Blog

Find our seed circus model here. And check out what these guys are doing!  Milkwood is a crew of doers and makers, dedicated to skills for smart, simple, regenerative living. We’re a social enterprise based south of Sydney, Australia. We thrive on sharing practical skills and knowledge that can help individuals and communities move towards a mode of living that’s […]

Greenhorn Erin Bullock says The Good Life Farm is "the coolest farm I've seen in a while." And reports, "these kids are doing permaculture and agroforestry on a farm scale, they are smart cornell types, with cover crop tattoos for their wedding rings. They are building a huge new cidery for their apples, and a […]

www.uspspropertiesforsale.com It seems like a sinister art project, but it's not. The USPS is selling off properties, trying to make up for the estimated 8 billon dollar a year in losses. By some accounts, this represents a failure of state socialism, and a need for privatization. For others it represents a moment of portentous flux, where a […]

The Genesee County Land Bank is great model for dealing with foreclosures and vacant lots. Check them out! The Land Bank's mission is to restore value to the community by acquiring, developing and selling vacant and abandoned properties in cooperation with stakeholders who value responsible land ownership. Adopt A Lot program (pdf)  

Float on New York: A Waterborne People’s Climate Convergence August 31 - September 13, 2014  160 Miles in Human Powered Vessels in 2 Weeks A Climate Justice Flotilla   A fleet of full-scale paper boats is going afloat on the Hudson River, charting a course from upstate New York to New York City in a […]

Wake Forest University Wednesday, September 10th 7-8:30 PM. FREE!  This exciting panel discussion will provide insights into the importance of biodiversity and sustainable land and water use to a resilient food system. Individually, and collectively, these entrepreneurs are contributing to the economic vitality of our region by offering value-added choices to the marketplace. !!FREE SIGN […]

Tres Hombres is an initiative that thrives on combined passions; sailing, traditional ships, shipbuilding, crew training, a healthy environment, good harmony and of course rum! Tres Hombres stands for enjoying life. Like a message in a bottle, the ship contains a dream about reviving traditional sailed cargo shipping, a dream that has already partly been fulfilled. […]

The Ocean Going Farmerby Nick Halmos In the fall of 2011, my fellow 11th Hour Racing teammate, Hugh Piggin and I departed from France aboard a Class 40 as competitors in the Transat Jaques Vabre. Over the course of 26 days at sea, we laid a 6000 mile track across the  Atlantic that exited the English […]

This one designed for CSA members.  The Excelsior Farm Chronicle  

The Young Farmer Network is a grassroots, farmer-led organization of farmers, aspiring farmers, and farm allies from all backgrounds, and of all experience levels.Their network is based in Rhode Island and includes farms and farmers from across southeastern Massachusetts and eastern Connecticut. Here's the scoop on their current fundraiser: It's midsummer. We are knee deep in […]

An older article, but so relevant. The Surf and Turf Connection By Julie Flaherty What do farmers and fishermen dream about? A bumper crop of zucchini and calm seas? Perhaps. But both lose sleep over some of the same things: finding markets for their products, transporting their goods cheaply, tapping into the local foods movement […]

The Von Thunen model of agricultural land use was created by farmer and amateur economist J.H. Von Thunen  in 1826. Von Thunen's model was created before industrialization and says that farmers have to take 3 things into account: the cost of land per year, the price of crops when sold, and the cost of transportation […]

Check out this kickstarter campaign - a great concept! How do we bring together young organic farmers and wise energetic elders to form multigenerational retirement communities that farm? "Roadmap to Generosity Farm" is a book about how to provide (1) aspiring young farmers with land and (2) energetic elders with a healthy and intellectually stimulating […]

Severine was able to attend this year's conference back in January.  Here's a short video about the event which includes a few words from Severine along with many other attendees![vimeo http://vimeo.com/101790496] http://www.oxfordrealfarmingconference.org/orfc-2014.html  

a great example of selling admission tickets to the easiest things. At Indian Ladder Farms, Spring means Baby Animals! Baby Animal Days: May 3 – 18, 2014 Come meet our babies in the Baby Animal Barn. Chicks, Ducklings, Turkey Poults, Bunnies, Lambs, Goat Kids, Calves . . . see, pet, and learn about baby farm […]

to low impact summer adventure! Marsh and Bay Expeditions We hope to share our love of sailing and the coastal environment. To this end we've assembled and outfit a small fleet of classic cruising dinghies, and a talented team of guides. Using experiential learning, we aim to teach all the essential aspects of responsible seamanship. […]

If you can read French, this is a great resource from the folks at L'Atelier Paysan.  If French looks like gobbledygook to you, this website is still worth an exploration (read: random clicking) because what they are doing is awesome. Check it out HERE! (Hint: "outils" means "tools" in French).

