Now’s your chance to catch up on what you may have missed before the new year rolls around. Here are some of the stories that our editors—and readers—really enjoyed this year.

As Chaga Keeps Trending, Mycologists Worry About Running Out

Chaga, a fungus found in colder climates, is a trendy ingredient in supplements and functional foods. But some foragers worry the supply is growing thin. [Read more]

Wary of Wolves, Some Western Ranchers Are Returning to Life on the Range

As the wolf population rebounds in the American West, cattle ranchers are going to extreme measures to coexist with the legendary predators. [Read more]

Can Linen Make a Comeback in North America?

Linen, a sustainable fabric made from the flax plant, isn’t produced on this continent. But some are hopeful a whole new industry could be on the horizon. [Read more]

These Dogs are in Crisis. Who Looks After the Guardians?

Livestock guardian dogs can do important work on farms. But they are being surrendered and euthanized in epic numbers. [Read more]

The Bourbon Industry Relies on White Oaks. Now, It’s All In on Stopping Their Decline.

Bourbon barrels are made from fresh white oaks, but we’re running out of viable trees. Now, the very industry that contributed to the problem has the most invested in finding the solution. [Read more]

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And, for extra credit, don’t forget to check out two special editorial series from the year that was: State of Abundance, about California agriculture and climate change, and Phonies, Fakes and Food Fraud, about the wide world of food fraud and fakery.

The post Year in Review: 5 Modern Farmer Stories to Revisit appeared first on Modern Farmer.

1. Farmers of Forty Centuries: Organic Farming in China, Korea and Japan
   By F.H. King
   (1911)
   In one of the earliest efforts to call out the perils of the plow, which was deemed to be a miraculous implement at the time, an American soil scientist travels to Asia to chronicle agricultural systems that have remained productive for millennia without tillage.

2. Five Acres and Independence
   By Maurice G. Kains
   (1935)
   Author Maurice G. Kains went back to the land at a time when people were leaving it in droves, and his practical hands-on guide to everything from digging root cellars to raising bees is still in demand — and in print — today.
3. An Agricultural Testament
   By Albert Howard
   (1940)
   Written by a British chap who spent much of his adult life in India, this book arguably launched the modern organic agriculture movement. While Howard’s name is on the title, it is widely believed that his first wife, Gabrielle, and second wife, Louise (Gabrielle’s sister, whom he married after her death), contributed significantly to the book.
4. The Living Soil
   By Lady Eve Balfour
   (1943)
   Few women in the early organic movement received the name recognition of their male peers. Lady Eve Balfour, who cofounded the Soil Association, Britain’s national organic agriculture organization, was a notable exception.
5. Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
   By J.I. Rodale
   (1959)
   One of Rodale Institute’s earliest publications, this A-to-Z classic has been revised and updated continuously since becoming the bible of early hippie gardeners in the ’60s. But the old-school versions are more entertaining to read — and the advice has changed surprisingly little.
6. Silent Spring
   By Rachel Carson
   (1962)
   This American classic says little to nothing about how to farm but everything about how not to. One cannot help but wonder if the organic movement would have taken root without it.
7. The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming
   By Masanobu Fukuoka
   (1975)
   Japanese farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka devised a modern version of the way his Japanese ancestors farmed: a Zen-like, “do nothing” approach, as he called it, where the forces of nature are gently nudged into an agriculturally productive form.
8. Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual
   By Bill Mollison
   (1988)
   A contraction of the words “permanent” and “agriculture” (also found in the title of American soil scientist F.H. King’s 1911 book), Permaculture encourages the idea of truly sustainable — in other words, permanently productive — agriculture.
9. Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape
   By Robert Hart
   (1991)
   In this instant classic, Robert Hart, a British horticulturalist with the poetic sensibilities of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, brings permaculture concepts to life on his 10-acre plot, where he attempts to realize the Hippocrates maxim “Let food be they medicine and medicine be thy food.”

The post The Vintage Books Every Organic Gardener Must Own appeared first on Modern Farmer.

