over our portfolio does not make a nickel’s worth of difference. Lack of attention however, means that our results are more like a crap shoot that a targeted result, just as it would be in the garden.
When you look at your own behavior around your personal finances, how much energy do you spend in planning, patience and persistence? How much in worry, denial and lack of attention? Do you need to make a new choice?
If you are not getting the results you want in your money life, and you are spending your energy needlessly on things that make no difference, focus on the activities that matter: planning, patience and persistence. Then wait, anticipate, and enjoy the harvest.
by Mackey McNeill
Friday, August 14, 2009
Money can't buy happiness
Great YouTube video with Matt Weinsteinn, a Bernie Madoff past client, putting it all in perspective.
Thank you, Matt, for a great lesson.
Click below to watch the 8-minute video.
http://tinyurl.com/da87bo
Thank you, Matt, for a great lesson.
Click below to watch the 8-minute video.
http://tinyurl.com/da87bo
Monday, August 10, 2009
Cincinnati Business Courier Investor Profile
For those of you who don’t have access to the Business Courier’s website, here is a copy of the Investor Profile by Dan Monk I was recently featured in.
Name: Mackey McNeill
Firm: Mackey Advisors
Title: CEO and President
Assets under management: $25 million
Age: 53
Family: Husband, Barry, and 3 children
Residence: Independence
Phone: (859) 331-7755
Web site: www.CultivatingProsperity.com
Performance (balanced through June 30):
Firm/Index
YTD 6.9%/5.5%
1-yr. -23.0%/-26.0%
3-yr. -4.0%/-6.8%
10-yr. 5.5%/2.7%
Mackey Advisors doesn’t just manage clients’ investments. It emphasizes financial planning as a key part of the process. Founder Mackey McNeill likens it to constructing a building. You need a design first to know how you want to set it up. That philosophy helped when stocks tanked last year and earlier this year. “We encouraged people to make rational decisions in an irrational market,” said McNeill, who founded the firm 26 years ago. Now, she’s seeing signs of improving investor confidence, as homes sales and corporate earnings show small signs of life. Small stocks and growth companies should do well in this environment, she said. “It’s like a classic recovery, with small-caps outpacing the market,” she said. “We have a little growth spin to our portfolios.” She’s also leaning towards international stocks. One-fourth of the firm’s allocation to stocks, bonds and real estate is in international investments. Mackey Advisors uses 14 asset classes. It invests using mutual funds or exchange-traded funds. It uses green, socially responsible funds where practical. Plenty of those funds are available in large-cap categories. So the firm uses them in growth, value and diversified large stock investments. The Parnassus Workplace Fund is among the choices in that group. We use green funds where it makes sense, and we’re not sacrificing return,” McNeill said. “We believe how you invest matters. You’re voting with your dollars.” McNeill also aims to lower volatility in client portfolios. She’s using commodities, such as the Claymoor Timber Index (CUT) and the Commodities Power Index (DBC). Those help hedge against inflation.
Thank you to the Business Courier for featuring me this week!
Name: Mackey McNeill
Firm: Mackey Advisors
Title: CEO and President
Assets under management: $25 million
Age: 53
Family: Husband, Barry, and 3 children
Residence: Independence
Phone: (859) 331-7755
Web site: www.CultivatingProsperity.com
Performance (balanced through June 30):
Firm/Index
YTD 6.9%/5.5%
1-yr. -23.0%/-26.0%
3-yr. -4.0%/-6.8%
10-yr. 5.5%/2.7%
Mackey Advisors doesn’t just manage clients’ investments. It emphasizes financial planning as a key part of the process. Founder Mackey McNeill likens it to constructing a building. You need a design first to know how you want to set it up. That philosophy helped when stocks tanked last year and earlier this year. “We encouraged people to make rational decisions in an irrational market,” said McNeill, who founded the firm 26 years ago. Now, she’s seeing signs of improving investor confidence, as homes sales and corporate earnings show small signs of life. Small stocks and growth companies should do well in this environment, she said. “It’s like a classic recovery, with small-caps outpacing the market,” she said. “We have a little growth spin to our portfolios.” She’s also leaning towards international stocks. One-fourth of the firm’s allocation to stocks, bonds and real estate is in international investments. Mackey Advisors uses 14 asset classes. It invests using mutual funds or exchange-traded funds. It uses green, socially responsible funds where practical. Plenty of those funds are available in large-cap categories. So the firm uses them in growth, value and diversified large stock investments. The Parnassus Workplace Fund is among the choices in that group. We use green funds where it makes sense, and we’re not sacrificing return,” McNeill said. “We believe how you invest matters. You’re voting with your dollars.” McNeill also aims to lower volatility in client portfolios. She’s using commodities, such as the Claymoor Timber Index (CUT) and the Commodities Power Index (DBC). Those help hedge against inflation.
