Publisher Mountain Xpress, covering Asheville and the surrounding area, recently ran an article covering the renewal of the Farm Bill in Washington.
Gaia Herbs' Chief Operations Officer (COO), Brian Traylor, gave his insight on a few issues that our company is facing that relate to the bill renewal.
Traylor is a member of an agricultural advisory board and stated that Gaia Herbs relies on H-2A employees from central Mexico who return annually to work on the farm. Traylor emphasized the importance of maintaining fair labor regulations and competitive wages for these employees.
Traylor also argues that federal crop insurance formulas do not adequately value Gaia's organic and regenerative farming practices. Since these practices reduce the risk of crop failure, he suggests that farmers employing them should receive lower insurance rates.
Traylor believes that incentivizing these practices (and others), as well as educating people about their benefits can encourage more farmers to transition toward sustainable methods.