To be “certified organic” farmers in the U.S. must follow rules spelled out in the Usda National Organic Program. By Usda/Natural Resources Conservation ServiceOne of the biggest organic farm scams in history By Mike Hendricks Kansas City Star January 12, 2020 Excerpt: Records showed that in 2016 he sold 7 percent of all the corn labeled organic and 8 percent of all the soybeans carrying that designation. More than $19 million worth that year, $24 million the year before and so on every year before that back to 2010 at least. It was impossible for him to have done that legitimat ..read more

Agriculture Box Founder Arnaud Fabre tells Hotel & Catering News Middle East all about how organic urban farming systems will revolutionise the way we grow. By Dina Maaty Catering News Jan 22, 2020 Excerpt: In a world where farm-to-table has become a catchphrase, hotels around the world are joining the movement with their own produce-rich gardens and farms. Chefs and F&B outlets are looking to find new ways to grow nutrient-rich, high-yield organic food, and this is what Agriculture Box offers with the latest urban farming growing technologies. It’s not just happening at ..read more

Members of the Green Iglu team work at the greenhouse in Naujaat. (High Arctic Haulers/CBC)A vast majority of the community can now grow their own produce inside the greenhouses all year long and purchase fresh food at a fraction of what it would cost imported. CBC TV Jan 21, 2020 Excerpt: Toronto-based non-profit Green Iglu is tackling food insecurity in Canada’s northern communities, where the harsh climate and lack of arable land make traditional farming impossible. Approximately 72 per cent of children in Northern Canada lack reliable access to affordable, nutritious food. Gr ..read more

We now have a real opportunity to take a piece of Buffalo’s industrial history and transform it for the 21st century. By queenseyes Buffalorising January 20, 2020 Excerpt: It was only recently that I realized the true scale of an urban farming effort underway on the East Side, that has the potential of altering a significant landscape, reflective of The Greening of Detroit concept. Firmly rooted at 1698 Genesee Street is Groundwork Market Garden, a farming operation that is owned and operated by Anders Gunnersen and Mayda Pozantides. The two first began farming their raised beds i ..read more

A sketch of the design of the Friendship Garden“A garden is one of those things that can give people purpose and hope.” By Helena Horton Telegraph 20 Jan 2020 Excerpt: Your front garden is more important than your back garden, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has said, as it argues it can combat loneliness. The theme of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show is loneliness and mental health, and the society has commissioned Zoe Ball to design their Friendship Garden along with horticulturalist Jo Thompson. This garden, which will be a focal point of the show, demonstrates h ..read more

We run a farming operation which I’m really proud of, and grow nearly 100,000 lbs of nutritious vegetables every year Living Architecture Monitor Jan 20, 2020 Excerpt: Just ten years ago, you could count the number of rooftop farms on one hand! Now there are perhaps forty. This is no doubt due to the fact that rooftop farmers are not only resilient bunch, but the ultimate multi-taskers too. Rooftop farming is still very much in its infancy, yet these farms are already making a unique and multifaceted contribution to the communities they serve. Three outstanding urban farmers from ..read more

Shinichi Ishida, an employee of Seed Town Management, looks after community farmland that the company leases to local residents in Naka Ward, in the Osaka Prefecture city of Sakai. (Mainichi/Yuta Kumamoto)The firm leases 10- to 30-square-meter lots for 500 to 1,500 yen a month after building sheds for farming equipment and water-supply systems. (Mainichi Japan) Kan 19, 2020 Excerpt: OSAKA — As Japan’s farming population declines rapidly, projects to lease abandoned farmland in urban areas are enjoying high popularity in the western Japan prefecture of Osaka, providing city dwellers o ..read more

One of the most impactful single changes we can make for the sustainability of human life on this planet is to grow our own food.One Change: Growing your own food is one of the most impactful changes we can make for environment By Manchán Magan Irish Times Jan 21, 2020 Excerpt: The situation in Ireland is far murkier, as anyone who has tried to get their local authority to allocate land will know. Yet the few allotments that do manage to get established tend to be remarkably vibrant, with neighbours, families and friends working together, exchanging ideas, information and the fruit ..read more

Participants of training programme on ‘Urban Agriculture’.Lectures on hydroponic food/fodder production, prospects of fruit cultivation in urban areas, potential of ornamental flowers/plants and potential of ornamental fisheries which will help in poverty alleviation, food security, local economic development, recreational and empowerment of women etc in urban areas. By Daily Excelsior 18/01/2020 Excerpt: Dr K S Risam, Vice Chancellor SKUAST-Jammu and Director SAMETI-J, while inaugurating the training programme, emphasized upon participants for maximum interaction during training fo ..read more

Gardeners participating in the Portland Community Garden program pose in front of their plots. Photo courtesy of Laura Niemi.In sprawling urban areas, community gardening programs offer green salvation to the public. By Julianne Mobilian Produce Grower Jan 18, 2020 Excerpt: “We are living in a society prevalent with chronic disease, obesity, diabetes…all these things are in your face every day,” says Steven Uecker, president of Sunshine Community Gardens in Austin, Texas. “And gardening is a way to be healthy and it’s easy.” Community garden initiatives help foster a sense of loc ..read more