New Book Review

What I've Learned From No-Till, Cropping Secrets From 58 Highly Successful No-Tillers,  

            by Ron Ross, 2007           
               Published by Lessiter Publications, Inc, 
                P.O. Box 624
                Brookfield, WI  53008

     This is a comprehensive compliation of interviews with farmers from all over the U.S. who practice No-Till (also known as Direct Seed) Farming.  It is well written, well laid out, and has good photos to accompany the interviews. 

     Each of the farmers address situations and issues which are specific to their region, their farm and their land.  While one farmer's methods may not pertain to another's, it is interesting to learn how farmers do things in different parts of the country.  The entire book of all the interviews builds a broad resource for anyone who has already begun No-Tilling or who is interested in converting their operation to No-Till.

     After reading this book, a person will have real knowledge of this method of soil conservation farming, and will have practical information for different situations and issues on their own farm.  The ideas shared by all these farmers about retaining soil moisture, erosion reduction, plant residue, planter adjustments, sprayer nozzles, light bars, fertilizer application and weed control are so practical, most every farmer will enjoy this book, whether he is a No-Tiller or Minimum-Tiller.

                                                                   Posted by Robin W.L. on August 17, 2013

Foodie Buzzwords

     As the locally-produced, "green" food movement gains momentum, more and more producers and companies are including labels on their products that tell you their food is "hormone-free" or "naturally-raised." But what do these phrases mean? Suprisingly, the regulations surrounding many buzzwords that would cause you to buy one product over another are surprisingly unregulated . We were asked to research the definitions of some of the words that pertain to our food, labels that companies use to describe and market their products; so read on to find out what these things actually mean!

Conventionally Raised: This term applies to both meat and crops. It means that the product was raised on a large or small farm, using conventional methods, which would include using chemicals to control weeds or pesticides (crops) and  antibiotics to prevent illness, and sometimes hormones to stimulate growth or production (animals).  In many situations, sustainable methods are used, though they may not be quantifiable.

What labels make us think!

Naturally Raised: This term usually applies to meat products. It is a loosely-regulated term,  meaning that the feed the animal received wasn't loaded with antibiotics, and they weren't given hormone injections. If possible, ask the seller what it means for the product he is selling.

Organic: This term applies to both meat and crops. This term means that all of the products used on the food was biologic in origin, and that the crop was grown without synthetic additives such as herbicide, fertilizer, or antibiotics. Be wary of an "organic" label. Unless it says "certified organic" or "USDA organic" you can't be sure that it is organic. This term is used by farmers use organic methods, but haven't gone through the extensive certification process.



The only label that matters

Certified Organic: This term applies to both meat and crops. It means that the farm that produced the food product has undergone a  rigorous process to obtain the certified organic designation. No synthetic additives are used anywhere on the property, and animal products with the designation are raised with access to the outdoors, although the quality of outdoor time is not regulated. Animals must also be given bedding material, unless they are grazed on certified organic pasture.

USDA Organic: This term applies to both meat and crops. It has the same designation as certified organic, but the use of the USDA Organic sticker on products is not required for producers who have obtained certified organic status.  Look for this term on the sticker of "organic" displays in grocery stores.

Hormone-Free: This term usually applies to beef and dairy products. It means that the animals used in the production of the product were not given hormones to increase muscle mass or milk production. Pork and chicken producers are not allowed to use hormones at all.

Whole Foods: This term means foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, such as an apple, or that are as minimally-processed and refined as possible, such as regular oatmeal, whole wheat flour or a pork chop. Minimally-processed foods are indeed better for you than a package of cookies or Cheetos, and we should try to eat as many of this type of food product as possible.

Labels like this are ok at a farmer's market

Free-range: This term applies to meat and poultry products. It is largely unregulated. The USDA allows producers to use the label if they give their animals about 5 minutes of open-air access a day.  Many egg producers are moving toward free-range and cage-free, because the public is demanding it.

