Herbs Yr-Rd from Calif., I Mean Minnesota

Fourth-generation Farmgirl Bonnie Dehn and her husband Bob have secured a commerical farming niche, offering fresh herbs throughout the year to local markets and restaurants, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Faced with competition from year-round farmers in warmer climates, the Dehns took on higher heating and infrastructure costs to make their garden business aContinue reading “Herbs Yr-Rd from Calif., I Mean Minnesota”

Farmgirl Preps Future Farmers

Farmgirl/teacher/soon-to-be mom Nicki Jones is bringing agriculture to her high school classroom, melding experience from her life growing up on a farm and managing one now with the applied sciences behind farming operations. Jones tells the Cinci Enquirer that one of the challenges she faces is that people think agriculture is only about farming. ButContinue reading “Farmgirl Preps Future Farmers”

Strawberries On The 25th Floor, Potatoes On 2

A blogger posting on a Seattle Post Intelligencer site makes an argument for urban farming, vertical sky-rise farming methods as one solution for easing food shortages, particularly in large urban areas. The blogger, Danielle Johnson, works for GreenWorks Realty, a real estate firm in the Puget Sound area that specializes in “healthy green homes, community-focusedContinue reading “Strawberries On The 25th Floor, Potatoes On 2”

From Mom & Pop to Daughters

Identifying the transition between one generation to the next as the most vulnerable time for family farms, Michigan State has begun a program “Farm it Forward” with the goal of smoothing that transition and preserving the family farm. A short story detailing the program appears in the Grand Rapids Press this week. Farmgirl Amy LaperContinue reading “From Mom & Pop to Daughters”

Alpacas in Fashion

Software analyst turned alpaca farmgirl Maggie Wright recently tells the AP about “falling in love” with the puffy animals with cashmere-like fleece and why she ditched the corporate treadmill for life in a niche market that is turning out to be a fashionable trend. The story details the economic incentives in alpaca farming – $1,000Continue reading “Alpacas in Fashion”

Farmers. The Next Rock Stars?

Absolutely. So says the Chicago Tribune today with its predictions for the “The Next Big Thing(s)” in 2007. In an item titled “Fame on the Farm,” the paper notes that while chefs were the stars in the ’80s and ’90s, farmers are taking center stage. “Even rock-star chefs are saluting farmers on their restaurant menus,”Continue reading “Farmers. The Next Rock Stars?”