NEWS |
IT'S BEEN A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD HOLIDAY
From The New Farm®,
www.newfarm.org
From mad cows to The Meatrix, the media's been buzzing
about questionable farming and processing practices,
and the alternatives. The New Farm has put together
a collection of stories, news items and resources related
to the BSE scare and how we raise and process livestock
in this country to help you sort through all the hype.
Check out "Butchered," a gritty, inside look
at a massive hog processing facility in Manitoba or
the thoughtful essay by Prairie Writers Circle author
Richard Manning on the culture of panic in America,
and the real madness here--our feed lot system. The
research update focuses on a study of the humane pork
production systems common in Europe and The New Farm
certification answer team devotes January's Q&As
to certification issues related to BSE.
http://www.newfarm.org/archive/past/madcow.shtml
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CROP |
HEMP
HEAVEN ... AND HELL
From The New Farm®,
www.newfarm.org
Anyone who has been to one of the many hippie festivals
that color the North American cultural landscape has
seen literature on and heard speakers recount the litany
of benefits and claims-to-fame of industrial hemp --
the non-drug, non-marijuana variety of Cannabis sativa.
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew it
on their farms. Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration
of Independence on hemp paper. Paul Bobbee and Peder
Jensen are modern-day grows of industrial hemp in Canada
and have found it to produce high quality products at
a low environmental cost. Are Americans missing out
by allowing a few anti-drug zealots to continue to ban
this remarkable crop?
http://www.newfarm.org/international/canada_don/manitoba/index.shtml
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BIO-
DYNAMIC
|
THE
SECRET LIFE OF CHEESE
From The New Farm®,
www.newfarm.org
At Lifeline Farm in Victor, Montana, the land tells
its story in milk. Biodynamic farmer Ernie Harvey says
you can taste the fields and the seasons unique to his
corner of Montana in every bite of cheese … unlike
the homogenized, mass-produced cheeses available in
the supermarket. Lifeline Farm is one of a growing number
of biodynamic farms in the United States and around
the world, businesses dedicated to the agricultural
application of a natural philosophy whose proponents
see it as more than just a means of raising wholesome
and nutritious food.
http://www.newfarm.org/features/0104/bio-cheese/index.shtml
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| |
AN
ORGANIC REGULATION FOR CANADA?
From The New Farm®,
www.newfarm.org
The U.S. organic community haggled for a decade about
an organic standard, and we’re living with the
results, for better and worse. Our Canadian counterparts
are now in the thick of this same process. Paddy Doherty
is one of those who has been pushing aggressively for
uniform organic standards in Canada. His take on the
history, the issues and the players shows just how far
Canada has come and how far it has to go.
http://www.newfarm.org/international/features/0104/canadacertified.shtml
|
PROFILE |
CONVENTIONAL
FARMER RESCUED BY COVER CROPS & DIVERSE ROTATION
From The New Farm®,
www.newfarm.org
The neighbors may not approve of his shaggy winter fields,
but Rich Bennett says the cover crops and reduced inputs
he adopted on his Northern Ohio farm in the mid-80s
saved him economically. Though in the estimation of
some, Bennett’s green winter fields lack artistic
appeal, his checkbook has never looked better. Bennett
says he can save almost 50% in input costs without a
change in yield. http://www.newfarm.org/features/0104/bennettcover.shtml |
