December, 2022

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Sustainable Sludge Disposal in Wastewater Treatment

Cropaia

Sludge disposal is a crucial aspect of wastewater treatmen t, as it involves the safe and sustainable management of the solid byproducts produced during the treatment process. In this blog post, we will explore the different methods of sludge disposal, the factors that influence the design of sludge disposal systems, and the calculations that are used to determine the appropriate design parameters.

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Huge Opportunities Exist in Tech-Enabled Ag

Agritecture Blog

Credit: The Food Institute. Editor’s Note: As climate change makes our weather patterns increasingly extreme and unpredictable , tech-enabled ag offers a climate-resilient method of food production. In this article, Agritecture’s Founder and CEO, Henry Gordon-Smith , and Eric Adamson of Tortuga AgTech offer their insight into the applications of agtech in the sector.

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My Last Blog Post…?

Agribusiness Blog

The Farmcpatoday.com blog started early in 2009. I remember spending time looking at various professional blogs and noticed that there was no blog that focused on farming and agriculture. I thought I could certainly try to do a blog on this subject. My goal was to get 100 people to read the blog. I think the first month of the blog I had well over 100 readers and by the end of 2009, the blog was attracting several thousand readers each month.

Tractor 52
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One & a half million dollars for family farms in need

Caff

During this season of giving, we found joy not only in receiving but in giving. And this year was a record-breaking year of giving for CAFF! To help small farmers struggling through an epic drought, wildfire devastation, and the pandemic… CAFF AWARDED GRANTS TO 240 FARMS IN NEED TOTALING OVER $1.5 MILLION None of this is possible without our members and donors who empower CAFF’s Emergency Fund, as well as all of our programs–from Ecological Farming to advocacy in Sacramento–that help

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These New York City Parents Are Finding a Future in Food

Rodale Institute

This was the first thought of Lianna Levine Reisner and Elnatan Reisner–New York city parents, professionals, and community leaders–when they first stumbled upon Rodale Institute. The couple, who have been […] The post These New York City Parents Are Finding a Future in Food appeared first on Rodale Institute.

Food 52
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The deep roots of Mexico’s trade dispute with U.S. over GMO corn

Food Environment and Reporting Network

Share Tweet This Story’s Impact 170 MILLION MONTHLY UNIQUE VIEWERS GLOBALLY This article is part of FERN’s series The Biodiversity Crisis /.slide-intro --> A remote Alaska village depended on the snow crab harvest for survival. Then billions of crabs died. By Julia O'Malley , July 5, 2023 A chilling effect: How farms can help pollinators survive the stress of climate change By Lela Nargi , February 23, 2023 The future of wild rice may depend on an unlikely alliance By Nancy Aver

Orchard 52
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Supporting Smallholder Farmers – What Works and What Doesn’t

Cropaia

Smallholder farmers play a vital role in feeding the world, yet they often face significant challenges in their farming efforts. These challenges range from economic issues such as lack of access to credit and poor access to markets, to limited access to knowledge about best practices. These challenges often make it difficult for smallholder farmers to earn a living and support their families.

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Northwest Wisconsin Long-term Test Plot Shows Tillage and Covers Effects on Profits, Yields, & Soils

Wisconsin Farmers Union

The Horse Creek Farmer-Led Watershed Council, with the help of Carlson Family Farms & Timm Johnson, maintains a test plot north of New Richmond to compare yield data between five trials replicated 3 times over the 15 plots: No-till with no covers (bare) No-till with multi-species cover crops No-till with rye cover crops Tilled with rye covers Tilled with no covers (bare) Yield Results since 2015 Since 2015, the farmers with help from Polk County Land & Water Resources Department staff ha

Yield 52
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December Membership Spotlight: Monica Lin

Caff

To wrap up 2022, we’re shining the last Member Spotlight of the year on Monica Lin from Foodshed in San Diego. Monica is very involved with her community and is truly passionate about the work she does increasing food access while supporting small farms. She is also an active member of CAFF’s policy committee, pushing for structural change in our agricultural system.

