A Blueprint for the Future of Food- Dec 7, 2016
This is an article from Turning Points, a magazine that explores what critical moments from this year might mean for the year ahead.
Turning Point: France becomes the first country to outlaw food waste.
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Texas Judge Blocks the new Overtime Rule, what are the implications of the Food Safety Modernization Act for Northeast Farmers.
Read here.
A Long-Gone Parasite Returns to Florida, Leaving a Trail of Dead Deer- Nov 25, New York Times
BIG PINE KEY, Fla. — The first signs seemed baffling: deer stumbling around in confusion, howling in pain, found with their heads hideously disfigured — as if eaten alive.
What biologists discovered turned out to be even more frightening: the reappearance of a parasite known as the New World screwworm fly that had not been seen in the United States since the 1970s and had been considered eradicated.
Read more here.
Where Marijuana Plants Flourish Under Energy-Saving LED Lights- Nov 25, New York Times
TUMWATER, Wash. — Behind the covered windows of a nondescript two-story building near the Olympia Regional Airport, hundreds of marijuana plants were flowering recently in the purple haze of 40 LED lights.
It was part of a high-stakes experiment in energy conservation — an undertaking subsidized by the local electric company. With cannabis cultivation poised to become a big business in some parts of the country, power companies and government officials hope it will grow into a green industry.
Read more here.
Has a Start-Up Found the Secret to Farming the Elusive Truffle? Nov 25, 2016 New York Times
The American Truffle Company has a new technique
that it says can expand the range of the Perigord
truffle in North America, but success is proving costly.
Read more here.
Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops- Oct 29
New York Times, October 29, 2016
LONDON — The controversy over genetically modified crops has long focused on largely unsubstantiated fears that they are unsafe to eat.
But an extensive examination by The New York Times indicates that the debate has missed a more basic problem — genetic modification in the United States and Canada has not accelerated increases in crop yields or led to an overall reduction in the use of chemical pesticides.
The promise of genetic modification was twofold: By making crops immune to the effects of weedkillers and inherently resistant to many pests, they would grow so robustly that they would become indispensable to feeding the world’s growing population, while also requiring fewer applications of sprayed pesticides.
Christmas Tree farmers worried about the effect of draught- Oct. 19, wfsb report
Christmas is still months away, but some local farmers are worried about the effects the prolonged drought will have on their trees. Read more
The Small Business Administration has released the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program in Litchfield County due to a Secretary of Agricuture Declaration for drought in Massachusetts.
Under these declarations, the EIDL is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of the disaster.
With the exception of aquaculture enterprises, SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers or ranchers. Note: Farmers and ranchers should reach out to their local FSA office for assistance: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/index . Nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by drought conditions.
Applicants may apply on-line, request an application by calling SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, or download application materials from the SBA’s website at
www.sba.gov/disaster<http://www.sba.gov/disaster>.
U.S. Farmers make foray into Quinoa as demand for grain grows- Oct 6, 2016
http://www.courant.com/business/ct-quinoa-demand-20161006-story.html
To the south of Nash Huber’s farm fields are the Olympic Mountains, peaking at nearly 8,000 feet. Due north is the end of a channel of Pacific Ocean waters that separate the United States from Canada.
Yet in this corner of the country is where the 75-year-old Huber hopes the South American grain quinoa takes root.
Last month, Huber harvested quinoa commercially for the first time on about 30 acres, making him the latest addition to a small number of U.S. farmers trying to capitalize on American eaters’ growing demand for the Andean grain.
“It’s a beautiful crop,” Huber said as he surveyed his combine grinding the plants and spitting out the seeds. He chose a variety called Redhead, which turned his field lipstick red for a couple of weeks before harvest. “We’re still learning. I kind of stepped off the end of the dock here with a bit of a bite this year.”
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