Author Archives: Virtual Farmgirl

Nice story in the Portland Oregonian about an eco-conscious cook who is on a mission to prove that eating healthy and organic doesn’t have to break the family bank. Chris Musser tells the paper that she spends $530 a month to feed her family of four a diet of grass-fed meats, organic veggies and legumes.Continue reading “New Biz Teaches Families How to Eat Organic on a Budget”

Thanks to Vital Information for directing me to former lawyer Melissa Graham‘s blog, Having Company. I was especially taken with Graham’s latest, information-packed post on zero-waste practices and why Illinois is so far behind the curve when it comes to composting. She explains how dated concepts and bureaucratic red tape make getting composting permits nextContinue reading “Will Illinoisans Take Their Chance to Make Zero Waste a Reality?”

After I posted an update yesterday on the Farmers for the Future social network, Alpaca Farm Girl recommended another new media network: CattleGrower.com. You’d think from the name that the site is for cattle ranchers. But it’s more general than that. The site provides ways for all livestock farmers to connect. The think I likeContinue reading “A Social Network For Livestock Farmers Too”

I’m thinking that Future Farmers for America had their expectations set a bit too low when they launched their social networking site last October. The goal, as the founders would have us believe, was to have 100 members by year’s end. I got an email recently and saw this piece from Medill Reports that theContinue reading “Future Farmers Takes Root on the Web”

After four days of battling fever and all the other icky stuff that goes with stomach virus, we’ll be glad to go home today. Thankfully each day was saved by regular doses of Tylenol and lots of water. There wasn’t much to excite a Farmgirl at Disney. I didn’t even see the resort or parksContinue reading “Producing Food Without The Land”

The other night, we were prepping for our trip to Florida. I was mending a significant tear in Future Farmgirl’s beloved blankie. I’m no seamstress. But at this age, my children think I’m a marvel because I can thread a needle. The repair was shaky and in a slight zig-zag pattern. Still, they told meContinue reading “Sewing a Little Family History”

This week, as we set our sights and feet on the Sunshine State, where mockingbirds sing and the state flower is the orange blossom, I thought I’d focus on the current state of Florida agriculture. The state’s agriculture commissioner, Charles Bronson (would not want to mess with that guy…oh wait, probably not the Death WishContinue reading “Heading South for at Least Part of the Winter”

Sunday was the first day of Food Check-Out Week. I had never heard of it before, but the Farm Bureau program is in its 11th year. [I love that the program was started in the mid-90s in South Carolina (one of my favorite states) and had its inaugural national event in Chicago in 1998.] TheContinue reading “Checking Out Healthy Food on a Tight Budget”

Following up on my Tater Tot Delight post, I had to also point out some actual potato news: The Scottish have developed what agricultural geneticists are calling an eco-friendly spud. The BBC reports that the new potato comes in a handy oval shape attractive to grocers. But the ec0-friendly part is that the new potatoContinue reading “An 'Eco-Friendly' Potato On the Way?”

The other night, when I had an extreme craving, the iFarmer came through with a new invention. At least it was new to us. I’m calling it Tater Tot Delight. I suppose you could even do this in some organic fashion if you could find organic tater tots. All we had on hand were alphabetContinue reading “Totally Craving Tater Tot Delight”