Agriculture
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There’s been a media hub-bub since yesterday about the so-called dark side of NY’s Greek yogurt boom. A report by Justin Elliott in Modern Farmer explains that making one ounce of smooth, creamy, protein-packed yogurt, like Fage and...
We wrote about Potsdam grower Daniel Martin’s plans for a new style of farmstand a few months ago, and now it’s up and a running. Martin’s market isn’t at the village square; it’s in the gathering place of the future – online. I...
Yes, a Washington hog farmer is feeding weed to his animals. According to NPR’s The Salt, no, the prosciutto he’s producing doesn’t smell like the kind; and no, you don’t get high from eating it. But the story highlights two...
It was a newsy week in the world of agriculture, so here are seven good reads to keep you busy this weekend: The Farm Bill passed both the House and Senate Agriculture committees this week, and are likely to get hearings on the floors of their...
Today we’re excited to have a new regular contributor join us on The Dirt. Lucy Martin lives south of urban Ottawa and writes regularly for NCPR’s other blogs. A couple times a month, she’ll share the view of food and farm issues...
Agriculture
May 22, 2013 — Activists say the case against Wisconsin dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger is about raw milk — and much more. His supporters have turned the case into a rallying cry for personal food freedom and the rights of farmers and consumers to enter into private contracts without government intervention.
May 13, 2013 — The high court ruled unanimously that when farmers use patented seed for more than one planting in violation of their licensing agreements, they are liable for damages.
Apr 30, 2013 — Many farmers are cheering government proposals to give thousands of seasonal farmworkers a path to legal status. But even if the bill passes, it won't solve the long-term trend of fewer migrants coming north to work on U.S. farms. Farmers will instead have to learn how to do more with less immigrant labor.
Apr 10, 2013 — Cities are finding beneficial and lucrative ways to dispose of solid waste, while also helping farmers. But a lot of sewage still ends up in landfills or being processed at big, industrial incinerators.
Apr 9, 2013 — Vermont tops the nation when it comes to locally produced food, according to a new ranking from the nonprofit Strolling of the Heifers. Having farmers markets, CSA programs and distribution systems all helps.
Special Reports
Audio SeriesFarm to Farm, Family to Family: David Sommerstein travels with NC dairy farmers to a Mexican village many of their migrant workers call home.
Audio SeriesA Year on the Farm
In this monthly feature series, David Sommerstein follows life in the barn, on the fields, and in the farmhouse through the changing seasons on the Andrews dairy farm near Gouverneur NY. This series won the 2006 "Cap" Creal Journalism Award from the New York Agricultural Society.
Audio SeriesHispanic Workers on North Country Farms
Five years ago, just a handful of farmers in the North Country employed Hispanic workers. Now many use workers from Latin America. The transition can be a bumpy one, for farmers and for the people they hire. David Sommerstein tells their stories in this ongoing series.
Audio Slideshow:Beekeepers facing new challenges
Lucy Martin visits with Ontario beekeeper Terry McEvoy and talks about colony collapse disorder and other apiary ailments that raise concerns about the food supply.
Audio SlideshowSights & Sounds of the Dairy Princess Parade
We go to the sidelines of one of the big events on the annual dairy calendar, the St. Lawrence County Dairy Princess Parade in Canton. Fire engines, tractors, and floats rolled down Main Street on Saturday.
Audio SeriesDiversifying North Country Farms
NCPR reporter David Sommestein's series on diversifying North Country farming won the 2003 “Cap” Creal Journalism Award from the New York State Agricultural Society.
Photo Audio EssayDairy Farming in the North Country
The time seemed right to look at the challenges facing dairy in the North Country. In part 1 we look at the price of milk, as seen through the eyes of one mid-size dairy farmer. In part 2 we visit a cheese manufacturer proposing drastic changes in the way North Country farmers do business. David Sommerstein reports.
Audio SlideshowA Barn-Raising in Upper Jay (Real 6:23)
These days, most new barns are built quickly with steel frames and sheet-metal siding. But some landowners are taking a little more time, using methods and materials passed down over hundreds of years.
Photo Audio EssaySaving New York's Historic Barns
Some of New York's oldest barns are getting facelifts. Todd Moe visited a Canton family's 1820 English threshing barn slated for restoration.
Burn Barrel Ban Stuck in Senate
Jun 14, 2002 — The legislature in Albany is taking up its last issues of the session, which could end next week. A bill restricting "burn barrels" and other kinds of garbage burning has passed the Assembly the past two years. But it continues to languish in the Senate. There's little dispute burn barrels pose a health and environmental hazard. But the issue still draws strong passions. David Sommerstein reports. Go to full article
Kraft Canton in Jeopardy
Jun 11, 2002 —
The future of the St. Lawrence County factory that makes award-winning Kraft cheddar cheese is uncertain. Kraft says it's evaluating the efficiency of its Canton plant along with others around the country. David Sommerstein has more.
Go to full article
The future of the St. Lawrence County factory that makes award-winning Kraft cheddar cheese is uncertain. Kraft says it's evaluating the efficiency of its Canton plant along with others around the country. David Sommerstein has more.
Go to full article
Dairy Farmers Revive Old Customs
Jun 07, 2002 — If you drive out into the countryside these days, expecting pastoral scenes of placid cows grazing leisurely on grassy hillsides, you'll be at least 50 years too late. Traditional pastoral herding practices, based on the summertime abundance of self-renewing grasses, has mostly disappeared. It's been replaced by year-round production based on dried feeds grown from intensively worked soils. But some farms are resisting the trend. The Pleasant Ridge Farm in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, like a number of other farms around the Great Lakes region, is an example of a successful and quite modern, revival of pasture-based agriculture. You would also find an incredibly tasty cheese. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Ed Janus reports. Go to full article
A Slow, Cold Start to the Growing Season
May 24, 2002 — Below normal temperatures and late frost could stunt the growth of some North Country crops. And recent heavy rains are halting work in the fields. The relatively mild winter... Go to full article
A Bee Keeper Struggles With Drought and Cold Weather
May 20, 2002 — Brian Mann talks with Todd Hardie, whose Honey Gardens Apiaries keeps bee hives in the St. Lawrence and Lake Champlain valleys. Both regions are famous for their light... Go to full article
Farm Preserves Natural Heritage
May 20, 2002 — Along the fringes of urban growth farm museums are sprouting here and there. They're trying to preserve a bit of the rapidly changing terrain, as fields become subdivisions.... Go to full article
Pesticide Residues Show Up On Organics
May 20, 2002 — A recent report says if you eat organic produce, your exposure to
pesticide residues will be lower, but it doesn't mean your food is free from pesticides. The Great... Go to full article
pesticide residues will be lower, but it doesn't mean your food is free from pesticides. The Great... Go to full article
Green Group Reacts to Farm Bill
May 17, 2002 — A group that's frequently critical of the nation's agricultural policies is speaking out against the recently signed 180 billion dollar farm bill. The Great Lakes Radio... Go to full article
Benefits and Risks of Cloned Cows
May 06, 2002 — Milk production is big business in New York and the upper Midwest. Now the president of a biotech company in Wisconsin is milking a herd of cloned cows that he says could... Go to full article
Farm Chemical Theft
May 01, 2002 — Senator Hillary Clinton says the creation of a joint federal, state and local task force should help guard against the theft of chemicals from New York farmers. Jody Tosti... Go to full article
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