Thank you to the Business Courier for featuring me this week!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Clock Is Ticking on These Small Biz Tax Perks (from SmartMoney.com)
I recently came across this article on SmartMoney.com by the Tax Guy, Bill Bischoff. I think it's a great heads-up so I'm posting it here:
Clock Is Ticking on These Small Biz Tax Perks
Believe it or not, we are already more than halfway through 2009. For small-business owners, that means the clock is ticking on some favorable tax icentives. If your business is healthy enough to buy equipment or software, the federal income tax perks for doing so are better than ever. Here's what you need to think about before the year is over.
Supersized Section 179 Deduction Privilege Has Short Shelf Life
For tax years beginning in 2009, many small businesses can potentially deduct up to $250,000 of purchased (not leased) equipment and software as soon as these items are put to work. Both new and used assets are eligible. This valuable break is called the Section 179 depreciation deduction privilege, and it’s an exception to the general rule that you must depreciate equipment and software costs over several years.
But to take advantage of this supersized $250,000 allowance, you'll have to act fast. The allowance will fall back to only about $135,000 for tax years beginning in 2010 (the exact number depends on an inflation adjustment we don’t yet know). So if your business uses the calendar year for tax purposes, you only have until Dec. 31 to take advantage of the generous $250,000 allowance (unless our beloved Congress extends it, which could happen). While the Section 179 deduction can be a very sweet deal, there are a few things you need to know before charging out to buy a bunch of equipment and software in hopes of lowering your tax bill.
If a Business Is a C Corporation
A business operating as a regular C corporation cannot claim a Section 179 deduction that would create or increase a tax loss for the year. In other words, the deduction is limited to the amount of corporate taxable income before the deduction. So if your outfit is having a marginal or lousy year, the allowable Section 179 write-off might be little or nothing. On the other hand, if your company is having a decent year (despite the bad economy), buying enough stuff to claim the maximum $250,000 deduction would reduce your company’s taxable income by that amount and save it plenty on taxes. (Beware: some states don’t permit the full $250,000 federal allowance for state income tax purposes.)
If a Business Is a Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, LLC, or S Corporation
In this scenario, business deductions are passed through to you and written off on your personal Form 1040. However, the Section 179 deduction rules are tricky because various limitations can apply at the partnership, LLC, and S corporation level and at your personal level, too. For example if you’re an S corporation shareholder, you can potentially claim a Section 179 deduction on your Form 1040 for your ownership share of qualifying assets acquired by the company. However, you can’t claim over $250,000 in Section 179 deductions on your Form 1040 no matter how many businesses you’re involved with. Also, you can’t claim Section 179 deductions that would create or increase an overall business tax loss on your Form 1040. For this purpose, any salary you earn counts as business income; ditto for salary earned by your spouse if you file jointly. So be sure to check with your tax advisor to find out how the Section 179 deduction rules will play out in your specific situation before making big purchases.
Temporary Bonus Depreciation Break Is Worth More in the Weak Economy
Another big tax break is available for most new (not used) business equipment and software and some leasehold improvements that are purchased (not leased) and put into use by Dec. 31, 2009. For these assets, your business can generally claim first-year bonus depreciation deductions equal to 50% of the cost that’s left over after subtracting allowable Section 179 deductions (if any).
One important point: Unlike Section 179 deductions, bonus depreciation write-offs can be used to create or increase an overall business tax loss for the year -- which can, in turn, create or increase a net operating loss (NOL) for the year.
If you have a personal NOL for your 2009 tax year, you can generally carry it back to 2007 and 2008 and recover some or all of the federal income taxes you paid in those years. Or you can choose to carry the entire NOL forward to the next 20 years (starting with 2010) to offset income earned in those years that might otherwise be taxed at higher rates (possibly much higher rates).
In most cases, essentially the same rules apply if you have a C corporation business that creates or increases a corporate NOL by purchasing assets that are eligible for bonus depreciation deductions. Even better, if your non-calendar year C corporation runs up an NOL in the current tax year that began in 2008 and has not yet ended (for example, a tax year that will end on Oct. 31, 2009), that current-year NOL can probably be carried back for as many as five years. Your company can then recover some taxes paid in those years and use the money to help pay for the very bonus depreciation assets that contributed to the current-year NOL in the first place. Just keep in mind that while Congress could decide to extend the Dec. 31 deadline for taking advantage of bonus depreciation, don’t bet the house on it.
