American Society of Agronomy Twin Cities’ “farm to fork” culture highlighted Minnesota’s Twin Cities’ thriving local and organic food system provides a viable, large-scale “farm to fork” model. According to the 2014 “Twin Cities Cooperative Local Food System: A Case Study and Commentary,” local food product sales reached $54 million in 2013 from approximately 300… Read more »

Union of Concerned Scientists Monsanto Company is the dominant player in commercial genetically engineered (GE) crops, the biggest seed company in the world, and—to hear them tell it—a leader and innovator in sustainable agriculture. Monsanto aggressively touts its technology as vital to achieving laudable goals such as ensuring adequate food production, responding to the challenge… Read more »

The New York Times By Elisabeth Rosenthal (David Agren contributed reporting) TODOS SANTOS, Mexico — Clamshell containers on supermarket shelves in the United States may depict verdant fields, tangles of vines and ruby red tomatoes. But at this time of year, the tomatoes, peppers and basil certified as organic by the Agriculture Department often hail… Read more »

A coalition of forward-thinking farmers, economists, environmentalists, health professionals, sportsmen, rural citizens and others concerned with the quality and safety of food, water and air, will come together at the first annual Wisconsin Forum on Rural and Urban Agriculture to be held in Madison on November 11 and 12. The goal of the forum is… Read more »

The Atlantic By Andrea Gabor Two weeks ago, I joined about 1,700 farmers, foodies, and families from across the U.S. for a pilgrimage to Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farm, home of his iconic model of local, sustainable agriculture. Salatin, the high priest of “grass-farming,” as he defines his work, hosts a field day every three years… Read more »

San Francisco Chronicle by Heather Knight, Chronicle Staff Writer Vegetable gardens will soon be sprouting in unlikely places throughout San Francisco including a building that produces steam to heat the Civic Center, Department of Public Works land in the Bayview, outside McLaren Lodge in Golden Gate Park and at the San Francisco Police Academy in… Read more »

San Francisco Chronicle By MARGIE MASON AND MARTHA MENDOZA, Associated Press Writers The mystery started the day farmer Russ Kremer got between a jealous boar and a sow in heat. The boar gored Kremer in the knee with a razor-sharp tusk. The burly pig farmer shrugged it off, figuring: “You pour the blood out of… Read more »

The Sacramento Bee By Ngoc Nguyen – [email protected] THE ISSUE Colony collapse disorder continues to vex researchers and decimate beehives. At stake is the routine pollination of many farm crops by honeybees. More than half of the nation’s 2.4 million bee colonies each year pollinate California’s almond crop. Bob Koehnen, a beekeeper and farmer in… Read more »