Dear NOFA-NJ Readers: On November 27, 2018, Environmental Health News published “Chemicals on our food: When ‘safe’ may not really be safe”, by our 2019 Winter Conference keynote speaker, Carey Gillam. This article pulls together, in one place, links to other resources and information about the dangers of pesticides in our food system. Through her investigative...
A challenge to all backyard gardeners, managing pest populations helps to ensure a healthy ecosystem and productive yields. There are a number of different ways to manage garden pests without using pesticides. Implement IPM strategies such as identification, monitoring, and intervention. Always inspect your plants to correctly identify the pest. Monitor vulnerable areas for pests...
A new paper published in Science by University of California, Berkeley conservation biologists focuses on bio-diversification of forest, farmlands, and ranch lands to combat climate change. The research paper explores how simple diversification provides habitat for a variety of beneficial wildlife including bats, birds, and mammals. Incorporating natural flora into working lands makes the landscape more...
It took 200 scientists from 20 countries and $75 million dollars, over 13 years to sequence the genome of bread wheat. The wheat genome was complicated to sequence since genetically it is three species in one. This means that there are three pairs of every chromosome, totaling 16 billion genetic letters or nucleotides. Scientists have...
A recent article published by the NY Times, “How More Carbon Dioxide Can Make Food Less Nutritious” explores how rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere affect the nutritional content of cash crops. Dr. Ziska of the USDA co-authored the study looking into quality rather than quantity of our food supply. He and his colleagues...
The humble blueberry is a delicious and nutrition addition to almost anything and is native to NJ. NJ’s crop of blueberries is the fifth largest in the nation with most of the production taking place in the Pineland region, where sandy, acidic soils prevail. Among commercially produced varieties of blueberries, several heirloom descendants are still...
An article recently shared by Cornucopia Institute describes ways in which consumers can improve gut health through diet and also steps farmers can take on the field to protect biodiversity. The human gut microbiome lives and is influenced by the food we eat. Eating a diet rich in vitamins and minerals from healthy, fresh, diverse,...
For any successful farming business, accurate records must be kept. There’s an app for that! VeggieTables can help organize your organic certification recordkeeping, making it easier to pass yearly inspection. It works offline and follows the crop from ordering seed to making a sale. Developed by Jess Isbrecht of Green Duchess Farm in Hillsborough, the...
Agricultural justice ensures the health and safety of farm workers and their families. As farm workers are typically immigrants, it is harder for them to speak up against injustice for fear of deportation. Sustainable agriculture must ensure standards of living for both humans and animals. One easy way consumers can support businesses that adhere to...
