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The newly released IATP statement on the Feb. 3 signing of the Trans Pacific Partnership reflects the major flaws with the trade agreement and the growing TPP opposition in the U.S. and around the world. The signing doesn't mean the TPP is a done deal. It's now up to Congress to authorize changes to US […]

I can almost hear organic farmers across the country rolling their eyes, cover cropping: this is news? And, I know, I know, you've been doing this for years-- but, yes, actually there's some real good news here: New York Times writer Stephanie Strom's report, "Cover Cropping: A Farming Revolution with Deep Roots in the Past," indicates that the […]

From wellnesswarior.org The concept of carbon farming is relatively simple. The industrial agricultural system we’ve developed over the last 60 years, while being incredibly productive, robs the soil of carbon and other nutrients. Carbon, in the form of soil organic matter, is the thing that gives soil life. Techniques like cover cropping (never leaving the […]

The October 1929 crash of the American stock market ushered in a major economic depression that would effect nearly every US citizen. The hardest hit were unemployed young men and returning World War I veterans. One out of four employable people (a 25% unemployment rate), estimated to be 12 to 15 million, lost their major […]

Dustin's View, Jan. 31, 2016, Wreflective Writing Would you describe yourself as a long-time farmer and environmental activist? Not at all. I used to be a redneck. I used to race cars and motorcycles and snowmobiles… I was a motorhead. I don’t want people to think I was always like this, because then they’re like […]

Every year, our friends at the ETC (stands for Action Group on Erosion, Technology, and Concentration) puts out an, as they say, "irreverent," year-end recap-- and this year's is out now! We've compiled a brief list of the highlights from the 2015 edition of the ETC's yearly End of Year Review: Comparing itself to the […]

The same forces that have made the Flint disaster possible are the same ones that are bent on privatizing public water supplies and preventing a just resolution to the growing world climate disaster. The following is an excerpt from a Statement from SxSW Experiment about the water crisis in Flint, MI. The experiment is a powerful grassroots coalition of […]

The Grain Divide is a cinematic journey into the most debated food issues of our day. The film began as an unbiased, journalistic pursuit of real answers to growing concerns with modern wheat and grains. Theories suggesting the elimination of what has been our most basic food for thousands of years triggered a passionate curiosity […]

Trail Angels are people who perform random acts of kindness for thru-hikers. Our man Paul does it because he's got a nasty case of PTSD, and helping people makes him feel better.

http://ecoartspace.org/images/projects_02.jpg Ecoartspace is one of the leading international organizations in a growing community of artists, scientists, curators, writers, nonprofits and businesses who are developing creative and innovative strategies to address our global environmental issues. We promote a diverse range of artworks that are participatory, collaborative, interdisciplinary and uniquely educational. Our philosophy embodies a broader concept […]

Mary Pols, Jan. 17, 2016, Portland Press Herald An amazing cache of old seed catalogs – many of them local, beautifully rendered and full of clues to vintage varieties and growing methods – is now digitized and available to anyone with Internet access. And if it weren’t for a Mainer, the collection might not even […]

Last August we shared a New York Times piece on a new and growing body of research that suggests that the bacteria living in the human digestive track plays an intricate role in the production of hormones and regulation of mood. Research featured in that article found a correlation between certain strains of bacteria and […]

An interview with foraging genius Russ Cohen on his new mission to create a seed bank of wild edible plants in North America.

“And one of those farmer’s said, 'you know we can do this work. This is our lives. We have pride in what we do, this is hard work: building these terraces year after year for a thousand years. This is a part of our culture and that’s why we can do it.' Now, the whole […]

What is it about the ruthless sea? An acculturation in agricultural landscapes, full of flower buds, dewdrops, fresh hay, kittens and baby lambs cannot prepare you for the hard, chilling mechanics of a mechanized fish harvest. To my tender agrarian eyes, the fishing business is brutal. We may call them “stewards of the ocean” but […]

"For many terrestrials, and certainly for me, the ocean and fisheries are a foreign place. We cannot see into the sea and don’t know much at all about what goes on there, except perhaps familiarity with the blanket-term “over-fishing.” Young agrarians of the rangeland know well that a blanket critique—that the Bureau of Land Management and Forest […]

  This past Fall, Severine travelled to beautiful Alaska and wrote three comprehensive articles based on her experience for In These Times. From Halibut festivals to fish processing boats to the rugged Alaskan homesteaders, she explores three questions fundamental to her journey: What can the farming community learn from the highly managed, and highly abundant commons of Alaska? […]

Pat Mooney from the ETC Group Canada talks about the rise and influence of agribusiness and asserts that it is peasant farmers who will feed the world’s growing population, provided they have control over their own seeds and food systems.

