Organic and Sustainable Agriculture News

Panel clears modified corn Kennebec Journal - 3/6/2010. By Mechele Cooper – Fairfield: The state Board of Pesticides Control agreed Friday to add a new Bt corn product to the list of genetically engineered seeds grown in Maine. Maine now allows 19 Bt products to be planted in fields now that Monsanto, a multinational biotech company, won its bid to register its new Bacillus thuringiensis corn here. Chuck Ravis, professor of environmental science and ecology at Thomas College, was the sole member of the board who voted against the genetically engineered seed. Farmers: ‘Be patient’, don’t plant yet Bangor Daily News - 3/6/2010. By Sharon Kiley Mack – Machias: Got spring fever? With plenty of sun on the way and temperatures near 50 predicted for this weekend, farmers are warning backyard gardeners to rein in their enthusiasm and hold off before planting seeds. “Wait,” advised Lois Labbe of Snakeroot Farm in Pittsfield. Port Clyde co-op helps fishermen make most of catch Bangor Daily News - 3/5/2010. By Heather Steeves – Port Clyde: A group of local fishermen has discovered that a way to do work sustainably also may be what keeps them financially afloat in an era of new, tighter federal regulations and quotas. A dozen commercial fishermen in Port Clyde are allowed to catch fewer fish than ever, but by processing and selling their own catches, the fishermen say they are making more money with less product. And if the fishermen are getting the right price for their work, they don’t have to overfish – which was why the Port Clyde Fresh Catch fishing cooperative was founded in the first place. The true cost of cheap food Resurgence - 3/5/2010. By Timothy Wise – Cheap food causes hunger. On its face, the statement makes no sense. If food is cheaper it’s more affordable and more people should be able to get an adequate diet. That is true for people who buy food, such as those living in cities. But it is quite obviously not true if you’re the one growing the food. You’re getting less for your crops, less for your work, less for your family to live on. That is as true for Vermont dairy farmers as it is for rice farmers in the Philippines. Monsanto seeks state approval for new modified corn Kennebec Journal - 3/5/2010. By Mechele Cooper – Augusta: The state Board of Pesticides Control is considering an application from multinational biotech company Monsanto to register a new genetically engineered corn with a built-in pesticide for use in Maine. Monsanto has applied to register its new Bacillus thuringiensis corn product – also known as Bt corn. In July 2007, the board first approved product registration requests for several Bt field corns. Since then, 18 modified seeds have been allowed to be planted in Maine. The total acreage of Bt corn planted in Maine last year was 4,005. In Kennebec County, 1,837 acres of it were planted – more than any other county. Shrimp season, market strong Bangor Daily News - 3/4/2010. By Bill Trotter – Ellsworth: Shrimpers are having a whale of a season. Well, it might not be that huge, but relatively speaking the amount of shrimp being caught in Maine waters and the price it is fetching on the market are both doing well this year, according to officials. 100 percent of fish in US streams found contaminated with mercury Natural News - 3/3/2010. By David Gutierrez – In a new study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), every single fish tested from 291 freshwater streams across the United States was found to be contaminated with mercury. "This study shows just how widespread mercury pollution has become in our air, watersheds and many of our fish in freshwater streams," said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Current  Archive     Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6