Food 52
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New Research Reveals Organic Agriculture Produces Higher Crop Yields During Periods of Extreme Weather

Rodale Institute

For more than 40 years, the Farming Systems Trial (FST) at Rodale Institute has combined real-world practices and rigorous scientific analysis to document the different impacts of organic and conventional […] The post New Research Reveals Organic Agriculture Produces Higher Crop Yields During Periods of Extreme Weather appeared first on Rodale Institute.

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New Malabo Montpellier Panel Report: Climate-proofing Africa’s food systems needs new and reimagined financing models to meet $41.3 billion adaptation cost

Farming First

African governments will need to tap into all domestic and global sources of adaptation finance to meet a shortfall of more than $40 billion to climate-proof food systems, according to the Malabo Montpellier Panel. The post New Malabo Montpellier Panel Report: Climate-proofing Africa’s food systems needs new and reimagined financing models to meet $41.3 billion adaptation cost appeared first on Farming First.

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Hydrogen Peroxide as a Water Disinfectant

Cropaia

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a chemical compound made up of two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms. It is a powerful oxidizing agent that is commonly used as a disinfectant and bleaching agent. However, it is less commonly used in water disinfection. In this article, we will explore the benefits of using hydrogen peroxide for water disinfection, as well as its limitations and how it compares to other commonly used disinfectants such as chlorine.

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Farm Loan Interest Rates Are Up (I think you knew that already)

Agribusiness Blog

The Kansas City Federal Reserve release an article late in November titled “Farm Loan Interest Rates Rise Sharply “ This is a third quarter survey of farm banks across their region. 2021 farm loan interest rates were the lowest in likely the last 50 years or more. Operating loans were likely 4.5% or less. There was a very small uptick in rates in the first quarter of 2022, but starting in the second quarter these rates accelerated rapidly with the third quarter being between 6 and 7%

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Barcelona students to take mandatory climate crisis module from 2024

Agritecture Blog

The decision came as a political leader in Madrid claimed climate activists’ claims were part of a communist plot. Credit: SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images. Editor’s Note: As the threat of climate disaster becomes more pressing, some universities, such as the University of Barcelona, are taking action to educate their students on the climate crisis.

Ecology 52
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Let’s Keep Small Farmers Farming Forever

Caff

Anna Knight spent much of her youth trying to get away from the farm–sports and an off-farm job ensured she always had an excuse not to join her family at the farmers market selling mandarins, oranges, kiwi. As Anna was busy trying to distance herself from her family’s farm, the farm was working its slow magic: winding its way around her heart like a pole bean tendril and eventually pulling her back home to steward the land her family has farmed for five generations.

Farming 52
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EP56 Feed Additives

RR2CS

You could argue that compared to other livestock, cattle are pretty simple to feed – get them grazing during the growing season and feed them bales in the winter. However, this relatively simple feeding system begins to fall apart when you get hit by drought; forage isn’t growing in your pasture and the price of hay goes through the roof.

Forage 52
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AgriTechNZ News: Meri Kirihimete

Agritech NZ

During 2022 there has been hard-won growth in our industry. Our members and sector partners continue to inspire us with their drive to grow and improve. Despite difficult trade conditions, we’ve seen impressive organic growth, acquisitions by our mature businesses, capability and knowledge growth across our research groups, and the emergence of many more startup businesses.

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MFA is new sponsor of Missouri High School Rodeo

Todays Farmer Magazine

In MFA’s continuing commitment to supporting youth in our trade territory, MFA’s Agri Services Division, along with MFA Feed and Farm Supply, announce a new corporate sponsorship of Missouri High School and Junior High Rodeo Association. As a sponsor, MFA will be represented at high school and junior high rodeo events with banner displays, a flag in opening ceremonies, arena announcements and other opportunities.

