Water quality in the Chesapeake Bay needs to be improved. To be sustainable for the future, the people of this region need to figure out how to live, work, farm and recreate in ways that allow the Chesapeake estuary to function and thrive.
Contrary to the opinions of some, maintaining well-managed farms and private forests is
Continue reading Bi-Partisan Legislation Bolsters Efforts to Clean the Bay
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster recently visited with Farm Bureau members in Kane County, Ill. to discuss the relationship between federal legislation and the local agricultural community. At the meeting, which took place at the Gould Farm, a three-partner cooperative stretching nearly 5,000 acres, Foster (D-Batavia) appealed to farmers to seek positions in government as a
Continue reading Farm and Food News Update 8/13/10
Alien-looking contraptions with metal arms protrude out of farm fields throughout the state of Washington. Look closer and you’ll see gauges on the arms measuring all kinds of weather data, from temperature and precipitation to wind, dew point, solar radiation and humidity. The stations—part of Washington’s AgWeatherNet—relay data to a
Continue reading Which Way the Wind Blows: AgWeatherNet Gives Washington Farmers the Data They Need to Grow Greener
With the Senate considering energy legislation this week, Congress must seize this chance to pass a strong national Renewable Energy Standard (RES). An RES is a regulation that requires the increased production of energy from renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal.
A robust RES will bolster the farm economy, help curb climate change and drive America towards energy independence.
Because of
Continue reading US Agriculture Needs the Renewable Energy Standard
The news of the recent Senate dismissal of negotiations on clean energy and climate change is a decision that will be felt, if not heard, round the world. The failure to move forward with the viable approach to clean energy and climate legislation set forth by the House will set the course for an uncertain
Continue reading Despite Missed Opportunity by Senate, Much Work Left to Help Environment and Farmers
Farmers and ranchers across the United States and throughout the world are already experiencing the repercussions of changing weather and climate. The impacts are particularly felt in the American west where declining water tables, increases in temperature, and a rise of pests and diseases moving into new areas have been linked to the
Continue reading Colorado Meeting Addresses Climate Change’s Impact on Agricultural Production
A recently released study makes an important point on agriculture’s effect on climate change. The perspective on the positive contribution of increases in agricultural productivity on the potential production of greenhouse gas emissions comes from an unexpected source—Stanford University. This should help broaden the discussion of how agriculture can help combat climate change and
Continue reading A Complex Issue: The Impact of High-Yield Agriculture on Climate Change?
People sometimes talk about farm living as the “simple life.” It’s true that there is an inherent simplicity in connecting to the natural
Continue reading Farm Land Critical to Our Nation’s Health, Prosperity
Recently, President Obama attended the White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors to speak and sign a memorandum that sets a 21st century conservation agenda to bridge public and private efforts to conserve outdoor spaces (including farmland) and connect Americans with the outdoors.
While the efforts of farmers and the importance of farmland conservation were mentioned by the
Continue reading Don’t Forget Farmland is a Part of America’s Great Outdoors
Tracking down where your food comes from, or understanding your food shed, was the topic of a contribution to The Herald-Mail from UMD Extension educator, Jeff Semler. Although embracing AFT’s “No Farms No Food” message, he offers additional suggestions to consumers to be more effective with their purchasing power.
Conservation efforts by farmers in the Upper Mississippi River basin
Continue reading Friday News Roundup 6/18/10