County fairs are usually a big deal for kids involved in 4-H, FFA, and sorts of other farm related activities. Apparently, the government has a problem with all that "waste." For some nice commentary on this, check out this (albeit, from a random source). … [Read more...]
Occupy the Farm
Not sure how I missed this one, but have you heard about Occupy the Farm? As part of a spin off on the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations, protesters are occupying a piece of land owned by the University of California-Berkeley. Supposedly, the occupiers believe the school is going to develop the … [Read more...]
Pesky Truth About Pink Slime
Today it's the sexier and more salacious stories that get passed around the internet. With social media most people just skim headlines. They don't bother to read the whole article, let alone do some research to figure out how accurate it is. This is what happened with so-called pink … [Read more...]
More Fallout on DOL’s Pulled Child Labor Regulations
As reported last week, the Department of Labor (finally) decided to listen to the agriculture community and pull the new child labor regulations that would prohibit any child under 18 from doing specific chores on the farm. Well, the response keeps coming. As you can imagine, agriculture … [Read more...]
Organic’s Poor Yield Problem
If you've been to the grocery store lately, I'm sure you've encountered some type of organic produce. Usually this stuff looks less than appetizing, but apparently people are buying it. Despite the fact that there is absolutely no health or nutritional advantage, organic sales have been … [Read more...]
Update: DOL Pulls Child Labor Regulations
Finally, a break! Common sense has prevailed today in our federal government (er...at least a little bit).The Department of Labor has decided to withdraw the rules that would stop children from working on family farms. In a press release issued today, the DOL said: "The decision to withdraw … [Read more...]
No More Farm Chores for Kids!
Apparently chores just aren't good for kids. Or, at least so says Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. The Department of Labor is putting the final touches on new regulations that would prohibit children working on a farm before they reach they age of 18. Yes, it would include children working on a … [Read more...]
Introduction
Hello, my name is Amanda. Yes, I am actually a farmer's daughter. I grew up on my parent's farm in Southwest Michigan. We had grain and a full course of fruits and vegetables. My brother is now a fourth generation farmer. I didn't always love the hard work, but I've come to appreciate it. I'm … [Read more...]