Agriculture plays an essential role in every person’s life each day, yet many of us do not know or appreciate how our food is produced. As part of a nationwide effort to educate people about the immense effort which goes into growing food and the importance of agriculture in our daily lives, The American Council…
While the previously known dangers of deforestation are already severe and somewhat grim; less carbon absorption, loss of habitat, biodiversity decreases etc. a new study indicates that it could also be exposing more people to deadly, infectious diseases like the Bubonic plague. While societies of the western world have largely forgotten about the “Black Death”,…
The term “vertical farming” was originally coined in 1915, but had not achieved widespread popularity, that is, until now. Stacking rows of plants in greenhouses and using artificial light while careful moderating water and nutrient inputs is the future of sustainable agriculture, and it is catching on presently. The innovative ag-tech firm PlantLab (http://www.plantlab.nl/) recently…
Ever since 1999 when fire ants (Solenopsis spp.) were first identified on the big island of Hawaii, the battle to protect farm and natural lands from them has been raging. This invasive pest, native to South America, has since been found on Oahu and Kauai. In certain areas officials had the infestation under control…or so they thought. Following…
Adding charcoal or “biochar” to soil can boost soil’s water holding capacity and reduce the need for fertilizers, which is well-known in the agricultural industry but as of yet has not caught on in the horticultural realm and growth media industry. Research, led by growth media company Fafard & Frères, in Quebec, suggests that biochar…
