Blog

in spirit of the ongoing US Social Forum, here are a few nifty mapping tools for tracking agriculture activity in Detroit: www.detroitgreenmap.org www.opengreenmap.org/greenmap/detroit-metro google maps: detroit food security network

August 21-22nd - Kingdom Farm and Food Days (Formerly High Mowing's Field Days) High Mowing Organic Seeds, Center for an Agricultural Economy and New England Culinary Institute are once again hosting the Kingdom Farm & Food Days, a free, fun-filled event in celebration of good food and  Vermont agriculture. Participating farms in the Northeast Kingdom will […]

usjobs.gov to get  a job making trails at yosemite, glacier, kings oh my!

earthworks resources for all you midwestern and upper midwestern types http://www.freewebs.com/strawbalestudio/resources.html

The Trustees of the New Castle Common, a private Land Trust first chartered in 1764 by William Penn, is looking for an innovative farmer via the attached RFP.  This could be an ideal arrangement for the right farm operation, as the 112 acre farm is situated in an area that is well suited for a […]

Saturday! Seeds On Wheels (S.O.W.) the Samuel Dorsky Museum with a Seed Swap to boot! Here's a seed library blog post with all the info: http://seedlibrary.org/ And here's the facebook invite Spread the word and seeds...

Listen in on this Webinar today!  And tell fellow farmers how you feel with the Hudson Valley Seed Library's Blight Bites T-shirt. * Intro to Plant Diseases and Management Strategies for the Farm, a webinar presented by the UVM Extension New Farmer Project, June 24, 7 pm (EST) * Many of us walk into the […]

this weekend! On June 26th some of the most important people in the specialty cheese business will congregate at a discreet warehouse in Long Island City to witness the first annual Cheesemonger Invitational. Nine of the top cheesemongers representing the finest cheese shops from around our country are set to compete in a no-holds barred […]

a report on the DIALOG TOUR that the canadian government did about beginning farmer land issues. 2009 Dialogue Tour on Young Farmers And Farm Transfers - Executive Summary In November of 2009, the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State (Agriculture), hosted half-day roundtables on young farmers and farm transfer issues […]

so much is going on on that little island.  Bob Powell  is making some neat farm tools, including the vashon broadfork. He also makes killing cones & he is developing a cider press. Check it out HERE

David Wiswell over at Cate Farms up here in Washington County (VT) is a pretty cool cat, as is Brent Beidler in Randolf, VT who is one of a few area farmers who have converted their tractors to solar. Click HERE for a powerpoint of Brent's on building that Solar Tractor

MIT Global Challenge in many of these cases its real, developing world problems. but these are also problems faced in rural areas, in barns and agricultural outbuildings and in dealing with the various difficulties and limitations of a of diverse enterprise start-up farm. look, learn, adapt and adopt if you feel so inspired. the inventors […]

i've finally learned what it is.  And I'd like them to please make a less toxic situation for the riders of the trains. its called PHENOL disinfectant. and it kills nearly everything there is according to the label. active ingredient is 0-phenylphenol and frankly i'd like to know a bit more about it. on the […]

A Conference to Build our Northeast Food System.  http://www.ittakesaregion.org/ What: The 18th conference and annual meeting of the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) When: November 12-13, 2010 with pre-conference trainings, November 11 Where: Desmond Hotel and Conference Center, Albany, NY Who: Food system advocates, policymakers, planners, researchers, Extension and other educators, farm groups and […]

GARDEN PROJECT LEADER (Project Instructor 1) Full-time seasonal position available to work with the CSC Youth House Garden program.  The ideal candidate will have a background and/or skills that include working with teens, horticulture & micro-business. This position requires strong organizational skills, enthusiasm, energy, the ability to work with teens, and gardening skills to implement […]

through Vermont's  New Farmer Project. Intro to Plant Diseases and Management Strategies for the Farm *a webinar presented by the UVM Extension New Farmer Project, June 24, 7 pm (EST) Many of us walk into the field or greenhouse and are stumped by what we see.  Is it insect damage, nutrient deficiency, plant disease, or […]

It occurred to us that you might need directions if you're joining us in Detroit this weekend, so here are some comprehensive ones.  Your final destination is the Woodbridge Community Garden. To get from the USSF at cobo to the woodbridge community garden: the distance is 3 miles best by bike- - ride up washington […]

Where we'll be at the US Social Forum.

Many of you have been asking when our set of posters would be available again.  They're officially for sale now,  and we've added a fourth poster - "your trusty steed" - to the beautiful set designed for us by Brooke Budner. Chowhound is featuring these posters as part of their summer gift guide, and you […]

Just out from the American Farmland Trust. The New York Agricultural Landowner Guide is an indispensable tool for farmers and rural landowners trying to navigate the sometimes confusing array of public programs available to them. “I don’t have a lot of time to research all the programs out there,” says Don Telaak, a dairy farmer […]

Save the date, all you hudson valley greenhorns! A Stakeholder's Forum on Land Access, Sustainability and Success September 29, 2010; Chestnut Ridge, NY hosted by Cornell University Cooperative Extension Columbia County + The Greenhorns For More Information call: 617 909 6910 email: [email protected], [email protected] If you are a service provider to beginning farmers in the […]

