Walking Through the Fields of Change [This article was previously published in the spring issue of The Cultivator, Cornucopia’s quarterly newsletter.] by Rachel Zegerius Communications and Development Associate at The Cornucopia Institute Oren Holle For Kansas grain producer Oren Holle, the intention to farm was early and lasting. “When I was in high school, only one thing… Read more »
Search Results for: GMO
Keep Fragile Ecosystems Wild
[The comment period for this issue is now closed.] [Read Cornucopia’s comprehensive comments on this issue.] Comment to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) by March 30 Though organic agriculture promotes and enhances biodiversity, organic regulations do not explicitly protect sensitive native ecosystems from being converted into organic production – in fact, they incentivize it!… Read more »
Squeezed By Drought, California Farmers Switch To Less Thirsty Crops
NPR – The Salt by Lesley McClurg Source: cyclotourist Water scarcity is driving California farmers to plant different crops. Growers are switching to more profitable, less-thirsty fruits, vegetables and nuts. Nowhere is this truer than San Diego County, where water prices are some of the highest in the state. Grapefruit trees shade the entrance to… Read more »
Urban Ag in the Heartland
by Elizabeth Wolf Big Muddy Urban Farm Omaha, Nebraska Say “farm” and, despite the spread of industrial-scale agriculture, images of red barns, lone farmhouses and acres of crops growing in the country come to mind. Yet as the world becomes increasingly urbanized (over 80% of Americans live in cities), so too has food production. In… Read more »
Chicken Industry Acts More Like Ostriches
Food Safety News by Leah Garces Source: Socially Responsible Agricultural Project Last month, something unprecedented happened that rocked the chicken industry’s world. Perdue contract farmer Craig Watts decided he’d had enough. Together with my organization, Compassion in World Farming, he released a video that gave the public a unique view into the secretive world of the chicken… Read more »
The Insects That Made Christmas
BBC News Source: Coralie Mercier At least 15 elements of a traditional Christmas dinner party would never make it to the table without help from insects. Scientists from the University of Bristol have compiled a list of essentials, from mistletoe to chocolate, and the insects that we have to thank for their commercial production. The… Read more »
Government May Consider Sustainability in New Dietary Guidelines
PBS NewsHour – The Rundown by Mary Clare Jalonick Source: Glen Hadiardja WASHINGTON — The government issues dietary guidelines every five years to encourage Americans to eat healthier. This year’s version may look at what is healthy for the environment, too. A new focus on the environment would mean asking people to choose more fruits,… Read more »
USDA Clips Wings of Misleading Organic Marketers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mark Kastel, 608-625-2042 USDA Clips Wings of Misleading Organic Marketers CORNUCOPIA, WIS: The USDA, today, announced to industry stakeholders that it would rein-in misleading language on organic packaging that all too often has been suspected of confusing consumers. Specifically, the agency addressed companies marketing food products that have the word “organic” or “organics” in… Read more »
Natural Foods Retailer to Farmers: Let Cows Graze
LaCrosse Tribune by M.L. Johnson That’s the position of a Colorado-based grocery store chain that recently announced it will carry only dairy products from farms where cows graze in pastures. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage claims grazing improves the health of cows, consumers and the environment, and it hopes to expand an ongoing, national debate… Read more »
Minnesota Organic Farmer Building Bridges to Iran
1970s: Ping-Pong Diplomacy with China / 2014: Organic Diplomacy with Iran Internationally respected organic leader, Jim Riddle, returned from Iran last week after participating in an international conference in the Middle East. Riddle, a former chairman of the National Organic Standards Board, and founder of an association of independent organic certifiers, is truly a statesman… Read more »