Farming 52
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Hart Vogt Acreage Donated to SILT

SILT

SILT received the deed to a breathtaking acreage just a half hour east of Cedar Rapids in 2022. Donated by Gary Hart and Derith Vogt, the 10 acres includes a lovingly renovated farmhouse and a slew of outbuildings from Derith’s long career showing horses. While SILT will make every attempt to keep this farm in sustainable table food production after Gary and Derith give over all rights in the future, they have generously granted SILT permission to sell this amazing property at top value if

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5 Automation Companies to Look Out For

Agritecture Blog

A worker at Avisomo tends to leafy greens in a CEA facility. Credit: Avisomo. Editor’s Note: The following list details some of the many automation companies involved in the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) sector. As there are numerous suppliers around the world that specialize in automation for indoor farms, this list is not exhaustive but rather meant to illustrate the variety of ways in which suppliers are creatively meeting the needs of their customers.

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Value-Added Product Success, Three Farms Share Their Stories

Caff

C AFF’s Tech Hub is hosting a three part webinar series on value-added products and success stories of small producers using Ecommerce. The series highlights farmers who have developed their business to include value-added products and offers practical information on how they navigated various logistics in fulfilling orders, navigated shipping options, and marketed their product.

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2023 Intranet Trends

Thought Farmer

It’s that time of year again, where we pull out the crystal ball and predict next year’s intranet trends. . Actually wait, we don't need a crystal ball! As veterans in the intranet software industry we have accumulated enough expertise and wisdom to confidently predict next year’s intranet trends. . So without further ado, here are our predictions for intranets in 2023: .

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Fonterra and Nestlé partner on ambition to create New Zealand’s first net zero carbon emissions dairy farm

Agritech NZ

Fonterra and Nestlé today announced a new partnership designed to help reduce New Zealand’s on-farm emissions, including a New Zealand first – a drive to develop a commercially viable net zero carbon emissions dairy farm. Over the five year project the farm, run with co-partner Dairy Trust Taranaki, will examine all aspects of farm operations to reduce carbon with the aim of cutting emissions by 30% by mid 2027, and a 10 year ambition of reaching net zero carbon emissions.

Farming 52
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Missouri 4-H team takes top honors at national judging contest

Todays Farmer Magazine

For the first time in the team’s history, Missouri 4-H finished as No. 1 in the nation at the 2022 All-American Dairy Show Invitational Youth Dairy Cattle Judging Contest, held Sept. 19 in Harrisburg, Penn. The team of Payton Nix of Mountain Grove, Lila Wantland of Niangua and Whitney Yerina of Phillipsburg finished ahead of Florida and Kentucky to win the contest.

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Walker Donates Nut Farm

SILT

The Nut Farm in Ottumwa was founded by Kent and Leisa Walker as an opportunity for their son Sam and other clients of a local special needs nonprofit to get their hands in the dirt. The 60-acre farm, located on the outskirts of Ottumwa just 30 minutes from Fairfield, includes an elegant tiny home, a large heated shed with a saloon on the second floor and smaller sheds nearby.

Farming 52
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How California’s drought upended a powerful farming district

Food Environment and Reporting Network

Share Tweet This Story’s Impact BROADCAST ON 60+ PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS, WITH 330,000+ LISTENERS The California Report Late in the afternoon on Nov. 14, a historic email landed in the inboxes of hundreds of California farmers whose land lies within the Westlands Water District , the largest agricultural irrigation agency in the country — and one of the most controversial.

Farming 52
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Data Training for the Small Farm

Caff

CAFF’s Small Farm Tech Hub hosted a data training for the Small Farm which was a three-part webinar series held during November-December 2022. The webinar recordings are provided below along with a list of resources referenced during the series. This workshop series was designed to provide a small farm business with key skills in how to understand and use data for business success.

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Forward-thinking Farming: Regenerative agriculture in eastern Africa

Farming First

Regenerative farming techniques can benefit farmers and the environment long term. The post Forward-thinking Farming: Regenerative agriculture in eastern Africa appeared first on Farming First.

