Monday, February 6, 2017

Tuesday Links +

"Meadowland" ~ 1985 ~ Gerhard Richter

This Tuesday news thread is a weekly feature here at Big Picture Agriculture.
  1. Wetlands play vital role in carbon storage | Phys.org
  2. Quote: "Partly due to their cooler temperatures, the Upper Midwest and the Eastern Mountains have wetlands that are especially adept at storing carbon, accounting for nearly half the wetland carbon stocks in the U.S. But nearly 90 percent of the wetlands that were in the Midwest at the time of European settlement, Fennessy says, have been lost, mainly due to agricultural development. When wetlands are developed, their retention of carbon is disturbed, and the carbon cycles back into the atmosphere." k.m.: To think of all those drainage tiles in Iowa and elsewhere in the upper Midwest...
  3. Iowa's high rate of rental farms discourages conservation; 'Hard to convince landlords to adopt conservation practices that will cost them money' | The Gazette
  4. Kimbal Musk (the younger brother of Elon) wants to revolutionize the way America eats — this time, with affordable and nutritious food at "Next Door" restaurants | Business Insider
  5. k.m.: Kimbal's restaurants, including "Next Door" are here in Boulder. His "Next Door" concept, if you read this article is an example of capitalism and grassroots movements coming together to help get it right about the way America eats.
  6. Role of terrestrial biosphere in counteracting climate change may have been underestimated | Phys.org
  7. k.m.: When I saw this it made me sigh, as it is common sense that we already knew this without the study. I tweeted a link to it with the preface "A new "well, Duh" study... ever heard of Gaia?" My tweet got a strong endorsement by Michael Pollan, who retweeted it to his 524,000 followers.
  8. Rush to organic production accompanied by industry questions; Organicology, held in Portland, attracts a range of organic producers and activists. | Capital Press
  9. k.m.: There were some important thoughts discussed at this conference.
  10. New, Aggressive Rust Imperils Wheat Crops in Europe, Africa, Asia | IPS
  11. How fancy cheese may save some small-scale dairies | Harvest Public Media
  12. Australian farming industry looks for tech-savvy graduates | HindustanTimes
  13. k.m.: Note that you'll be seeing more headlines similar to this into the future.
  14. Large Snowfall in California to Ease Water Shortage | US Agnet
  15. k.m.: If you look at the drought maps (tab at top of this blog) it is amazing how California has left the drought and this week's map will look even better.
  16. Cereal prices continue to rise, defying improved supplies; FAO Food Price Index rebounds, approaching two-year highs | FAO
  17. Growing Tomatoes indoors in Finland: 100% LED pays off for Martin Sigg | HortiDaily
  18. Developing countries, such as China and Brazil, lead global agricultural productivity growth | USDA ERS
  19. Concerted action needed to stop diseases and pests from ravaging the food chain; FAO toolbox shows how prevention, early warning, preparedness can save lives and livelihoods | FAO
  20. Chinese investment in Australian agriculture is usually a magnet for controversy, but one Chinese company, New Hope Group, has remained immune from criticism, with plans to invest $1 billion by the end of the decade. | ABC
  21. Thanks to this Univ. of Nebraska professor, chicory has established itself as a worthwhile crop in Western Nebraska | StarHerald
  22. Chemical-Free Home Orchards | Mother Earth News
  23. MIT’s Food Computers Set the Stage for Open Source Agriculture | The Newstack
  24. All the colours of the rainbow: Incredible photos of Australia's vast and vibrant farming landscape from golden fields of wheat to red dirt of the outback | Daily Mail
  25. Phasing out cookstoves a ‘win-win’ for climate and health | Carbon Brief
  26. How apparel brands can change to sustainability models | Ensia

THIS WEEK'S VIDEO:

Farming the Sea ~ University of Maine





To view last week's LINKS, click here.

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