Every year when the spring equinox rolls around I start craving the ultra-freshness of local fruits and vegetables. Aside from the vibrant flavors, local produce is also nutritionally superior to the stuff that’s trucked in from the other side of the country (and skipping the trucks altogether is better for the air we breathe too). […]
Tag Archives: sustainable agriculture
02
Jan
Jan
Eating grass-fed beef may be one way to help the environment. What?! But to save the planet, you must stop eating meat, right? The answer isn’t so simple. Read this Wall Street Journal essay and this Time magazine article to find out how sustainable methods of raising cattle and other animals for food can help […]
18
Dec
Dec
A lot of people are freaking out about GMOs—and for good reason. The public has been lied to many times regarding food safety, so it’s no surprise we’re paranoid. How can we overlook mistakes like this old ad: “DDT is good for me-e-e!” While the GMO debate rages, now there’s a new kid on the […]
10
Oct
Oct
The honeybee is an amazingly popular topic of conversation among the general public these days—even starring on the cover of Time magazine in 2013. No one is more acutely aware of this than beekeepers like myself. In any given audience, all I have to do is mention I’m a beekeeper, and I’m pretty much guaranteed […]
18
Sep
Sep
By Donald Studinski, based on original text by David Braden, Director of Living Systems Institute Living Systems Institute (LSI), a non-profit operating in Golden, Colorado, and Honeybee Keep, a commercial beekeeping business operating in Broomfield, Colorado, have joined forces to sponsor the Bee Safe Neighborhoods program. We pose this question: “Do you want a healthy […]
16
Sep
Sep
One of most heated debates about food these days is whether or not organic food is more nutritious than conventionally grown. No matter what side of the fence you’re on, it’s easy to find a study that will support your perspective. In my mind, there are some basic, common-sense reasons why we should eat as […]
19
Aug
Aug
Don Studinski works the bees for customer Jamie Ngo. This colony is called Sugarloaf 13. Jamie pays an annual pollination fee which helps keep the beekeeper alive. (Photo by Jamie Ngo) I love my fellow beekeepers. Of course we disagree on small, unimportant details, but overall this is a wonderful bunch of people whose hearts […]
10
Jul
Jul
DDT advertisement circa 1947 from Pennsalt Chemicals. In a recent article for the American Bee Journal, Ron Phipps writes: […] it is becoming increasingly clear that the widespread use of neonicotinoids on agricultural crops is a major factor [for annual honeybee losses.] The manufacturers of these pesticides, like the manufacturers of tobacco products in an […]
20
Jun
Jun
Carrots love tomatoes, and roses love garlic. Much like humans, plants like to be around other plants they love: their companions. Companion planting is the practice of designing the layout of your crops so that two or more vegetables, herbs, or flowers with beneficial characteristics grow close together. And it’s pretty amazing! Beneficial characteristics include […]
03
Jun
Jun
When I was growing up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, “America’s Dairyland,” June was always a month I looked forward to. After all, it’s Dairy Month! A national holiday since 1937, various other states pay tribute to Dairy Month with their own events—but I’ve never seen it celebrated with such vigor and enthusiasm as […]
22
May
May
Many (all right, almost all) of the challenges of farming are due to the unpredictable forces of nature. Thanks to resources like the Farmers’ Almanac, biodynamic planting calendars, and weather forecasting, we can plan the best care for our crops. With every season you learn new and better ways to act with a little caution […]
11
Apr
Apr
They’re so darn cute—those tiny, fragile, yellow and brown fluff balls of adorable goodness. The cheeps from the baby chicks and ducks remind us that spring is here. But their journey started long before their eggs began to crack. Reasons for hatching your own birds can vary. You may want to establish a strong and […]
05
Apr
Apr
Discover the joys of self-reliance! As concerns about food safety grow, more and more people are turning to self-sufficiency. For some, it’s about their yearning for a deeper connection with the land, one like their grandparents had. Others just enjoy backyard farming as a hobby. If you’d like to turn your backyard into an oasis […]
03
Apr
Apr
Selene River Press proudly supports The Food School at Common Ground Urban Farm, a nonprofit advocate of real food, local food systems, food justice, and agricultural education for kids. Here’s your chance to support a worthy cause! Come enjoy live music from Fort Collins’ own Grateful Dead tribute band Switchman Sleepin’ while you help raise […]
14
Mar
Mar
In the middle of an almond orchard, a tractor sprays the trees in bloom RIGHT NEXT to the honeybee hives. Of course, it must be lemonade they are spraying, right? They would never spray insecticide or fungicide right next to the hives, right? As far as honeybees are concerned, what happens in Southern California early […]
13
Jan
Jan
Within the cluster in the hive, honeybees maintain a temperature between 92°F and 95°F year-round. They do not hibernate. They do not migrate. They hunker down and create kinetic heat by vibrating the same thoracic flight muscles that normally beat their wings. They are able to detach the wings and vibrate to produce heat even […]
10
Jan
Jan
Honeybees have it pretty good. They play an essential role in maintaining the environment for all living creatures. Their food and water is “provided” by Earth at no charge. Their wings are conveniently designed to help them gather food. Honeybees can also find readily available shelter at no charge, building their comb in any appropriately […]
04
Oct
Oct
Honeybees—directly or indirectly—are responsible for one third of everything you eat. These lovely little insects supply our diets with a great deal of our nutritional needs, as well as diversity and pizzazz. Do you like kiwis? Thank the honeybee. Do you enjoy cashews? Thank the beekeeper. Are you fond of watermelon? Thank them both! Honeybees […]
23
Sep
Sep
For small farmers, USDA certified organic is an expensive proposition. But there’s a new game in town: Certified Naturally Grown. CNG’s website explains that their organic certification program is a “Grassroots Alternative to the USDA’s National Organic Program meant primarily for small farmers distributing through local channels—farmer’s markets, roadside stands, local restaurants, community supported agriculture […]
17
Sep
Sep
Are you an Arkansas hen or a Heartland hen? Find out what chickens can tell you about your response to stress and how it affects you in Farmacology: What Innovative Family Farming Can Teach Us About Health and Healing, a captivating book that connects sustainable agriculture to human health. Author Daphne Miller, M.D., supports her theories […]