March 4, 2016 | seedstock

1 Urban farming may be a good job for war vets [AgriNews]

Excerpt: When war veterans come home to start life in the civilian world, it can be hard to acclimate to new jobs. Cindy Chastain, farmer veteran coordinator for the National AgrAbility Project, said veterans can suffer from traumatic injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder.                         

2 San Diego launches a community garden incentive to help residents eat healthier [LA Times]

Excerpt: Aiming to boost access to healthy food while sprucing up blighted properties, the San Diego City Council unanimously approved a new community garden incentive program Monday.               

3 How the honey bee crisis is affecting California’s almond growers [LA Times]

Excerpt: The last of the evening light had disappeared, stealing the incandescence from a million pink and white almond blossoms. Inside the modest conference room of a research facility once operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture , the South Valley Bee Club convened its regular meeting.         

4 Urban Farm Pod’s brilliant plug-in ecology could revolutionize urban farming [Inhabitat]

Excerpt: Terreform ONE unveiled a prototype for the Urban Farm Pod, a futuristic food production capsule that “plugs in ecology” into areas where agriculture is scarce.                   

5 Most urban farmers aren’t making a living [City Lab]

Excerpt: A new type of agriculture has recently taken shape in American cities. Vacant properties and high-rise rooftops are morphing into farms, yielding fresh produce and honey, and exposing urban dwellers to the once strictly rural activity of food production.         

6 ‘Goat College’ comes to Columbus, Ohio as interest in urban farming grows [NBC 4i]

Excerpt: Credit the growing interest in urban farming with the need for a course on goat tending at the City Folks Farm Shop in Clintonville this weekend. Annie Warmke, owner of Blue Rock Station farm, teaches Goat College.“There is a lot of interest and it’s really growing – not just in the Columbus area but across the United States,” Warmke said.

7 NYU study defines social motivations of urban farms [EurekAlert!]

Excerpt: Two thirds of urban farmers have a social mission that goes beyond food production and profits, finds new research led by NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.                  

8 Urban farmer-activist wants all of North Philly to bloom [Metro]

Excerpt: Walking through Philly just north of West Girard Avenue, it’s hard to not feel discouraged. On Girard Avenue and below, the neighborhood known as Brewerytown is rapidly gentrifying with new restaurants and homes going up.            

9 Certification nation [New Food Economy]

Excerpt: Today, dozens of companies will vouch for your product claims — for a price. But the most important food certification isn’t what you think

10 Hannahville, MI Tribal aquaponics program paying double dividends [MiningJournal]

Excerpt: Since the fall an aquaponics program instituted by Hannahville’s Youth Services Department has provided both employment for local…                

11 Mount Hope, WV to seek hydroponics for growing farming initiative [Fayette Tribune]

Excerpt: The Growing Mount Hope agricultural project is moving forward despite setbacks involving land use, project manager Tammy Stein reported to Mount Hope City Council during a meeting Tuesday.             

12 These guys are responsible for the first vegan, hydroponic, vertical farm [Ecorazzi]

Excerpt: Ready for a look at the future of farming? Metropolis Farms in Philly is making waves as the first vegan-certified farm in the nation. On top of that (literally), it’s also the first hydroponic vertical farm, occupying 36 square feet in a second floor space.

13 Indoor farm ready to sprout in South Bend, IN [South Bend Tribune]

Excerpt: The vertical farming industry is on the rise and soon South Bend will have its own operation sprouting up. It’s all thanks to a partnership between Ivy Tech Community College and Green Sense Farms.              

14 No ocean? No problem! Indoor shrimp farming takes off in landlocked midwest [WBAA]

Excerpt: A lot of places have claimed to be the so-called “Shrimp capital of the world,” including Brunswick, Georgia, Morgan City, Louisiana, and, most recently, Mazatlán, Mexico.             

15 Shuttling out of the food desert [Minnesota Daily]

Excerpt: Despite chilly winds and a surprise snowfall, a group of University of Minnesota students packed themselves into small shuttles Sunday morning for the opportunity to buy fresh groceries.             

16 A vision of sustainable farming – One mini step at a time in Racine County, WI [WUWM]

Excerpt: Charlie Tennessen’s trade is software development but his passion is farming. Ten years ago, he moved onto a 4-acre parcel in Racine County to pursue that passion.                  

17 Organic and sustainable agriculture can feed the planet: Scientists [Justmeans]

Excerpt: Could it, or could it not? The perennial discussion as to whether organic food production could actually feed the globe is back at the debate table. And the data culled for this latest report suggests that turning to increased organic food production to feed the globe isn’t really a far-fetched idea.                

18 Can data-driven agriculture help feed a hungry world? [Yale Environment 360]

Excerpt: Agribusinesses are increasingly using computer databases to enable farmers to grow crops more efficiently and with less environmental impact. Experts hope this data, detailing everything from water use to crop yields, can also help the developing world grow more food.