I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Locally-Sourced Ice Cream!

By: Mindy Waite I recently learned that July is National Ice Cream Month and July 21st is National Ice Cream Day. Like most Americans, I latched onto the excuse to order up this “sometimes” treat and started my search for local ice cream. Alas! It turns out that there...

Is bee colony collapse the next dust bowl, only bigger?

Once a trend gets established, it is hard to get people to heed to warning signs. In the early 1930s, farmers in  portions of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas  had noticed parched soils, dust and declining productivity caused by a low rainfall and...

Crowdfunding a new agricultural enterprise

Are you ready to crowdfund that new cattle barn you have been thinking about or the new equipment needed for your organic vegetable operation? In tight fiscal times, entrepreneurs are using creative methods to finance their new enterprises. Research firm Massolution...

Produce farmers need to weigh in on proposed FDA Food Safety Act

On January 10th, I posted that the Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) had issued a press release initiating public review of the proposed rule for produce safety: Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption. The comment...

Recruiting new Maryland farmers – part 3

In the first series post, I described marketing and climatic advantages that make Maryland an attractive location for new agricultural ventures. In last week’s post, I highlighted land preservation and regulatory efforts to support farming. A few tough issues...