Truelove Seeds offers a connection to culinary heritage and food justice
A community garden in Brooklyn, New York, is filled with produce that most people won’t find at their local grocery stores or even their favorite farmers markets. Marlene Wilks grows her own callaloo there, because she could not find the leafy vegetable in her neighborhood. Now, however, the organization that runs the community garden is offering varietal seeds to ensure that others can grow the produce they seek. Read more at CivilEats.com …
Report: Most illegal pot farms tainted by toxic pesticides
Researchers and federal authorities found this year that 90 percent of illegal marijuana farms in California had traces of dangerous pesticides. One researcher discovered that carbofuran used at some grow sites is so lethal that a quarter-teaspoon (1.25 milliliters) could kill a 300-lb. bear. Last year, 75 percent of illegal farms were treated with toxic pesticides; in 2012, only 15 percent were. Read more at the Daily Democrat …
Donated Sandpoint orchard becomes first University of Idaho organic center
The University of Idaho will open a new Organic Agriculture Center at the site of an orchard in Sandpoint, Idaho. The property owner and his family donated the 48-acre parcel and the existing office building, residence and dormitory. The center will be used for education, research and public outreach, the property owner said. The orchard grows 68 varieties of apples, including many heirloom varieties. Read more at Capital Press …
Stamford food company gets fresh $1M from state fund
Fresh Nation, a Stamford, Connecticut, company that connects local farmers with large grocers, has received a commitment of up to $1 million from Connecticut Innovations, a publicly financed venture fund. Read more at The Hour …
Plastic straw ban? Cigarette butts are the single greatest source of ocean trash
During the past 32 years, more than 60 million cigarette butts have been collected from beaches around the world—the single largest contaminant for the past 32 years. The plastic in the filters can take more than a decade to decompose, and they often end up in the oceans. Now, a California lawmaker want to ban cigarette filters, and he’s looking for help from both environmentalist and health care activists. Read more at NBC News …
