Category Archives: Uncategorized

Mother Earth Living had a nice piece about raising backyard chickens to ensure your family is eating healthier eggs. Healthier indeed. Mother Earth News says it tested four flocks of free-range chickens and found that their eggs had half the cholesterol than the USDA’s official average. The study also found the free-range eggs had 50Continue reading “Healthier Eggs with Backyard Chickens”

I was going to blog about how even Hawaii, with all its majestic shorelines and dramatic cliffs, mountains and lava veins, is recognizing the value of Agri-tourism and is forming a Hawaii Agtourism Association. But we’re celebrating the Colts win, Indy Coach Tony Dungy and MVP Peyton Manning.

A very special Virtual Farmgirl thanks to the husband for directing me to a story in the Indianapolis Star headlined, “Just a Very Thankful Farm Girl,” about 113-year-old Edna Parker, who reigns as the oldest person in the United States. She also happens to be a Colts fan! I was wondering how I’d manage toContinue reading “Oldest Farmgirl, Oldest Colts Fan”

The Miami Herald had this story today about the growth of niche vegetable farming. For 40 years, the Capote family has grown a Cuban sweet potato called boniato. They’re one of a growing number of family farms responding to the tastes of fast-growing immigrant populations around the country. It’s hard to immagine in my house,Continue reading “Ethnic Veggies in High Demand Across States”

For the third year, Progressive Farmer Magazine named its “Best Places to Live in Rural America,” selecting Barren County, Kentucky for the No. 1 slot. A promo about the top 10 talks about a growing interest in “new ruralism” in which over the past 20 years 71 percent of rural counties gained in population. EditorContinue reading “Did Your Rural County Make the Cut?”

Even before we’ve had to start paying the price at the grocery store for California’s devastating Big Freeze of 2007, a few altruistic local chefs have noticed the impact and are doing what they can to help. According to this story in the LA Times, chefs are holding a series of fund-raising dinners to aidContinue reading “Chefs Cook Up Some Family Farm Aid”

I’m always happy to see a story in one of my local papers about family farming, especially one like this one in this week’s Chicago Tribune that features farmers and a farmgirl connected to CSA projects. Check out the brief mention, but mention nonetheless, of Trader Joe’s employee/Farmgirl Gray Wiechern, who launched Mother Earth OrganicContinue reading “American Idol: Farm Edition”

From what I hear, Indiana is slow to embrace and support alternative farming. But I did see this audio file and press release in Inside Indiana Business about a series of workshops for women in farming. The seven workshops throughout the state – with programs on financial records management and keeping track of production –Continue reading “Annie's Project Schools Farmgirls in FarmBiz”

I stumbled across Scott Hutcheson’s Hungry Hoosier site recently and was pleased to see how closely he’s examined food from the source. In this post from December, Scott blogs about Joel Salatin protege Stan Skillington and then in August about the Phelps Family Farms in Ladoga, Ind. Then closer to home for me, he bloggedContinue reading “Hoosier Blogger's Family Farm Discoveries”

Bluegrass Farmgirl hero Adrienne Young is set to release a new album this spring, this one supporting sustainable agriculture. Fans will remember that in her Grammy-nominated first album, she bundled seed packets into the liner notes. This album – Room to Grow – will promote “responsible-farming awareness” according to this piece in Cybergrass. According toContinue reading “Folksinger Farmgirl to Release New Album”