Herbicides Don’t Just Kill Weeds In the last post, we looked at biological cascades in ecosystems. We saw that seemingly unrelated activities are linked together through complex food webs. Living creatures that seem unrelated at first glance turn out to be so dependent on one another that what benefits one species can benefit many. Likewise, … Read more
Why Should I Build a Farm? The economy of the post-pandemic world has changed. As the world takes on the challenge of economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 world, displaced workers are looking at digital sales, direct marketing, and, believe-it-or-not, organic farming as niche industries where they can hang their hats anew, and restore the … Read more
Stepping into Regenerative Agriculture So, you think you are ready to get on the regenerative agriculture bandwagon? You are not alone. Farmers, food think tanks, , environmental groups, indigenous communities, and even the New York Times are taking interest in regenerative agriculture. Regenerative production models are recognized as a way to restore the environment, combat … Read more
This conference was held in early 2020, just before COVID-19 became a household word. The speaker insights are as relevant today as they were then. You can view playbacks on our sister site, at endofite.com. Watch the Playbacks Good Nutrition Begins On Farms and In Gardens. Hipocrates once recognized food as the best medicine. Of … Read more
Healthy Soils Require Amendments It is unrealistic to believe you can keep farming or gardening, and keep taking nutrients out of the soil without putting something back now and then. In the late 20th century, this was done with chemical fertilizers. No doubt, chemical fertilizers are still used today. When properly applied, qualified experts will … Read more
Health Concerns Led International Businessman Glen Schultz to Abandon Fortune 500 Sales and Start a Farm As Glen Schultz researched the cause of his son’s ailments, he became concerned about the way milk and other foods were being produced. At first, he shopped from natural grocery stores. But that wasn’t enough. The more deeply he … Read more
Nopales, or Prickly Pear cactus, include numerous species of the genus Opuntia which thrive in poor soils and arid lands. These cacti can be grown and harvested for their tunas, or fruit, and for their pads. They thrive in deeper, well drained soils, and can tolerate pH levels as high as 7.8. California researchers have investigated … Read more
Few ideas may seem less intuitive to bring together than global warming and nutrition. Yet, when you remember that health begins in living soil, and all life is stressed by too much heat, the logic starts to fall into place. Scientists correlate climate change with nutrition According to a recent report in Science Advances (summarized in the Vox) … Read more
What is a Disruptive Innovation A disruptive innovation is an innovation that enters the market inconspicuously, at the grass roots, so to speak. Adding remarkable value, often at a low cost, the innovation quickly transforms the marketplace. For more than a century, agricultural advisors have focused on the chemical needs of soils, often at the … Read more
Investigative Journalist Carey Gillam Explains Why Toxic Pesticides Permeate Food Systems Food safety regulations and labeling are promoted as a way to reassure the public that the food we purchase is safe. But it it? In her new book, Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science, Investigative Journalist Carey … Read more
