Everyone has an opinion about the veracity of global warming, except, maybe global governments who are pursing economic improvements on the back of climate change. The quest for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and predominately carbon dioxide (CO2) has led to a spurt of new research around the development of more sustainable practices and technologies. But at what cost …
Atrazine Ban Would Cost Jobs
A University of Chicago economist says banning the herbicide Atrazine would add to the current unemployment level in the United States. According to University of Chicago economist Don L. Coursey, a ban on the herbicide atrazine would cost between 21,000 and 48,000 jobs from corn production losses alone. His findings were presented today at a National Press Club briefing sponsored …
Farm Workers Wanted
Unemployment is at 9.5 percent – which means in human terms that about 14.6 million Americans are looking for work right now. That’s a lot of people collecting unemployment. A couple of weeks ago, United Farm Workers (UFW) launched a campaign called “Take Our Jobs”, urging Americans to sign up for farm labor jobs that are normally done by migrant …
Become An Urban Farmer
If we can have urban cowboys then I guess we can have urban farmers. Following the astounding growth of Urban Farm magazine, and the burgeoning interest in urban farming, BowTie, Inc. announced the launch of UrbanFarmOnline.com. “The sustainable lifestyle is of interest to a growing number of people,” said June Kikuchi, Vice President Chief Content Officer. “People want to live …
Can the Local Food Movement Feed the World?
I think that one, living in California, and two, living on a ranch, is causing me to obsess about food. Or maybe it is because publishers keep sending me books about food to review (come back next week for one of those very reviews). Regardless of the reason, I was in Whole Foods last week and the last few times …
Till, Baby, Till
It may not be very conservation-minded, but it’s still a clever slogan that makes a great t-shirt. The credit for “Till, Baby, Till” goes to SynGest, Inc, the company behind the t-shirt and the website where you can buy it. SynGest CEO Jack Oswald a “Till Baby Till” chant as he delivered the keynote address at the 2010 International Biomass …
Buy Triscuits, Grow Your Own Garden
I was in the grocery store last night and just happened to find myself in the cracker isle when a box caught my eye. It was the new branding for Triscuits. What struck me was that NabiscoWorld is now promoting “home gardening” on the box. When you look at the back of the box there are instructions on how to …
Record Crop Progress
Record planting progress continued around the country last week, despite the rain, and corn planting is breaking records. USDA reports that 68 percent of the corn crop was planted by Sunday. That’s 28 percent more than the five year average and five percent more than the previous record for this time of year in 2004. Emergence is at 19 percent, …
Lots of Food
The Population Research Institute is seeking to debunk the myth of overpopulation with a series of simple but clever YouTube videos. Our daughter Chelsea alerted us to the latest one – “Food: There’s Lots of it.” Some very good points in here about modern agricultural production and the real causes of hunger.
Plow Boys Make Planting Progress
The planters were tearing it up around the country last week in the glorious weather. What a difference a year makes! Last year at this time, just five percent of the corn was planted. As of Sunday, a whopping 19 percent was in the ground – more than twice the five year average! Illinois has 34 percent planted, compared to …