Blog

The international prize called the Premio Daniel Carasso aims to reward an international renowned research scientist who, through cross-disciplinary researches, has innovative and realistic approaches in order to develop “sustainable food and diets for long-term human health”. The Premio is open to scientists working in fundamental or applied research in nutrition, food studies, food technology and sciences, […]

Click HERE to stream the podcast or download HERE from itunes. Marada Cook is one of Maine’s most remarkable entrepreneurs. She’s part owner and manager of three Maine food companies, Northern Girl, Fiddler’s Green Farm, and Crown of Maine Organic, that repurpose, distribute, and sell Maine produce across the northeast and have become core to […]

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/47596434]

Some of us farm and some of us want to farm but we all enjoy sharing and learning from each other at the annual Fall Harvest Gathering for Women in Sustainable Agriculture. PLEASE PLAN TO JOIN US AND SAVE THE DATE!!!   November 7-8-9, 2014 at Cedar Valley Resort in Whalen, MN.Costs are reasonable and scholarships are available. […]

Versaland Farm Iowa City, IA  Tuesday July 22nd, 2-7pm A critical piece of farm profitability is having the tools to work efficiently.  Beginning farmers, those quickly and earnestly tackling a new production model often have limited capital or skills.  So…if you can’t afford a $3,000 root washer, you may try to build one…if you can […]

A great news source from Agrarian Trust: Land News worldwide agricultural news about land access and land tenure  

Seeking support for starting a farm in Nova Scotia? ThinkFARM is an amazing government resource. Follow this LINK for more information on the services offered below.

The following essay written by George Naylor was published published by the Huffington Post on May 9, 2014 and is deserving of attention. Picture via National Geographic The brief article, "A Five-Step Plan to Feed the World" offered by Professor Jonathan Foley in the latest National Geographic magazine, clearly states the stark features of a global […]

Announcing The Kitchen Sisters spanking new podcast ~Fugitive Waves~ Fugitive Waves: Lost recordings, shards of sounds. Tales of remarkable people from around the world.  Stories from the flip side of history. All three episodes are on iTunes with many more to come! Episode 3:  Eel Pie Island
  Episode 2: Tennessee Williams and The Pennyland Recordings […]

According to the FFA website, Monsanto, Pfizer (Monsanto's pharmaceutical business), Cargill, Dupont and Syngenta donated millions of dollars to the FFA in 2013, and have been awarded "Platinum" and "Gold" sponsorship titles by the organization.  In 2012, a press release from the FFA stated that these companies (and some others) had donated 16.8 million dollars to help "create […]

Throughout the world and here in the United States, innovative practices are taking place on farms, ranches, and forests. This report highlights some exciting progress and identifies a number of near- and long-term actions with potential to realize the full range of solutions that farmers, ranchers, and foresters can deliver from the land. Thought leaders […]

The White House will be hosting a Champions of Change event to celebrate local agriculture leaders who are taking innovative approaches to support American farming and ranching—both now and in the future.  These leaders will be invited to the White House to celebrate their accomplishments and showcase their actions to support the future of agriculture. […]

Less than two weeks away! April 26th & 27th:  http://agrariantrust.org/symposium/ Gary Paul Nabhan is one of the speakers. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYPdRZG52fI&w=420&h=315]  

SARE's Library of Publications is Now Available on USB Drives. Whether you are in the field, on a flight or simply without an internet connection, SARE's library of publications is just one click away. Now available on convenient USB drives, all of SARE's publications, program materials, videos and selected regional materials can be easily accessed […]

"Small Farm Equipment" covers many facets of equipment use and maintenance on the small- to mid-size farm. Topics include the following: Mechanical concepts and terminology Best practices and safety around farm equipment Tools for maintenance Tips for shop work Regular maintenance tasks Troubleshooting start-up problems Common small equipment Tractor operation and safety Written to be […]

The Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), a regional New England environmental advocacy organization, is launching a pro bono legal services network for farmers, food entrepreneurs, and food- Through the Legal Services Food Hub (tentative name), CLF will match eligible participants with skilled attorneys who are willing to provide their legal services for free. The program will […]

The wolves of Wall Street are eyeing millions of acres of U.S. farmland that will soon come up for sale, much of which has been in the hands of family farmers for generations, according to Down on the Farm, a new study from the Oakland Institute. "Institutional investors"--including hedge funds, private equity, pension funds, and university […]

Here is a new venue for discussing policies and programs that do not exist within the current farm bill -- or even the farm bill debate. As an organizer I deeply appreciate this new forum for visioning and proto-wonkery. - Severine http://beyondthefarmbill.org/profile/severine-von-tscharner-fleming  

The Greenhorns are in the top 10 and voting ends Sunday! To read more about the top 10 and the contest in general, check out this article in the Bay Area Bites blog. 

