agriculture

Fair Trade is a global movement that came to fruition in 1946, after one of the earliest Fair Trade movement stores, Ten Thousand Villages, started buying needlework from Puerto Rico.

It’s not new information that I’m completely giddy over my CSA box subscription.  For me, it’s a win-win…I get fresh, local, organic produce delivered near my home every week (encouraging me to try new veggies and eat more greens) and a local farm gets my financial support to continue growing those goodies.  For these reasons and more, supporting your local farm with a CSA or veggie box subscription can be a gr

Are you interested in eating in a way that nourishes you, others, and the planet? If so, the food sovereignty movement is for you. This movement recognizes that food is about more than just physical sustenance; it’s about people, the planet, and nourishing the soul. I recently had the pleasure of talking with food sovereignty champion Mariah Gladstone, who is actively working to restore and advance Native American foodways. Here’s what she had to say about food sovereignty, how you can get involved, and traditional Native American foods. 

When we combine trees, crops and/or livestock, we create a land-use system called agroforestry, and it’s good for the planet. Trees’ ability to hold carbon reduces the CO2 levels in the atmosphere, which is an important established goal in preventing or slowing global warming and its related stresses and effects on our planet, our species, and the other inhabitants of Earth. And, by integrating trees into agricultural settings, multiple ecological and practical advantages are possible.

The beginning of autumn is an incredible abundant time of harvest, and many plants are just coming into the height of their fruiting. This includes many plants that would normally be considered “weeds.” Many of these plants, however, are performing important ecosystem services in addition to being beneficial to humans. Get out your wild edibles guidebook and go hunting for these three plants you can find in early fall.

The conventional methods of putting the garden away involve pulling up your hard-grown plants and tilling your soil. While this method works for a few seasons, permaculture has a longer-term view of soil health. Tilling the soil destroys much of the delicate soil structures that allow for high levels of biodiversity. There are little pockets of water and air in the soil where nutrient-carrying mycorrhizal fungi can grow and beneficial insects can reside.

About an hour drive down the Mediterranean coast from Genoa Italy, and 100 meters (330 feet) out to sea, you will find yourself floating above an array of growing produce: this is Nemo’s Garden. Six to 10 meters (20-33 feet) below the ocean’s surface there is an array of fruits, vegetables, and herbs growing in garden beds that look remarkably like jellyfish. Here we find something that could mean a new chapter in agriculture.

“Respect your elders”

The Roots of Permaculture 

“Although the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.”

Wouldn’t it be nice to have fresh fruits, veggies, and herbs available right in your yard? If you embrace edible landscaping, you can enjoy this experience practically year-round and save money to boot. Veteran Edible Farmer Rosalind Creasy shares that while these types of gardens do require an initial investment of time and money, they offer significant savings on produce costs—for example, in 2008, the value of the vegetables she grew in a 100-square-foot garden totaled more than $675.