2018

Farmers switched to organic after pesticides made them or their families sick

Avoiding toxic pesticides, seeing fathers get cancer or die, and protecting their children are big motivations for farmers to switch to organic

Why are farmers spraying glyphosate on their crops right before harvest?

Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup herbicide, is increasingly being found in cereals, baby foods, ice cream, honey, beer, wine, and other food products. One reason for this increasing and insidious presence of glyphosate is due to pre-harvest crop desiccation, the practice of applying the weed-killer toward the end of the growing season, to kill […]

GMOs, glyphosate contamination of food products widespread in Mexico

Study finds GMOs extensively in industrial produced tortillas while none were found in tortillas made by hand from native corn In 2001, researchers led by University of California scientist Ignacio Chapela found genetically modified organisms in Mexican native corn varieties. The findings ignited a firestorm of attacks on Chapela with GMO proponents attacking his science […]

Former USDA employee urges agency to embrace regenerative agriculture

Ron Nichols, former employee of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has an important mission for the agency: focus on healthy soil. Nichols’ views on conservation changed when he met Kansas farmer Gail Fuller, who rebuked him and NRCS for not aiming higher than minimizing soil loss. “Your agency came up with ‘T,’” Fuller said, […]

Matthew Raiford: Sixth generation Georgia farmer, award-winning chef

“CheFarmer” Matthew Raiford cultivates heirloom vegetables on his centennial Georgia farm and creates delicious organic meals at his two restaurants and for the annual Organic Center Dinner.