Photo by PhytoKinetic
Buses are going green, but not by using alternative fuel or electric motors. These public buses are using rooftop gardens to improve the ecosystem by purifying city air. The Phyto Kinetic project also provides energy-saving alternatives by keeping the buses 38 degrees cooler. The garden uses hydroponic foam as soil to reduce the weight of the garden on the waterproof rooftop. The design allows condensation from the air conditioning to irrigate the plants. Read more (CNET).
The United States and Japan formed a partnership this week that will recognize the two organic programs as equivalent. Beginning Jan. 1, 2014, organic products certified in Japan or the U.S. may be sold as organic in either country. The agreement was signed Thursday in Baltimore, Md., during the Natural Products Expo East. The partnership is expected to streamline U.S. access to the growing Japanese organic market while supporting job creation and business growth on a global scale. Organic exports to Japan are currently estimated at $80 million. With the agreement, growth is expected to reach $250 million. Learn more.
The “Ag in Action” Trailer will educate the public about where their food comes from.
Submitted by Vickie Lane, Public Relations/Outreach Specialist, Alabama FSA
Agriculture is mobile in Alabama and it is bringing knowledge of the industry directly to the public.
The “Ag in Action” trailer is the state’s first agricultural learning lab on wheels. The enclosed trailer houses a transformed cotton picker cab and electronic learning stations, and allows children from kindergarten to middle school an opportunity to experience simulated farming at school, county fairs and local events.
“Our belief is that we as an agriculture community need to insure that the connection between the farm and everyday urban and rural life is not forgotten,” said County Executive Director Beth Farmer. “Students should have an opportunity to learn that their food and fiber comes from the farm.” Continue reading
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a grant to make it safer for young people working on farms. The department awarded a $600,000 grant to Penn State to create a national training curriculum to reduce injuries and hazards to young farm workers. The training will provide safety training for more than 2 million. Read more (Associated Press).
FSA teamed up with Ohio farmer to donate more than one ton of fresh, sweet corn to local food banks.
The Muskingum-Morgan Farm Service Agency in Ohio teamed up with Andy Rittberger, the largest vegetable grower in Muskingum County to provide produce to local food banks. In response to USDA’s Feds Feed Families Food Drive, FSA coordinated with Rittberger and Christ’s Table to accept more than a ton of sweet corn and other fresh fruits and vegetables.
“Without the generosity of local farmers, we would not be able to meet the enormous need we have to serve more than 9,500 meals per month,” said Keely Warden, executive director of Christ’s Table. Warden added that the donation was so large that there was enough to share with other organizations in the Muskingum County Hunger Network. The network consists of 15 organizations that provide food and assistance to needy individuals. Continue reading
The U.S. Department of Agriculture soon will publish a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comment on how the coexistence of all sectors of agricultural production can be strengthened. From traditionally produced crops, to organic, identity preserved and genetically engineered crops, USDA supports all sectors and wants each to successfully provide products to U.S. markets and abroad. Comments should offer suggestions on how to foster communication and collaboration among all sectors. The comment period will last 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register. Learn more or review the docket.
Five seconds. That is how quickly a worker can become engulfed in flowing grain and be unable to get out. Sixty seconds. That is how quickly a worker can be completely submerged in flowing grain. More than half of all grain engulfments result in death by suffocation. With the agricultural season still in full swing, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is predicting a record-breaking corn crop in 2013. In the heartland, that is great news for the farming industry − but it also underlines the unique hazards facing workers in the grain handling industry, especially in the storage of grain. Read more (DOL blog).
A grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has farmers in the Northeast growing a lot more mushrooms. The $116,000 grant provided to the University of Vermont and Cornell University found that growing shiitake mushrooms outdoors on logs can be profitable. At almost $16 a pound, the mushrooms can bring in about $11,190 in gross income. The good news? Demand for the shrooms is outweighing supply. Read more (Associated Press).
Eric and Allison are third generation farmers who used an FSA Operating Loan to take the business to the next level.
By Sarah Kern, Minnesota Farm Service Agency
When Eric Johnson finished high school, he didn’t see cows in his future.
“I wanted a new adventure and I wanted to try something different after being on the farm my whole life,” said Eric. “I tried carpentry and later worked at a nursery as a landscaper laying paver patios and building rock walls.”
Landscaping didn’t employ year-round so he began work at a large dairy. This is also how he met his wife Alison. “I enjoyed my work on the dairy farm and that’s when I realized I missed working on the farm where I grew up,” said Eric.
Several years later, his dad, Harold, needed a new herd manager and offered Eric the job. He jumped at the chance.
Since coming back to the farm, Eric and Alison, have taken over the farm and continue as third generation owners and operators of the Johnson Family Farm that has been milking cows in southern Meeker County, Minnesota, since 1925. Continue reading