Cage-free: This term applies to poultry products. It means that the chickens are not kept in small cages, but does not mean that they are outside, or that they are fed organic, antibiotic-free food.  It does mean that they have room to spread their wings and run around.  In many cases, chickens are kept in large, indoor, open chicken barns which have good ventilation.  They might have a roost to perch on, go into a small nest to lay their eggs, walk to their water and food, and move about much of the day.

Look for this certification on meat products

Grass-fed: This term applies to beef products. Unless the label includes "certified" this term could be misleading. A certified grass-fed product means that the animal was raised in a pasture or open range and ate exclusively grass and other plants.*  An important question to ask is was it grass finished instead of corn-finished?  Grass finished means that it will be much lower in cholesterol, and better for you.

Superfood: This term usually describes a food that is high in nutrients or chemicals that provide a lot of health benefits. It is totally a marketing buzzword.

*Most beef cattle are grazed on pasture grass or fed hay until they have grown to about 800 pounds (approximately 1 year of age).  Then, most cattle are moved to a feedlot, where they are "finished," to about 1,200 pounds, by being fed high concentrations of a corn-alfalfa mix.  This is highly nutritious and tastes delicious, so the cattle gobble it up.  The corn-alfalfa blend has a high fat content, which enables the animal to gain weight at a more rapid rate than just on pasture grass.  Also, the corn adds to the marbling and flavor, which we all love, but also adds to the high fat and high cholesterol count in the beef.  Grass fed and finished beef has a much lower cholesterol count.  


Check out the following sources for more information about the above terms, and to learn more about a bunch of other labels you might see:
http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-201
http://www.rodale.com/food-labeling
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/facts/meat_dairy_labels.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_food
http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/definitions/Free-Range-Foods
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/facts/guide_egg_labels.html
http://foodalliance.org/grassfed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfood
http://organic.about.com/od/organiclabels/tp/10-Terms-That-Do-Not-Mean-Organic.htm

BUY AMERICAN, BUY LOCAL!

     So what's the big deal about buying our food from the USA, or even from the farm stand down the road?  What difference does it make?  Why not buy the cheapest tomato, even though it's been grown in Mexico or Chile?
 
     I'm so glad you asked! There are a number of important reasons, let me list them:

1)  Economics:
     We all are trying to help our wonderful country, the United States of America, get back up on its feet economically, right?  By ensuring that your produce has the "Grown in the USA" label on it helps that effort.  When you buy your tomato grown in the USA, you are not only supporting our own American farmers, but all of the other industries that go into bringing that tomato to you.  Seed, soil amendment and fertilizer companies, equipment manufacturers and dealers who make and sell the equipment which the farmer uses to plant, irrigate and harvest, trucking and fuel companies that do the hauling, companies which do the packaging, the wholesale and retail grocers.  All of these businesses employ many, many people who each benefit financially when you buy "Grown in the USA."  If your tomato comes from Mexico, none of the cost of growing, harvesting nor farm-to-packing-shed hauling of the tomato stays in our country;  those dollars are sent out of the USA.

Harvesting produce in the USA

     If that tomato which was grown in the USA costs a bit more than one grown in Mexico, here are the reasons why:  We The People all want our farmers to pay their employees a fair wage; we have minimum wage laws, which foreign countries may not have.  Also, our farmers provide Workers' Compensation insurance for their employees, which foreign countries may not demand.  We have fair worker laws, which foreign countries may not have.  These items add to the cost of production.  If you purchase a tomato grown in Mexico, the employees there may not have been paid a fair wage at all, and may not have safe or humane working conditions.

2)  Food Safety:
     When you buy a tomato that says "Hecho en Mexico" or "Grown in Chile," you do not know what the inputs are that went into that tomato.  Our government has rigorous inspections and regulations for all food grown in our country; our food is truly the safest in the entire world.

Certified Organic from USA?  Great, safe, low carbon footprint.
Certified organic from Mexico or Chile?  Hmmm, not-so-sure, very large carbon footprint!
PLUS, you can buy crenshaw melons and pink lady apples that are grown in the US.

