April 2, 2015 | seedstock

1  Taiwan Expanding Into Indoor LED-Lit, Pesticide-Free Farms (NY Times)

Excerpt: Chang Chen-kai is part of Taiwan’s new generation of high-tech farmers that is harnessing the island’s technological edge in light-emitting diodes to grow vegetables indoors under bright LED lights.

2  Why almond growers aren’t the water enemy (L.A. Times)

Excerpt: A quarter-century ago, when I first started farming the fertile ground of western Fresno County, my crop was cotton.

3  California drought: Gov. Jerry Brown issues water rules (CNN.com)

Excerpt: California Gov. Jerry Brown imposes mandatory water restrictions on residents, businesses and farms. The state is caught in an historic drought.

4  Table Scraps and Leftovers on the Menu at Dan Barber’s wastED (Civil Eats)

Excerpt: What can the average person learn from the 18-day pop-up celebrating bruised vegetables, pasta ends, and other food industry byproducts?

5  How to make local food affordable? Buy it today while it’s pricey (Bangor Daily News)

Excerpt: Artisanal cheeses, raw milk, colorful beets. Local farms supply beautiful produce, meats, and cheeses to warm and welcoming gourmet shops like the Belfast Co-op and cafes like Dicocoa’s in Bethel.

6  Local Food for School Lunches Surprisingly Low in Big Ag States (Paste)

Excerpt: Surveys showed that a few northeastern states make up the majority of schools serving local foods for lunches.

7  Dear Modern Farmer: Is Fish Farming Sustainable? (Modern Farmer)

Excerpt: Answers to slippery questions like: How is certified organic seafood produced and why isn’t it found in North America?

8  Monsanto: A ‘Sustainable Agriculture’ Company? (Global Research)

Excerpt: Monsanto, leading the pack of chemical technology companies that have infiltrated the seed business with their patented genetically engineered (GE) seeds, has spent many years trying to rehabilitate its reputation as a producer of toxic chemicals…

9  Coast Chronicles: Sustainable farming, the cranberry challenge (Chinook Observer)

Excerpt:   You’re young, you were born and raised on the Peninsula, you’ve been away for awhile getting some experience, you come back wanting to put some sustainable and social conscious values into practice — what do you do? Become the first ever organic cranberry grower in Washington state, of course.

10  Local florist builds aquaponics system (WDBJ7.com)

Excerpt: A well-known florist in southwest Virginia has a new hobby that he wants to share with others.