The Art of Selling
Selling, whether in person or online, requires a level of promotion that many farmers are uncomfortable with, and a level of interaction that often runs against the grain for individuals who might be inclined to their own company. The truth, however, is that farming is as much about selling as growing, unless you sell all your crop as a commodity to one buyer. The image of the farmer as taciturn or preferring their own company just doesn’t fit with the successful farmers I know, all of whom are very good at marketing themselves, chatting with customers, and generally being charming and charismatic. If that seems like a high bar, remember that they are not like this all the time. As with most people, they have a limited supply of extroversion, which they recharge by being alone.

I work alone basically every day throughout the year, with the exception of the actual Christmas tree season, and even then I am alone (or with my crew) on weekdays. On weekends, I chat and laugh with customers for eight hours straight, and I come home tired from socializing, even though in the moment it is invigorating and keeps me going. I need the quiet at the beginning and end of the day to balance out the rest, but when I am on, I am on, and if you do direct sales, you need to figure out how to develop this skill, too. People know when you are disengaged, grumpy, impatient, or desperate for a sale. You need to cultivate an easy cheerfulness, not only because this will draw customers to you, but because this is what will keep you happiest in the long run. I don’t fake my sociability, but rather recharge the well by making sure I have time alone.

Remember that selling is about serving someone else’s needs. Make sure that what you are selling is excellent and fairly priced, and people will be drawn to you. It is much more fun to ask people how you can help them than it is to try to convince them to buy. If you are at a farmers market, be willing to act goofy as a means of breaking the ice. Wear a Hawaiian shirt. Wear one of those fake noses with the eyeglasses and mustache. Do some boogie dancing when no one is around. If people come to your farm, make a playlist of songs to set the mood. I listen to all kinds of music when customers aren’t around, but when they are, I find the absolute best kind of music is not Christmas carols (which we’ve all heard too many times before), but a carefully curated list of Motown and soul classics. Put on Stevie Wonder or Aretha Franklin, and watch people start to smile and sing along. Because I don’t have electricity at the grove, I use my phone or an iPod plugged into a portable speaker.

The power of music to set the mood is not a new idea. The original owner of our farm, Al Pieropan, used to park his truck down at the You-Cut grove, open both doors, and tune the radio to classical music. The doors did a good job of projecting the sound up the hillside, and people still reminisce about how lovely it was to trudge through the trees in the snow, opera wafting up from below. Al used this same technique to listen to music while he worked in his sections of the grove in the early years of us taking over the farm, and more than once I had to go jump his truck when he accidentally drained his battery.

As you evaluate your land and your core opportunities, take a moment to think about what level of daily or weekly customer interaction would be a good fit for you. If you love schmoozing, then a farmers market, CSA, or farm store is probably a smart choice. If you would rather not make small talk with strangers, then wholesale might be a better strategy, where you could cultivate a fixed number of relationships and touch base with them as needed. For me, the intense but brief period of social interaction from Thanksgiving to Christmas is balanced out by the rest of the year, when I work alone. 

Patience
While Christmas trees and greens represent the obvious core opportunities on our farm, the land does not produce them of uniform quality on all of our 10 acres. Some areas are in good shape; we’ve brought many back to peak production, with each carefully tended stump growing multiple trees as efficiently as possible, and the greens cut back every few years. Other areas are completely overgrown, with full-sized trees that will require a chain saw and a great deal of effort to remove, and that will need to be replanted once that is done. Much of the farm is somewhere in between, with productive stumps intermingled with overgrown clusters of maturing trees. Each year, I try to take down some of these overgrown patches, to convert them back into productive stumps, but it is slow going, and the need for efficiency during the harvesting season means I can only do so much of it each year.

For the truly overgrown sections, I watch and wait. While I could spend a tremendous amount of time cutting these down now, it is not yet clear to me what subsequent course of action would make the most sense. Maybe I could find an economic use for the lumber. Or I might need the additional greens in a couple of years if demand outstrips what the rest of the grove can sustainably produce. There may also be some other economic value to keeping these trees that I cannot see right now. So rather than charge ahead and make big changes before I’m ready, I do nothing.

Doing nothing is one of the most important skills to develop when it comes to land. It is easy to think we know what we need to do, only to realize after a couple of years that we were wrong and should have been doing something else. Particularly with trees, which take years and even decades to grow, change for the worse can happen swiftly, obliterating what took so long to develop; so until I have a plan for an area that is not performing at its peak, I wait. This degree of patience is needed for all of the farm, for it is the task of many years to push back the multiflora rose, to open up trails that have been neglected, to fill in muddy sections of trail with wood chips, and to tackle stumps that have become overgrown. I cannot do it all in one year. Bringing this farm up to speed will be a twenty-year process, in which I am only halfway.

