This page has links to current articles, events and other insightful media that relates to sustainable, local food production in Virginia and the world. Some of the links may stop working at some point, and I will try to update them.
•ABC on Joel Salatin and Polyface Farms
•Small garden plots in Richmond at the William Byrd Community House: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/lifestyles/home_garden/article/H-KEYH07_20090806-190408/284447/
•The Washington Post is reporting an increase in farms owned and operated by women, particularly in MD and VA. Most of those farms are smaller operations that use sustainable growing methods.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/27/AR2009062702386.html?hpid=topnews
•Do consumers know the difference between a label that says “all natural” versus “organic?” Apparently, not really…
http://brownfieldagnews.com/2009/07/07/why-consumers-choose-natural-over-organic/
•Gardens everywhere in San Francisco…
•Below is a report on food safety of imported foods, particularly from China put out by the USDA. The report highlights issues of controlling food safety. Ofcourse you do not have to worry about your food safety if you can go to the farm and see how it is produced, but then again you may not be able to pick up exotic ingredients…
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB52/
•Fresh Produce to the masses (NYTimes). This article is about getting healthy food to the masses (not so much about food that is sustainably produced, but most definitely sustainably consumed):
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/nyregion/11carts.html?_r=1
•The cover articles from Mother Jones April 2009: “Let’s Grow America!”
Particularly “Spoiled”, an article that focuses on how America can move to a more sustainable model of national food production. Along with providing a background on food production, the article highlights: 1) the problems associated with large mono-culture farms, and 2) the problems associated with applying current sustainable farming methods to a national, year-round scale.
•Scientific American Earth 3.0, April/May 2009 has two relevant articles:
1) “Saving the Ogallala Aquifer,”
This article discusses the giant aquifer that is under America’s breadbasket and how it is disappearing quickly–highlighting one of many resources that traditional mono-culture farms need to sustain or learn to live without (agriculture withdrawals account for 90% of all water withdrawals from this aquifer).
2) “Top 10 Myths about Sustainability,”
This article debunks myths about sustainability, including: Myth 8, New Technology is always the answer (and ofcourse it is not).