Author Archives: Virtual Farmgirl

Here’s a nifty little way to find sustainable – fresh, local – food to eat: The Eat Well Guide. Just plug in your zip code and find local farms and markets where you can go for fresh meat, veggies and dairy. The site turned me on to this cute nearby farm near Valparaiso, Creme deContinue reading “Farmgirl Finds: Eat Well Guide & Growing Organic Farm in NW Indiana”

A special Virtual Farmgirl thanks to The Nation, which a few days ago alerted me with this beautifully written headline, “Nancy Pelosi: Farm Girl,” that the glass ceiling busting House speaker was speaking to the National Farmer’s Union in Florida. Farmgirl Nancy earned “wild applause” when she announced that an Iraq War spending bill wouldContinue reading “'Farm Girl' Pelosi Pledges Disaster Aid to Farmers”

For every five plus stories like this one in the North County Times about an avocado farmer throwing in the towel after four years of losses from his 31-acre farm, there is one like this Patriot News story about a longtime Pennsylvania farmer who recently bought up 270 acres of neighboring farmland to expand hisContinue reading “One Farmer Calls it Quits, Another Buys Up Land”

Because I’ve been posting about raw milk and trends toward more widespread consumption, I thought I’d include the latest advisory from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. This week it sent out an alert, warning consumers to discard raw milk purchased from Stump Acres Dairy in New Salem. According to the warning, at least two peopleContinue reading “Pa. and Feds Warn Against Raw Milk Use”

I’ve been searching though my email a bit early today. I am going to see This American Life in Chicago this evening with my friend “Non-Farmgirl from Chicago”and I wanted to find a daily post. Eureka! I found a message from another one of my urban-dwelling friends about Farmerkids.com. It’s a great fully organic, sweatshopContinue reading “Organic Gear for Growing Farmkids”

Thanks to my non-farmgirl friend from Chicago for a tip about a Tennessee man’s quest to grow rare, delicious black truffles on American soil. Millions of dollars have been spent trying to grow the truffles in the U.S., but to no avail. But finally, paydirt. Indeed, plant pathologist Tom Michaels struck Tennessee gold with hisContinue reading “Plant Doctor Sprouts Black Truffle Gold”

Despite concerns from FDA opponents to unpasteurized dairy, California farmer Mark McAfee is hitting the road to stump for what he considers the nutritional supremacy of raw milk. McAfee, from the 600-acre Organic Pastures farm in Fresno, traveled cross country recently to speak at the Southeast Pennsylvania Grazing Conference. Lancaster Farming reported thatMcAfee is usingContinue reading “Raw Milk Advocate Champions Benefits of 'Living Food'”

I was in a meeting today on a topic about as far from farming as possible, yet I found myself talking to someone whose brother raises chickens on some land in Anderson, Ind. Or at least he tries to raise chickens. I say tries because apparently the coyotes keep raiding his hen house. I suggestedContinue reading “All Conversations Lead to Chickens…And Backyard Hens in NYC”

I’ve been trying to come up with an Oscars-related post, but the only one I can think of is that Farmgirl Marsha Mason, a nominee for her role in the 1977 film The Goodbye Girl, is now running an organic herb farm – Resting in the River – in beautiful arid Abiquiu, New Mexico. Then,Continue reading “Celebrating Celebrity Farmers on Oscar Sunday”

I read a couple of provocative stories this week. The first was in Salon.com, based on a new study by Manchester School of Business for the United Kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, that challenged the notion that sustainable organic is indeed better for the environment. The second was in Capital Press, aContinue reading “Questioning the Sustainability Model”