After local well water tested positive for E. coli, residents in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania are blaming biosolids, applied to a nearby farm for the contamination.Bill Schaffhouser, who has lived near the farm for six years, is trying to raise awareness among his neighbors about the E. coli contamination, which he believes came from human waste used as fertilizer, according to...
Monday marked the first annual Food Day, an occasion dedicated to celebrating healthy eating and local food. The observance - launched by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and supported by more than 120 partner organizations - was intended to start a dialogue about a host of issues surrounding food, from making nutritious mealtime choices to combating hunger;...
Federal agencies have made "limited progress" in addressing antibiotic use in food animals and lack the data needed to track progress, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.The GAO found that the government is lacking the detailed data needed to measure efforts to reduce antibiotic resistance and fully examine the relationship between using antibiotics in animal agriculture and the...
A city planner in Oak Park, Michigan apparently did not get the memo about gardens being a good thing.The Oak Park official wants to put residents Jason and Julie Bass in jail for putting a tidy garden in their modest front yard.The action comes in stark contrast to the garden-promoting city of Detroit, located just 15 miles south of Oak...
The Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers -- bitter rivals on animal welfare issues -- Thursday took the food and agriculture community by surprise. The two groups joined forces to announce a new, unprecedented agreement to push for federal legislation to mandate animal welfare standards on egg farms. If such a bill clears Congress, it...
As urban homesteading becomes increasingly popular, more people are refraining from store-bought eggs to try their hand at raising backyard chickens. However, despite the many potential benefits, it's still necessary to take precautions against disease and pathogens like Salmonella.Last week, for example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that an outbreak of Salmonella that has sickened 39...
I did an internship during the summer of 1975 at the Hot Springs Star, a weekly newspaper in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota that was still entirely a hot lead operation.Briefly what that means is that the Star had a Linotype machine that created solid lines of lead type that were formed into columns until an entire page...
Ask meat vendors at a farmers' market what their biggest headache is, and they likely will say getting their animals processed. If those vendors are selling certified organic meat and poultry, the challenge is greater still.Although slaughterhouses aren't always close or available when farmers need them, there are efforts being made to address that, and resources to help small-scale meat...
Eight major foundations announced Tuesday that they have launched an initiative to solve long-term national and international food and agriculture policy issues.Called AGree, the effort is being funded by the Ford Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and The Walton...
California, a state that has long been at the forefront of the fresh food movement, is planting the seed of its "California cuisine" in the next generation. This month marked the launch of the "Nourish California" program, an educational initiative designed to teach kids about where food comes from before it gets to the plate, from growing to preparation. The...
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