The Tax Guy by Bill Bischoff
Published August 5, 2009
http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/taxes/clock-is-ticking-on-these-small-biz-tax-perks/
Clock Is Ticking on These Small Biz Tax Perks
Believe it or not, we are already more than halfway through 2009. For small-business owners, that means the clock is ticking on some favorable tax icentives. If your business is healthy enough to buy equipment or software, the federal income tax perks for doing so are better than ever. Here's what you need to think about before the year is over.
Supersized Section 179 Deduction Privilege Has Short Shelf Life
For tax years beginning in 2009, many small businesses can potentially deduct up to $250,000 of purchased (not leased) equipment and software as soon as these items are put to work. Both new and used assets are eligible. This valuable break is called the Section 179 depreciation deduction privilege, and it’s an exception to the general rule that you must depreciate equipment and software costs over several years.
But to take advantage of this supersized $250,000 allowance, you'll have to act fast. The allowance will fall back to only about $135,000 for tax years beginning in 2010 (the exact number depends on an inflation adjustment we don’t yet know). So if your business uses the calendar year for tax purposes, you only have until Dec. 31 to take advantage of the generous $250,000 allowance (unless our beloved Congress extends it, which could happen). While the Section 179 deduction can be a very sweet deal, there are a few things you need to know before charging out to buy a bunch of equipment and software in hopes of lowering your tax bill.
If a Business Is a C Corporation
A business operating as a regular C corporation cannot claim a Section 179 deduction that would create or increase a tax loss for the year. In other words, the deduction is limited to the amount of corporate taxable income before the deduction. So if your outfit is having a marginal or lousy year, the allowable Section 179 write-off might be little or nothing. On the other hand, if your company is having a decent year (despite the bad economy), buying enough stuff to claim the maximum $250,000 deduction would reduce your company’s taxable income by that amount and save it plenty on taxes. (Beware: some states don’t permit the full $250,000 federal allowance for state income tax purposes.)
If a Business Is a Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, LLC, or S Corporation
In this scenario, business deductions are passed through to you and written off on your personal Form 1040. However, the Section 179 deduction rules are tricky because various limitations can apply at the partnership, LLC, and S corporation level and at your personal level, too. For example if you’re an S corporation shareholder, you can potentially claim a Section 179 deduction on your Form 1040 for your ownership share of qualifying assets acquired by the company. However, you can’t claim over $250,000 in Section 179 deductions on your Form 1040 no matter how many businesses you’re involved with. Also, you can’t claim Section 179 deductions that would create or increase an overall business tax loss on your Form 1040. For this purpose, any salary you earn counts as business income; ditto for salary earned by your spouse if you file jointly. So be sure to check with your tax advisor to find out how the Section 179 deduction rules will play out in your specific situation before making big purchases.
Temporary Bonus Depreciation Break Is Worth More in the Weak Economy
Another big tax break is available for most new (not used) business equipment and software and some leasehold improvements that are purchased (not leased) and put into use by Dec. 31, 2009. For these assets, your business can generally claim first-year bonus depreciation deductions equal to 50% of the cost that’s left over after subtracting allowable Section 179 deductions (if any).
One important point: Unlike Section 179 deductions, bonus depreciation write-offs can be used to create or increase an overall business tax loss for the year -- which can, in turn, create or increase a net operating loss (NOL) for the year.
If you have a personal NOL for your 2009 tax year, you can generally carry it back to 2007 and 2008 and recover some or all of the federal income taxes you paid in those years. Or you can choose to carry the entire NOL forward to the next 20 years (starting with 2010) to offset income earned in those years that might otherwise be taxed at higher rates (possibly much higher rates).
In most cases, essentially the same rules apply if you have a C corporation business that creates or increases a corporate NOL by purchasing assets that are eligible for bonus depreciation deductions. Even better, if your non-calendar year C corporation runs up an NOL in the current tax year that began in 2008 and has not yet ended (for example, a tax year that will end on Oct. 31, 2009), that current-year NOL can probably be carried back for as many as five years. Your company can then recover some taxes paid in those years and use the money to help pay for the very bonus depreciation assets that contributed to the current-year NOL in the first place. Just keep in mind that while Congress could decide to extend the Dec. 31 deadline for taking advantage of bonus depreciation, don’t bet the house on it.
The Tax Guy by Bill Bischoff
Published August 5, 2009
http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/taxes/clock-is-ticking-on-these-small-biz-tax-perks/
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Thoughts after seeing Food Inc.
Recently my husband and I went to see the movie Food Inc, which is about America’s industrialized food system and how it affects aspects of our lives that we don’t even think about while we’re cruising down the supermarket aisles—the environment, health, economy and workers’ rights. Actually, this wasn’t new news for me; because of my and Barry’s commitment to sustainability and our interest in green living, I’ve heard all of this before. Regardless, I thought that the movie did a great job of packaging up a lot of information and presenting it to the consumer.
