Author Archives: Virtual Farmgirl

One of my urban-dwelling friends turned my attention to this piece today in the Chicago Tribune about “city slickers” being drawn in to hobby farming. “Lifestyle” farms apparently make up half of the 2.1 million American farms, according to the USDA, and are increasing at a 2 percent pace per year. The Trib notes thatContinue reading “Lavender Fields Forever”

I was looking for some good news to post on this glorious Easter day and homed in on this story in the Kansas City Star. At first I thought it would be about a working farm, surviving as suburbia surrounds it. But it’s really about a farm being completely eaten up by suburbia, one acreContinue reading “Farm Oasis Shrinking as Suburbia Grows”

After a short hiatus – Virtual Farmgirl is getting ready to physically move her family and home – I’m back with word about this exciting urban or should I say waterways farming project in New York City. If you picture sustainable farming in a rural setting, somewhere far from the hustle and bustle of cityContinue reading “Floating Sustainability in NYC”

Diverting from bees momentarily, I couldn’t resist this story in the Berkshire Eagle about chefs who love a good “food story” to add to the allure of their dishes. One New York chef – Dan Barber of Blue Hill– is quoted in the story, “The more we have a food story, the better the foodContinue reading “Chefs & Farmers Raise a Toast to 'Food Stories'”

I promised myself I would not blog about bees for a fifth day in a row, but then my husband came back from an evening event in Chicago full of info about some buzz’n kits we might be able to buy for our Central Indiana farm. From what I can tell, kits like these fromContinue reading “Bee Week Continues with 'Hobbyist' Kits and a Pollinator's Paradise”

As a follow up to recent posts about Colony Collapse Disorder and the mystery of the disappearing bees, Virtual Farmgirl recommends checking out a podcast series “Honeybees in Crisis” produced by Penn State. The podcasts explore a range of topics, beginning with a discussion of Colony Collapse Disorder from January, followed by segments exploring possibleContinue reading “Penn State Podcasts Feature 'Honeybees in Crisis'”

If there is such a thing as a horror-story for agriculture, the mystery of the disappearing bees fits the playbill. After beekeepers in 24 states began sounding alarm bells last year when they noticed empty hives, the general media and government is taking notice. Indeed, the New York Times reported about the vanishing bees –Continue reading “Vanishing Bee Mystery Deepens”

There are some beautiful, touching and out-right hilarious observations in Erika Schickel’s LA Observed blog post entitled “The Swarm.” She relates her experiences dealing with a swarm of bees that has overtaken her sister’s home in Pasadena. Here’s the Virtual Farmgirl relevant passage – complete with lessons about environmental protection, farming and nature. In theContinue reading “Where Have All the Bees Swarmed?”

To preserve the almonds and grapes that grow along the San Joaquin River near Fresno, Calif., families such as the Wattenbargers have sold their development rights and entered a conservation easement, according to this story in the Fresno Bee. Farmgirl Anna Wattenbarger says it’s been her dream to keep the family ranch going for herContinue reading “As City 'Creeps Closer' to Farms Each Year, Families Opt to Preserve Land”

Learn about 70-year-old Navajo Farmgirl Mae Denet Claw and the health of farming in Shiprock, N.M., in this piece in the Farmington Daily Times. The story talks about how in the Shiprock area the older farmers rely on farming for their livelihood, but younger farmers have jobs elsewhere…mines or power plant. There are some insightsContinue reading “Farming Dry Land in Shiprock”