Help change the way our local food systems work by empowering local farmers and consumers with an open-source solution that connects producers with food hubs. The Open Food Network is an open source, online marketplace that makes it easy to find, buy, sell and move sustainable local food. It gives farmers and food hubs easier […]

What a great idea! A "sustainable food iconothon"brought together designers and foodies to create these "emojis for foodies".  The hope is that farmers will use them in marketing. If any of you greenhorns end up using these, let us know! We would love to promote their use! Download them HERE, and read more about the […]

Seedwise.com, the organic and non-GMO seed marketplace, has created an online platform for organic seed farmers to connect directly with retail consumers. Home gardeners and farmers alike can now purchase seeds with the added knowledge of exactly where, and by whom, their seeds have been grown. SeedWise is breaking down one of the last barriers […]

The Exchange Archive is a research database for projects about exchange. From unconventional dialogue to reciprocity systems, the Exchange Archive supports research about contemporary exchange practices. We aim to support artistic research by making legible the people, ideas, and materials that surround exchange-based work today. The Exchange Archive highlights connections between works. You can add […]

Support the campaign HERE, and visit their website. We're building the Grange Farm School to help aspiring farmers learn the skills they need to pursue their dreams as small farmers and to provide healthy local food to their communities.  We can't think of a more important task right now than training the next generation of […]

You'll want to follow the journey of these folks: Pedal & Plow.  Read on for their perspective! It seems everyone has an opinion on “How to Feed the World.” From The most recent National Geographic article, to the works of Michael Pollan, there is increasing awareness of the challenges our food system faces. However in […]

A FarmRaiser is a powerful and innovative way to raise money for your project while helping to build a stronger, healthier community. We use technology and old fashioned organizing to create product-based fundraisers that allow students to sell healthy products from local businesses. These programs are currently in Michigan and Washington State. If you are a farmer and interested […]

Listen here A group of 'socially responsible entrepreneurs' from the United States is trying to help Cubans obtain the best of both worlds: Retaining the achievements of the existing system in Cuba, while infusing entrepreneurship, with a collective tinge. We interview Eric Leenson with Sol Economics about a recent group visit to Cuba and his […]

8 hours to go, and 19% funded! Pitch in a few bucks towards this community farm greenhouse and help them get over the hump. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/community-farm-greenhouse

& the Aldo Leopold Bench. To spy a Leopold bench in someone's yard is to know something about the family who there resides. Even if you haven't read Leopold's opening lines, "There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot. These essays are the delights and dilemmas of one who cannot," […]

Harvest nettle - from tip to about 1 ft off ground. Chop finely like herbs for a salad. Mix in a barrel 2/3 full of dry nettle and fill with water (about 80% full). Top with agribon cloth so to let it breathe but keep out bugs. Stir twice daily for 7-10 days. foaming will […]

An interesting model in Vancouver.  They've raised 30% of their goal so far.  Check it out! And pitch in if you can. Soul Food has a plan to double Vancouver's local food production. If you would like to see more beautiful, delicious and healthy food grown right in your neighbourhood, help us set up two […]

Tres Hombres Tall Ship Loads Rum and More in Caribbean; Additional Ship Readied for Europe Only by Jan Lundberg The Tres Hombres schooner brig continues its trade mission for European markets. On this its fifth voyage to the Caribbean, cargo was sailed to the Western Hemisphere as well: wine and olive oil to Brazil. From there, local "superfoods" […]

Farmier is a web-based platform for farmers, producers, and individuals, built on open source technologies, with the goal of providing a whole set of data management tools under one roof.    

The Leap to Biosphere Consciousness and Collaboration: An Interview With Author Jeremy Rifkin Jeremy Rifkin, author of The Zero Marginal Cost Society: The Internet of Things, The Collaborative Commons, and the Eclipse of Capitalism, describes a world where privatized monopolies yield to collaborative Commons. Over the last two hundred and fifty years, various social thinkers […]

Here’s a fun fact: Abraham Lincoln didn’t go to law school. He independently studied the law, registered with the Sangamon County Court in Illinois and passed an oral examination by a panel of attorneys. He was then given his license to practice law. In five states, you can still take this non-law school route to […]

Good Food Web is launching on May 23! And they're seeking "expert advisors". The Good Food Web is a platform where food-focused entrepreneurs of all kinds can tell their story, share best practices and build alliances to grow their business. Some experienced entrepreneurs have accumulated knowledge and insight that would be of great value to […]

What a great model! Taos Food Center Food is at the heart of the cultures and people of Northern New Mexico. The Taos Food Center is at the heart of TCEDC''s activities in supporting the people, cultures, and food of Northern New Mexico. The Taos Food Center is a 5,000 sq. ft. commercial kitchen that […]

An excellent network & resource: Good Food Web The Good Food Web is a community-driven online platform to build a resilient, good food economy. We connect farmers, food entrepreneurs, investors, advocates and eaters to educational resources, best practices and expert advisors. Find the people and info you need to build your local food business. Earn […]

Beekman 1802 Mortgage Lifter Sauces is a pasta sauce company which has pledged to donate 25% of their profits to help give individual small farms a "lift." On April 29th, 2014, Beekman 1802 will divide $13,264 between four small American farms (entries due by midnight, April 22nd). The amount will be divided into four "Mortgage […]

How tiny house communities can work for both the haves and the have nots By Eve Andrews Ryan Mitchell lives and breathes tiny houses. He has been running the popular website The Tiny Life for the past five years; is currently planning a tiny house conference for approximately 120 people in Charlotte, N.C., where he […]

A model. There will be a cow salon/photo booth, cow milking lessons, farm tours at 2:30 and 3:30, live music, some foods, a raffle for farm store treats, calf cuddling, and acquaintance making of neighbors and friends.  We will also be kicking off farm store season with a special 20% discount card we are calling Milk […]

This farmer in Suffolk  has moved her innovative dairy, using crowdfunder to make it happen.  She runs a small, commercial dairy with suckling calves.  Take note, follow her work, and pitch in if you can! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl5OG8B-0gM&w=560&h=315] Crowdfunder  Fiona Provan's Calf at Foot Dairy in Suffolk is unique and very special. Fiona's small herd of 100% pasture-fed Jersey […]