     Our governmental food and farm agency, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has inspections for imported foods, especially fresh produce, but they have no way to track that tomato to the farm where it was grown, not really.  They can't determine exactly what chemicals were put into that tomato; the cost is too high to do enough testing to be comprehensive.  It is not economically feasible for U.S. agencies to outreach into other countries.  There is no way to know if those other countries have the same standards that we Americans demand.  We can't control what goes into the soil or what is sprayed onto the crop that is shipped in  from another country.

California Oranges!

3)  Carbon Footprint: 
     Just think of what it takes to get that tomato from Chile or Mexico to your table.  The fuel, gas, trucking emissions!  The labor, the electricity to cool the storage building in Tijuana or Nogales!  By buying in the USA, you reduce that carbon footprint drastically.

     Now, of course, there are some items that simply don't grow here in America, for example bananas, tea, Swedish lutefisk and French champagne.  But how about coffee?  We hear of espresso shops supporting Honduran or Vietnamese coffee producers by buying "fair trade."  What about the coffee producers in our own country, in the state of HAWAII?  Next time you go to the grocery store, look for Hawaiian coffee.  You won't find it.  Ask Starbucks why they don't sell it - they'll tell you it costs too much (see items #1 and #2).  If you want, you could order your coffee online direct from Hawaiian coffee growers - they'll be delighted to ship to you, and you'll be supporting American agriculture.  You could even ask your grocer to bring in Hawaiian coffee to the supermarket shelves. Usually they'll do a test run if they have inquiries from customers.  Keep the money in our own country to help our own economy!

Tomatoes at a farmers' market

     Now let's take this whole concept a step further.  Let's buy that tomato LOCALLY.  Not only are you supporting the economy of the USA, but now you are supporting the farmers in your own community.  And the seed dealer.  And the fertilizer guy.  And the packaging supplier.  Their kids play with your kids on the soccer team.  You get the picture.

     Our Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) has a special program for highlighting Idaho grown foods.  It is called Idaho Preferred.  Consumers can look for the Idaho Preferred label in our grocery stores and in restaurants.  Check out your own state, do you have a special label, a special designation for foods grown right there?  By buying preferred you know you are buying from and supporting the farmers and ranchers in your own state.

     You may live in a region that has large tomato farms (think Salinas Valley and Imperial Valley, California).  If this is the case, most likely the tomatoes in your grocery store would then be local.  But what if you live in Maine or Tennessee?  During the "farm season" you would be able to buy a locally produced tomato at the farmstand down the road or at the Saturday farmer's market.  Then, you would be able to actually meet the farmer who grew the tomato!  How awesome would that be?  The same might be said of any number of vegetable and meat items.   

     So how about this.  Try to put the origination of your food on your radar.  Take a look around, ask your grocer for American, regionally and locally grown produce and whole foods.  Check the menu at your favorite locally-owned restaurants; many carry domestic conventionally and naturally raised produce and meats in their shops and on their menus.  You would be a LOCAVORE.

     Just think of the reduction of the carbon footprint for your tomato now, it would be nearly nil!  The tomato would be super fresh, too, would have been harvested the day before or even that morning, and would be vine ripened, instead of having been harvested 3 weeks ago in Mexico, while it was still half green.  Additionally, it would have been bred for flavor, texture and it's beautiful color instead of for a long shelf life.

     What about buying out-of-season produce, like tomatoes in December?  Well, that's another topic entirely.  There's new thinking with regard to this question - the thinking is this:  to eat produce that is in season.  Most of the produce we eat all year - that which we have become accustomed to in mid-winter - doesn't come from the USA.  In order to get lettuce and tomatoes in January, it most likely comes from Mexico or Central America.  Sometimes you might see produce from the Imperial Valley, California, but usually it's imported from south of the border.

     Any American grown and locally grown foods you might be able to find in December, would be those which are harvested at that time of year (citrus and avocados).   But, the good news is that there are more  innovative farmers growing winter greens and veges in hot-houses all across the country.  As you might imagine, the cost is high to heat these greenhouses, which might drive up the retail price.  But look for them, ask your grocer, he may be able to find off-season-hot-house-grown local produce.

