We are getting many questions about President-Elect Biden’s transition priorities. Hygeia has no seat at the pertinent tables, but is in touch with many people that do. What are the most important components of the transition that the Biden-Harris team are focused on now? Easy answer. Combating the pandemic. Bucking up public health science. Getting […]
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Every once in awhile promising news comes along that gives rise to hope. For those struggling to find a reason to believe that meaningful change is possible in American agriculture, look no further than what Adam and Seth Chappell have accomplished on their 8,000 acre Arkansas farm. Their story is told well and in detail […]
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A team of researchers from Washington and California have just published a paper revealing some interesting unintended consequences of conventional framing practices, with possibly important implications for food safety. Escherichia coli is a human-pathogenic bacteria that is commonly found in livestock and wildlife manure. It can end up on produce when manure is used for […]
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Full Belly Farm in northern California’s Capay Valley has been a pioneer of the organic movement since 1985. They were recently featured in a video produced by the Real Organic Project which highlights the commitment to soil quality that is at the root of their success. We encourage you to check it out- the full […]
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The headline in a March 2018 story in the Western Farm Press reads “The alfalfa industry wants more favorable farm policy for its forage crop.” It argues that alfalfa doesn’t get the support and respect it deserves, given that by value, it is the number three field crop grown in the U.S., behind corn and […]
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A wonderful, long piece in the April 18, 2018 New York Times Magazine explains how changing land and agricultural management can “sip carbon from the air” and put it back in the soil — improving soil health and a farmer’s profit margin, while mitigating climate change. “Can Dirt Save the Earth?” by Moises Velasquez-Manoff starts with […]
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Thanks to Mark Keating for sharing these sage words on the ODairy listserv. “Many people blame science for our surplus of farm products. They say that science taught us how to grow two blades of grass where one grew before. I think the trouble is that is exactly what science did not teach us. Instead, […]
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The expansion of ethanol and other biofuel production from 2008-2012 has triggered the conversion of an estimated 7 millions of acres of mostly grasslands, and a smaller number of wetland, shrub, and forest acres, to predominantly corn and soybean production. In the course of doing so over just five years, renewable fuels-driven land conversion released […]
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Note: Thanks to Mary-Howell Martens for permission to share with HA readers her reflections from a speaking engagement at a recent Youth Climate Summit. Mary-Howell is an organic grain farmer who also manages an organic feed and seed business in upstate New York, Lakeview Organic Grains. We had an interesting experience this week, speaking to […]
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A significant body of research now suggests that dietary exposure to glyphosate can alter the microbiome in the human stomach. One outcome of shifting the microbiome in the human GI track is what is often referred to as “sour stomach.” Anyone who has experienced a sour stomach knows what it is (but perhaps not by […]
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