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This technology company is powering some of the most innovative indoor farms in the country.

Agritecture Blog

Red and Green Butter Lettuce being grown in one of AmplifiedAg’s container farms. Credit: AmplifiedAg. Written by: Sarah Jordan , Isabelle Dom , and Ricky Stephens December 12, 2022 If you pay attention to what’s happening in the indoor farming sector, you may have seen the USDA’s recent investments in urban and controlled environment agriculture through its new CEA Center of Excellence.

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Ramping up research

Todays Farmer Magazine

$8 million grant will expand MU’s National Swine Center The University of Missouri has received an $8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand the National Swine Resource and Research Center on MU’s campus, which officials say should speed up scientific discoveries in biomedical research. The center, which was established in 2003, has become the go-to source for genetically modified pigs used by researchers across the United States to study various diseases that impac

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Related Parties Don’t Count

Agribusiness Blog

In our last post we indicated that a farmer could prepay farm cash rent for the following year by writing a check on December 31 and having the landlord receive it in 2023. This would allow the landlord to report the income in 2023. A reader then sent us the following in response: " I have a client that is the sole-shareholder in a S-Corporation that is operating a farm.

Farming 52
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How are climate change perceptions influenced by the economy and extreme weather events?

OECD: Environment

By: Kentaro Asai, Francesca Borgonovi and Sarah Wildi, OECD Centre for Skills In the northern hemisphere, the last summer was characterised by major climate disasters, including heat waves, droughts, flooding, and wildfires. The southern hemisphere is preparing to face similar disruptions in the coming months. Such events served as a reminder that climate change is taking place and that urgent action is required to transition to a net-zero economy.

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Episode 3: First Rain Farm- Nevada City

Caff

In this episode, we travel to First Rain Farm in Nevada County, where Tim Van Wagner is integrating a number of effective wildfire preparation methods on his property, as well as those of his neighbors and surrounding community. By combining targeted ecological grazing and prescribed burns, Tim is able to rehabilitate overgrown forests in the foothills to productive foraging systems that support greater biodiversity, sequester more carbon, and improve soil health and water quality in the region-

Farming 52
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Reducing Spray Drift: Key Strategies

Cropaia

Pesticide drift can cause serious damage to crops, harm people, animals, and the environment. Farmers should properly apply pesticides to prevent drift, especially when using pesticides on an outdoor area. Spray drift happens when pesticides are carried by the wind to other areas, such as neighboring fields, homes, and parks. It can result in injury or death to plants, animals, and other organisms that come into contact with pesticides that have drifted outside of their intended target area.

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EU Falling Short On Methane Targets As Experts Call for Limiting Meat Consumption

Agritecture Blog

Credit: Christian Wiediger on Unsplash. Editor’s Note: Many global citizens in search of a more sustainable and planet-forward lifestyle have embraced vegetarianism or veganism to decrease their individual carbon footprints. As this article states, limiting meat consumption could make an overall impact on the progression of climate change, but it is one of many available options.

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Farm to School Program at Holmen School District is Growing Year-Round

Fork Farms

Farm to school enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food by encouraging early education practices at schools focused on nutrition, growing food, and the power of buying locally grown foods. One such school is the School District of Holmen in Wisconsin. Many school food service programs have robust soil gardens, which depending on geographic location can only be used for part of the year.

Farming 52
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Tax Court Rules Farmer Can Use Old Tractors

Agribusiness Blog

The Tax Court issued a ruling on December 5 regarding an Iowa farmer. The case dealt with a part-time framer near Creston, Iowa farming about 500 acres. The farmer worked full-time as an UPS driver and did farming in the off hours. He also had incurred a heart attack in 2011 that led to perhaps the issue with the IRS. Instead of buying new tractors, the farmer elected to purchase 40-50 year tractors and place them with implements attached at each of their five farms.

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