Denver’s Waste Farmers Bring Soil to Life

By Noelle Swan / January 27, 2012 1:02 am

For John-Paul Maxfield, enriching the soil isn’t just a business.

“If we’re going to feed 9 billion people by 2050, we’re going to have go find new methods. Soil has been neglected throughout industrial agriculture. Anytime we harvest, we take something away and our agricultural model has been that we don’t need to put it back. We’ve got to go back and repair that.”

Maxfield comes from a family of farmers and ranchers. Many years ago, his grandfather was nominated Agricultural Citizen of the Century in Wyoming. He calls his grandfather his hero, but believes that his way of farming must become a piece of history if the agricultural industry is to feed the every growing planet.

In 2008, Maxfield set out to be the change. He launched Waste Farmers with $9000, a newly emptied retirement account, a truck, and two-fold mission: feed the soil and reduce agriculture dependency on synthetic fertilizers. Continue reading →

Posted in agricultural entrepreneurship, Biochar, composting, manure compost, soil, Startup Profiles, Sustainable Ag Startup, vermicompost |

Branding and Marketing Advice for Sustainable Food Entrepreneurs: DIY Press Savvy

By Alisha Lumea and Polly Legendre / January 26, 2012 8:26 pm

This week in our branding and marketing advice column for sustainability-minded food entrepreneurs we kick off a three-part series on working with the media that will cover how to develop your story, how to make your approach to the right reporters, and finally how to leverage the coverage you receive.

The media plays such a huge role in society that it often gets talked about as something abstract and impenetrable. Getting coverage is really not all that mysterious, and the priesthood of PR agents isn’t required. With a few pointers and “rules of the road,” you will have everything you need to be a great press agent for yourself. And you will have what no one else can give you — authenticity. Nobody can tell your story with more passion, or explore more facets of it, than you. Authenticity, passion and a well-structured story mean more than an address book full of media contacts.

Continue reading →

Posted in advice, Agripreneur Toolkit, Branding and Marketing |

ZeaChem Selected for $232.5 Million USDA Loan Guarantee

By seedstock / January 26, 2012 3:27 pm

Award to Support Construction of ZeaChem’s First Commercial-Scale Cellulosic Biorefinery

News Release – Lakewood, Colo. – Jan. 26, 2012 – ZeaChem Inc., a developer of biorefineries for the conversion of renewable biomass into sustainable fuels and chemicals, today announced it has been selected for a $232.5 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program. The conditional commitment enables the financing and construction of ZeaChem’s first commercial-scale cellulosic biorefinery, a state-of-the-art plant that will produce bio-based fuels and chemicals from woody biomass and agricultural residues with the highest yield, lowest capital cost, and lowest carbon footprint in the industry. Continue reading →

Posted in Ag Industry News, Biofuel, Biofuels, Press Release, renewable energy, Sustainable Ag News and Information, sustainable agriculture news, USDA News |

By Maximizing Local Availability of Organic Produce, Three Brothers Hope to Influence the Future of Agriculture

By Melinda Clark / January 25, 2012 9:02 pm

Though the core values have remained the same, the conventions of organic farming have shifted and changed over time. The same can be said of Capay Organic, a second-generation organic farm located in the Capay Valley (northeast of San Francisco), with an offshoot in the Imperial Valley in southern California. It, and the brothers who took over running the operation for their parents, have stayed true to the values of sustainable growing, while also evolving and adapting to keep up with the changing times. With the farm and its modern, highly customizable CSA, Farm Fresh To You – which attempts to make supporting local agriculture as easy and tasty as possible – the Barsotti brothers hope to change the future of agriculture.

Capay Organic was founded in 1976 by Kathleen Barsotti and Martin Barnes. Two non-farmers, they met at UC Riverside, and found that they shared a distrust of the heavy-chemical-input agriculture that was popular at the time. Continue reading →

Posted in agricultural entrepreneurship, agriculture startup, CSA, local and regional distribution, local food systems, organic farming, Startup Profiles, Sustainable Ag Startup, sustainable agriculture visionairies, sustainable producers |

USDA Unveils New Plant Hardiness Zone Map

By seedstock / January 25, 2012 5:52 pm

USDA National Program for Genetic Improvement of Feed Efficiency in Beef CattleNews Release – WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2012 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released the new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM), updating a useful tool for gardeners and researchers for the first time since 1990 with greater accuracy and detail. The new map—jointly developed by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Oregon State University’s (OSU) PRISM Climate Group—is available online at www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov. ARS is the chief intramural scientific research agency of USDA.