     An interesting exercise would be to try to "eat in season."  It might be shocking.  It might take some getting used to.  It might be a challenge.

     So how about this - to try to pay attention to where your food comes from.  You could take advantage of the local producers' bounty at the farm stand or farmers' markets in our town.  You won't find little sticky-labels on the produce sold there!  If you shop at your regular grocery store, inspect the little labels on each piece of produce.  If it says "Grown in the USA," say "thank you!" to the vegetable manager of your market for standing up for America, and let him know you appreciate it.

     BUY AMERICAN GROWN FOOD, the safest, most abundant and best food in the whole world!

SUPPORT OUR FARMERS!  BUY "GROWN IN THE USA!"

The Farm Bill

     We hear the word "Farm Bill" in the news.  But what is it, and what does it mean?  We've heard the media say that it is "farmer welfare," and "farm supplements."  We've heard that American farmers are paid to not farm, that the government pays them for their crop.  What we don't hear is that over 2/3 of the farm bill doesn't deal with farming and conservation at all, but is for foodstamps.

     The Farm Bill should really be two different bills.  It should be the "Foodstamp Bill", and the "Farm Support and Land Conservation Bill.".  The provisions in our current Farm Bill are for wildly different purposes.

     On the pie chart at the right, you see that 69.40% of the 2008 Farm Bill provides for foodstamps.  This is the current Farm Bill which we are working under now.  The new 2013 Farm Bill is being negotiated by the Senate Agriculture Committee at this time.

     The official term for foodstamps is "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program," or SNAP.  Between 2002 and 2012, the number of participants in SNAP increased from 19.1 million to 44.7 million people, and the total program cost went from 16.3 billion to 74.6 billion dollars.  (Capital Press, 5/17/2013)

    But that's not what this article is about.  We're here to talk about the other 30.6%.

     Many of the foods grown in the US can be grown in other countries.  Examples are wheat, corn, soybeans, rice, among many, many others.  These crops are called commodities, and they are traded globally, with the price set not locally or even nationally, but on the world market.

     In our country, We, the People, demand that our food be safely grown, and that our farm laborers be paid fairly and treated fairly.  This increases our American farmers' cost to produce food.  At the same time, much of the food we eat can be grown in other countries, and those countries may not have the same safety and humane standard as we have, so the cost of production there is quite a bit less.

     For this reason, in the Commodities segment of the Farm Bill, we supplement our farmers when the commodity price falls below a certain, established price.  For example, say it costs the American Farmer $4.50 to produce a bushel of wheat, and that same bushel might cost $3.00 to be grown in South America or Egypt.  What if, due to the world economy and global trading, the price of that bushel falls to $3.75?  Our farmer is losing quite a lot, and still must use the more expensive, but safe chemicals.  He must still provide his employees with Worker's Compensation insurance, pay a fair wage, and provide a safe work environment.  The Farm Bill then kicks in and compensates him for that extra cost to produce that bushel of wheat.

      The next category deals with loss of crops.  A farmer has a "base yield" on his farm.  He registers each year's yield with his local USDA agency, and a 5 year average  of his yields is kept by them.   If, due to weather, (fire, wind or hail) his crop lost or is less than that base, The Farm Bill agrees to reimburse him for that loss.  This is Crop Insurance.  It should be noted that Federal Crop Insurance is not just handed out - each year a farmer pays a premium for this insurance in order to have the option to participate in it.

     The next category is Conservation.  Our farmers and ranchers are the ones who manage almost all of the privately and much of the publicly held land in our country.  There are numerous programs to assist farmers and ranchers in improving their operations, to make them more environmentally sound. An example of this is the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).  In this, the farmer agrees to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production, and plant species of plants and grasses that improve environmental health.  In exchange for this, the farmer is paid an annual rental payment for a 10-15 year period.

