Submitted by Mallory Krieger on Mon, 04/16/2018 – 5:12pm On April 12, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX) introduced his draft 2018 Farm Bill. Representative Conaway’s bill is a blow to local foods and small farmers. It guts funding for critical grant programs that directly support small, local foods producers such as the Value […]
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Smarty Plants
Submitted by Irene Kaufman on Sun, 04/08/2018 – 12:58pm Did you ever do a science experiment as a kid where you played music for your plants to see if it helps them grow faster? Does a pea plant prefer to listen to classical music over rock and roll, or do plants experience sound waves as […]
Misperceptions About SNAP
Submitted by Sarah Simeziane on Sun, 04/01/2018 – 5:51pm One of the critical debates at the center of the new Farm Bill is the future of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Farm Bill has typically enjoyed bipartisan support, however the current negotiation has been halted over proposed rules that would tighten work requirements […]
Farming Foibles: A tale of two pins
Submitted by Birgit McCall on Mon, 03/26/2018 – 2:08pm In my opinion, there is nothing that smells better than laundry (washed in free & clear detergent) taken straight off of a sunny clothesline. Somehow the combination of sun and wind creates a perfect natural fragrance that will never be duplicated by the laundry products industry.Here […]
Looking to Irish History
Submitted by Taidghin O’Brien on Mon, 03/19/2018 – 10:32am Happy post-St. Patrick’s Day everyone! As a proud Irish-American (I have my family crest tattooed on my back) I just want to take some time to point out some misconceptions about Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day. 1: Four-leaf clovers have nothing to do with St. Patrick. […]
Agroecology: Science, Farming System, or Social Movement?
Thu, 03/08/2018 – 3:06pm This week’s blog entry features a paper drafted by Dr. John Ikerd for his keynote address at the 2018 Organic Grain Conference. Held on February 1 in Champaign, IL, the Organic Grain Conference drew a crowd of 145 farmers, researchers, educators, advocates, and industry representatives for a day of learning and […]
