Cornucopia’s Take: If you find yourself in South Jersey, take a trip to the pick-your-own blueberry farms selling heirloom varieties you’ve never conceived of if you’ve only eaten blueberries from the store. Large producers increasingly grow them hydroponically, although Driscoll’s uses the misleading euphemism “container growing.” They grow varieties that can be easily harvested, packed,… 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 »

Over the last century, the intensive use of chemical fertilizers has saturated the Earth’s soils and waters with nitrogen. Now scientists are warning that we must move quickly to revolutionize agricultural systems and greatly reduce the amount of nitrogen we put into the planet’s ecosystems. Yale, Environmental 360 by Fred Pearce A single patent a… Read more »

Omaha World Herald By SHARON COHEN AP National Writer RICHLAND, Iowa (AP) – He quit his job and drove his wife and their four young daughters across country, a 21st-century pioneer lured to these faraway farm fields by the promise of a life-changing deal with an older stranger. Isaac Phillips always wanted to be a… Read more »

Used in yards, farms and parks throughout the world, Roundup has long been a top-selling weed killer. But now researchers have found that one of Roundup’s inert ingredients can kill human cells, particularly embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells. The new findings intensify a debate about so-called “inerts” the solvents, preservatives, surfactants and other substances… Read more »

“Nebraska leads the nation in organic livestock numbers and is one of the leading producers of grass-fed beef. In time we will lead the nation in producing and marketing humanely raised livestock.” – Kevin Fulton, rancher The Call of the Land By Steven McFadden Out of the smoldering rhetorical and legislative rubble of recent years, a… Read more »

Cornucopia’s Take: A new study indicates that glyphosate, at levels well below those permitted in the U.S., may lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats. Glyphosate is not allowed in organics. Groundbreaking Study Shows Roundup Herbicide Causes Liver Disease at Low Doses Sustainable Pulse Source: Mike Mozart A new study published Monday in Scientific Reports, an online,… Read more »

Roll Call By Georgina Gustin Credit: Illustratedjc Just a few weeks before Election Day in Washington state this year, polls showed voters were solidly behind a measure calling for labels on genetically modified food. Proponents, from state farming coalitions to D.C.-based advocacy groups, felt optimistic. But then came a surprise, although it followed what seems to… Read more »

Cornucopia’s Take: Bloggers often give their favorite products good press, and native advertising can sometimes be hard to separate from authors’ opinions. Dietitians have frequently taken money from corporations to espouse company lines they agree with. When should a professional disclose their sponsors? Information is a commodity, and each of us must determine who is funding… Read more »