from the Hot Springs Star in South Dakota
Organic farming is one of the fastest growing segments in U.S. agriculture. From 1992 through 2005, the acres of certified organic cropland rose from 403,000 to more than 1.7 million; organically certified pasture acres rose from 532,000 to over 4 million; and the total number of organic certified livestock rose from 11,000 in 1992 to over 196,000.
Farmers have been developing organic farming systems in the United States for decades. State and private institutions began emerging in the 1990s to set organic farming standards and provide third-party verification of label claims, and legislation requiring national standards was passed in the 1990s. U.S. producers consider organic farming systems in order to lower input costs, conserve nonrenewable resources, capture high-value markets, and boost farm income. Organic farming systems rely on practices such as cultural and biological pest management, and virtually prohibit synthetic chemicals in crop production and antibiotics or hormones in livestock production.
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) highlights the availability of financial and technical assistance to help producers of all commodities meet their conservation goals, including producers transitioning to organic farming and currently certified organic producers. Read the rest of this entry…
Farms, news
Farming on the coast of Southern California for 5 generations is the finest blessing this Irish American farm family could ever hope for- the deepest topsoil and the best climate produces a utopian garden farm. We are a sustainable farm that grows a high diversity of year-round organic fruits and vegetables for our community.
In March of 2008 we opened our Farm Center which includes a seven day per week farmers market, restaurant deliveries throughout southern California, a Community Supported Agriculture program and much more. This is the heart of our farm. You can also find us at 7 different farmers markets located in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. Education is a priority here. We hope to preserve our farmland through agricultural education, which we provide in all our farm tours. Please come visit our farm!
from the Democrat and Chronicle
Knowing your dinner was raised locally takes the mystery out of meat
Locally grown fruits and vegetables have been the gateway products for consumers who want to foster a local food system for health and environmental reasons.
But fulfilling protein needs with a locavore strategy has not always been as easy. In the past few years, that has changed drastically, as the demand for local meats — including beef, lamb, goat, pork, chicken, turkey and bison — and the number of small producers have grown.
“It’s a huge emerging market. There are so many little backyard operations. Some have (their) own Web site, others list classified ads,” observes Nancy Glazier of Cornell Cooperative Extension’s North West New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crop Team. “People are looking for more local products, whether they are all natural, hormone- or antibiotic-free, grass-fed or organic.”
When buying local meat and poultry, advocates say you can generally be assured that you: Read the rest of this entry…
Local Producers
WOOLWICH TWP. - Even though it’s still one of the fastest-growing communities in New Jersey, the amount of permanently preserved farmland here continues to grow.
Agriculture Secretary Douglas Fisher announced Tuesday that the 139-acre Catalano farm has been included in the State Agriculture Committee’s Farmland Preservation Program.
“We were pleased to have the opportunity to preserve this farm to further local and county efforts to protect important farmland in Woolwich Township and ensure this land will always be available for agriculture,” Fisher said.
The land was originally purchased by the father of Samuel Catalano at the turn of the 20th century. He and his brother Michael tended to vegetables on the land with their father at first and then took up the family farm on their own until their retirements near the turn of this century.
Samuel passed in 2004 and the farm left to his family.
Tom Sorbello, the Catalanos’ nephew said the decision to put the farm in permanent preservation was made because the land is still usable and will be able to contribute to agriculture for generations to come.
Nine farms accounting for nearly 600 acres in Woolwich have been included in the state’s Farmland Preservation Program. Across the Garden State, more than 177,000 acres on more than 1,800 farms will remain undeveloped.
Land preserved in Gloucester County totals more than 15,000 acres. Earlier this month, five farms were added to the list, preserving roughly 400 acres. Freeholder Deputy Director Robert Damminger said then that those five farms are part of 20 that the county will close on this year, totaling more than 1,000 acres this year alone.
The State Agriculture Development Committee, which Fisher heads, purchased the development rights to the Catalano farm for $1.64 million. Under the buying program, the state pays for a good portion of the settlement costs for properties.
The county picks up the rest from funds from the county’s farmland preservation and open space tax.
news, small farms