The same is true for any farm, existing or envisioned. Land stewardship is a long-term habit, and one whose full potential cannot be realized in a shorter time frame. Good land, healthy land, land that is fertile and productive and humming along takes years and years to get that way. If you are lucky enough to stumble upon it, or have enough money to buy such a thing, recognize that someone else made good decisions for a long time before you came along. Don’t mess it up.

If you own or can only afford to buy land that has been neglected, recognize what you are walking into. Be realistic in your expectations. Be realistic about the cost, in time and money and sweat (and don’t fool yourself that you can get away with time and sweat alone, because it will definitely take money in the end), that rehabilitating the land will require. It will be worth it. If the farm is near a good market, or has other valuable attributes (a good house, or a beautiful natural landscape, or excellent neighbors, or just that it’s available), then go for it. But pace yourself. Don’t plow up more than you can properly manage. Come up with a realistic five-year plan for liming the pasture, or clearing the thickets, or remineralizing the fields, and then stick to it.

Some people can tolerate turning everything on its head, giving it a good shake, and then living in the chaos while it slowly improves. Renovating a house while living in it is a good example of this. I am not so able to tolerate such a state of affairs, preferring instead to keep things as pleasant as possible while making incremental changes. Partly this is skepticism that my first idea will ultimately be my best one, but it’s also because I believe in maintenance, in small improvements that add up over time. Whether a car, a house, or a farm, I believe that doing what you can in the moment is better than saving up for some big overhaul in the future.

The post Book Excerpt: Carving Out a Living on the Land appeared first on Modern Farmer.

For him, nabbing this perfect plot of land marked the culmination of a life-long transition from full-blown factory-farmer to owning his own grass-roots operation.

The twist? Charles Long was raised by the son of Jim Long, founder of Virginia’s first – and eventually most major – mass-commercialized turkey operation. After raising turkeys free-range for years – on various plots of land he owned and leased in the Meadowview area – Jim realized that he could outfox Old Man Winter and predators via constructing heated houses. In 1942 Jim Long began raising his birds indoors.

“My grandfather was a true pioneer,” says Charles. “He was one of the first farmers to start raising birds inside.”

By the early 1960s, Jim was so successful he’d incorporated his turkey farming business under the name Franwood Farms, and, with the savvy of a corner-office entrepreneur, purchased subsidiary companies – like a truck dealership to cut Franwood’s transportation costs, a construction company to help lessen the expense of its expansion, a butchery to process the meat, and a packing plant to, well, pack it – thereby controlling economic gaps other farmers accepted as simply the “cost of doing business.” Franwood grew swiftly, supplying poultry to major metropolitan hubs – like Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York City – throughout the eastern seaboard.

As the scion of what was at once a family farm and corporate agricultural powerhouse, Charles Long spent his youth and early career immersed in the culture of big agro-business. Then, two years ago, in 2013, he decided to make a change.

“I wasn’t happy doing what I was doing,” says Charles. “I felt detached from the natural world.”

By watching the ongoing success of the slow-foods movement – as embodied on the front-end by Joel Salatin, or expressed on the back by Barbara Kingsolver’s best-selling farm-memoir, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle – Charles was inspired to apply his own expertise to sustainable farming.

The shift was huge. With Long Roots, Charles committed to a policy of naturalness. Whether it be turkeys, chickens, ducks, sheep, cows, or Lucy, the sheep-herding donkey, all the Long Roots animals are raised without antibiotics, are predominantly grass-fed (locally sourced, non-GMO feed is supplemented), and completely free-range.

“We fence in the small animals at night to keep out coyotes and predators,” says Charles. “And we don’t clip the wings of our birds.”

“I think it’s a happier method of farming. I know I feel happier, and I think the animals are happier too.”

When Charles opens the gate of a solar-powered electric enclosure housing around 50 soon-to-be-Thanksgiving turkeys, this last point is quickly proven. The maturing birds disperse in a flock, go pecking and strutting about the pasture, stretching their wings and taking brief flights. Contrary to what you’d think, they don’t flee or wander too far. In fact, within minutes they’re back at the enclosure, gathered about the Longs, curiously cocking their heads.

