The Back 40

Leopold Conservation Award By Jeanne Byrne, High Ground Ground Organics We have been named one of three finalists this year for the Leopold Conservation Award. The Leopold Award recognizes “extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation on the land of exemplary private landowners.” It is given by the Sand County Foundation, in conjunction with the California Farm Bureau [...]

In 2009, Texas A&M student Brady Grimes, established Howdy! Farm at the university. In its four short years of existence, the farm has grown into a gem of the campus community, educating those on and off of the farm.  According to its website, Howdy! Farm was “started as a student led initiative that seeks to promote local [...]

Archi’s Acres, an organic, hydroponic farm in California runs a program called “Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training (VSAT),” which helps military veterans transition to careers in agriculture recently graduated another class. The day before graduation, the students are required to present business plans to a panel of agricultural professionals. The students, who ranged in age from [...]

Consumers are becoming increasingly interested in learning the source of their food, even paying more for products that provide this information. But, what about clothing? Researchers at the University of Missouri have found that consumers will pay more for clothing that has been made organically, locally, or through sustainable methods. However, the issue here is [...]

The U.S. is experiencing a surge in organic food sales. Between 1997 and 2011, sales of organic products increased from $3.6 billion to $24.4 billion with many consumers opting to pay more for organic goods than they would for conventionally produced products. So, are these organic products more healthy? A recent Stanford University study says [...]

A recent report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture entitled, Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators, 2012 examines “trends in economic, structural, resource, and environmental indicators” in the agricultural sector that have developed since the previous report was published in 2006. We are encouraged to see improvements in water efficiency, conservation tillage, nitrate recovery, as well [...]