What are Free-Range Eggs?
More than just a trendy term at the supermarket, “free-range” embodies an ethical idea of raising animals in a humane, natural way where the animal is free to roam in open spaces during its life. “Cage-free” is an interchangeable term with “free-range.” Eggs are a common food item that is popularly trending into “free-range” territory....
Food Preservation: How Preserving Food Effects Our Lives
There’s a basic fact about the food we eat: it’s perishable. Any time you’ve pulled some forgotten takeout from the back of your fridge, or observed the terrarium of mold that was once a fresh loaf of bread knows this. Our food is derived from organic life, plant or animal and that matter is subject...
What is a CSA Farm?
You may have heard about a growing trend in local farming and organic produce: CSAs. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and is a way that small family farms or local farming coops can be economically viable and ensure that they will have individuals who will buy their produce at a set market price. The...
The Benefits Of An Aquaponic Farm
Aquaponics is defined as “the integration of aquaculture (the raising of marine animals, such as fish) with hydroponics; the waste products from the fish are treated and then used to fertilize hydroponically growing plants”. Simply put, aquaponics is a recycling system, it mimics the natural system of our Earth. It is a system where aquaculture...
Alternative Farming And How It Affects Us As A Whole
Alternative farming or agriculture has to do with cultivation techniques that are eco-friendly and responsible towards the environment. But first this begs the question as to why it is called “alternative farming” rather than farming? As you know, big crop producing farms do rely on pesticides and fertilizers to cultivate land, they grow single...
Farming With Horses
In the olden days we relied on the natural resources we had at hand to cultivate agricultural land. Today, many again have turned to these old techniques to save on costs and reduce the carbon footprint cultivation of agricultural land leaves behind. Commonly, horses are used as show horses, racers, on ranches to cut...
Vertical Hydroponics – The Great Space Saver
Hydroponics is defined as “the cultivation of plants by placing the roots in liquid nutrient solutions rather than in soil”. Vertical hydroponics is simply put the vertical distribution of water. It takes up wall space instead of floor space and works much like normal hydroponics. Many people opt for this type of growing system...
What Is Organic Farming?
Organically grown food is growing in popularity among Americans and citizens of other countries, even though organic food prices are often higher. What is organic farming anyway and why is it more expensive? Organic farming is simply a method of farming done without synthetic chemicals. The first agrarian civilizations farmed “organically” without relying on synthetic...
Are Genetically Modified Foods Safe or Sustainable?
In United States’ environmental communities, genetically modified (GM) foods are often seen as unnatural and therefore harmful. In other countries, such as France, they are banned altogether, embracing natural techniques of raising plentiful crops. Despite excessive marketing campaigns, government endorsement and the pervasiveness of genetically modified foods, strong arguments indicate GMO food as unsustainable, a threat...
How to Grow Edible Mushrooms
The road to self sustainability starts with you and the creation of your own garden flourishing with fruits and vegetables. Growing edible mushrooms are a great addition to your vegetable garden or, if you are just starting, it can be one of your first projects. The first thing you will need to do is...
What Is Deforestation and Why Does It Matter?
What is deforestation? Surely the rainforest is an example that comes to mind, logging trees within the intensely bio-diverse forest along the equator. And yet, deforestation occurs everywhere, and has for centuries, likely in your own back yard. Deforestation is the conversion of forests to pasture, cropland, urban areas, or other landscapes that have few...
Ostrich Farming: The Advantages of the Flightless Bird
Ostriches are farmed in over 100 countries and, when you look at the benefits of ostrich farming, it is clear why. Ostriches require less maintenance and less feed. They are free roaming and, as humans, we can get quite a few necessities from these birds. First of all, they are a source of...