“I think it’s a happier method of farming,” says Charles. “I know I feel happier, and I think the animals are happier too.”

For the time being, while he grows Long Roots’ various herds and customer base, Charles is still working for Franwood. At present, these time constraints are limiting, but in the next year or two, Anna and Charles plan to commit to running Long Roots full-time.

“For an operation as new as we are, I think we’re pretty successful,” says Charles. “[The farm] is paying for itself right now… [and] going full-time would push it over the hump, because we would have more time to take everything to the next level.”

At present, Long Roots sells only through their website, word of mouth, and through ads posted on Craigslist. With additional time devoted to the operation, the Longs would be able to cultivate relationships with local markets, set up booths at farmers markets, and look to contract with local and regional restaurants. However, while it all sounds easy, there have been, and remain, some substantial hurdles.

“So far the biggest challenge has been taking the ‘next step,’” says Charles. “Each addition to the farm has been a big decision for us. One, because you want it to be successful. And two, because it’s a financial strain with such small margins when you first start up. It’s just like any other business when you start; you literally put your all into it.”

Charles identifies “marketing and meeting new customers” as the two most challenging aspects he faces when shifting to full-time. “We need to put ourselves out there more and meet more customers,” he says. “We’ll have to find a platform that fits us just right.”

In other words, to fully make the leap-of-faith from mass to small-scale, Long Roots will have to increase its local and regional brand presence, ensuring that would-be customers – the kind of people who care about the slow-food movement and are willing to pay higher prices for the higher quality meats – know who they are and what they’re all about.

“We’re not looking to get huge,” explains Charles. “But we would like to be totally focused on Long Roots, and have the farm support us and eventually maybe a few other helping hands.”

And while the prospects of all this are surely exciting, Charles says that once he makes the move, there’s a lot he’ll miss about working at Franwood.

“I really enjoy working with my family,” he says. “It’s definitely trying at times figuring out relationships and work at the same time, but it’s rewarding to accomplish something with family. I’ll miss that.”

When asked what his grandfather, Jim Long, thinks of all this, Charles tells the story of the 95-year-old’s visit to the Long Roots.

“He was amazed we were doing things the way he’d done them back in the ’40s,” says Charles. “He said he was glad there was a market for what we were doing and encouraged us to grow our operation. Get bigger, he told us. And that’s exactly what we intend to do.”

The post From Factory Farmer to Something Much Smaller: The Lengthy Roots of Long Roots Farm appeared first on Modern Farmer.

Colton’s father Jon Guay, a sheriff’s deputy in Androscoggin County, said he believes Colton contracted E.coli from visiting the petting zoo at the Oxford County Fair in September. “There is no doubt in my mind how and when my son contracted this disease,” he wrote in a lengthy and heartbreaking Facebook post.

Another boy, 17-month-old Myles Herschaft of Auburn, Maine, also developed HUS after visiting the same fair, but recovered and is doing well, according to his parents.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirms both toddlers were exposed to the same strain of E.coli, 0111, one of several types that carry dangerous Shiga toxins that can lead to HUS. But according to Maine CDC spokesman John Martins, tests have not yet definitively linked the boys’ disease to the fair. “The investigation is ongoing,” he says.

Martins says soil and other samples have been collected from the fairgrounds and were sent to the CDC in Atlanta for further analysis. So far, there’s been no talk of any legal action by the Guays or Herschafts, but that could change if tests find solid evidence of E.coli contamination.

If confirmed, the Maine outbreak would be the latest in a number of E.coli outbreaks at agricultural fairs and petting zoos in the United States. One of the more high-profile cases occurred in North Carolina in 2004, when more than 100 people were sickened by E.coli linked to the petting zoo at the North Carolina State Fair. The state legislature responded by enacting strict public safety rules for petting zoos in a law called “Aedin’s Law,” named after a two-year-old girl who got sick.

Among other things, Aedin’s Law requires operators to get a special permit to operate a petting zoo or animal display at a state-sanctioned agricultural fair. Operators also must post warning signs about touching the animals, and they have to set up hand washing stations within 10 feet of zoo exits.

