Remove Family Farming Remove Food Remove Manure
article thumbnail

Bringing Youth Back to the Farm in Rural America

Food Tank

Iowa is the number-one pork producer in the United States, but it has relatively few hog farms. Large factory farm facilities have replaced smaller family farms. The state lost nearly 90 percent of its hog farms from 1982 to 2017, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Census data.

Ruralism 116
article thumbnail

Regenerative Food Certification: Gold Standard or Greenwashing?

Modern Farmer

Two organizations want to put an end to the wild west of claims and prove, through certification, that food labeled regenerative is genuinely the gold standard of sustainability and not just another marketing buzzword. Her family farm has been organic certified since 2006, but it only adopted the ROC standards in June 2022.

Food 96
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Family Farmer Finds a Connection to Eaters Through Livestock

Food Tank

Now that he raises pigs, he can apply nutrient-rich solid manure to the familys grain fields, helping to build soil health further and reduce the use of synthetic fertilizersa benefit for both the environment and his wallet. While grain farming has a distinct season, the pigs require daily tasks and maintenance year-round.

article thumbnail

Should Bioplastics Be Allowed in Organic Compost?

Civil Eats

He plants nitrogen-rich legumes and other perennial cover crops amongst his pear, apple, plum, peach, and cherry trees, but he buys a commercial compost product to keep his 100-acre, fourth-generation family farm thriving. Ela knows first-hand how central compost is to his organic farm—and all organic agriculture.

Compost 141
article thumbnail

Bringing Back Local Milk, Ice Cream, and Cheese

Civil Eats

The initiative aims to “uplift the dairy sector” and strengthen local markets, says Susan Pheasant, director of California State University Fresno’s Institute for Food and Agriculture (IFA), which hosts the Pacific Coast Coalition DBII. Run well, smaller-scaled systems have several advantages over confinement operations, Washburn says.

Pasture 142
article thumbnail

Across Farm Country, Fertilizer Pollution Impacts Not Just Health, but Water Costs, Too

Civil Eats

The other main factor, manure, is also increasing as CAFOs become more prevalent. There are rules and regulations that they have to follow, but private wells aren’t covered by the Safe Drinking Water Act,” said Stacy Woods, research director of the food and environment program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “It’s

article thumbnail

On the Ground with the Midwest Farmers Going All-In On Agroforestry

Modern Farmer

Today, new generations of innovative farmers see agroforestry as a solution to not just producing nutrient-dense food and specialty crops but to also mitigate the intensity of climate change-induced weather events. They farm on 130 acres of the land on which her father and grandfather had raised hogs. They were a rough crew of sheep!”

Acre 112