By Susan R. Holmberg, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
The Democratic primary debate on 27th June was probably the first time that soil management — as climate policy — was ever mentioned at a primetime Presidential campaign event. It was also one of the first tangible mentions of farm policy in two nights of debates.
By Sarah Lillegard, Fibershed
There is never a quiet season here. Even with the hoop houses cleared of their summer harvest and the small flock of Icelandic sheep fresh from a fall shearing, the farm is still rich with growth.
By Marie Hoff, Fibershed
The co-benefits to diversified farming are numerous, from economic stability to increased water retention in the soil, integrated farming makes a lot of sense. Also known as Integrated Crop and Livestock Systems, ICLS works by relying upon the mutually beneficial relationships that plants, animals, and insects have with one another, as developed in nature.
By Sasha Wirth, Fibershed
“From the very beginning, this has been a learning experience,” says Nancy. “Both with raising goats and buying this property. The land we purchased was previously used as a dumpsite, and we’ve been working hard to restore the ecosystem here. Having Jack and Sister May opened up the vision we had for the place.”
By Sustainable Food Trust Staff, Sustainable Food Trust
The only practical way to produce human-edible food from grassland without releasing large amounts of carbon to the atmosphere is to graze it with ruminants, and with the increasing global population it would be highly irresponsible to stop producing meat, milk and animal fats from grassland, since this would cause even more rainforest to be destroyed to produce soyabean oil and meal, as well as palm oil.
By Kalie llana Cassel-Feiss, Fibershed
I was told that this was the land of the “Legendary Merinos.” Carrie and John have been shepherding these animals for the last three years, but the sheep themselves were a long-standing gift from John’s mother, Jean Near. In the 1940’s Jean’s father raised sheep in the neighboring Potter Valley.
By Diana Donlon, Center for Food Safety: Soil Solutions
A handful of states around the country have begun to recognize the importance of carbon farming as an expedient tool to fight climate change. What's carbon farming? Eric Toensmeier, author of The Carbon Farming Solution, describes it as "a suite of crops and agricultural practices that sequester carbon in the soil and in perennial vegetation like trees."
By Erin Rae, Fibershed
Building off one another’s enthusiasm, the Irwins describe their model of ranching that pulls from agrarian traditions of the past and present to create diverse, resilient agricultural systems that are the engines for ecosystem restoration for our future.
By Sasha Wirth, Fibershed
By living and grazing on land that is managed with Carbon Farming techniques, Stemple Creek’s wool draws down more carbon out of the atmosphere than is produced in its raising and processing.
By Sustainable Food Trust Staff, Sustainable Food Trust
Do livestock hold the key to a healthy planet and population? In Bristol on the 23rd November, we held an event to discuss this question.