The weather’s warming up and spring is officially here. That means it’s time to prepare our seedlings for spring planting. But what exactly does this entail? New gardener’s might think that seedlings can be transferred straight to their outdoor gardens, but this isn’t exactly the case. In fact, there are two crucial steps that come…
If you’ve been to the grocery store lately, you may have witnessed the lines of empty produce shelves, save for a few lonely brussel sprouts or bruised apples. Or maybe you’ve stowed away in your home, afraid to venture out during such a panic, and you’re beginning to get low on groceries. Either way, our…
According to a new study published in Nature Sustainability, we can remove five billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere annually by adopting soil restoration practices. And regenerative agriculture is one way that farmers can help remove CO2 emissions. The Data Says Regenerative Agriculture can Remove CO2 Emissions The authors examined a 2018 analysis on…
If you’ve found yourself suddenly stuck at home with nothing to do during the coronavirus outbreak (oh, darn), you might consider getting in some gardening! With the abundance of abnormally warm weather this year, gardeners are itching to slip into their gloves and boots–and this March is the perfect time to start. If you’re wondering…
A warm January was a pleasant surprise for many Americans this year. Maybe money was wasted on a new winter coat, but the gains far outweighed the losses. Fifty and sixty degree weather meant fewer colds, less time spent shaving ice off our windshields, and more time outside. For many farmers, however, warmer winter weather…
How do erratic weather patterns and atypical seasons affect plants? If you garden, the thought may have crossed your mind. In fact, you may have asked yourself this recently when spring flowers began blooming in mid-February. What happens if the weather gets cold? How do you know when you should begin gardening again? And the…
Everyone’s been talking about regenerative agriculture–the green farming movement that’s sweeping the nation. Regenerative agriculture seeks to reverse the damage inflicted on the earth from decades of unsustainable agricultural practices. Yet, one topic that is often neglected in this conversation is the fertilizer industry. Regenerative agriculture can help repair soil and increase biodiversity, but if…
According to market data, corn and soy yields decreased from 2018 – 2019. While the yields weren’t particularly bad–in fact, they were very impressive for the soy industry–plant diseases may have caused this drop in number. In 2018, the U.S. average corn yield was 176.4 bushels per acre. In 2019, this number dropped to 168…
Yesterday, the U.S.D.A. introduced its Agriculture Innovation Agenda, an ambitious plan that seeks to increase U.S. agricultural production by 40% while reducing the ag industry’s environmental footprint by 50% in 30 years. The U.S.D.A. is interested in providing farmers, ranchers, producers, and foresters the educational tools needed to sustainably manage the land. This comes from…
This isn’t news. We’ve known that the planet has been warming up. Some of us even awoke in January to 60 degree weather and wondered blissfully, where is winter? Whether you believe the change in weather (and climate) is due to human-related activities or the earth’s natural warming and cooling cycle, there is no denying…
