The New York Times By ANDREW POLLACK An unapproved type of genetically engineered grass has been found growing in the wild in what scientists say could be the first instance in the United States in which a biotechnology plant has established itself outside a farm. Ecologists at the Environmental Protection Agency said they had found… Read more »
Search Results for: GMO
Wendell Berry: A Strong Voice For Local Farming and the Land
Wendell Berry stands before his solar panels on his Kentucky farm Image credit: Guy Mendes Yale Environment 360 by Roger Cohn For six decades, writer Wendell Berry has spoken out in defense of local agriculture, rural communities, and the importance of caring for the land. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, he talks about… Read more »
The Realities of Starting a Farm
Cornucopia’s Take: Although the couple in this film are atypical of new farmers—they had enough resources to acquire land and a solid consultant—the documentary they created about their struggles to start an organic, biodynamic farm is an honest look at what it takes (and gives) to partner with land and animals. An L.A. couple left… Read more »
The Beauty of Compost
Rodale News by Matthew Benson Source: Joy Ito Healthy dirt forms the building blocks of a beautiful garden. The garden soil you begin with will most likely need to be amended before you plant out your precious seedlings. Even if your future garden site supports a lawn, it may not have the nutritional strength necessary… Read more »
Monarch Butterflies Dying — and Roundup Is a Suspect
The Des Moines Register by Mike Klein Credit: Susannah Rogers, USDA Forest Service The monarch butterfly weighs a fourth of a gram, yet migrates thousands of miles every September through Iowa to overwintering grounds in Mexico. The iconic orange-and-black butterfly marks changing seasons. Chasing it is a rite of Iowa early childhood and watching its… Read more »
Don’t Ask How to Feed the 9 Billion
The New York Times by Mark Bittman At dinner with a friend the other night, I mentioned that I was giving a talk this week debunking the idea that we need to grow more food on a large scale so we can “feed the nine billion” — the anticipated global population by 2050. She looked at me,… Read more »
Another Score For Organically Grown Veggies
The Washington Post by Barbara Damrosch Amy’s Organic Garden Image Credit: USDA Watching the studies come out about the merits or demerits of organics is a little like watching World Cup soccer. A large study done at Stanford in 2012 claimed organic food to be no more nutritious than chemically grown. Score one for that side. But a… Read more »
Organic Farming Grows, North Dakota No. 2 in the Nation
The Dickinson Press (North Dakota) (link no longer available) By: Betsy Simon Minus the lack of chemicals on his crops, life at Patrick Frank’s 1,200-acres of organic farmland north of South Heart mirrors that of any other farmer. “There’s not really a difference in what I do, except that when spring comes instead of just… Read more »
NOFA Celebrates Four Decades of Organic Farming and Advocacy
Brattleboro Reformer – Brattleboro, VT By HOWARD WEISS-TISMAN WESTMINSTER — About 40 years ago a group of farmers got together, high in a field in Westminster West, to pool their resources and buy some compost. The compost was made in Pennsylvania, by an Amish company that produced a chemical-free product known as “organic.” While the… Read more »
Organic-Milk Fight Takes Aim at Grazing Time
Seattle Times By Melissa Allison, business reporter Anyone reading the label of an organic milk, butter or cheese container might get the impression the cows behind those products spend much of their time in verdant pastures. The labels often portray cows grazing on grassland, and studies show that consumers of organic milk products believe the… Read more »
