organic farming
Go Green Agriculture Pioneers Large-Scale Organic Hydroponics
October 20, 2015 | AJ Hughes
A five-acre hydroponics greenhouse in Encinitas, California is the centerpiece of Go Green Agriculture. It produces multiple varieties of lettuce, as well as basil and watercress. (Photo courtesy Pierre Sleiman/Go Green Agriculture)
Five years ago, with no farming experience, Pierre Sleiman founded Go Green Agriculture. Today, the Encinitas, California company is one of the largest organic hydroponic operations in the United States.
Go Green Agriculture, last featured in Seedstock here, grows a variety of certified organic crops hydroponically in its five-acre greenhouse. They include Butter Lettuce, Red Salanova lettuce, basil, and watercress.
Not only was Sleiman embarking on a new adventure when starting Go Green Agriculture — he was also leading the charge in large-scale hydroponics. Because there was a lack of established standards and best practices to guide organic hydroponics farmers, Sleiman became involved in the regulatory side of things by lobbying USDA and other organizations. Read More
Seedstock Names Former CA Secretary of Agriculture, A.G. Kawamura, as Sustainable Ag Conference Keynote
July 23, 2014 | Robert Puro(Los Angeles, CA, July 23, 2014) Seedstock today announced that former Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (2003-2010) Arthur Gen “A.G.” Kawamura, will deliver the keynote address at the 3rd Annual Seedstock Sustainable Agriculture Innovation Conference – “Reintegrating Ag: Local Food Systems and the Future of Cities.”
The program, to be held Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 11-12, 2014, will focus on the economic, environmental and community benefits that result from the development of robust local food systems.
“As a progressive urban farmer, A.G. Kawamura has had a lifetime of experience working within the shrinking rural and urban boundaries of Southern California,” said Seedstock co-founder Robert Puro. “With his extensive knowledge of California’s agricultural landscape, and the challenges and opportunities associated with the development of strong local food systems, he will bring a unique and enlightening perspective to our conference audience.” Read More
Organic farmers hone in on supply issues at Organic Trade Association Policy Conference
May 23, 2014 | seedstockWASHINGTON, May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The voice of organic farmers rang loud and clear at this year’s Organic Trade Association’s Annual Policy Conference in discussions convened by OTA’s new Farmers Advisory Council (FAC) on how to address increasing concerns over short supplies in the rapidly expanding organic sector. Read More
California Real Estate Company Creates Organic Farmland With Unique Business Model
March 12, 2014 | Noelle SwanCraig Wichner and Jason Bradford thought they wanted to be farmers.
In 2009, the pair took a road trip from Northern California to Oregon with a couple of friends eager to scout out land for their new farm. It quickly became clear, however, that the kind of farming they were interested in, where livestock and crops utilized the same land, was more than a little beyond their reach.
“We realized that if we were going to be driving the tractors and managing the livestock ourselves, we would need $10 million worth of farmland and that didn’t fit in our credit limits,” Wichner says.
That’s when they realized they would need a different kind of business model. Read More
Oregon Farm Grows Organic Chestnuts for Roasting o’er an Open Fire
December 23, 2013 | Marianne PetersThis time of year, the airwaves fill with the soothing voice of Nat King Cole crooning about chestnuts.
Though this seasonal treat is not as common as it used to be when you could buy a handful from a sidewalk vendor or pick a bowlful from your own native tree, it is still possible to find fresh chestnuts to roast, boil, broil, or tuck into casseroles. Ben and Sandy Bole have owned Ladd Hill Orchards since 1988.
When they purchased it, the property was a neglected walnut orchard sixteen miles south of Read More