What an expiring Farm Bill means to you
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It has always been an amusing pastime for agricultural policy wonks to envision what would happen if a Farm Bill was allowed to expire. Continue Reading
Farm policy and the American diet: What premium have we placed on public health?
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Farmers throughout the country are experiencing one of the worst droughts in 50 years. It’s times like these that federal farm policy is most appreciated. Continue Reading
The 2012 drought and food aid
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The reports of drought across the United States continue to worsen. Just this week, USDA decreased its estimates of corn harvests in “good to excellent” conditions to 24 percent. Corn futures are hovering near $8 a bushel, and wheat futures have started to rise as well. Continue Reading
OPINION | Words of the Day: Food and fuel
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Fellow Minnesotans emotionally and financially tied to the food industry are growing restless as drought conditions worsen across much of the United States while Congress appears in no hurry to pass multi-year farm and food legislation.
Conservation in the Farm Bill
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Provisions in the 2012 Farm Bill could sustain environmental stewardship going forward. Conservation practices like alternative tilling help farmers reduce topsoil erosion and improve water quality.Area farmers and advocates from the National Wildlife Federation and the Izaak Walton League toured a farm near Northfield to illustrate reasons why land conservation practices could be aligned with taxpayer-supported crop insurance. Continue Reading
The Farm Bill ain’t real progressive
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Though it’s a big sprawling mega-bill, and nowhere near being in any final form that could get President Obama’s signature, I can summarize the proposed federal agriculture legislation, currently being moved through Congress, quite handily: there’s a lot for progressives to dislike. And “dislike” is about the weakest term one can use.
Eat My Fish: Specifically, my nice clean rainbow trout
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Wouldn’t it be great if there were still such a thing as a freshwater fish untainted by mercury? A fish that doesn’t carry any dire warnings for pregnant women and children? A fish that tastes as fresh as the fish you vaguely remember catching in your pristine childhood? Ladies and gentlemen, such a fish still exists, thanks to the decades-long efforts of an old hippie named Herby Radmann, in a place known as Bullfrog Farm, through an enterprise called Eat My Fish. Continue Reading
FREE SPEECH ZONE | Hmong Farmers Stepping Up to Help Build a Local Food System
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ST. PAUL [December, 2011]- All farmers juggle risk – weather extremes, rising production costs and the uncertainty of market prices all affect the bottom line. Hmong farmers have additional hurdles to enter the marketplace; instability from renting rather than owning land, and lack of capital and credit to secure financial resources for farm improvements or expansion.Free Speech ZoneThe Free Speech Zone offers a space for contributions from readers, without editing by the TC Daily Planet. This is an open forum for articles that otherwise might not find a place for publication, including news articles, opinion columns, announcements and even a few press releases.As Staff Attorney and Hmong Outreach Coordinator for the Farmers’ Legal Action Group (FLAG), a non-profit law center that provides legal services and support to farm families, Hli Xyooj has advocated for Hmong farmers since 2006. The transition from traditional farming practices to operating the farm as a commercial business is a difficult one for many of the farmers, says Xyooj. “The farmers came from subsistence farming which was their way of life – not a commercial business. Every day they knew what they had to do and went to the fields.” Hmong farmers have a familiar presence in farmers’ markets throughout Minnesota, but public markets are often flooded with the same products, thus reducing sales for any one farmer. Sales are further impacted by fluctuating demand and attendance at the market. So many farmers are produce rich, but cash poor – and without storage facilities, profits perish with the produce. When FLAG learned about the farmers’ barriers to success, they partnered with The Minnesota Project in 2011 to offer farmers assistance through training and connections to new markets. liHH FarFfFarmers that sought assistance varied widely in their communication and business skills. English as a second language, complex agriculture regulations, and selling their produce pose on-going challenges. But some Hmong farmers like Robert and Nancy Lee persisted and pioneered their way to new markets.The Lees live in Albertville, MN and rent farmland in neighboring St. Continue Reading
Can this washer handle ground-in manure?
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Whoa, but it’s been a whirl wind these last couple of weeks! Our passive solar farm house is taking shape at a fast clip despite a couple of bouts of torrential rain. Standing puddles at construction site is really discouraging. One rain storm dumped 2.5 inches and created a mud slide in a window well. It’s going to take creativity and lots of shovel work to correct that issue.
Pizza Night at A to Z Farm: Wisconsin’s worst-kept secret
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Hungry for pizza? How does this sound — hop in the car, drive 80 miles, wait in line for 20 minutes to order your $24 – $27 pizza, wait two and a half more hours outdoors for your number to be called. Then sit on the ground (a few feet from some cows and goats) and eat it.
Not interested? Too bad for you, because you’re missing a great dining experience.