For the first time, the new map offers a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based interactive format and is specifically designed to be Internet-friendly. The map website also incorporates a “find your zone by ZIP code” function. Static images of national, regional and state maps have also been included to ensure the map is readily accessible to those who lack broadband Internet access. Continue reading →

Posted in Press Release, USDA News |

Vermont Law School’s New Agriculture Center Supported by $1.25 Million Grant

By Jessica Vernabe / January 24, 2012 5:49 pm

An anonymous $1.25-million grant is being used toward Vermont Law School’s new Center for Agriculture and Food Systems, which focuses on legal and policy issues related to community-based agriculture, the school announced.

Vermont Law School said the role of the center is to “provide support for community-based agricultural systems, sustainable agriculture advocates, agencies, food hubs, incubators and farmers.” The center focuses on issues such as food regulation, the Farm Bill and agricultural subsidies, energy-efficient food production and energy independence for farmers. Continue reading →

Posted in Sustainable Ag News and Information, sustainable agriculture news, university sustainable agriculture |

California-based Flower Farm Grows Market for Organic Flowers One Bouquet at a Time

By Jessica Vernabe / January 24, 2012 12:09 am

When you give a loved one a bouquet of flowers, do you want that gift to have a happy story behind it or a sad one?

That’s a question posed by Marc Kessler, owner of California Organic Flowers, whose Chico, CA-based business grows USDA-certified organic flowers, arranges them into bouquets and mails them to customers all over the country.

“If the flowers are grown in greenhouses that are fumigated with chemicals and they’re grown in South American countries where the labor practices are terrible and people are suffering from those chemicals … and they’re shipped in a 747 from some faraway country to Miami, and from Miami to wherever, and (then) to your house, it’s not a very nice story,” Kessler said. Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture startup, cover crop, organic certification, organic farming, organic fertilizer, Startup Profiles, Sustainable Ag Startup, sustainable agriculture practices, sustainable producers |

Trailblazing Organic Farm in Maryland, One Straw Farm, Puts Soil and Overall Health of Farm Ahead of Organic Certification

By Kelly Hatton / January 20, 2012 10:39 pm

In 1985, the word “organic” had yet to penetrate consumer consciousness. Joan Norman of One Straw Farm remembers fighting misconceptions of the word’s meaning when using it to classify the produce she and her husband, Drew, were growing on their 82-acre farm in Maryland. “In the beginning, if we said ‘organic’ people thought we were growing marijuana, or they thought they had to be vegetarian to eat our produce,” she said.

That changed in 1989. After a report that Alar, a chemical commonly sprayed on apples and other fruit crops, could increase cancer risk, public outcry led schools to stop serving apple juice and stores to take apple products off the shelves. “Everyone was asking for organic apples. Of course we didn’t have any,” Joan said. But One Straw Farm did have an abundance of other chemical-free food, and a growing base of customers seeking organic produce. Continue reading →

Posted in cover crop, CSA, Farm Profiles, Imagination, organic certification, organic farming, soil, sustainable agriculture methods, sustainable agriculture practices, sustainable agriculture visionairies, sustainable producers, USDA Organic Certification |

Targeting Retail and the Fancy Food Show

By Alisha Lumea and Polly Legendre / January 20, 2012 12:33 am

Every year thousands of new and established producers looking for a slice of the American retail market throw down some big bucks in summer or winter and exhibit at the NASFT Fancy Food Show, which ran this past week in San Francisco.

Because of the costs of participation (booths start at $3,440, plus transportation to the show, materials, signage, staffing and samples) it skews towards large producers. As a small, farm-based producer, it would be very difficult to recoup your costs. And when you participate in a show, you join the market noise. Getting a shop onboard with your authentic product and story is better done one-on-one.  Continue reading →

Posted in advice, agricultural entrepreneurship, Agripreneur Toolkit, Branding and Marketing |

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Streamlines Access to Energy Investment Information at USDA

By seedstock / January 19, 2012 10:50 pm

USDA National Program for Genetic Improvement of Feed Efficiency in Beef CattleNews Release – WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2012 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the launch of a USDA energy website that will provide stakeholders fast and efficient access to USDA energy efficiency and renewable energy data. Today’s announcement builds on the Secretary’s commitment to develop a modern and efficient service organization as outlined in USDA’s Blueprint for Stronger Service announced last week.

“Improving and modernizing access to USDA energy data and resources is essential in today’s highly competitive rural business environment,” said Vilsack. “Farmers, ranchers and small businesses across the country will benefit from easier navigation and retrieval of energy and renewable energy investments data and funding opportunities.” Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized |

FAO, European Commission Launch Climate-Smart Agriculture Development Program

By Andrew Burger / January 19, 2012 6:32 pm

Farmers and others working in the agricultural sectors in Malawi, Vietnam and Zambia will be the beneficiaries of a three-year, 5.3 million euro (~$6.8 million) “climate smart” agriculture and development transition project launched by UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and European Commission (EC). Aimed at reducing agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and ameliorating the damaging risks associated with climate change, the project’s goals have a two-fold focus: reducing hunger and poverty through agricultural sector development and facilitating adoption of practices for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Continue reading →