     Additional examples of conservation programs:
     -converting high-pressure sprinklers to low-pressure, using less water and power, and watering the crops more efficiently
    - planting trees and shrubs to form windbreaks which reduce erosion.  They also would provide habitat for birds and small animals
    - developing springs and water-ways to provide drinking water for livestock and wild animals and birds
    - protecting waterways from livestock
    - planting native grasses and plants in un-cultivated areas to provide habitat for animals

     The small category of Energy  deals with helping farmers and ranchers make their operations more energy efficient.  A few examples of the programs would be: updating irrigation systems, re-winding pumps so that they run more efficiently, upgrading equipment to be more fuel efficient, insulating shops and barns so that they use less electricity for lighting, heating and cooling.

     The category of Exports provides funding for international agriculture trade programs, and developing international access to American farm products.  One program is called Market Access Program (MAP) in which the USDA matches dollars for foreign market development.

     So now, you have a better understanding of the Farm Bill (or should I say the Foodstamp and Farm Support and Land Conservation Bill).   Also, hopefully you can better understand the media when you hear discussion about The Farm Bill.

Thought of the Week

Add more worms to your soil, and you will have
a healthier crop-bed, lawn and garden!

Burrows left by worms are nature's own system for collecting rainwater in the soil where plant roots can suck it up.  This gives less water runoff to strip away valuable topsoil and deposit chemicals in waterways..."

-Edwin Berry, national Soil Tilth lab, Ames, Iowa

WORM TALK

The only non-gross worm photo on the internet

   
     Can we talk?

     About worms, I mean!  Now, I know that worms are not at the top of the dinner-party-list-of-conversations.  They probably aren't even something we ever think of, unless we're headed to the fishing hole.  And all this time, they are busy, burrowing and working our soil for us.  They're remarkable little creatures, and they can serve as effective rototillers in the farmer's field, or gardener's garden.


     Worms are nature's burrowers.  They aerate the soil all around them.  This enables amendments and nutrients to be evenly mixed up with the soil.  Their burrows make natural paths for water, and allow the water to be evenly dispersed, which consequently allows the plants' roots to grow freely and easily.  Their castings (manure) are filled with super-nutrients, which enrich the soil, almost like a fertilizer itself.

Look at that nice soil!

     You may have heard that you can tell the health of the soil by how many earthworms are in it.  It's true!  No worms = sad soil.  Many worms = healthy, abundant soil.  Worms are both the cause of and the result of healthy soil.

     In order for worms to thrive and multiply in the soil they need three things:

1) Moisture.  They don't do so well in the desert, nor do they live in a swamp.  They need the soil to be  moist, in order to eat and process the organic matter and micro-organisms.  If the soil isn't moist, they burrow deeper to get to moisture.  This then means that they don't stay in the topsoil to do their good, important work there, which is where we need them to be.

2) Cover.  Worms like to have a cover over them, like leaves, grass, the shade of plants or a cover crop.  They typically live in growing places, like the forest, farmers' fields, vineyards, orchards, gardens and the like.

3) To be left alone.  The less their soil is disturbed, the harder worms can work.  The harder they work, the more they are able to aerate the soil, and leave their castings.   Their castings are nutrient-rich, adding to the desirability of keeping worms in your operation.

     Worms leave traces of having been in a place.  You will see little holes, or little piles of castings on top of the soil. After a rain, look for them, they'll be there.

     An interesting exercise would be to take a shovel out to your field or garden, and dig up a 1' x 1' x 1' (or thereabouts) hole.  Count the large worms (night crawlers).  Count the small worms.  How many do you find?  Many?  Then you may be assured that your soil is healthy, and your crops and plants are reaping the benefit of them.  Only a few worms?  Then, you have the opportunity to introduce worms to your operation and build a worm population, whether it is many acres or a backyard garden.

     A farmer (or gardener) who wants to improve his (or her) worm population can do many things to aid in their growth.  If he wants to order worms, he can buy them by the thousands.  Worms can be ordered online from a variety of sources, or can be purchased locally from a worm grower.

     So, swing on into your local fishing shop or up the driveway of the place that has the handmade "Night Crawlers" sign out front.  Buy some worms.  Instead of hooking them on your line, take them out to your fields or garden.  Give them a little moisture, add a little cover, leave them alone, and just see what they can do for your topsoil.

