Modern Farmer

DECEMBER 15, 2023

Sprouting deep within the verdant pleats of Oʻahu’s Koʻolau Mountains, Heʻeia stream winds through Kakoʻo ʻOʻiwi , a non-profit organization centered on a six-acre taro farm, before emptying into the wide mouth of Kane‘ohe Bay. As stewards of both island culture and terrain, “we’re restoring pono—restoring balance to the land,” says Shultz.

Acre 117

Acre Plantation Cultivation Crop 117

Food Environment and Reporting Network

APRIL 25, 2024

By Rowan Jacobsen , July 24, 2019 An unhealthy alliance between almonds and honeybees By Paige Embry , June 20, 2019 In January, with the almond bloom in California’s orchards a month away, beekeepers across the country were fretting over their hives. million acres of the Central Valley. A lot of their bees were dead, or sick.

Orchard 93

Orchard Acre Pesticide Farming 93

Modern Farmer

FEBRUARY 13, 2024

Agroforestry—the integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems—has been used since ancient times to produce fruits, nuts, coffee, cocoa and medicinal herbs. They farm on 130 acres of the land on which her father and grandfather had raised hogs. In 2014, she and Rafkin started transitioning to organic.

Acre 106

Acre Farming Farming Pasture 106

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

DECEMBER 15, 2023

For example, at Eckert’s Farm in Belleville, MO, Chris Eckert has seen extreme freezes killing off parts of his peach orchard. They were lucky enough to have crop insurance to cover their losses, but many farmers are not so lucky. Other means of managing weather risk are, like crop insurance premiums, funded by the federal government.

Pasture 117

Pasture Crop Farming Farming 117

Far Eastern Agriculture

APRIL 29, 2024

Agras T50 Well known for its efficiency and stability, the Agras T50 inherits a coaxial dual-rotor design and 54-inch propellers for next-level stability when carrying 40kg spraying or 50kg spreading payloads, which enables efficient spraying of up to 50 acres per hour. This makes it perfect for solo use in small to medium-sized farms.

Orchard 52

Orchard Acre Agriculture Agriculture 52

Modern Farmer

JULY 14, 2023

As Brian Paddock walks through his 12-and-a-half acres of almond trees, he’s taking in everything. For Paddock, maximizing “ crop per drop ”—getting the most yield with the least amount of water—is important. It’s also because he’s on a mission to prove that almonds are a viable crop, now and into the future.

Orchard 75

Orchard Crop Family Farming Farming 75

Food Environment and Reporting Network

JULY 5, 2023

By Rowan Jacobsen , July 24, 2019 An unhealthy alliance between almonds and honeybees By Paige Embry , June 20, 2019 In January, with the almond bloom in California’s orchards a month away, beekeepers across the country were fretting over their hives. million acres of the Central Valley. A lot of their bees were dead, or sick.

Harvest 81

Harvest Harvester Harvesting Orchard 81

Modern Farmer

DECEMBER 1, 2023

“We lost 10 percent of our saleable Christmas trees that year,” says Leanna Anderson, owner of Aldor Acres Family Farm in Langley, British Columbia and treasurer of the BC Christmas Tree Association. Photo courtesy of Aldor Acres Farm. Photography courtesy of Aldor Acres Farm. Photography courtesy of Real Christmas Tree Board.

Acre 101

Acre Harvesting Harvest Harvester 101

Modern Farmer

AUGUST 11, 2023

Fruit, she says, had not made the same progress in breeding science as bigger crops such as vegetables and grains. “I From her test orchard in Clarksville—25 acres of diverse cherry trees—she began breeding to address the primary threats. The Rosaceae family of crops. Iezzoni also focused on breeding for later bloom time.

Orchard 90

Orchard Crop Processing Cultivation 90

Modern Farmer

SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

Where I live in North Carolina, growers with large cucumber and squash farms rent honey bees at a cost of $100 or more per hive and require 1-2 hives per acre during each season. Lately, though, the state has tried to increase awareness about the capabilities of wild, native bees to pollinate North Carolina’s crops.

Crop Yield 137

Crop Yield Yield Crop Pesticide 137

Food Tank

APRIL 2, 2024

Acres of Ancestry Initiative/Black Agrarian Fund The Acres of Ancestry Initiative/Black Agrarian Fund is a multidisciplinary, cooperative nonprofit ecosystem that aims to regenerate custodial land ownership, ecological stewardship, and food and fiber economies in the American South.

Cultivation 89

Cultivation Food Marketing Distribution 89

Food Environment and Reporting Network

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

By Rowan Jacobsen , July 24, 2019 An unhealthy alliance between almonds and honeybees By Paige Embry , June 20, 2019 In January, with the almond bloom in California’s orchards a month away, beekeepers across the country were fretting over their hives. million acres of the Central Valley. A lot of their bees were dead, or sick.

