It’s that time again for our weekly(ish) green news post. Some of these posts are a from a few weeks back since I haven’t had a chance to post recently, but I wanted to share them in case you didn’t see them elsewhere. Here’s what’s been happening on the sustainability front around Kentucky and the world:
- The good people of Peru have banned the use of GMOs in their country for the next ten years. (Source: Occupy Monsanto)
- I really enjoyed this article on raw milk. If we think we’ve got it bad in Kentucky, it looks like the laws are even more ridiculous in North Carolina. (Source: Carolina Journal)
- If you are looking for Kentucky-grown seeds, don’t miss the online catalog of the Sustainable Mountain Agriculture Center. I had the good fortune of touring their farm last year during the Lexington Farmer’s Market Farm Tour and was very impressed with their operation and commitment to preserving rare Appalachian seeds. You especially should order the Candy Roaster seeds. We saw the roasters as they were approaching maturity and they were huge. You really have to see them to believe them. They’d be a fun and different novelty item to grow (of course you can eat them as well).
- The audit continues of the Ag department under Richie Farmer. This lengthy article details the funds spent on an agriculture conference hosted by Farmer in 2008. What is not surprising is that a large portion of the $200,00+ conference (which included lavish gifts for the attendees) was sponsored by chemical companies: Syngenta, Bayer CropScience, Dow, Monsanto, Orkin, BASF, and Pfizer. Is it any wonder that our mainstream agricultural situation seems at times hopeless? (Source: Kentucky.com)
- Don’t be shocked: pesticides are killing bees. (Source: Huffington Post0
- The state of Michigan could potentially use feral pigs as an excuse to take control of the kinds of pigs raised by hog farmers. (Source: Grist)
Upcoming Events:
April 10th: Dormant Season Pruning Workshop at Yew Dell Gardens in Crestwood
April 14th: Cluck Ed with Tommy Collins at Central Library in Lexington (A talk on all things poultry sponsored by Cluck!)
April 20th: Deadline for Kentucky author Rona Roberts “How Did You Learn to Cook?” writing contest at Savoring Kentucky
April 21st: Wolf Creek Hatchery Earth Day Celebration in Jamestown, (270) 343-3797