Renewable Farming

Main News Stories

How Heartland Farms won the hearts of its fruit and vegetable customers

  By Erik Carlson     The early eighties found the Midwest in a farm crisis. As divorce rates and home troubles in farm families rose, some individuals broke under the strain of an economic disaster in America’s rural heartland. Many more who depended on American agriculture for their livelihood faced financial ruin. Dave Myers started

How Heartland Farms won the hearts of its fruit and vegetable customers Read More »

Five-star speaker lineup for BRT field day Sept. 2 near Stockton, IA

Dr. Don Huber, Dr. Michael McNeil and Dr. George Kindness will bring important production updates to farmers at the Sept. 2 field day on Keith Schlapkohl’s farm near Stockton, IA. Keith Schlapkol and 230-bu. corn Keith will also present his ideas on making non-GMO production highly effective — based on two generations of experience.  Ag

Five-star speaker lineup for BRT field day Sept. 2 near Stockton, IA Read More »

Germany’s ag minister moves to ban growing GMO crops in Germany

German ag minister Christian Schmidt has sent a letter to all states within the country announcing his intent that Germany will “opt out” of genetically modified crop cultivation, using new European Union provisions allowing that action. This move follows a similar ban announced by Scotland. Until now, Germany has tightly restricted cultivation of GMO crops,

Germany’s ag minister moves to ban growing GMO crops in Germany Read More »

A few farmland buying funds focus on organic, non-GMO production

Plunging stock markets, disappearing debt and weakening currencies have encouraged investors to buy about $25 billion in U.S. farmland over the past decade. A small slice of that cash has come from investors keen to own land managed with “sustainable” technologies: non-GMO diversity instead of chemical-dependent, biotech monocultures.  We expect those ecologically mission-minded investment firms

A few farmland buying funds focus on organic, non-GMO production Read More »

We asked, “Show me the evidence on glyphosate.” Here it is

Finally, a research organization has assembled a virtually complete spectrum of information on glyphosate’s health effects — and published it in a single, well-written document. The 80-page report, titled “Banning Glyphosate,” was released Aug. 20 by the Institute of Science in Society. You can review it at this link. Eight world-recognized researchers cooperated to assemble a

We asked, “Show me the evidence on glyphosate.” Here it is Read More »

Fast-food diet “devastates” gut bacteria: Who’s really responsible?

Dr. Arden Andersen, who holds a post-doctorate degree in public health, looked right in the eyes of his farmer audience at a Des Moines seminar a couple of winters ago: His accusation went something like this: “How are you going to explain to your grandson who develops diabetes at age five, your granddaughter who can’t

Fast-food diet “devastates” gut bacteria: Who’s really responsible? Read More »

Equatorial Pacific anomaly 1997-2015

NASA climatologist: This could be the “Godzilla of El Niños”

For months, meteorologists have warily watched the current El Niño building in the equatorial Pacific. But they’ve cautioned the public to “wait and see” how much impact it will have. Finally this week, Bill Patzert, a climatologist at NASA, told the Lost Angeles Times: “This definitely has the potential of being the Godzilla El Niño.

NASA climatologist: This could be the “Godzilla of El Niños” Read More »