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The Future of Farming

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(@lovendures)
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In the past we have discussed the way crops will be grown in the future.  Namely, indoor and perhaps vertical.  The article below is interesting for a few reasons.  It discusses a new way to farm indoors based on the way Norway is now farming which takes up less space, water and no chemicals.  

Additionally and what I think is the icing on the cake, this company is planning on operating in the Appalachian Region.  They will be providing jobs in a region sorely in need of jobs.  They will be creating jobs in a healthy manner unlike the coal mining jobs which destroyed the earth and peoples lives.  Also, produce will reach 70% of the US population in 1 day because of where they are located.  Very fresh produce.

This is inspiring.

https://www.fooddive.com/news/can-giant-greenhouses-help-feed-consumers-appharvest-wants-to-find-out/553570/

I find this amazing.

https://www.fooddive.com/news/can-giant-greenhouses-help-feed-consumers-appharvest-wants-to-find-out/553570/


   
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(@jeanne-mayell)
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I love this!  I've been seeing in the future vast acres of greenhouses in my mind's eye now for several years. I kept thinking they were in Canada, but Appalachia is closer to the U.S. population and needs the work.  

They also point out that greenhouse agriculture enables them to grow in one acre what outdoor needs ten acres for.  


   
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(@melissa)
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I love this too!!! And have been obsessed with this concept as a future job for myself. Which is kind of crazy since I know nothing about farming.... And I love the concept of creating a new industry in place of coal.


   
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(@coyote)
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Melissa, you should check out WWOOF-USA (Willing Workers on Organic Farms). It's an organization that connects organic farmers with people who want to know more about farming. The volunteers perform farm chores in exchange for meals and board from their hosts. Since 2016 I've WWOOFed on seven farms in six states, and it's been a great experience.


   
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(@lovendures)
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Coyote, I would love to hear more about your experiences on the various farms.  It sounds quite interesting.


   
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(@melissa)
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Coyote, thank you so much for the link. Seems like the perfect intro for me. Much appreciated!


   
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(@michele-b)
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Of note, the average age of the America farmer is currently 56. It is an aging out and into retirement population where more and more of the younger generation would rather go into the high tech industry with its huge salaries than life sustaining or humanity serving occupations. 

On another note, I watched a news short or retraining Appalachian coal miners into bee keeping.

Our family are big proponents of Community Supported Agriculture which is primarily small farms with subscription based monthy produce boxes.

Just being a part of such a program helps small farmers and their small farmers grow .

And to Costcos benefit, they also very involved in supporting these farms.  Local sustainability. Our Costco honey clearly states the it came from our local Oregonian beekeepers.

Bees are dying out in record numbers including by deliberate acts of destruction of massive bee hive farms. We needs both for our own survival!  

And kudos to you Melissa, look into volunteering perhaps on a small farm!


   
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(@lovendures)
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@jeanne-mayell

You will love watching the BBC video on vertical farming in Seoul.  It is taking place underground in the Subway Metro station area using smart technology and only began operating this past September.  They plan to expand.

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p082dgnz/the-farm-in-the-most-unexpected-place


   
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 PamP
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@lovendures I love this, I think it's the future of farming. 

 


   
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(@lovendures)
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Looks like we are already moving toward more plant based farming and less animal based farming.  Our family actually has recently begun drinking Oatly milk mentioned in the article so I found this even more interesting to read.  @jeanne-maywell I think you will like this article.  

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-farmers-ditching-livestock-growing-plants_n_5e9620b8c5b6a4470cb77646


   
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(@lovendures)
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Huge news about Bayer/Monsanto!  

A federal appeals court in San Francisco on Wednesday overturned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's approval of the use of dicamba, a weed killer used on millions of acres of soybean and cotton crops.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the EPA failed to comply with a federal pesticide law requiring it to consider the risks of the chemical when it granted a two-year conditional approval in late 2018.

Dicamba has been in use for more than 50 years, but its use expanded greatly in the past several years after Monsanto reformulated it and developed dicamba-resistant soybean and cotton seeds so that dicamba could replace Monsanto's Roundup herbicides on those two crops. The reason was that some weeds had developed resistance to glyphosate, the main ingredient in the Roundup products.The risk posed by dicamba is that it can drift for as far as a mile in wind conditions or when it vaporizes in hot weather, and thereby damage other crops, trees and gardens, according to the court.

Unless Monsanto, which is now owned by Bayer AG of Germany, or the EPA obtain a stay or successfully appeal the decision, the ruling means that dicamba can't be used for the rest of the year, according to Lori Ann Burd, environmental health program director for the Center for Biological Diversity.

Burd said, "This is a massive victory that will protect people and wildlife from uses of a highly toxic pesticide that never should have been approved by the EPA.

The fact that the Trump EPA approved these uses of dicamba despite its well-documented record of damaging millions of acres of farmland, tree groves and gardens highlights how tightly the pesticide industry controls EPA's pesticide-approval process," she alleged.

In other Bayer/Monsanto news this time about Round Up, thousands of cancer patients and their families around the United States were notified recently that a comprehensive settlement of their claims against the former Monsanto Co. should be announced before the end of the month.

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco/sf-court-overturns-epa-approval-of-dicamba-herbicide-made-by-monsanto-2-other-firms/2303280/


   
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(@michele-b)
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@lovendures

Huge and wonderful news indeed. Now if its upheld and passed by many others and truly ends the reckless and irresponsible use of allowing cancer causing chemicals and recombination versions of them to be allowed in any form we can put on our organic party hats and celebrate!

But really hood news and a great beginning to better farming practices!!!

 


   
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(@jeanne-mayell)
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@lovendures,  I love this Seoul metro farm -- 40 times more efficient that regular farming and saves the  fossil fuel costs of distribution because it's right in the middle of the city. 

It provides hope for food production during the uncertain climate future. However, it is a matter of scale whether metro farms can meet rising food demands. 


   
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(@lovendures)
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@Jeanne Mayell.

I believe that we can come up with a multitude of wonderful ideas to help our environment, people and animals.  We can be very creative when given the opportunity.


   
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(@tgraf66)
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(@grace)
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Not quite sure where to share this, but saw it online and was amazed.

This family of 4 is moving from London, England to the Seychelles off the east coast of Africa to create a nature reserve for the purpose of revitalizing the coral reefs in the area. They will farm coral and plant it across reefs to replenish and revitalize them:

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/family-sells-london-home-to-save-coral-reefs-in-the-seychelles/


   
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(@jsr78)
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Wasn't there a prediction about a new technology that would make pesticides obsolete? This might be it in the future. Tiny weed-killing robots could make pesticides obsolete


   
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(@jeanne-mayell)
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@jsr78. Baba predicted in 2019. Thanks for finding the article and welcome to the Forum! 


   
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(@journeywithme2)
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Not sure it this belongs in this thread or not.. but..It relates to improved environment . It seems a viable solution for America because of the large amount of farm land here :  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/08/spreading-rock-dust-on-fields-could-remove-vast-amounts-of-co2-from-air

 


   
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(@triciact)
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New Virus found in pigs: G4 EA H1N1

https://www.livescience.com/flu-virus-pigs-pandemic-potential.html


   
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