Banks profit while our farmers fail
Other Words - 6/14/2010.By Lisa Griffith – Bruce Drinkman is a successful organic dairy farmer who milks 50 cows with his wife, Mari, near Glenwood City, Wisconsin. Despite his 34 years of experience, the two-year drop in milk prices and four years of drought have meant no profits or savings. Last fall they were denied credit from their bank to purchase seeds to plant 55 acres in grains and corn this spring. To continue farming they cashed in Mari's retirement account but the farm was placed into foreclosure around Christmas. |
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You can still enjoy late-planted vegetables
Maine Sunday Telegram - 6/13/2010.By Tom Atwell – A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that the garden push was over. The Memorial Day planting deadline had come and gone. But you can still do a lot of planting in your garden now. Early planting isn't a requirement for all vegetables. Some do better for planting as a fall crop. Some should be planted several times a year, so you have the vegetables you want for a longer period. |
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Endosulfan to be banned, poses ‘unacceptable risks’ to farm workers and wildlife, EPA says
Environmental Health News - 6/12/2010. By Marla Cone – Declaring that endosulfan is unsafe, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that it is about to ban one of the last organochlorine pesticides still used in the United States. Endosulfan – used largely on vegetables, apples and cotton – “poses unacceptable risks” to farm workers and wildlife, EPA officials said. In response, the agency is moving to cancel the pesticide's registration. |
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Oil Spills, Ecology, and the Food Chain
EcoSalon - 6/12/2010. By Vanessa Barrington – While we become sick to our stomachs watching the spreading plumes of oil in the gulf, viewing photos of oil slicked birds, and footage of oil covered beaches in Florida and Alabama, let’s take a step back and think about the cycle of life. The reason disasters like this happen is due to a lack of understanding that, though we may be at the top of the food chain, we are not separate from it. |
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