Essays & Articles
black farmer from charlottesville address the subtle racism that he faces in his community.
Chris Newman is a farmer in Charlottesville working towards a sustainable, healthy and organic future for his family and community. Yet despite this, Chris, as a black man faces racial profiling and discrimination on a regular basis. He has been attracting a lot of attention lately due to his recent facebook post that called out […]
watch: national young farmers coalition lindsey lusher shute's fantastic statement before the senate.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bGiCRNkjpk?ecver=2] We are so proud of Lindsey Luscher Shute after her outstanding performance before the senate committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. She did a fantastic job of representing the struggles facing young farmers, from land access and affordability, student loan debt, health care affordability to the bias against women and people of color […]
transnational corporations, factory farms and the economic colonization of rural america
John Ikerd, August 3rd, 2017, In These Times "The sense of impotence and dread in rural America is a consequence of decades of economic extraction and exploitation carried out in the guise of rural economic development. Rural areas are suffering the consequences of prolonged “economic colonization”—a term typically used in reference to neoliberal economic development […]
SAFN award deadlines extended until july 28th 2017
The Society for the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition has just announced that the deadlines for both the Christine Wilson Award and the Thomas Marchione Award have been extended until July 28th. Eligible candidates do not need to be either an anthropologist or a member of SAFN to apply. The Thomas Marchione award is presented […]
letter from keep the soil in organics!
Dave Champan from Keep the Soil in Organics discusses the movement and the latest developments at the Nation Organic Standards Board.
the shortage of livestock veterinarians is reaching "crisis levels"
Even after the lamb comes, the ewe continues to strain. Sticky with afterbirth, the ram lamb calls to his mother in quavering tenor, but though she lifts her head in his direction and lets out a low moan of response, her heaving sides won’t let her rise and go to him. In the compounded darkness […]
accessible innovation
An interesting wind powered sailing initiative that is documenting different low-tech solutions from around the world.
the small farmers journal sends their thanks
Supporting agrarian knowledge one over-sized journal at a time.
a mushroom with a story
A journey through the underworld of life and capitalism to find inspiration in precarious places.
how to be your own light in the age of trump
In the Age of Trump, it's important to never forget who you are. Write your biography!
the open source ethos in agroecology
A great read on open source in agroecology-- its history, potential, and-- ultimately-- its utter necessity.
a market for mutton "would change everything"
Move over Lamb Chop: a market for mutton could be a huge boon for New England farmers.
wages, immigration, and a labor shortage on california farms
Why are California farms struggling with a labor shortage?
insights from peaceful resistance
"...why the things are what they are, how the things would be if they were as they should be, and how a path can be made from the things as they are to the things as they should be." These are the words of Peter Maurin who, along with Dorothy Day, cofounded the Catholic Worker […]
farm or three ring circus? maybe both
In this feature on the Brooklyn Grange, one of the premier urban farms in the country, we ask: are there ways that rural and urban farms can work together to reform the food system?
it's art, it's recycle, it's fuel, it's interfaith, it's awesome
A great initiative coming out of Amsterdam, that brings a community, professionals, and artists together to solve a food waste challenge
thinking like a commoner
Author and activist David Bollier makes a case for commons based economics.
save the rainforest: revisiting an old battle
Stay vigilant: "Save the Rainforest" is not a past decade's issue.
staple bedside reading material
Greenhorns, we want to point you in the direction of two texts on contemporary farm life! The first is The Journal if Peasant Studies, a publication that focuses rural politics and development. If you're a farmer, researcher, activist, or just plain curious about the breadth of the agrarian perspectives this is a great starting point! You can download […]
more reasons why bees are awesome
New research demonstrates bees pack more smarts into their tiny little brains than we thought.
california is blessed with rains, but what about other regions?
California may be climbing out of its drought, but much of West Africa is struggling with the effects 0f climate change.
agrarian economics: a letter from a young farmer
I met Kevin Morin in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, a town on the outskirts of Montreal, and home to some of the last vestiges of agricultural land on the island metropolis. At the time Kevin was working for the Cooperative farm Tournesol. Recently Keven and Nikaela Lange both won the Beingessner Award for Excellence in Writing for essays outlining hopes for the new […]
the four horsemen of the good food movement
The Four Horsemen of the Good Food Movement: identifying weaknesses to make the movement stronger!
greenhorns feature: resilient farming in a changing new england
Liza Bemis grows veggies on her great-great grandfather's farm and spoke with us about how to create and maintain resilient farms in an ever-changing world.
before you throw rocks, read this book
Tech companies and the digital economy don't have to be all bad!
rerural: notes on engaging with our towns
In a time of heated rhetoric and disillusion how do we find ways to participate and join in with the communities and rural populations that we are moving to?
know your abattoir: there's a shortage of local slaughterhouses, and it's kind of a big problem
There's a bottleneck problem in sustainable meat: increasingly more producers and consumers and fewer slaughterhouses equipped to get meat from one to the other.
know your chocolate: a resurgence in small cacao farms in Costa Rica
Seed saving and small scale cacao farming in Costa Rica.
in defense of hydroponics
The latest post in our ongoing discussion about the inclusion of hydroponics in the National Organic Production standards comes from Helen Lee, a sustainability specialist, consulting and promoting local and sustainable businesses who currently works as a brand ambassador for a maple water company and holds a Master of Science degree in Sustainable Food Systems from Green Mountain College in […]
erotic farm fiction
A little preview of Artemisia Rae's farmer life inspired, erotic romance novel.
fictional playbooks for totalitarian dystopia
Scarier than fiction - A look at protest posters and resistance art that draw from literature.
occupied territory farmers tell their needs
Delegation from farm and peasant organizations in Spain meet with rural Palestinians to discuss their needs and ongoing resistance to political, economic, and social repression.
"bee" kind to pollinators!
Amazing facts and ways to protect the world's pollinators.
ballymoe litfest, ireland, may 19-21
Festival of food and drink takes place in Ballymoe, Ireland this coming May.
tomorrow on greenhorns radio! jeff conan on the devasting effects of palm oil production
Tomorrow January 25th on the Heritage Radio Network, Greenhorns radio talks to Jeff Conan, Senior Forest Campains Manager at Friends of the Earth, a global activist network that campaigns for international environmental and climate justice. Much of Conan's work focusses on the toxic legacy of palm oil production in Gautemala. Maybe you already knew that the […]
raising hell(gate) in urban farming
Throughout its seven years, Hellgate Farm has always done things a bit differently than other urban farms in New York City- from raising backyard chickens and housing an apiary, to producing its own hot sauce. Hellgate Farm is not your typical urban farm. Last season, crops were grown in over seven plots of land throughout […]
"hydroponics is not organic — it’s not even agriculture"
Last week we asked the Greenhorns network what you think about the vertical farm. A perennially contentious idea, are hydroponics the way to the future or are they a hackneyed and ultimately artificial solution to the current crises of our food systems. The following submission on hydroponics comes from Matthew Hoffman, a Fulbright Scholar, Norwegian Centre […]
resistance of the heart against business as usual
We are cultivated by the land. Thoughts on the daily act of farming.
keep saying "no" to roundup!
A new study shows that Roundup can cause a serious liver disease and other longterm health issues.
blog and podcast focused on women in agriculture
Interviews, coloring books, stories, and thoughts from female farmers across the globe.