The year was 1985 when the first Farm Aid concert was held – the height of the farm crisis. It was thought to be a one-time event, but it has been carried on over the years by organizers Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp and this year’s event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre …
New Peterson Brothers Video Parody
The Peterson Brothers (Greg, Nathan and Kendal) are at it again with a new parody music video of the song, “All I Do is Win,” by DJ Khaled done by the Peterson Farm Bros (Greg, Nathan, and Kendal)! It’s a great look at farming life that touches on important issues like conservation and family. Please enjoy and they say to …
EPA Wants to “Ditch the Myths” About WOTUS
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy held a conference call with media this morning in advance of her trip to Missouri this week to talk about the proposed Waters of the United States rule, or WOTUS. “I’m hoping that this trip helps us ‘ditch the myths’ and misinformation,” said McCarthy in an obvious reference to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s …
Ag Leader Technology Meets Dirt in Illinois
Ag Leader Technology is out in the fields this summer bringing the latest precision technology to Illinois farms in the Technology Meets Dirt Road Tour. There have been two events so far but there are still three more scheduled in the next couple of weeks where you can learn how the latest technology can help you manage seed, fertilizer, water …
Got Camel Milk?
Make every day a hump day with camel milk from Desert Farms. I requested a sample and tried it this morning on my cereal. I won’t deny being a little skeptical and cautious. However, this milk tastes great! Very smooth, rich and creamy. Kind of what I miss with all this watered down milk we have now. Desert Farms milk …
Understanding Farmer Attitudes
The Seed Leadership Program was held just before the start of the 131st Annual American Seed Trade Association Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. During today’s Green Flag Session, Brent Gloy, Purdue University professor discussed the key themes from the 2013 Large Commercial Producer survey. He says they survey helps both farmers and agribusinesses better understand where the commercial farm segment is going. …
Oregon GMO Bans Hurt All Farmers
Last week, two Oregon counties voted overwhelmingly to ban the cultivation of genetically engineered (GE) crops. The initiatives in Josephine County and Jackson County, which border California, passed by as much as a two to one margin. “This isn’t Monsanto or Syngenta, these are local farms that have been farming the way they have chosen here in the valley for …
Time to #DitchTheRule and Let it Go
After the flooding here in Pensacola, FL a couple weeks ago I was afraid the EPA would declare my concrete driveway a “Waters of the U.S.” and not allow me to drive on it. Sounds stupid doesn’t it? But if you’re a farmer there is nothing stupid about what the EPA is doing with the proposed “Waters of the U.S.” …
Homegrown Farmer Veteran Coalition
Yesterday the Farmer Veteran Coalition announced the national launch of the Homegrown By Heroes initiative. This product labeling program allows farmers, ranchers and fishermen from all 50 states and U.S. territories who have served or are still serving in any branch of the U.S. military the ability to use the logo on their agricultural products. Consumers and businesses purchasing agricultural …
Rise of the Giants Film Project
While we’re speaking about movies about farming . . . do you know about Rise of the Giants? – A feature-length documentary following the 2013 race to grow the world’s largest pumpkin. This is a Kickstarter project by filmmaker Daria Matza. And she just started following me on Twitter. I’ll let her tell the story about her project, which is …