Ask a Farmer

[micdotcom]

What most people don’t know, that they should, is that practically every food you buy in a store for consumption by humans is genetically modified food. There are no wild seedless watermelons, there’s no wild cows, there’s no long-stem roses growing in the wild … We have systematically genetically modified all the foods, the vegetables and animals, that we have eaten ever since we cultivated them. It’s called artificial selection. That’s how we genetically modify them. So now that we can do it in a lab, all of a sudden, you’re going to complain? So we are creating and modifying the biology of the world to serve our needs. I don’t have a problem with that because we’ve been doing that for tens of thousands of years. So, chill out.

Neil deGrasse Tyson to anti-GMO advocates  (via micdotcom)

[askafarmer-blog]

We had another dairy tour trip today! Pictures to come later, but here's a video of one of the cows being milked! Though I know cows aren't forced to be milked, it always amazes me how happily the cows walk into the parlor. Open up the gate, and in they come. On another note, I'm sitting in the front lawn of my friend's house with her dogs. I just finished up feeding the animals for the night, and I can smell the rain on the wind. Here comes the first fall storm system for Northern California!

[askafarmer-blog]

Happy National Farmer Day!!

Today's the day to thank the farmers in your life for all that they do to get food on your table, clothes on your back, and provide for any of the other products that are made in agriculture.

[askafarmer-blog]

Farm Babe: 9 food labels that are misleading -- or just plain wrong | AGDAILY

Farmers and food experts reveal which food labels are the most misleading.

As many of you know, I’m a stickler on labels. Unneeded labels drive me bonkers. Farm Babe addresses those.

[askafarmer-blog]

By: Marie Spano, MS, RD There is very little that distinguishes organic food from conventional food. In an attempt to follow the pervasive “good food vs. bad food” storyline, many people have grossly exaggerated the differences between organic and conventional foods leaving readers with few facts grounded in scientific evidence. Don’t let the top three misperceptions about organic and conventional food influence your food choices. This post covers:

[askafarmer-blog]

Top 5 Food Questions Consumers Ask Dietitians |CommonGround | Blog

Farmer, Wanda Patsche asked a number of dietitians what food questions they most commonly receive. Here are the top 5 they shared.

[askafarmer-blog]

The Challenges of Science Communication: An Interview with Kevin Folta - CSICon Las Vegas

An interview with CSICon speaker Kevin Folta by Susan Gerbic

A cool interview with Kevin Folta!

[askafarmer-blog]

We Raise “Locally Grown” Food in our CAFO – Is That Possible?

[caption id="attachment_344" align="aligncenter" width="500"] CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) Pigs[/caption] There is no question the "locally grown food" phenomena is hot right now. I love farmers markets and before we know ...

An interesting question posed in this article.

[askafarmer-blog]

Managed Grazing Helps California Forests, Experts Say

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Guest column: Grazing and fire behavior

Did the lack of grazing in the Tex Creek Wildlife Management area have an impact on the Henry’s Creek Fire’s behavior? asks Wendy Pratt.

[askafarmer-blog]

What is the difference between faster- and slower-growing chicken?

Most of the chicken meat available today comes from flocks that are bred to be bigger and grow faster – growing to market weight in about 48 days.

Different breeds grow at different speeds. Some are bred to grow faster, like our conventional meat chicken breeds.

[askafarmer-blog]

Top 5 Ways Young People Can Become Ag Advocates

Guest blogger - Kristeena Patsche Ag Advocates I often get asked why I decided to go into agriculture. Yes, I grew up on a farm but my thoughts were to become a nurse. It wasn’t until I attended an agriculture leadership conference my senior year ...

Minnesota Farm Living gives a few great ways that you can help agvocate too!

[askafarmer-blog]

Cramped Chicken Cages Are Going Away. What Comes Next?

The results are in from a long-running study of three different ways to house egg-laying chickens. It found that more hens survive in cages, and cages are cheaper. But consumers prefer cage-free eggs.

I posted the study they’re talking about earlier this year, but here’s another look at the study.

[askafarmer-blog]

What role do GMOs play in the price of food? You may be surprised to learn that GMOs have actually contributed to reducing the real cost of food. Through improved productivity, environmental sustainability and even by nutritionally-fortifying foods – GMOs have not only reduced what you pay at the grocery store, but they have also reduced production costs for farmers and allow more people to have access to nutritious meals.

[askafarmer-blog]

Food Babe. There

I’ve ventured onto Food Babe’s page a few times to try to spread my knowledge of agriculture. While it hasn’t gotten me banned yet, I know many other farmers and ranchers who were banned for speaking out.

[askafarmer-blog]

Farm Babe: Antibiotic resistance from livestock to humans, easily explained | AGDAILY

The "antibiotic resistance" hype that gains so much of the public's attention can be confusing for many.

[askafarmer-blog]

Farm Fact Friday: 9/30/16

A 250 pound pig yields around 23 lbs of bacon.