But despite Aedin’s Law, North Carolina had yet another big E.coli scare in 2012. Two year-old Hunter “Gage” LeFevers died and more than 100 others were sickened in an outbreak at the Cleveland County Fair in Shelby, North Carolina. According to ABC News, the E.coli was attributed not to the animals themselves, but heavy rains that had carried the bacteria to seating or parking areas. One of the state’s largest newspapers, The Raleigh News & Observer, promptly called for an end to all petting zoos in an editorial, saying they had “caused too much pain and sorrow for too many youngsters and their families in this state.”

According to the CDC in Atlanta, the number of E.coli, salmonella, and other intestinal, or enteric, disease outbreaks associated with animals in public settings increased between 1991 and 2005. From 1996 through 2012, some 200 outbreaks involving human-animal contact in public settings were reported to the CDC.

“Yes, it is definitely a growing public health concern,” said Megin Nichols, a CDC veterinarian and enteric disease expert, referring to the number of outbreaks at animal exhibits. Nichols attributes the increase to the recent general growth in interest in farming and farm animals.

Pathogenic E.coli bacteria live in the fecal matter of goats, sheep, cows, and even poultry and can survive for months in the soil and around the pens where animals are kept. The E.coli is usually harmless to the animal itself, but if ingested, through hand-to-mouth contact, it can make humans very sick. Very young children, people with compromised immune systems, and the elderly are the most vulnerable to developing life-threatening complications such as HUS, which can lead to kidney failure.

The key to preventing infection is better hygiene around farm animals, whether you’re in a public setting or working on a farm.

Nichols says the key to preventing infection is better hygiene around farm animals, whether you’re in a public setting or working on a farm. The CDC recommends that petting zoo operators, farmers, and others who work with farm animals follow the recommendations of the 2013 Compendium of Measures to Prevent Disease Associated with Animals in Public Settings, drawn up by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians. The document lists a host of measures, including posting signs at the entrance of animal areas warning of the dangers of touching them; supervising children carefully when they’re in the animal pens and not allowing them to sit down in animal areas; disallowing eating or drinking near animals; and banning strollers, pacifiers, and similar items in the areas. Hand-washing should be encouraged strongly after any animal contact.

That last component, says Nichols, is key. “I truly believe hand-washing is one of the best deterrents against the spread of disease from animals to humans.” For those who live and work on farms, constant hand washing is also highly recommended, as is using clothing and boots that are specifically dedicated for working with farm animals.

Although the Maine investigation is in the very early stages, a 2008 survey by a Portland-based field epidemiologist, Lisa Bondeson, and filed with the National Institutes of Health concluded that Maine agricultural fairs at that time were not properly informing the public about the risks of petting zoos. CDC spokesman Martins said the survey was not based on current information, was likely an independent action, and he could not elaborate on the survey’s findings.

As Maine gets closer to finding out what happened at the Oxford County Fair, state fair officials and local farming and public-health experts are calling for a renewed campaign to educate the public about the importance of washing hands immediately after touching farm animals. Among other things, the Maine State Fair Association plans an all-day seminar on the subject early next year.

Still mourning the loss of his young son, Jon Guay is awaiting the birth of a daughter in January, but vows to take an active role in educating the public about the potential dangers children face at petting zoos.

“It makes no difference what future investigation or test results yield,” Guay wrote, “as I know that HUS is real, is deadly, and affects many lives across this country every year. I pray that the lessons learned in Colton’s story are not forgotten.”

The post After Recent E.Coli Cases, Are Petting Zoos and Ag Fairs Safe for Kids? appeared first on Modern Farmer.

“He said if I could find people to process the cows and a way to sell the beef, I could have a few cows,” she tells Modern Farmer. “I began assembling the Mexican team the very next day and our products are now sold in local organic stores, restaurants, leather shops and farmers markets.”

Rancho Santo Niño, located near Dolores Hidalgo, in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato, is home to about 70 head of cattle that graze on 630 acres. Burns says they may also build greenhouses in the future.

Modern Farmer: Why do you consider yourself a modern farmer?

Meagan Burns: I want to be very clear that while I am working on and for our ranch to produce grass-fed beef by using the most optimal practices possible, I by no means classify myself as a farmer. I believe that title belongs to the hard-working individuals who are working the land and livestock from dawn to dusk, and everything in between. I have great regard for the cattle ranchers I read about and learn from, which includes the Mexican family that lives on Rancho Santo Niño, as well as the butchers of Dolores Hidalgo who let me work alongside them.