Farming 52

Farming Farming Orchard Acre 52

Civil Eats

JANUARY 8, 2024

We’ve got 150 acres of grain.” As California has lost much of its grain to higher value crops, small flour mills and grain cleaning businesses have disappeared, too. They spread out the cost through a fee structure based on either the number of acres on which the equipment is used or the number of hours it is in use.

Grain 107

Grain Farming Farming Orchard 107

Food Environment and Reporting Network

JANUARY 11, 2023

By Rowan Jacobsen , July 24, 2019 An unhealthy alliance between almonds and honeybees By Paige Embry , June 20, 2019 In January, with the almond bloom in California’s orchards a month away, beekeepers across the country were fretting over their hives. million acres of the Central Valley. A lot of their bees were dead, or sick.

Orchard 52

Orchard Acre Pesticide Farming 52

Food Environment and Reporting Network

DECEMBER 21, 2022

By Rowan Jacobsen , July 24, 2019 An unhealthy alliance between almonds and honeybees By Paige Embry , June 20, 2019 In January, with the almond bloom in California’s orchards a month away, beekeepers across the country were fretting over their hives. million acres of the Central Valley. A lot of their bees were dead, or sick.

Orchard 52

Orchard Acre Pesticide Farming 52

Modern Farmer

JULY 11, 2023

Plumblee oversees about 7,000 acres in the central San Joaquin Valley, growing navel oranges, valencias, mandarins and even some lemons and grapefruits. There’s no sign of HLB in the Booth orchards yet, and Plumlee aims to keep it that way. California is home to roughly 300,000 acres of citrus production across the state.

Orchard 88

Orchard Acre Production Yield 88

Civil Eats

MARCH 11, 2024

Researchers have increasingly recognized how essential fungi are to sequestering carbon in the soil and some have come to appreciate the outsized role they play in supporting crop health, mitigating climate change, and even sheltering crops from disease. He mostly grows salad greens across 3 acres of farmland.

Farming 130

Farming Farming Crop Agriculture 130

Trimble Agriculture

JUNE 5, 2024

Frequently Asked Questions for Lenders Who Accept Land as Collateral Why should I use land as collateral instead of crops or equipment? Because land is a long-term asset, land loans also require fewer check-ins with your lender than loans secured by crops or equipment, if a more hands off approach is preferred. This can vary by lender.

Finance 52

Finance Farming Farming Ruralism 52

Modern Farmer

AUGUST 24, 2023

As a result of the ROC standards, livestock now graze the cover crops in the almond orchards, fertilizing the soil with their manure and providing space for beneficial insects. While ROC certifies a wide spectrum of crops, livestock and fibre, Land to Market only covers animal products: meat, dairy and leather.

Food 94

Food Ranching Ecology Fertilizer 94

Modern Farmer

OCTOBER 6, 2023

I knew that the US’s 40 million acres of lawns contribute to greenhouse gas emissions through consistent mowing and drink up to nine billion gallons of water daily. Crop plants growth is stunted from compacted soil. I am lucky I am an annual vegetable grower, so I do not rely on chilly winters like orchard growers do.

Meadow 113

Meadow Greenhouse Compost Soil Compaction 113

Modern Farmer

DECEMBER 13, 2023

Outside of Charleston, South Carolina, in the picturesque marshes of the Kiawah River, sits more than 100 acres of working farmland. Seasonal crops rotate through expansive pastures, cattle graze the rich sea grasses and several colonies of bees hurry about their business. Tiny Timbers is a small agrihood in St.

Farmland 126

Farmland Food Farming Farming 126

Caff

JULY 18, 2024

The day started off with Ann sharing a bit about the farm, which has 3,000 olive trees on 17 acres. She has really focused on diversifying her operation and ecosystem to include citrus and apple trees, and annual vegetable crops, which you can enjoy if you have lunch at their on-site bistro.

Ecology 52

Ecology Farming Farming Pesticide 52

Hartwood Farm

FEBRUARY 10, 2021

Yes, federal crop insurance is a thing, but it’s not as easy or straightforward as getting a policy for a house burning down, workers getting hurt, coolers failing and turning veggies to mush, or the delivery van getting into an accident (all of which we do have reasonable insurance for). Was there a real disaster event? Can you prove it?

Crop 52

Crop Greenhouse Farming Farming 52

Modern Farmer

JULY 10, 2023

After a winter of record snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, a sudden warm spell melted the lower reaches, unleashing nearly 40,000 acre-feet of water —a volume equal to more than a tenth of Las Vegas’ annual supply—in 48 hours. His 580-acre farm grows enough forage to supply the herd, so “I’m good with where I’m at,” he adds.

