Located 35 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Weatherbury is a highly successful, vertically integrated, 225-acre farm with a unique proclivity to adapt. It took only one season at Weatherbury Farm for the Tudor family to opt for alternative farming practices over the high-input methods being advocated for by extension. In 1988, Weatherbury, stopped using chemical… Read more »
The Atlantic By Gene Logsdon I half-jokingly suggested about a year ago that animal manure—used livestock, horse, and chicken bedding—was going to be the hottest commodity on the Chicago Board of Trade one of these days. Shortly after that I got a call from a close acquaintance who manages an awesome business of growing 8,000… Read more »
Cornucopia’s Take: The U.S. has exported its method of intensive factory farming, and the world is now producing more cheap meat than ever in history. The result is the poisoning our fields and our food supply. In contrast, organic agriculture offers distinct legal regulations aimed at improving animal husbandry while integrating that form of agriculture… Read more »
The Athens, Wisconsin organic farm finds ways to grow while remaining a local, family business. Marshfield News-Herald by Mitchell A. Skurzewski Source: Stoney Acres Farm ATHENS — Tony Schultz returned to Athens to find it much different than when he was in school. He was coaching the Athens junior varsity basketball team when something struck him. “When… Read more »
The Baltimore Sun by Lorraine Mirabella Source: Susy Morris People will travel miles and miles to sample fresh-off-the-farm ice cream and learn about the treat’s origins. “People really like to be able to come out to a farm and see the animals,” said Megan Keyes, who, along with her parents, runs Keyes Creamery in Aberdeen, one… Read more »
Cornucopia’s Take: As more consumers seek eggs, dairy, and meat from healthy, well-fed animals, demand for high quality feed is skyrocketing. The operations in this article are working to commercialize insects for feed, a relatively new entry into the industry and one that could be incredibly useful for poultry. Maggot Revolution bioGraphic by Gloria Dickie… Read more »
Matthew Dillon says failure to invest in seeds tailored for organic farm practice is cheating our food future. KQED Radio By Matthew Dillon Let’s talk about smart investments. The golden rule of successful investing is diversification. Over-investing in one area is not only risky, but also decreases the likelihood of a successful future return. The… Read more »
USAgNet The United States is wrestling with the worst food inflation in 17 years, and analysts expect new data to show it’s getting worse. U.S. food prices rose 4 percent in 2007, compared with an average 2.5 percent annual rise for the last 15 years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The agency… Read more »
Is It Really Worth Fighting For? [This article was previously published, in abbreviated form, in the winter issue of The Cultivator, Cornucopia’s quarterly newsletter.] by Mark A. Kastel Executive Director at The Cornucopia Institute Mark Kastel, Executive Director My mother is proud to tell me that 64 years ago she bucked the trend by breast-feeding me… Read more »
The Guardian by Damian Carrington Source: Rob Gallop Different types of neonicotinoid pesticide have varying effects on colonies with one showing no bee decline, say scientists Two of the world’s most widely used insecticides cause significant harm to bumblebee colonies, a new study has found, but a third had no effect. The work shows the… Read more »
