Thanks to Ed Brown for sharing this encouraging article on the growth of organic agriculture:
Going organic is proving to be a good investment for small and medium-sized farmers—and they are receiving some government protection against Big Agriculture as well.
via Got Data and Regs! | Energy Bulletin.
Women feed the world, and I mean that quite literally. Worldwide, according to the UN FAO, more than 50% of all the food grown worldwide is produced by women, who constitute close to 60% of the world's farmers – and more than 70% of the world's small farmers. More than 80% of all food processing [...]
More news from Ed Brown:
…synthetic nitrogen’s effect on carbon sequestration swings from being an important ecological advantage to perhaps its gravest liability. Not only would nitrogen fertilizer be contributing to climate change in a way not previously taken into account, but it would also be undermining the long-term productivity of the soil.
via New research: synthetic [...]
So businesses are complaining that the US EPA wants them to stop polluting Florida water. The time has come for businesses to stop jeopardizing our natural resources, health and safety in the name of their industrial profits. Water is a finite resource, and most of it has already been contaminated – our drinking water is [...]
Thanks to Ed Brown for sending this:
These days it seems the most popular person to be in the food system is the “local farmer.” Farmers markets are popping up everywhere, and their size and popularity grow all the time. Local food is trendy—even the First Family is in on it.
But…to have a truly local food [...]
Environmental writer Trish Riley tours a green winery and discusses biodynamic farming.
via Subaru Drive Magazine: Winter 2010.
Thanks to Ed Brown for sharing this thoughtful overview on developing more sustainable agriculture:
“We live off of what comes out of the soil, not what’s in the bank,” said Jackson, president of The Land Institute. “If we squander the ecological capital of the soil, the capital on paper won’t much matter.”
As a nation, we are [...]
From Correspondent Christine Heinrichs:
“COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Dec. 16, 2009 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today joined representatives from 20 other countries across the globe to announce the formation of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases, an international research collaborative to combat climate change. Vilsack announced the Partnership at the climate change talks in Copenhagen, [...]
Allowing monopolies on our food supply seems pretty scary, and besides, I don’t want to eat genetically modified foods – we find out far too often that messing with nature causes problems. How to avoid supporting this seed monopoly and avoid GM foods? Buy organic. Plant your own garden with organic seeds, keep and resow [...]
Want to strengthen your local food community? Here’s a step-by-step guide to success…Thanks to Ed Brown for sending this:
Fiona Dunbar, Alex Hoffmeier & Suzanne Rhodes, Conway School of Landscape Design
This document, the initial phase of the Shelburne Falls Food Security Plan, incorporating recommendations of the residents, offers strategies for localizing the food system by providing [...]
