From the category archives:

General Agricultural Articles

Culpeper VA Gets New Natural Foods Store

by Staff on February 17, 2012

Organic Foods in VAA Culpeper VA couple has opened a brand new store named Natural Harvest, in the Duke Street shopping center of Culpeper.  They intend to feature a sort of year-round farmer’s market of organic natural food choices.   One of their goals is to be a connector between the farmers and growers who are already producing wholesome local products, and to make it available to the consumers who want to find those products. 

For instance, one of their first successes has been marketing grass-fed local meats from local farmers.  Farm Market in Orange VAThey also offer all sorts of advice … even small classes… to those who’re interested in supporting organic natural food choices.  In our opinion, this is the sort of market “connector” that is needed to provide access to consumers, and we hope they get lots of support.   Check out our link at the top of this page for more information.

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Agriculture Exported From America

by Staff on February 16, 2012

Do you know which country has purchased $20 billion in goods in 2011 to become the top market for U.S. agricultural goods?   If you guessed China, you’d be right.   Nearly 160,000 American jobs were supported in 2011 by farm exports.

This trend is not going unnoticed by world leaders.  Today in DesMoines Iowa, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and China’s Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu signed an historic Plan of Strategic Cooperation which is designed to guide agricultural relations between the two countries for the next 5 years.

Topics of mutual concern between China and the US include sustainable farming practices, food security, organic farming, animal and plant health, and trade practices.  You can learn more about this agricultural agreement by clicking here for details.

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Retail Beef Prices Net More for Farmers

by Staff February 10, 2012

The U.S. Dep’t of Agriculture has released some statistics about the price of beef in December.   For the 4th month in a row, beef prices rose, reaching $5.02 per lb in December.   That brought the 2011 average price to $4.83/lb.    The good news for farmers is that the farmer’s share of the price also rose…. to 49.9%.   [...]

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They Live Among Us

by Staff February 1, 2012

When I was a kid, I enjoyed lying on my back and staring up at a giant maple tree in our yard.  Its branches formed different shapes each day.  They changed as the wind blew, as leaves grew and fell, as branches grew and then died and snapped off.  The birds seemed to know instinctively which [...]

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Another Use For Hay

by Staff January 31, 2012

Here’s an idea that seems to be working in Maine, so maybe it can work other places too?   How about producing hay logs? Farmers in Maine are now taking the portion of their hay fields that become degraded – – for instance, when the weather is so rainy that the nutritional value of the wet [...]

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Free Heirloom Seeds For Twice The Price

by Staff January 29, 2012

The Chesterfield Historical Society has launched an innovative program for Virginians who are interested in growing and preserving heirloom fruits and vegetables.  They have 2300 packets of heirloom seeds which they’ll give away – – free – – so that people can grow them this year.  Free?   The catch is:  people must agree to return [...]

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