Posted in Africa Sustainable Agriculture, FAO news, Food Security, International Ag News, international sustainable agriculture, smallholder farmers, Sustainable Ag News and Information, Sustainable Agriculture Information |

Beyond Biofuel, Cornell University Professor Seeks to Demonstrate Promise of Algae as Animal Feed Substitute

By Andrew Burger / January 18, 2012 5:36 pm

All the attention and R&D investment that algae has been receiving as related to its high-potential as a next-generation biofuel has obscured one of algae’s defining, and well-known, characteristics: it’s a great source of protein. This fact hasn’t escaped the attention of Cornell University animal science Professor Xingen Lei, however, according to an article in Cornell University’s Chronicle Online written by Stacey Stackford.

In his Cornell University lab in Ithaca, NY, Professor Lei is raising pigs. No big thing; people have been raising pigs for ages, right? Yet, there’s a significant difference between the way your average US pig is raised and the way Professor Lei is raising his pigs. While the typical US pig is raised on feed produced primarily from corn and soybeans, Prof. Lei’s pigs feed on a protein-rich source of feed consisting of marine algae. Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture Research, algae, Sustainable Ag News and Information, sustainable agriculture news |

Illinois Farmers Receive New Guidebook and Online Tool to Improve Local Food System

By Jessica Vernabe / January 18, 2012 2:38 pm

Illinois farmers will now have access to a new guidebook and Web site designed to boost local food hub activity in the state, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced.

Warren Ribley, the department’s director, announced the new tools at the annual Illinois Specialty Growers Association conference in Springfield, where he highlighted the state’s efforts to increase local foods markets.

“More people today want to know where their food comes from. Making food grown and produced in Illinois more accessible helps Illinois residents eat locally and helps boost our economy,” Ribley said. “The tools we’re introducing today are a step toward building an expanded, locally produced food supply that benefits more people in Illinois.” Continue reading →

Posted in Ag Industry News, Farm IT, local and regional distribution, local food systems, Sustainable Ag News and Information, Sustainable Ag Supply Chain, sustainable agriculture news |

From Backyard Garden to Local Food Pantry, AmpleHarvest.org Facilitates Delivery of Excess Produce to Those in Need

By Noelle Swan / January 18, 2012 12:35 am

“My measure of success is going to be not how many millions of pounds of locally grown food we get to food pantries. My measure of success is going to be when we are no longer needed.” – Gary Oppenheimer, Founder of Ampleharvest.org

Gary Oppenheimer hopes that donating excess produce from backyard gardens to local food pantries will become as natural as recycling. Until then, the AmpleHarvest.org Campaign is making it a little easier.

Oppenheimer began the AmpleHarvest.org Campaign with a small idea—connect existing gardeners to existing local food pantries via an interactive website, a $9 investment in the domain AmpleHarvest.org, and a whole lot of confidence. “I knew it would work,” he said. “I did not know how big it would be come.” Continue reading →

Posted in Food Security, local and regional distribution, local food systems, non-profit sustainable agriculture |

New Orleans-based Recirculating Farms Coalition Seeks Solution to Food Deserts in Sustainable Production Systems

By Noelle Swan / January 17, 2012 9:27 pm

Marianne Cufone says she was drawn to New Orleans because of its incredible heart and resilience. Cufone is the executive director of New Orleans-based Recirculating Farms Coalition (RFC), a non-profit organization comprised of a collaborative group of farmers, educators and various organizations committed to building eco-friendly farms that use clean recycled water to grow local, accessible, fresh food and create stable green jobs.

A native of Tampa, she explains that she also chose New Orleans as the coalition headquarters because “one of the things that is noticeably absent in the area is the availability of healthy food. We are all about growing healthy fresh food in places where it is needed.”  Continue reading →

Posted in aquaculture, Aquaponics, hydroponics, local food systems, non-profit sustainable agriculture, recirculating farms, sustainable agriculture advocacy, sustainable agriculture education, Sustainable Agriculture Information, sustainable aquaculture |

Agricultural Incubator Foundation Seeks to Develop Sustainable Agriculture Systems in Northwest, OH

By Andrew Burger / January 16, 2012 10:06 pm

Agriculture, aquaculture and food entrepreneurs in northwest Ohio looking to research, develop and test new sustainable food production methods and practices have a high-quality, growing resource in the private, non-profit Agricultural Incubator Foundation (AIF). Formed in late 1999 by a group of area farmers, agribusiness participants, researchers and educators, AIF’s mission “to promote the development, advancement and appreciation of agricultural systems in northwest Ohio that are economically, ecologically and socially sustainable” embodies sustainable agriculture’s fundamental principles.  Continue reading →

Posted in agricultural entrepreneurship, Agriculture Research, aquaculture, non-profit sustainable agriculture, recirculating farms, sustainable aquaculture |