      Four locations throughout New York State (see below) Cornell Cooperative Extension will present pre-season farmers’ market training to help North Country growers develop their salesmanship, labor management, social media skills and compliance with food safety regulations. Sessions from 10am to 2pm with Cornell Cooperative Extension educators will help growers create a compelling personal story […]

Go to the Agrarian Trust website for Farm Job/ Land Opportunities like these: Small Farm for Lease, Forbes, MO (2/26/2014) Tanglefoot Ranch, Southern IL (2/26/2014) Farm Ownership Opportunity, Ludington, MI (2/15/2014) 4.5 Acres for Lease Forbes, MO (1/15/2014) Farm Partnership Opportunity Pope County, IL (1/15/2014) Owen Family Farm for Sale Grafton, IL (1/15/2014) 25 Acre Catskills Farm for Sale Schoharie, NY […]

Wheeler Hall, UC Berkley at the Agrarian Trust April 26th, 2014 Gayle McLaughlin, the mayor of Richmond, California, is using the powers of eminent domain to bail out homeowners who owe more money on their houses than their house is worth. She'll be speaking at the  "Our Land Symposium" about this innovative foreclosure solution. More […]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7smSleJ8kI] Touched by their teenage son's battle with a foodborne superbug, filmmakers Jeff & Jennifer Spitz document their family's struggle to raise backyard chickens, grow food, and transform into Food Patriots. Food Patriots features people from all walks of life who are trying to change the way Americans eat and buy food, and educate the […]

Heavy use of the world's most popular herbicide, Roundup, could be linked to a range of health problems and diseases, including Parkinson's, infertility and cancers, according to a new study. The peer-reviewed report, published last week in the scientific journal Entropy, said evidence indicates that residues of "glyphosate," the chief ingredient in Roundup weed killer, […]

Join Greenhorns founder Severine Von Tscharner Fleming and evangelist Jen Griffith for an evening of learning as we focus on the past and future of modern farming, "Grange Future." Learn about the early and more recent history of the Grange, the controversy with California State Grange halls and GMO labeling, and the revival across the […]

If you have a tough time wrapping your head around Farm Bill legislation, check this out for a quick summary of what just got signed into law. http://www.youngfarmers.org/2014-farm-bill-passes-final-hurdle-signed-into-law/

Or buy a DVD copy from us to support our work and actually own a physical copy. A But yes! We did manage to get the film distributed on Amazon, available for instant view for $2.99. A The monopolies sure are convenient.

Boulder, CO Apr. 3- Apr. 7, 2014 The Contemplative Alliance and Naropa University would like to invite Boulder area farmers to join a special gathering of faith and spiritual leaders, civil society, ecological advocates and others from April 3rd to April 7th.  Anyone interested in attending can contact Janelle Surpris directly. Find out more about the […]

and remembering our maiden sail freight voyage! Watch here: Fresh Produce Sails the Hudson   http://www.vermontsailfreightproject.com/

a quick note from Severine:  http://www.adabio-autoconstruction.org Julien and Joseph from " Ada bio Autoconstruction" are coming across from France to visit farms in Canada, Vermont, NY state-- Severine is driving them around.  These are the open source hackers who have focused on tool-design and fabrication skills training for diversified organic farms in France, and have […]

Farmers & geeks: hacking agriculture A community of ‘start-up farmers’ are applying skills and ethos from the software and tech worlds to agriculture. It’s an exciting approach that could help us build a more sustainable food system. If you were looking to list the big innovations that have transformed our lives over the last centuries, […]

Agrarian Trust is now online, and established as a program of the Schumacher Center for New Economics. In April of 2013, Kendra Johnson, Severine Fleming, and Kristen Loria completed the guidebook “Affording our land: a farmers guide to farm finance options.” It is now online, and available for free to download. This guidebook is meant […]

FarmsNOW is an advanced program for aspiring farmers with a minimum of two years prior experience. FarmsNOW is designed for those seeking mastery in the art and business of farming. This two-year program will dig deep into planning, designing and running integrated farming systems. Intern candidates must have 2-3 years of prior vegetable production experience, a deep commitment […]

A great opportunity for the right greenhorn(s)?  Check it out HERE  Yes, it’s true.  We are wanting to sell our egg business to someone who will run it, expand it, and have more time for it.  We had a lot of fun doing it until now, but time constraints are requiring some cut backs.  We […]

WHOLE FOODS Revenue  US$9.006 billion (FY 2010)[2] Operating income  US$438 million (FY 2010)[2] Net income  US$246 million (FY 2010)[2] Total assets  US$3.987 billion (FY 2010)[2] Total equity  US$2.373 billion (FY 2010)[2] Employees 58,300 (2010)[2] MONSANTO Revenue  US$ 11.822 billion (FY 2011)[1] Operating income  US$ 2.502 billion (FY 2011)[1] Net income  US$ 1.659 billion (FY 2011)[1] Total assets  US$ 19.844 billion (FY 2011)[1] Total equity  US$ […]

particularly those in and around Minnesota. Help New Farmers by Taking this Quick Survey Adjust 2015 is an initiative to gather and share information that will help new farmers learn to address challenges in farming by adjusting their farm plans to be more resilient to difficulties.

We love this idea.  And if you're feeling the spirit of giving, chip in! Quill's End  Farm is a 100 acre farm in Penobscot, Maine.   It is a grass-based cow dairy and raises small livestock on pasture grazing rotationally.  Heather and Phil Retberg farm this plot of land with their three children, Alexander, Benjamin and […]

Sad news about the loss of Bill Coperthwaite.  Here is a beautiful write-up from the Beehive Collective. “I want to live in a society where people are intoxicated with the joy of making things.” ...Oh, this body-snatchin blustery storm, with tricklin' raindrops that meander and converge with tears, gaining speed. So grateful i ain't havin' […]

How You Pay Farmers to Watch Their Crop Shrivel Up and Die by Laird Townsend for Mother Jones The federal crop insurance program puts farmers in a real bind. And as climate change intensifies, it's only getting worse. In 2011, Eric Herm's cantaloupes exploded. A fourth-generation cotton farmer in West Texas, Herm was experimenting with […]