Earth Day is here. It’s been 52 years since the first celebration was initiated by then-Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. His goal? To shed light on the need to protect the environment. Over the years, federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and...
The soon-to ripen Florida peach orchards or the spring preparation of Midwest soybean fields may conjure up images of local, domestic food but let’s dig a little deeper. Much of our U.S. grown “local food“ has a global beginning. The National Nutrition Month theme,...
Food Costs Slow Rising I don’t have to tell you food costs have increased over the past year. But when you look at the rate of increase and the percentage of our personal budget, we are fortunate to have an affordable food supply. Recently released USDA Economic...
What and how we plant, grow or eat today is the benefit of curious minds over the years committed to answer the “what if” question. Think about it! The ability to buy bread rather than make it; the availability of fruit and vegetables anytime from anywhere; and the...
“Eat chocolate” was the reported advice given by physicians in the 1800s to patients needing a remedy for anxiety and “broken hearts.”1 The lore of the “doctor’s order” combined with the centuries old tradition of Americans exchanging heart shaped cards and candy...
If you’ve been on any Zoom calls or webinars with me over the past two years, you know I like books (and no, this is not a staged backdrop). Regardless of the virtual and audio options available today, from my perspective, there is nothing like a book in your hand (or...
For those of us who grew up with “dirt under our fingernails” or are currently engaged in raising cattle or crops from almonds to corn, it can be easy to say, “sustainable agriculture has always been at the core of our existence.” However, sustainable farming...
Drought and extreme heat in the western United States have dominated the headlines over the past couple of months. We see pictures of fallow farm land too dry to plant and Lake Mead in Nevada at its lowest point ever. Unless we are living with the stark realities of...
During the month of March, we’ve had the opportunity to celebrate National Ag Day and Women’s History Month, which is only appropriate as we look at the family heritage of agriculture and particularly the influence women have had and are continuing to make in the...
As with most things in our lives over the past year, our snacking habits have changed according to The Hartman Group. According to their research, “some (consumers) have taken the opportunity to clean up their snack diets, while others have slipped into less healthy...