As luck would have it, I found myself in a livestock situation that needed managing, marketing, and dedication; I just so happen to have these attributes, plus an unwavering regard for cows. It feels good to be among them; I love their sturdy nature and long deep stares. I suppose the modern part is that I practice reiki on the cows and play my crystal bowls for them. The guys look at me like I’m absolutely bananas, but I think the cows enjoy it tremendously.

MF: Why is it important to you to support local agriculture?

MB: I have expressed my profound love for cows and have been met with, “if you love them, how can you kill them?” This is certainly a valid point. I was a vegetarian for years, so I get it. An autoimmune condition sent me back to eating meat and my health improved greatly as my interest turned to the cows outside my window. Our cows are not pets and they have their purpose; setting them free is not an option, as some have suggested. Temple Grandin inspired me to want to treat them with the utmost respect and give them a good life until it is time for them to become fuel for people. I know where my food comes from when I sit down at the table. It is a deeply profound experience and has required me to become a better person. I would love for more people to have the experience of knowing where their food comes from.

MF: If you could grow or raise any food or animal, what would it be and why?

MB: Cows. Cows. Cows. Because cows.

MF: What’s your favorite vegetable?

MB: Brussels sprouts!

MF: If you could give other modern farmers any advice, what would it be?

MB: A few years ago, while still living in Chicago, I proclaimed I wanted to be a Modern Farmer, yet I could not keep a house plant alive, nor did I own a dollop of dirt. I scoffed at my dreams and forgot them as best I could, yet life led me to the cows of Rancho Santo Niño. I’m not presumptuous enough to give out modern farming advice, but I will suggest listening to your heart; the heart knows.

MF: Do you have a farming/agricultural hero? Why do you admire them?

MB: Hands down: Temple Grandin. She overcame so many obstacles and prejudices in life and in the cattle industry. I continue to learn from her and be inspired by her efforts. They thought she was nuts, then she changed cattle industry standards by first asking, “why are they mooing so loud?”

Here’s the #iamamodernfarmer video Meagan posted that won this week’s contest:

#IamaModernFarmer in #Guanajuato, #Mexico and its time for our #grassfed cows to get on that #DoloresHidalgo grass #ANDALE!

A video posted by 🌀⚡️meagan burns⚡️🌀 (@meagan_burns_) on Nov 17, 2015 at 1:24pm PST

Want a chance at an interview with Modern Farmer and other cool prizes? Just post a picture or a video on Twitter and/or Instagram with the hashtag #iamamodernfarmer and you’ll be entered for a chance to win. Every week, we’ll choose one winner to be profiled onModernFarmer.com. Every month, one of the weekly winners will be picked to win $100 inModern Farmer swag. One of the monthly winners will also win the grand prize: A VIP trip for two to the Farm Aid 2016 concert!

Added bonus: If you purchase an “I am a modern farmer” t-shirt, you’ll stand in solidarity with the hardworking men and women who produce our food. You certainly don’t have to don the shirt to post and have a chance to win, but with sales of these tees, Modern Farmer supports independent farmers with a donation to Farm Aid.

Need inspiration? Check out all the #iamamodernfarmer posts from across the country – and around the world!

See official contest rules here.

The post Q&A: Meagan Burns of Rancho Santo Niño appeared first on Modern Farmer.

Except: Moon Privilege (lol, again) seems to have been a disaster of a product. Back in September, Bayer warned grape growers to stop using the product, citing connections between use of the product and low yields, deformed leaves, and an extremely reduced crop. In Switzerland alone, it’s estimated that Moon Privilege was responsible for a decrease in the total harvest by 4.85 percent, some 14 million pounds of grapes and an estimated six million bottles of wine. And that’s not the end of it: The product’s active ingredient, fluopyram, though approved by both the US and EU, has been linked to cancer, liver disease, and respiratory problems.

Enews Park Forest reports that Bayer, currently expecting some sort of legal charges, is trying to figure out exactly how much money to pay to the grape growers throughout Europe to compensate them for killing their crop. SwissInfo suggests this figure could rise to about $92 million, though it’s not clear if they’re only referring to Swiss vineyards with that number.

We’ll keep you updated if and when official legal challenges are brought.

