If you've never heard of Rob Greenfield, look him up. He only had 25 million views on one of his YouTubes. He was only on national news a month ago for finishing his latest stunt: going one full year eating only what he grew or foraged. No grocery store. No farmers' market.
Read MoreThe sheer volume of biomass burning on the planet never ceases to amaze me. Jill English in CBC News just came out with a story about Roundup and fires in Canada, especially British Columbia. For reference, here at Polyface we use about 20 tractor trailer loads of wood chips a year in our animal bedding/composting program. That includes what we use on leased properties as well. For example, one one of our leased farms we have a couple of large hoop houses where we winter up to 200 hogs; they need a foot and a half of bedding.
Read MoreAt this time of year, lots of organizations ask for donations and I know none of us can give to every one that's worthwhile. We have to make choices. I pick one, and it's this one. No outfit has done more to protect the right to freedom of food choice than FTCLDF.
Read MoreMy friend Matt at WhatsGood showed me a TV ad this morning from Dunkin' Donuts. Have you seen this? It opens with Dunkin' Donuts erecting a vendor tent at a farmers' market and then cuts to pretty pictures of produce like tomatoes and cucumbers and lettuce at the market.
Read MoreHave you seen the screaming headlines in today's USA Today network newspapers? Feral pigs are destroying the country. A map shows the counties where they're known to exist. They destroy things, carry diseases and are incredibly smart. They were brought here by those pesky Spaniards.
Read MoreI love it when readers feed me stuff. A reader this week sent me a post from a fellow Virginia farmer titled "family farmers aren't the answer." Written by Chris at Sylvanaqua Farms, the post developed a narrative that individual family farmers can't feed the world and can't really make it as farmers. They need to form co-ops so somebody else can do the accounting, marketing, distribution, etc.
Read MoreYesterday we processed our final group of turkeys, bringing to an end the 2019 poultry season. We're always glad to see the last bird go in the fall because we're tired and rich. We're glad to see the first ones come in the spring because we're rested and poor.
Read MoreYesterday we spent most of the day drilling into the nitty gritty of the upcoming July 17-18 Mother Earth News fair we're hosting. Getting 10,000 people over two days into and out of the farm is a fascinating logistical exercise.
Read MoreOur local Headwaters Soil and Water Conservation District announced yesterday that local farmers can get cost share assistance to pump their poop into the ground. Who is the primary federal agency benefactor for this monstrosity? Our dear friends at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, of course, those great folks taking care of our environment.
Read MoreThose of you who have been with me for the past 4 months will probably remember my All Points Bulletin (APB) reach out when one of the farm properties we rent came up for sale and we desperately wanted to hang onto it because we have 3 hoop houses over there that we didn't want to relocate.
Read MoreOn this Veterans Day, I honor those who have served, who have laid down their lives or been willing to, that I may enjoy freedoms unparalleled in human history. Must of us Baby Boomers had parents, uncles and aunts who served in that great WWII conflict. I was just a couple of years too young for Vietnam. And let's not forget Korea. I mean this sincerely, thank you veterans for your heart and service--including all the brave men and women serving in our armed forces today.
Read MoreWhenever you receive your copy or purchase the December issue of Mother Earth News magazine, you'll see my smiling John Henry on the front cover. Some of you may not know that I do a column in each issue titled "The Pitchfork Pulpit.”
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