Posts Tagged ‘Agriculture’
Breaking Down Job Barriers
By Paige Campbell Nearly three-quarters of a million jobs were lost in Appalachia between 2007 and 2009. All but 35 of the region’s 420 counties, as designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission, saw negative employment trends during that lowest low of the current recession, and the slow crawl back out has been slower here than…
Read MoreFeed Your Lawn: Composting for Beginners
By Maureen Halsema Instead of tossing those table scraps in the trash, try feeding your lawn those leftovers. Composting is a natural recycling process that takes little to no management. Follow these quick guidelines to a hardier, healthier lawn. Bacteria, worms, fungi, protozoans and other microorganisms break down the plant and animal matter into nutrient-rich…
Read MoreThis Green Yard: Bringing Organic to Your House
Jillian Varkas If you are not convinced that organic gardening and knowing what goes into your ground is important, place a few sticks of celery in a cup full of water and add red food coloring. After a few days, the celery will begin to turn red. That is what happens to our food; pesticides…
Read MoreUSDA: Label Fuels Continued Controversy
By Bill Kovarik The USDA certified “Organic” label first appeared on foods in 2002 following 12 years of testing, rulemaking and controversy. By last year, organic agriculture had become a $26.6 billion business, growing at a rate of 5.3 percent per year – five times faster than regular foods. As its importance has grown, so…
Read MoreNon-timber Product Offer Farmers a Unique Opportunity
Collecting ginseng, ramps and yellowroot has been an Appalachian tradition for generations. It is a skill that families pass on; recognizing, harvesting and even selling these non-timber forest resources, particularly in southern Appalachian hardwood forests. “There is a tremendous growth of interest in these products both from an economic standpoint and from and ecological standpoint,”…
Read MoreGoats Galore! Forging a Life as a Dairy Farmer
By Julie Johnson John and Andrea Woodworth operate a small goat dairy farm outside of Gate City, Va. Thirty-five alpine goats provide the family with enough milk to make a variety of cheeses, which they sell at local farmers markets as well as online. The Woodworth’s journey to enter the dairy market has taught them…
Read MoreHome Grown: From Farm to Farmer’s Market, Appalachians Seek to Bring New Meaning to Modern Agriculture
Story by Bill Kovarik Stroll through any farmer’s market and you’ll find a riot of color, taste, and sensation. And, quite likely, crowds of consumers. Farmers markets are the most visible sign of rapid change in agriculture. For consumers it means healthier choices, better tasting vegetables and a new relationship with the farmers. For farmers,…
Read MoreLearning to “Live Lightly” on The Farm in Summertown
Story by Julie Johnson Home building can be one of the most challenging aspects of a carbon-neutral lifestyle. At the The Farm Ecovillage Training Center in Summertown, Tenn., participants learn how to build and maintain their dwellings in an environmentally friendly way. Traditional stick-frame construction is a cheap and fast way to build, but it…
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