Farmers in the Netherlands have been blocking roads and disrupting food distribution for weeks now in protest of “unrealistic” climate policies. Their specific point of contention is a government plan to cut nitrogen emissions in half by 2030. In some extreme cases, the emission cuts imposed on farmers could be as high as 95 percent, …
Dutch Farmers Latest to Reject One-Size-Fits-All Climate Policies Read More »
Farming can be dangerous work. In fact, the profession ranks among the top ten most dangerous jobs in America. Too often, farmers are under tremendous pressure to carry on with planting, spraying, harvesting, calving, and the million other things that demand attention, even at the expense of their own well-being. Sleep is one of the …
Quinoa is a flowering plant grown primarily for its edible seeds. It became massively popular with the health food crowd in the U.S. in the early 2000s thanks to its high nutritional content. The bulk of quinoa production occurs in South America, while the U.S. imports almost half of the world’s total output. USDA scientists …
Superfood “Quinoa” Looking for More North American Grower Read More »
Cornhenge is the affectionate nickname given to the 109 concrete ears of corn memorializing the lost agricultural heritage of the Dublin, Ohio region, an area that like many, has been swallowed up by development on all sides. I should mention that the display also pays tribute to agricultural researcher Sam Frantz, who used the site …
Water is one of our planet’s most precious resources and its dwindling supply across the globe demands that the we humans figure out how to “do more with less.” That is the key ethos behind California-based startup Moleaer, which claims its patented “nanobubble” technology can improve sustainable food production and processing, water and wastewater treatment, …
“Nanobubble” Water Technology Claims to Boost Plant Growth, Improve Sustainability Read More »
Alongside the Colt pistol and the railroad, barbed wire is usually listed as one of the three main factors in how the West was won. Following the Homestead Act of 1862, millions of acres of the western United States were opened up to farming and new settlers needed something to protect their crops from free-roaming …
It Was the Invention of “Barbed Wire” that Helped Tame the West Read More »
China and Brazil in late-May signed an agreement that will allow for the import of Brazilian corn that will be allowed to begin as soon as the country implements certain requirements. Brazil’s local corn growers association Abramilho says it will also require an agreement with China about genetically modified grains before effectively beginning, which China …
China Moves to Add Brazil to List of Global Corn Suppliers… What it Means for US Ag Read More »
When plant breeders want to give something a specific trait, they typically look to other plants that already perform the desired function. Successful breeding kept wheat stem rust – one of the most destructive grain diseases on the planet – at bay for years but new strains of the fungus are increasingly breaking through. But …
Obscure Grass Containing “Blockbuster” Disease Resistance Could Help Save Wheat Crops Read More »
Oakland, California-based Pyka is one step closer to gaining U.S. regulatory approval for its fully autonomous crop spraying aircraft known as “Pelican.” Pyka has already been flying the fixed-wing aircraft in Latin America, with the Pelican completing the first-ever autonomous aerial application of banana crops in Costa Rica last year. The Pelican crop spraying aircraft …
Pyka’s Autonomous “Pelican” Crop Spraying Aircraft Moves Closer to U.S. Approval Read More »
In agriculture, optimizing crop yield is one thing. Doing so at scale is something else. But, as the global population continues to grow, communities are looking for new ways to expand food production and more people are showing interest in vertical farming. But the big question is can and how will it be done at …
If You Want to Learn More About “Vertical Farming” Attend This Webinar Read More »
