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
Regenerative Agriculture is a Promising Approach to Building Better Food Systems. Regenerative agriculture is rapidly becoming a buzzword, largely because it offers great promise for restoring soil and environmental health while building farm profits and improving human health and nutrition. What is not to love about the concept? Food Systems are Built on Four Interdependent … 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
Today’s informed consumers are growing food at home to ensure that what they are consuming is both free of pesticides and rich in nutrients. These growers are quick to learn there are a lot of confusing so-called best practices for gardening, pest management, and soil amendments. No doubt, some of this confusion centers around over-anxious … Read more
CHOPKiNS CaFe, Mg was once a popular mnemonic for introducing students to the list of macronutrients plants need. Read as C. Hopkin’s café (is) Mighty Good, the statement includes symbols for 9 macronutrients plants need. The mnemonic was never perfect. For example, iron (represented by the ‘Fe’ in CaFe) is really a micronutrient. Plants only need a … 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
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
Don’t Take Carbohydrate Addictions Lightly I was caught off guard last week in an interview with Andree Clearwater, of Gill, Massachusetts, when she mentioned her addiction to sugar. Andree is thin, healthy, and meticulous about what she eats. Yet here she was describing an addiction that once dominated her, and still tempts her from time … Read more
