A fourth generation fruit and vegetable farmer, Jamie Cruz, is the owner/grower of Springdell Farm in Littleton, Massachusetts. Jamie served as a panelist for the Boston Food Dialogues. The family farm also raises hogs, cattle, poultry, sheep and goats. They proudly sell 99% of their products through their farm stand, various CSA programs, local restaurants and farmers markets. “The increase …
Big and Small Farms Working Together
She’s a mother running on empty. She’s Leah Beyer. Let the Beyer Beware. That all becomes clear when you click on through to the other side. Leah was a panelist at the Boston Food Dialogues and the first one I interviewed. She’s a farm mom who grows corn and soybean with her husband in Indiana. They are “retired” dairy farmers. …
Anti-GMO Activist on Display
Here’s an interesting video clip of Michael Pollan doing an interview. For those of you who don’t know of him, he’s a very anti-GMO activist who claims to be a journalist. This clip pretty well negates the journalist part when he brags about writing for the New York Times, “But when I wrote about food I never had to give …
Future of Ag Technology and Investment
Executives from DuPont Pioneer, Elanco and Monsanto all participated in a panel discussion at the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue last week on “Research and Returns: The Future of Agricultural Technology and Investment.” “In general, we’re talking about the importance of continued investment and innovation and taking it even further to consumer acceptance,” said panelist Rob Aukerman, President of US/Canada …
Farm Size Depends on Many Factors
The Boston Food Dialogues are underway here at The Station. Getting us started with opening remarks was Dr. A. Richard Bonanno, farmer and President of the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation. I visited with him before we got started and asked him about his thoughts on the the topic here today of farm size and does it matter. He says “Everyone …
Farm Size: Does it Really Matter
It’s Food Dialogues day in Boston. The city seems to be pretty happy about some baseball game last night. Wonder what that was all about (C’mon Cards!). Back to food though. The moderator for today’s live event is Bloomberg News’ Alan Bjerga and our topic is “Farm Size: Does It Really Matter.” The event will take place from 1:00 p.m. …
What You’re Not Being Told About Food Production
Today the Animal Agriculture Alliance hosted a teleconference with various third-party experts to discuss industry improvements presented in the report “Advances in Animal Agriculture; What the Center for a Livable Future, Pew Commission and Others Aren’t Telling You About Food Production.” (pdf) Third-party experts on the call included: Dr. Richard Raymond, former Under Secretary, Food Safety Inspection Service, United States …
Let’s Have a Boston Food Dialogues
Let’s have a food dialogues and let’s have it in Boston. That’s my next stop. This Thursday you can watch the live stream of the USFRA Food Dialogues on the web and follow along via Twitter with the hashtag #FoodD and of course, here on AgWired. Increasingly, consumers are hearing they should be concerned about the size of farms, and …
USDA Farm to School Census
So more schools are buying local farm products to serve in their cafeterias according to a USDA survey. That’s a good thing I guess. As a parent I’m more concerned that my kids eat good healthy food. I know this USDA program is part of their efforts to help fight child obesity and hunger. I just don’t see that being …
Canadian Cranberry Time
That cranberry was this big! At least that’s what it looks like Mike Wallis, BC Cranberry Growers Association Mgr., is saying during a presentation at Shergill Cranberry Farm, the second stop for the “farm bikers” tour group during the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation conference. Also on hand was farm manager Bob Deroche. They talked to us about the farm and …