archive
The Salt
A Legal Twist In The Effort To Ban Cameras From Livestock Plants
April 11, 2013 Legislation introduced in several states would require anyone who records evidence of animal abuse to turn it over to authorities within a set period of time. But animal rights activists aren't welcoming these measures: They see the bills as veiled attempts to stifle long-term undercover investigations that can prove a pattern of abuse.
The Salt
Cities Turn Sewage Into 'Black Gold' For Local Farms
April 10, 2013 KCURCities are finding beneficial and lucrative ways to dispose of solid waste, while also helping farmers. But a lot of sewage still ends up in landfills or being processed at big, industrial incinerators.
The Salt
Did Congress Just Give GMOs A Free Pass In The Courts?
March 21, 2013 Congress on Thursday approved stopgap funding legislation that includes language explicitly granting the USDA authority to override a judge's ruling against genetically modified crops. Critics denounce the measure as the "Monsanto Protection Act." But it seems to be codifying powers the USDA already has exercised in the past.
The Salt
Spring May Have Sprung, But Most Gardens Are Still Slumbering
March 21, 2013 Spring has sprung, but in most parts of the country, just-picked vegetables are still months away. In northern Minnesota, growers are experimenting with solar soil-warming techniques to coax spring to appear earlier.
The Salt
Wild Bees Are Good For Crops, But Crops Are Bad For Bees
March 1, 2013 When it comes to pollinating our favorite crops — from coffee to watermelon — honeybees can't do it alone. Wild bees in the field play a critical role in creating bumper crops, a massive new study reports. But these bees are disappearing, and scientists say the rise of crop monocultures is partly to blame.
The Salt
Despite Lingering Drought, USDA Predicts A Flood Of Grain
February 22, 2013 The U.S. Department of Agriculture says farmers may get a record harvest of corn, and a higher supply of soybeans and wheat in 2013. The corn harvest is expected to be up nearly 40 percent over last year's drought-crippled level.
The Salt
Should You Be Worried About Your Meat's Phosphorus Footprint?
February 17, 2013 An environmental researcher argues the heavy phosphorus footprint of meat is good reason to eat less meat, given that phosphorus is a finite resource and critical for food security. But not everyone thinks we should be worried.
The Salt
Future Farms Of America Might Not Include Much Family
January 31, 2013 Family farms often rely on the next generation to carry on the family business. However, some agricultural economists say family farmers should work to modernize their hiring practices and consider that the most qualified workers might come from outside the family.
The Salt
Moroccans Celebrate A Bountiful Year For Date Harvest
January 10, 2013 It's taken a few months for official reports to confirm what local Moroccan farmers predicted months ago: This year's date harvest was well above average. The reasons for this year's impressive haul, though, are harder to pin down.
The Salt
Farm Bill Critics Claim Partial Victory Despite Stalemate
January 8, 2013 Payments to farmers survived in the latest extension of the farm bill. But not all of the groups that argued for the end of the subsidies see this as a loss. They've just been given nine more months to make their case to Congress.
The Salt
Peak Farmland? Some Researchers Say It's Here
December 19, 2012 A new study conflicts with predictions by the United Nations on how much land farmers will require to feed humanity in 2050. The starkly different visions of the future come down to a few key assumptions about supply and demand for food.
The Salt
Kind of Like 'eFarmony': Matching Farmers With Urban Landowners For Fun And Profit
November 12, 2012 WHYYWith the price of suburban farmland sky high, matchmakers are setting up landowners who want to lease their land to small farmers seeking to expand their growing areas and be close to urban areas where their customers live.
The Salt
Test Your Food IQ: Do We Need More Farms To Grow Fruits And Veggies For All?
October 17, 2012 We may be able to grow enough fruits and vegetables on land we already have if we're smart about how we do it, says World Wildlife Foundation expert Jason Clay. Take the James Beard Foundation's food quiz to see just how literate you are on this and other agriculture matters.
The Salt
Honey, The Americans Shrank The Apple Trees
October 8, 2012 American apple trees used to be big. So what made them shrink? Farmers decided to use dwarfing rootstocks.
The Salt
The Cost Of Saving Lives With Local Peanuts In Haiti
October 4, 2012 Fortified peanut paste saves lives in Haiti and other places where malnutrition is a problem, but producing it locally costs more than importing it from faraway factories in Europe because of labor and other costs. Still, feeding programs are willing to pay a little more, for now.
