Modern Farmer

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

Its foundation relies on resource-intensive commodity crop production, which needs the majority of fertile lands to feed animals kept in confined spaces. Fertile agricultural soils should be used to grow diverse, nutritious crops for humans. But a closer look at our food system reveals many challenges.

Farming 113

Farming Farming Ecology Food 113

Civil Eats

OCTOBER 2, 2023

The biosolids created as sewage breaks down can be used as fertilizer on farmland, a practice that the Environmental Protection Agency still touts as “beneficial,” even though spreading these highly toxic chemicals across farmland allows the compounds to leach into the groundwater, contaminate crops grown on the land, and affect grazing animals.

Farming 145

Farming Farming Farmland Crop 145

Food Tank

OCTOBER 11, 2023

The vineyards are weeded only using hoes, never herbicides, and fertilized with manure. completely reuses all bagasse (the residual pulp left after juice is extracted from sugar cane) as biofuel and compost. Their brewery in Wales became the first carbon-neutral, nonalcoholic brewery in the world earlier this year.

Beverage 124

Beverage Ecology Compost Cultivation 124

Food Environment and Reporting Network

JULY 13, 2023

These practices include reducing or eliminating tilling of soil, planting “cover crops” that grow during the off-season and are not harvested, improving how farmers use fertilizer and manure, and planting trees. Better manure management is among the climate-smart practices the USDA is funding in the partnerships.

Agriculture 82

Agriculture Agriculture Greenhouse Manure 82

Civil Eats

AUGUST 19, 2024

Large livestock facilities generate more liquid manure, which emits methane, a short-lived but potent greenhouse gas. The crops grown to feed those livestock, mostly corn and soybeans, are especially fertilizer intensive.

Agriculture 137

Agriculture Agriculture Greenhouse Ruralism 137