No lack of worms here!

Making a Molehill out of a Mountain

     Farmers have been battling Mother Nature's attempts to destroy their livelihood since Adam and Eve were booted from the Garden of Eden.  One of MN's effective techniques to frustrate farmers is soil erosion, by water, wind and tillage of the soil by the farmers themselves. Water and wind erosion are now the two primary causes of soil degredation; combined, they are responsible for 84% of degraded acreage, making excessive erosion one of the most significant global environmental problems.

Water Erosion

     Erosion strips the valuable, nutrient-rich topsoil from the ground, leaving behind inferior sub-soil that is less productive and requires more fertilizers and additives. Wind and water erosion can strip the soil from around growing plants, hampering their growth, and making it more difficult to get a good harvest.

     Erosion also contributes to water pollution, as soil, fertilizers, and other industrial chemicals are swept into waterways. Air pollution is also another side effect of severe erosion, with dust particles blown into the air clogging up the atmosphere.

     Tillage is the practice of preparing the soil for planting by turning up the soil, breaking up dirt clods, and shaping the field into irrigation beds or smoothing it out for planting, loosening and aerating the soil, mixing in organic material evenly throughout the soil, and destroys weeds.

Rice terraces in the Phillipines

     While farmers around the world cannot do anything to control the wind or rain, there have been many techniques developed over the millennia to combat this problem, with new techniques being developed even today! Terracing, as seen in many Asian and Latin American countries, is a very effective way to reduce erosion. Planting rows of trees along the perimeter of fields to provide wind breaks is also a good way to help reduce erosion. In industrialized farming countries, new farming methods such as no-till farming, strip tilling, and direct seeding are becoming more popular, and are very effective in reducing all types of erosion. 

Corn growing right into last years crop residue

     Minimum tillage is a soil conservation system with the goal of minimum soil manipulation necessary for successful crop production.  Planting is done directly after harrowing, without further preparation of the soil being done.  The top layer of the topsoil is lightly disked, just to break up the old crop residue.  It is either then harrowed and a fall crop planted.  Or, it is left to lie over winter with the rough disking done, and then in the spring, is harrowed, and seeded.  This is a widely used, and very effective method of reducing soil erosion.

     No-till farming is a relatively new technique in which the soil is left undisturbed, and the residue from the previous year's crop is left on the field to provide a protective ground cover for this year's plants. No-till farming increases the amount of water in the soil by helping to prevent evaporation, and decreases wind and water erosion since the ground has a cover of plant residue to hold the soil in place.

Direct-seeding a field

     Direct seeding is the planting method used with no-till farming. Direct seeding is a special technique in which the seed and fertilizer are planted at the same time in the residue from the previous year's crop. The crop residue and root structure keep the water and the soil in the field, reducing soil erosion by 90%, helps prevent the movement of fertilizers and chemicals, and improves water and air quality by reducing runoff and dust. Other benefits include sequestration of carbon in the soil, improved soil health, and reduction of fuel and machinery usage.

Strip-tilling a cornfield

     Strip tillage is a soil conservation method in which only the strip of soil that will contain the seed is tilled. Most of the plant residue from the previous year's crop is left to provide protection to the new plants, and to help reduce erosion and increase soil quality as it decomposes. Strip tilling also allows the farmer to more accurately apply fertilizers and other agricultural chemicals.

     As the world's population expands and the demand for food increases, it is becoming more and more important to preserve and maintain the soil at the highest level possible in order to meet these demands. Like fresh water, oil, and gold, soil is not an infinite resource, especially high-quality, productive soil. It must be carefully cultivated and preserved, and used efficiently. Farmers around the world have combated the erosion of soil since the beginning of time, and are continuing this battle yearly, although they now have a wide range of information and technology to assist them.

For more information on erosion, visit these sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erosion
http://directseed.org/about/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-till_farming
http://www.no-tillfarmer.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strip-till
http://www.striptillfarmer.com/

Soil Erosion - a problem for farmers since the Garden of Eden!

