Touch the Soil News #1977 (Photo – Farm Produce – Sarah Stierch (CC BY 4.0)) As one becomes familiar with the hundreds of business models that small and mid-size farms employ, there is a treasure-trove of ideas floating around. Almost by accident we found a listing of Farms in the United States as provided…
Touch the Soil News #1976 (Photo – Wheat Harvest – USDA – Public Domain) The USDA just released its Cropland Value Report. The USDA estimates that the volume of land in farms continues to inch downwards, coming in at 893 million acres. Of that amount actual cropland in the neighborhood of 300 million acres and…
Touch the Soil News #1959 (Photo – WFP Logo – Public Domain) The Word Food Program (WFP) is a division of the United Nations. They are the boots on the ground, bringing emergency food to nations in trouble. You’ve all seen the pictures of helicopters making food drops, trucks arriving full of food commodities and…
Touch the Soil News #1954 (Photo – Indoor Tomato Plants – Public Domain, Jolly Janner) Almanac News brings details about container vegetable gardening. This is a good place to start, before you get serious about starting a market garden or a large outdoor garden. These skills also apply when growing indoors in the city. You…
Touch the Soil News #1938 (Feature Photo – Calf – (USDA Public Domain) City Farmer News brings us a story about cow cuddling to reduce and relieve stress. On the spotlight is Mary’s Land Farm which also had lamb cuddling and on-farm events. While the Farm also raises fresh produce and has a farm story,…
Touch the Soil News #1931 (Feature Photo – Corn – Public Domain USDA) Farmland Grab News, brings the story of the nation of Kenya, getting into public farming in a big way. A populous nation of 56 million people, Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture will finance key state corporations to put up 500,000 acres of…
Touch the Soil News #1923 (Feature Photo – Doha, Qatar – CCA SA 4.0 International, StellarD) Crowdfunder tells us the story of Bath City Farm. This 37 acre animal farm attracts 42,000 visitors a year and it wants to be partially non-profit. On wonders, how much can you charge for a “farm” experience and petting…
Touch the Soil News #1913 (Feature Photo – Micro-Greens – Public Domain) AgFunder News reports on a new startup called Babylon Micro-Greens. It allows food farming in hospitals, cafeterias and grocery stores. Perhaps that could include an entrepreneur with a large garage that wants a side-business. You can read the full story here: https://agfundernews.com/babylon-micro-farms-lands-8m-series-a-bigger-does-not-necessarily-mean-better-in-vertical-farming
Touch the Soil News #1903 (Feature Photo – Soybean Rows – Public Domain USDA) Despite media debates over U.S. China Relations, it is farming that connects both nations in a material way. U.S. Agriculture is dependent upon Chinese purchases, and China, with less farmland then America and almost four times the people who need to…
Touch the Soil News #1827 (Feature Photo – Rosario, Argentina – CCA SA 4.0 International) Few citizens are aware the U.S. government has no strategic food reserves. No one has ever demanded that there should be strategic food reserves. Today, the holding and ownership of food reserves is couched with the private sector and households.…