The post Bayer Will Pay Vineyard Owners Millions After Fungicide Ruined a Lot of Wine appeared first on Modern Farmer.

Read more about Susan Paykin and Common Ground Farm »

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Read more about Emidgio Ballon and the Tesuque Agricultural Initiative

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Read more about Orin Hardy, Maria Farrugia, Made Gojing, and The Kul-Kul Farm »

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Read more about Courtney Grimes-Sutton, Asa Thomas-Train and Mace Chasm Farm »

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Read more about Ruth and Lori Babcock and Tieton Farm and Creamery »

Read more about Arif Towns Alonso and Simbiosis »

The post Meet 20 Modern Farmers Who Bring a Fresh Approach to Agriculture appeared first on Modern Farmer.

The rules about organic certification for individual products are pretty specific. It’s not hard to figure out if a head of lettuce or a carton of eggs is organic, but establishments are much harder and more complex. It is possible for an entire restaurant to be certified USDA organic, but it is, frankly, a total mess, and one that’s a little bit more vague than individual items. (Even though there are thousands of certified organic goods, there are only a dozen or so certified organic restaurants in the entire country.)

Generally speaking, for a restaurant to advertise that it’s certified USDA organic, it must have certain qualities. (This Grist article does a good job of explaining what a pain in the butt this is.) At least 95 percent of all foods that come in the door have to be certified organic in their own right. Non-organic ingredients must be firmly separated, and can’t be prepared on the same surfaces, almost like the rules of Kosher. Cleaning products must all also be certified organic. Same thing with pest control. It’s a nightmare.

This stuff can be maddeningly unclear. This particular restaurant’s website says “All ingredients used at The Organic Coup are certified organic by CCOF,” that last acronym referring to a California-based accredited certifier of organics, California Certified Organic Farmers. We reached out to them to figure out what that actually means. “Our facility is certified,” replied The Organic Coup’s founder and CEO, Erica Welton, in an email. “So CCOF is looking at all food, beverages, pest, water filtration, cleaning products, all SOP’s. [I assume this means ‘standard operating procedures.’] They look at packaging and all graphics where we are explaining organic, describing our products and our branding whenever we are using then CCOF or USDA logo.” So, pretty complete!

The nice thing about having the entire restaurant certified organic is that, because it is such an utter pain to do, you know that every single product has at least some measure of regulation looking out for its provenance. And if it’s a success, you may not have to go out to Pleasanton to try it; Welton told Eater that they plan to open 25 more locations in the next 14 months.

The post Fried-Chicken Joint Claims To Be Country’s First USDA-Certified Organic Fast Food appeared first on Modern Farmer.

Today, The Ecology Center is a thriving “biodiverse learning garden and community gathering space” where numerous workshops, community festivals, and field trips are held, says Ann Nguyen, who heads up marketing and communication for the center.

In 2015, close to 30,000 people participated in the center’s school programs – school gardens, camps, and field trips – and more than 4,000 folks have participated in sustainability workshops and farm-to-table education. The center has also played host to about 9,000 visitors who have come for self-guided tours, festivals, and other public events.

“We’ve seen both small and large scale results,” says Nguyen. “Through our workshops, people will go home inspired to install rain barrels and start composting. Through our Permaculture Design Certification course, students become eco-entrepreneurs, farmers, and designers. In our school garden program, kids get excited about vegetables, native plants, and the environment.”

Nguyen says the challenges of running the center include time and resources. It’s run by a small team of dedicated staff and as the community grows, so do the center’s needs. She says they have had help from “long-time sponsors, Hurley and Chipotle, to help us get to the next level. We honestly would not be able to accomplish so much without their help and we feel a lot of gratitude for ethical companies who care about the impact they have on the community.” The center hopes to see more collaborations with various organizations, companies, and individuals.

She believes that the individual can have a positive impact on the environment. Just as the current ecological problems we’re facing aren’t the result of any one action, but rather “an accumulation of many unmindful actions,” we as individuals have the “responsibility and the power to change it. It’s all about awareness and choices. Ditch single use plastics. Buy local. We can all do something to chip away at that big goal and together, we can create big impact,” she says.

“We’ve learned through experience that community is a very powerful pathway to sustainability. We very excited for this opportunity to have a dialogue with the Modern Farmer community and looking forward to sharing our stories,” says Nguyen.

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