Farming 82

Farming Farming Manure Agriculture 82

CalCAN

AUGUST 10, 2023

Christine Gemperle, almond farmer and CalCAN advisor recently drove to Sacramento from her orchard in Ceres to testify in support of equipment sharing and sustainable agriculture investments alongside CalCAN staff. Christine operates 135 acres of almonds with her brother in Stanislaus and Merced counties.

Orchard 52

Orchard Farming Farming Agriculture 52

UnderstandingAg

OCTOBER 29, 2023

Now, as I design landscapes for my residential clients close to home—and work with farmers and ranchers as a consultant with Understanding Ag—I see better how we can’t really parse out the home landscape “flower beds” from the vegetable garden, or either of those from the 1,000-acre fields of wheat or corn in the Midwest and Great Plains.

Soil Science 71

Soil Science Science Soil Compaction Pesticide 71

ATTRA

AUGUST 20, 2024

There are 60-acre landfills that are being filled up with rice hulls,” he said, “so we set up to try to find a greener alternative.” Farmers can’t burn crop waste like nut shells or take them to landfills, so pyrolyzing is a great solution.

Production 52

Production Orchard Technology Construction 52

Civil Eats

DECEMBER 11, 2023

The front bucket was half full as he drove the tractor forward on a gentle slope of his 10-acre produce and poultry farm in Greensboro, Georgia. Most of the rollovers in Washington occurred on crop farms, including the state’s signature apple orchards. Gerhardt, now 66, farms organic hay on his own 10-acre field in Mohawk, NY.

Tractor 86

Tractor Farming Farming Acre 86

Civil Eats

MARCH 5, 2024

The San Joaquin Valley is the largest agricultural producing area in the nation; it produced crops, livestock, and agricultural commodities worth $36.5 An estimated 500,000 to 900,000 acres of irrigated farmland will likely be taken out of production to satisfy state-level groundwater laws by 2040. billion in 2022. in the air.

Farming 84

Farming Farming Tractor Agriculture 84

RR2CS

SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

We just opted to switch gears into something different to grow a higher value crop,” says Rick. “We Marsha enrolled in the Horticulture Certificate program through Olds College, and they got started in 2003, planting 5 acres of Saskatoon bushes. The following year, they planted another 5 acres, and so on.

Orchard 52

Orchard Farming Farming Harvest 52

Civil Eats

JULY 17, 2023

Date palm plantations and orchards cover the eastern Coachella Valley to the north. Over that time, only a handful of smaller-scale research projects have attempted to document current sediment contaminants on what is now almost 20,000 acres of exposed playa that is adding dust to the region’s already poor air quality.

Pesticide 90

Pesticide Acre Agriculture Agriculture 90

Modern Farmer

DECEMBER 6, 2023

We were in the parking lot of Island Center Forest, a 440-acre wooded park home to miles of hiking trails and one large pond where birdwatchers flock. Student lab assistants traversed a 20-acre section of the 300-acre park, treading in straight lines regardless of topography, up and down steep inclines, over and under downed branches.

Ecology 116

Ecology Seeding Acre Processing 116

Agwired

NOVEMBER 20, 2024

Hurricane-force winds and torrential rains destroyed fall crops still in the field, knocked down pecan orchards that growers spent decades cultivating, and damaged a million and a half acres of timberland,” said Ossoff. “We’ve not had a wheat crop this small since 1961, because we can’t grow a crop.”

Orchard 59

Orchard Crop Poultry Cultivation 59

RR2CS

MARCH 8, 2022

Instead, they set their sights northwest of the city and came to fall in love with 160-acres of “rough northern bush” in Barrhead County. Of the 160-acres, Jenna and Thomas steward 25-acres to grow organic vegetables, herbs, and flowers and raise honeybees. We grow a lot of organic alfalfa. It was literally cooking.

Farming 52

Farming Farming Forage Seeding 52

Civil Eats

MARCH 4, 2024

It’s no wonder that hospital food gets a bad rap, says Santana Diaz, executive chef at the University of California Davis Medical Center, a sprawling, 142-acre campus located in Sacramento, California. As a seeming compromise between nutrition and institutional efficiency, food has long been dished up as an afterthought to patient care.

Pasture 112

Pasture Ranching Supply Chain Cattle 112

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

AUGUST 11, 2023

Here are snapshots from those visits: Members toured Sister Gardens, one of three sites that are part of Frontline Farming, based in Denver, CO, Sister Gardens is a vegetable, herb, and flower garden on more than one acre of land within the Aria Denver development. A disused orchard that had been stewarded by the Sisters of St.

Water Rights 52

Water Rights Food Farming Farming 52

Food Environment and Reporting Network

DECEMBER 12, 2022

Westlands Water District was formed to distribute that water to 600,000 acres of land. If the most recent decade is a guide to the future, he says, the district can only expect to receive enough water to grow crops on about 300,000 acres in an average year. Growers now are ripping out some of those parched orchards.

Farming 52

Farming Farming Distribution Acre 52