sustainable agriculture news
Seedstock Sustainable Ag Conference Serves Up Abundant Slate of Expert Speakers and Panelists
September 18, 2013 | Robert Puro
LOS ANGELES, CA, September 17 — Even the most discriminating connoisseurs craving sustainable farming knowledge are certain to be more than satisfied with the informative bill of fare offered at the 2nd Annual Seedstock Sustainable Agriculture Innovation Conference – Farming: Fundamentals and the Future.
The Seedstock annual conference is a comprehensive, expert-filled program filled with up-to-the-minute information about how to be successful in starting or expanding a sustainable and/or urban farming operation. As featured on CNBC, the Seedstock annual conference is one of the few events in the country that bring together farmers, entrepreneurs, financiers, suppliers, distributors, restaurant owners and others in the sustainable agriculture industry. Read More
Chicago Couple Opts for Peasant Life; Moves to Country to Fulfill Dream of Organic Farming
August 21, 2013 | Jenny Smiechowski
Julia and Todd McDonald of Peasants’ Plot. Photo Credit: Peasant’s Plot
Among city-dwellers, there are those that dream of a different life. This dream often brings them out of the city, back to the land, and, in some cases, leads them to a life of organic farming. When Todd and Julia McDonald met they shared such a dream. Living in Chicago, Todd and Julia often entertained the idea of becoming organic farmers.
“I distinctly remember one of our first conversations in which we both disclosed our ideas for our futures, what we wanted to be ‘when we grew up.’ [Todd] said ‘I don’t have any great ambition. I just want to be an organic farmer,’” said Julia McDonald. Read More
Couple Establishes Farm to Feed Friends, Family and Neighborhood Naturally Grown Food
August 19, 2013 | Hana Lurie
Laura Casey of Changing Seasons Farm in Fall City, Washington is a very busy women. Not only does she run a small sustainable farm operation, but she works as an Environmental Scientist almost full-time on the side. Laura and her husband Dave do not employ workers, but instead collaborate with friends and family who help out on the farm.
I recently spoke with Laura to find out more about how the farm runs, what sustainable practices she employs, her Naturally Grown certification and more. Read More
Two Recent College Grads Launch Michigan Urban Farming Initiative to Educate and Build Community
August 15, 2013 | Nina Ignaczak
Michigan Urban Farming Initiative is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that implements urban agriculture as a tool for addressing structural food inequality through education and community building. Photo Credit: MUFI
In 2011, then-21 year old Tyson Gersh met Darin Mcleskey at the University of Michigan. According to Gersh, who grew up in nearby college-town Ann Arbor, McLeskey was the first person who ever used the words “Detroit” and “cool” in the same sentence.
People had always told him that Detroit was a scary place.
”Ann Arbor is a bubble,” says Gersh. “I legitimately thought Detroit was the airport.”
After Mcleskey talked Gersh into taking a first road trip 50 miles down I-94, past the airport, Gersh was amazed to see skyscrapers. Read More
Mission Driven Publisher Seeks to Enact Change; Espouses Sustainable Ag in Print
August 14, 2013 | Amy Halloran
Chelsea Green has been publishing books “for the politics and practice of sustainable living” since 1984. While such a tag line could easily be seen as green washing, a quick look at their titles shows that this mission-driven publishing house is looking to sell more than words.
Books they publish are helping push forward sustainable agriculture, either on a very functional level, through how-to’s, or in broader terms, supporting the kinds of thinking required to envision and enact change.
A strong seller on their backlist is Elliot Coleman’s The Four Season Harvest. This book led to a lot of winter spinach in the Northeast, and its legacy can be traced to the USDA’s pilot project on high tunnels. Read More
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