There are 60,000 unregulated chemicals in use by chemical companies right now and the EPA/FDA/USDA aren't regulating. This is a frightening David-vs-Goliath New York Times piece which is well worth the read. Here are a couple snippets: Bilott learned from the documents that 3M and DuPont had been conducting secret medical studies on PFOA for […]

The Book of Pears is a one-of-a-kind guide to this extraordinary fruit, following its journey through history and around the world, accompanied by beautiful botanical watercolor paintings and period images. Noted pomologist and fruit historian Joan Morgan (The Book of Apples) has researched and crafted the definitive account of the pear’s history and uses, from […]

Looking for some blast-from-the-early-1900s-yet-still-relevant winter reading? Look no further than The Cooperative Journal.

Sandra Simone of Talladega County, Ala., is an award-winning organic farmer who used to be a jazz singer in the San Francisco Bay Area. “It took many years for my husband’s words — ‘We need to own our ancestors’ land’ — to click,” Simone said. “All I wanted was to get out of rural Alabama […]

Kim Severson, Dec. 29, 2015, New York Times SHORTER, Ala. — Eating a bowl of black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is not the nation’s sexiest food ritual. Peas are not as beloved as Thanksgiving turkey. They lack the easy appeal of Super Bowl guacamole or the religious significance of a Hanukkah latke. But for […]

[vimeo 129248739 w=500 h=281] Watch the trailer for The Line from Kent Bassett on Vimeo. You can rent the film for the very affordable cost of $1.00.

After Dr. Luz Calvo was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, she and Dr. Catrióna Esquibel, her partner, searched for an explanation. Drawing on their experience as ethnic studies professors—and as Chicanas—they started examining the effects colonization has on a culture’s diet. Their findings? The all-American combination of carbs, sugar, and processed foods was making Latino […]

The Gazette, and Iowa City newspaper, recently published a story mentioning the "struggling farm economy" being the cause of the cancellation of a $90,000,000 Monsanto seed corn plant. The story can be found here, but one must ask the question: Is consumer awareness prohibiting the expansion of these GMO giants? Keep putting your money where […]

[vimeo 108598502 w=500 h=281] Evan Marks - Local Legendz We all have a vague sense that humans have a negative impact on the environment, but many of us push the thought to the backs of our minds and continue on with our days. When Evan Marks made that realization, he decided it was time to […]

Today, in incredibly awesome things made available by the internet, a new(ish) website  called Vintage Aerial provides access to over 5 million photos, taken in 41 states over the second half of the twentieth century. Looking to find an aerial photograph of a specific farm, homestead, or rural township? The librarians at the site are nearly positive that […]

What We Want vs. What We Can Get:Colonizing Ourselves Colonization can take place in many ways. One of the ways that it occurs is diverting our energy away from organizing for what we actually want, to instead organizing for what we think we can get under the current system. Large environmental groups in the U.S. […]

[vimeo 111489860 w=500 h=281] Support for this director's kickstarter can be found here

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You have probably noticed that there's a lot of bad news going around these days, and I don't know about you, but sometimes I just need to watch a feel-good video on the internet. Which brings me to today's installment of Californians just do the coolest things! (The link reroutes you to an episode of old TV treasure, California's […]

Greenhorns Radio episode featured on Heritage Radio Network Top Episodes of 2015! This particular episode features Suzanne Hunt, founder of Hunt Green LLC, who discussed national policy with Severine. Her company provides strategic advising on energy, agriculture, transportation, and the environment. It's a good one, and we bet it will peek your interest. You can listen to all […]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAz7V5xOF8Y] Vintage little gem from 1949. Geography, history, and culture! Watch the Central Valley go from Gulf to booming agricultural hub.

Our friend Lindsay Rebhan, ecological designer extraordinaire at Ecological Gardens, was recently a featured interview in Acres' December issue. Check it out HERE!    

[vimeo 122278721 w=500 h=281] Richard- Psilocybin Cancer Anxiety Study from T. Cody Swift on Vimeo. [vimeo 122267529 w=500 h=281] Tony- Psilocybin Cancer Anxiety Study from T. Cody Swift on Vimeo. The Phase 2 trials have just been completed at NYU and Hopkins, largely supported by funding from Riverstyx Foundation and the Heffter Research Institute. Final […]

The $130 billion Dow-DuPont merger announced last week has rekindled ChemChina’s $44.6 billion bid for Syngenta which, in turn, may provoke a fourth takeover try by Monsanto. If ChemChina prevails, Monsanto is likely to look for a deal with either BASF or Bayer. If they get their way, the world’s Big Six agricultural input companies […]

How to Smell a Rose: A Visit with Ricky Leacock in Normandy is a one-hour film in which Les Blank visits Richard Leacock in France. Conversations between the two legendary filmmakers, who have both since passed away, explore Leacock’s life and work as a charismatic and trailblazing documentary filmmaker and co-founder of America’s Cinema Verité, […]

Time to submit to the NEW FARMER’S ALMANAC vol. III Agrarians and stewards of all types, young and old, seasoned and greenhorn, we want to hear from you! We’ve begun the process of compiling submissions to the New Farmer’s Almanac: vol III. Awash in fascinating content, we want more! The upcoming Almanac will explore the […]