Fairfield, Iowa, farmer and soil scientist Francis Thicke wrote a response to an editorial on water quality published in the Des Moines Register. Thicke said the June 28 editorial, by Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig, contained the “usual misinformation on nitrate put forth by the Farm Bureau and other ag groups.” While the Register […]
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Category: Agriculture
Tribute to Feed Iowa First founder Sonia...
I don’t have the answers anyone is searching for in regards to Sonia Kendrick, best known as the founder of Feed Iowa First, and to her friends, so much more. A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, where Sonia saw people suffering from hunger, she tackled that same problem when she returned to her home […]
Iowa farmer chosen for sustainability aw...
Practical Farmers of Iowa announced today that Earl Hafner was chosen for the 2018 Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award, to be presented this Friday, Jan. 19, at the Scheman Building in Ames, during Practical Farmers’ 2018 annual conference. I had a great time touring the Hafner farm in western Iowa – during much warmer weather – […]
Locate an Iowa tree farm for a locally g...
Before Black Friday became a frenetic day for shopping, the day after Thanksgiving for many families meant a trip to the local tree farm. If your family still follows that holiday tradition, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship offers the following information to locate a locally grown Christmas tree: “Iowa is fortunate to […]
Iowa farmer: Corporate ag influence puts...
Organic dairy farmer Francis Thicke, of Fairfield, Iowa, who holds a PhD in soil science, attended his last meeting as a board member of the National Organic Standards Board this week in Jacksonville, Fla. The meeting brought with it a recommendation to allow hydroponic operators to remain a part of the organic program. Learn more from […]
Deadline announced for Iowa’s Heritage a
Last year, our family was honored with Heritage Farm recognition for the family farm near Chelsea, Iowa. The state’s Heritage and Century Farm program offers a wonderful opportunity to research the past while celebrating the present and looking forward to the future of Iowa’s family farms. A June 1 deadline was announced today for this […]
Iowa losing small farms, while larger fa...
Iowa lost 500 farms last year, according to information released Feb. 17, 2017, by the United States Department of Agriculture. The National Agricultural Statistics Service report showed the total number of farms in Iowa in 2016 was 87,000, down 500 farms compared to one year ago. At the same time, however, the total farmland in […]
Animals find safe haven at Iowa’s first
By Cindy Hadish/for Radish Magazine Carl the cow roams the barnyard with sheep pal Matty, while four ducks follow in a row to splash through the mud, and Sammy, a large red Duroc with drooping ears, gets a belly rub in the pen he shares with a handful of other pigs. The idyllic scene looks […]
Court sides with agriculture in Iowa wat...
Agricultural interests cheered a court ruling that sided with drainage districts in a lawsuit filed over nitrates that flow into drinking water of half a million residents in the Des Moines area. The Iowa Supreme Court ruling was issued today on four certified questions of law that the Court received from the U.S. District Court […]
Iowa hydroponic farm grows in unique env...
By Cindy Hadish/for Radish Magazine As experts debate how to feed the world’s growing population into the future, Andrew Freitag has taken action. The Davenport man opened Friday’s Fresh Market – an indoor hydroponic farm – with lofty goals: to grow the healthiest plants on earth and drastically reduce water consumption, soil erosion and the […]