I believe that the average person doesn’t think too much about where their food comes from—suddenly, it’s there at the store, packaged up and piled high in glossy wrappers. The fruit gleams under the rain mist that falls from the sky of the produce shelves. The cereal boxes, adorned with sports stars and cartoon characters tempt with their sugar coatings and colored marshmallows. The rows of steaks, chicken, ground beef and pork roasts snare shoppers with visions of what they could be and how good they could taste, once cooked. Even the deli aisle calls to the consumer with its premade potato salads, crab cakes and battered pork chops that just need to be popped in the oven and reheated to be ready to serve.
What could be easier than this? We’re all busy and want to save time… No one likes to grocery shop. The quicker we can get in and out of the store, the better. But wait! If someone truly is what they eat, then shouldn’t everyone be more concerned about where their food comes from?
Simply put: yes. Even if you do not plan on changing your eating habits, you should still be informed. An informed consumer is a smarter consumer, or at least a consumer who makes choices knowing all of the information. Know the information so you can make your own decisions!
To find out more, visit http://www.foodincmovie.com/ and check it out. For now, I’ll leave you with ten things you can do to change our food system (also from the Food Inc. website):
1. Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages: You can lose 25 pounds in a year by replacing one 20 oz. soda a day with a no-calorie beverage (preferably water).
2. Eat at home instead of eating out: Children consume almost twice (1.8 times) as many calories when eating food prepared outside the home.
3. Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards: Half of the leading chain restaurants provide no nutritional information to the customers.
4. Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food and sports drinks: Over the last two decades, rates of obesity have tripled in children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years,
5. Meatless Mondays—Go without meat one day a week: An estimated 70% of all antibiotics used in the United States are given to farm animals.
6. Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides: According to the EPA, over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the U.S.
7. Protect family farms; visit your local farmer’s markets: Farmer’s markets allow farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.
8. Make a point to know where your food comes from—READ LABELS: The average meal travels 1500 MILES from the farm to your dinner plate.
9. Tell Congress that food safety is important to you: Each year, contaminated food causes millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths in the U.S.
10. Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections: Poverty amond farm workers is more than twice that of all wage and salary employees.
As always, you all are invited to our farm, Red Sunflower Farm, to partake in organic home-grown food and good times! We have an open house the third Sunday of every month. For more information, visit http://www.redsunflowerfarm.com/.
I believe that the average person doesn’t think too much about where their food comes from—suddenly, it’s there at the store, packaged up and piled high in glossy wrappers. The fruit gleams under the rain mist that falls from the sky of the produce shelves. The cereal boxes, adorned with sports stars and cartoon characters tempt with their sugar coatings and colored marshmallows. The rows of steaks, chicken, ground beef and pork roasts snare shoppers with visions of what they could be and how good they could taste, once cooked. Even the deli aisle calls to the consumer with its premade potato salads, crab cakes and battered pork chops that just need to be popped in the oven and reheated to be ready to serve.
What could be easier than this? We’re all busy and want to save time… No one likes to grocery shop. The quicker we can get in and out of the store, the better. But wait! If someone truly is what they eat, then shouldn’t everyone be more concerned about where their food comes from?
Simply put: yes. Even if you do not plan on changing your eating habits, you should still be informed. An informed consumer is a smarter consumer, or at least a consumer who makes choices knowing all of the information. Know the information so you can make your own decisions!
To find out more, visit http://www.foodincmovie.com/ and check it out. For now, I’ll leave you with ten things you can do to change our food system (also from the Food Inc. website):
1. Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages: You can lose 25 pounds in a year by replacing one 20 oz. soda a day with a no-calorie beverage (preferably water).
2. Eat at home instead of eating out: Children consume almost twice (1.8 times) as many calories when eating food prepared outside the home.
3. Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards: Half of the leading chain restaurants provide no nutritional information to the customers.
4. Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food and sports drinks: Over the last two decades, rates of obesity have tripled in children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years,
5. Meatless Mondays—Go without meat one day a week: An estimated 70% of all antibiotics used in the United States are given to farm animals.
6. Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides: According to the EPA, over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the U.S.
7. Protect family farms; visit your local farmer’s markets: Farmer’s markets allow farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.
8. Make a point to know where your food comes from—READ LABELS: The average meal travels 1500 MILES from the farm to your dinner plate.
9. Tell Congress that food safety is important to you: Each year, contaminated food causes millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths in the U.S.
10. Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections: Poverty amond farm workers is more than twice that of all wage and salary employees.
As always, you all are invited to our farm, Red Sunflower Farm, to partake in organic home-grown food and good times! We have an open house the third Sunday of every month. For more information, visit http://www.redsunflowerfarm.com/.
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