Tag: farming

Farmers Slow to Adopt Buffer Strips

The government launched an effort to help prevent water pollution from
agricultural runoff in 1997. The secretary of agriculture says buffer
strips could help eliminate serious water pollution from farms. The
Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports… despite the
government’s offer of payments for converting farmland to greenways
along streams… farmers have been slow to embrace the effort:

B-T Corn Research Heads Into Field

In a recent issue of the journal, Nature, Cornell researchers released a
report claiming that pollen from a genetically engineered, or BT, corn
has a deadly effect on the monarch butterfly. But industry
representatives criticized the results, saying the lab-work didn’t
duplicate a real-life scenario. So now, Cornell scientists are heading
into the field for more research. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
David Hammond has more:

Turkey Power

Manure management is a messy business. While farmers usually spread
manure as fertilizer, some are struggling to find enough land and can be
left with the costly expense of disposal. Now turkey farmers in central
Minnesota want to build the country’s first manure fueled power plant.
They say the plant will be a financial boost to farmers and help ease
the public’s concern over odor and pollution. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Kathryn Herzog reports:

Dairy Farm Endangers Trout Stream

In the tiny town of Martell in western Wisconsin, residents are trying
to stop a big new dairy farm they fear will pollute one of the best
trout streams in the Midwest — the Rush River, about an hour’s drive
east of the Twin Cities. Its the same kind of battle small towns and
rural residents are fighting across the Midwest, as large-scale
livestock operations continue to expand. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Mary Losure reports:

Corn-To-Ethanol Study

A technology group in upstate New York was recently awarded a
187-thousand dollar grant to study the feasibility of opening a
corn-to-ethanol facility. The study will determine the economic
potential of producing ethanol at a long-vacant grain processing plant
in the region. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Elizabeth Christensen
reports on what could be a boon to corn farmers in the Great Lakes
region:

Manure Network Connects Buyers and Sellers

Before commercial fertilizers…there was manure. It’s a good, cheap way to
add nutrients to soil. And today, it’s enjoying a resurgence in popularity.
But some farmers have more manure than they can use…and some people who
want manure often don’t know where to find it. Now, a project is underway
to unite sellers with buyers…and help the environment. The Great Lakes
Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports:

Restaurants Serve Up Local Harvests

At most restaurants, the produce and meat order comes in a tractor
trailer. What many chefs don’t realize is that they can get that same
food from local farmers. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen
Kelly reports, there’s a growing movement to put local food on
restaurant tables:

Bee Keepers Struggle With Declining Markets

Its estimated that the U.S. honeybee industry generates about $8
million in annual revenue. But the industry has taken a serious
financial hit from a mite infestation. Honey bees are being killed and
honey production is down. You might think that would mean higher
prices for honey. But as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester
Graham reports, the price of honey has actually gone down:

Chocolate Crisis

For years, environmentalists have searched for an issue that wouldmotivate all levels of society into protection of the rainforest. AsGreat Lakes Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston has discovered,a sweet solution might be just around the corner.