Sustainability
The gospel of high yields at all costs has a new apostate. A switch to a no till cover crop system changed Johnny Hunter’s entire management dynamic and provided a booster shot to weed control, irrigation efficiency and overall soil health.
California is taking its fight against global warming to the farm. The nation’s leading agricultural state is now targeting greenhouse gases produced by dairy cows and other livestock.
If we dig beneath the surface, we soon see that taking care of our soil has to become a global priority, especially in the regions where climate change hits hardest and food insecurity is still rife.
Farmers are finding renewed interest in renewable energy.
In a new, three-year, $710,000 federally funded study, UF/IFAS researchers will use lab and field studies to investigate how pasture management and factors such as temperature and rainfall affect soil microbes.
Beef production needs to think outside the box.
We need to guide beef production and other farm and ranch production into the future.
It’s mere days before the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro begin, and Julio Natalense is excited for the athletes about to compete on this world stage – but he’s just as excited about a herd of cattle several hundred miles to the north in the Brazilian state of Matto Grosso. Why?
The tech geeks of the world are all talking this week about a John Deere announcement and video that the company plans to unveil a fully electric, high-power tractor at next February’s Paris International Agribusiness Show. Company officials say the tractor has “the features and functionality of a classic tractor, while providing the benefits of electricity.”
IFAD’s chief says continent needs vibrant agriculture sector.
The majority of U.S. farmers and ranchers indicate biotechnology and GMO crops as an important solution in helping raise crops more efficiently, according to new survey results released today from the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). With technology shaping today’s farms, GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are one tool in a farmer’s toolbox to enhance production and grow and raise our food supply more sustainably.
Randy Krotz, CEO of U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, responds to an inflammatory marketing video from Clif Bar.
Innovia Films’ newly launched high barrier BOPP Propafilm Strata SL film has earned a “very good” rating and has been awarded the “Made for recycling” logo by a German consulting company.
Produce companies continue to implement and expand programs designed to make their operations more sustainable, and spreading the word about those efforts is the next step as consumers show interest in grower practices.
Retailers want more fair trade products, and fresh fruit and vegetable companies have responded.
Owyhee Produce, Nyssa, Ore., is taking the sustainable packaging trend to the next level, by growing its own packaging.
By working together with the latest tools, researchers believe growers can help manage some of the effects of climate change and perhaps someday get paid for their efforts.
The German retail organization EDEKA Group is featuring citrus treated with Apeel Science’s shelf-life extender in select stores.
California Giant Berry Farms, Watsonville, was busy in 2019 with sustainability programs, but the origin of those efforts came many years ago, according to the company.
The Canadian Produce Marketing Association, Ottawa, Ontario, plans to highlight sustainability programs and advocacy work on behalf of Canadian produce companies at the Fruit Logistica exposition.
The efficient use of water and inputs ranks as the most important value in measuring sustainability, according to The Packer’s most recent poll.
NatureSeal, the company originally known for preserving fresh-cut apples, has a new blend for fresh strawberries.
Australia, the dusty continent, has permanent measures in place to deal with drought. Perhaps toughest to adopt is separating water rights from land ownership to allow water trading, which puts a high value on the resources. Conservation and mandatory use reporting also play a role.
Today is Earth Day. In agriculture Earth Day is every single day.
The chief architect of McDonald’s sustainability project says it’s driven by consumers not by activists.
By pollinating an estimated $15 billion in U.S. crops each year, this little bug has gotten big attention – especially when its health has been put at risk by the frustratingly complex Colony Collapse Disorder.
There was a time when once grain left the farm gate, little was thought about where it went. Those days are disappearing quickly.
The farm-to-table residential model has been sprouting up everywhere from Atlanta to Shanghai. It involves homes built within strolling distance of small working farms, where produce matures under the hungry gaze of residents, where people can venture out and pick greens for their salads.
The 75,000-square-foot greenhouse runs on 100% renewable energy, employs more than 50 workers and will produce 10 million pounds of leafy greens and herbs annually.