Check out this video to learn how big of a problem soil erosion is for farmers, and how they're using direct seed technology to combat this problem!

Happy Earth Day!

The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, at the height of hippie culture, the Vietnam War, and industrialization. Earth Day came about as the result of founder Gaylord Nelson's realization that he could capture the energy of anti-war protests, and channel it into creating awareness about pollution and environmental preservation.

As a result of Nelson's efforts, more than 20 million Americans went out on April 22nd to demonstrate for a healthier environment. These demonstrations brought together multiple sectors in society under one overarching desire for a cleaner, healthier world. Republicans and Democrats, urban dwellers and farmers, rich and poor, all demonstrated together and realized they had more in common than they had thought.

Since 1970, Earth Day has become a world-wide movement to push for environmentally-friendly changes in all countries. Past Earth Days have focused on recycling, climate change, renewable energy, and other related subjects. As a result, we now have the Environmental Protection Agency, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Air and Water Act.

Top 10 Agriculture Myths

     Many thanks from Matthew J. Lohr, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for publishing this list of the 10 top misconceptions about farming, farmers and agriculture.   

#10 - Small Farms are Unimportant - In many ways, small farms are the backbone of agriculture. They range in size from 3 to 150 acres or so, but they probably do the best job of any farms to provide local food.  Many small farms sell directly to the consumer through roadside stands, on-farms sales, farmers' markets and events.  They are at the heart of the Buy Local movement and not only provide food but also provide that all-important one-on-one relationship between farmer and consumer.  They are also one of the fastest growing segments of agriculture.

#9 - All Large Farms are Corporate Farms - Nearly 97% of our farms are family owned and operated.  Many family farms are incorporated for business purposes or to ensure an orderly transition from one generation to the next, but incorporated is not the same as corporate.  The vast majority of our farmers live on the land they work, and they have a very special bond with the land that may go back several generations.  Their roots run deep.

Book Review: DIRT

DIRT:  The Erosion of Civilizations

     Author: DAVID R. MONTGOMERY
                  Professor of Earth and Space Sciences
                  University of Washington
                  University of California Press, Berkeley, California  94704
                  www.ucpress.edu
                  paperback

     The uppermost 6 inches of dirt, the topsoil, is what is cherished by farmers throughout the world.  It's what they live on.  It is the material which supports their families and those to whom they sell their crops.  This precious topsoil is the key to allowing civilizations to thrive, and without it, when it blows or washes away, peoples tend to wither.
     From Darwin and his worms to the 1930's dustbowl of the Oklahoma panhandle; from the Appalachians to once fertile Babylon; from North Africa, once the bread basket of the Roman Empire that supported its legions, to the rolling Palouse hills of Eastern Washington state.  This small book covers a lot of territory and makes a case that peoples rise and fall with the care they take with their topsoil.
     The author makes a case for the rise and fall of civilizations and of farmers, based on how they tended to their soil.  Farmers take great care to learn from others, and especially, from the past.  If you are a farmer who values and cares for his land, if you are a farmer's friend or an urbanite, this book is for you.  It is a quick and easy read.

                                                                                    Submitted by James R. Wylie, March 25, 2013

Why Is All the Land Gone?

Urban fringe farming

Three million acres. Three MILLION acres. Yup, folks, that's how much farmland was lost in the U.S. last year. That's about an acre a minute!  Perfectly good farmland taken out of production. Drought and tough economic factors played a large role in the loss of acreage, while pressure to sell land for development in suburban fringe farmland took care of the rest of it.

This is not a new trend, either. In the last 30 years, the US has lost over 92 million acres of farm land, with each state losing a significant amount (http://fgscholars.com) Suburban sprawl and wasteful use of land are rapidly eating up the most fertile and productive land in the nation. Farms on the fringes of towns and cities are at the most vulnerable for development, despite the fact that they produce the majority of the food consumed by Americans, including 91% of the fruits and 78% of the vegetables (http://e360.yale.edu).