Living Lands Agrarian Network is a non-profit organization that offers training and mentorship to the next generation of farmers in Nevade City, CA.  Our unique model of cooperative farming integrates ecological education, community involvement, resource sharing, and celebration around the food we grow right here in our neighborhoods.  We practice and promote localized ecological farming […]

Good news on the doj hearings. Remember. it's not glamourous news. But at least it's not an unstoppable oilspill wafting out over the commons. By WILLIAM NEUMAN Published: June 18, 2010 The Obama administration proposed new rules on Friday seeking to increase competition and rein in potentially unfair practices by large meatpackers and poultry processors. […]

Maine Farmland Trust is hosting a premier of 8 short documentaries by filmmakers Cecily Pingree and Jason Mann, which tell the diverse stories of eight Maine farms: from Aroostook to York, from potatoes to dairy, from large commercial operations to small farms that sell directly to local people. To see the rundown of the evening, […]

"We are pleased to share with you Farm Aid’s new report, Rebuilding America’s Economy with Family Farm-Centered Food Systems (www.farmaid.org/es). Inspired by Farm Aid President Willie Nelson, who has always said family farmers are the backbone of the nation and the bottom rung of our economic ladder, we offer the report as a resource to […]

The International Farm Transition Network will host their annual conference July 20-23, 2010 at the Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. This three day meeting will bring together agricultural professionals, farmers, citizens, and service providers to discuss and learn about exciting projects in farm transition. The conference will highlight the Countryside Initiative: a partnership between […]

mark your calendars:  11th annual Healthy Foods, Local Farms Conference will be at Spalding University in Louisville, KY on Saturday, September 25. speakers include Wendell Berry and Anna Lappe.   + a Local Foods harvest festival to be held on Sept 24th at White Hall in Louisville.

July 7, 1:00 - 5:00 - Heritage Wheat Field Day at UMass Research Farm After years of collecting heritage wheats in villages in Europe and the Mideast, UMass research farm is pleased to invite farmers and gardeners, chefs and researchers to tour the UMass heritage wheat trials of rare grains spanning little known ancient einkorn, emmer, and […]

By MATTHEW B. CRAWFORD Published NY Times: May 21, 2009 The television show “Deadliest Catch” depicts commercial crab fishermen in the Bering Sea. Another, “Dirty Jobs,” shows all kinds of grueling work; one episode featured a guy who inseminates turkeys for a living. The weird fascination of these shows must lie partly in the fact […]

and looks like there are jobs for other people's favorite brothers (and sisters) as well.. High Mowing Organic Seeds, Wolcott Accounting Manager – see description Vermont Soy Company, Hardwick General Manager – see description The Center for an Agricultural Economy, Hardwick Northeast Kingdom Food System Planner – 1 year position The Center for an Agricultural […]

The Parts and Crafts Collective is a group of thinkers, teachers, and tinkerers in the Boston and New York areas who are interested in helping people build, think, create, succeed, fail, and learn. We run hands-on, creative arts, science, and engineering classes and workshops for kids and adults as well as a summer day program. […]

The Quivera Coalition's 9th Annual Conference. November 10-12th, 2010, in Albuquerque, New Mexico "The Carbon Ranch: Fighting Climate Change through Food and Stewardship"

A nice piece on the Transitions Incentive Program.  From conservation land to beginning farmer land! Program seeks retired farm land By Vershal Hogan (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat Published Monday, May 31, 2010 VIDALIA — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is hoping to infuse new blood into agriculture by reactivating some old farmland. Sign-up is […]

This one is worth a look for all you west coast greenhorns seeking land. 5 flat, fertile acres in the Sierra Nevada foothills with: 48 Gallon-Per-Minute Well & Pump Seasonal Stream Good Soil

Marin Organics is presenting this event. Trickster Training Tea Party – An Afternoon with Caroline Casey Sunday, June 20, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Dance Palace, Point Reyes Station Cost: $99 Join Caroline Casey and Marin Organic for a Trickster Training Tea Party - a literal and metaphoric feast! Caroline W. Casey is a Visionary […]

art monkey hackers. farm monkey hackers. are we changing attitudes and opening portals in contemporary streetscapes+ landscapes? is it working? [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0b90YppquE]

WSU Boyd Farm Walk Wheat Variety Trials & Organic Diversified CSA Farm Wednesday, June 16 @ 9:00am-3:00pm WSU Boyd Farm in Pullman, WA Research plots at WSU's Boyd's Farm site have been certified organic since 2006, following the standard three-year transition, and are now in year five as certified organic. View cropping systems research plots […]

thanks to Donn for passing on this video and some commentary about Tiny Farm in Athens, GA!   Donn blogs at farmersouth.com.

another great happening in Detroit, MI - the Beehive Project The Beehive Project is a large-scale installation by an interdisciplinary community of artists and thinkers in Detroit. The group’s inaugural project, a human-sized beehive sculpture, will function as a gathering space for informal, critical conversation during the Detroit Electronic Music Festival (May 29-31, 2010). The […]

here's a trailer for a beautiful film by patrizia marani, and a longer clip as well.