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Will the last farmer to leave Puget Sound please wish us luck?

Posted Wed, Feb 1, 2 a.m.

By Berit Anderson

Better yet, says a new report, we should develop conservation tactics that do a better job of protecting farmland from development.

Groundwater mismanagement lets giant feedlots drink their fill

Posted Thu, Jan 19, noon

By Cally Carswell

A loophole in Washington's groundwater laws means large-scale cattle operations like Eastern Washington's Easterday Ranches can deplete as much groundwater as they want -- no permit necessary.

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From Silicon Valley to Skagit Valley: A new farm incubator

Posted Wed, Jan 4, 2 a.m.

By Jennifer Langston

A new Skagit Valley farm incubator, Viva Farms, gives aspiring farmers the support they need to get off the ground in the hardscrabble world of farming.

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Winter eating: beyond kale sandwiches

Posted Thu, Dec 29, 2 a.m.

By Amy Pennington

Sick to death of kale? You can still eat a seasonal, varied winter diet in the Northwest. Here's how.

Best of 2011: Farmers to Monsanto: Save our seeds

Posted Sat, Dec 24, 6 a.m.

By Amy Pennington

Eastern Washington farmers are increasingly worried about agricultural invasion from Monsanto's unwanted genetically modified and patent-protected seeds, which can threaten a farm's organic status and land them in court. Now a national coalition of independent farmers is fighting back.

Best of 2011: Low income? No farmers market for you

Posted Sat, Dec 24, 6 a.m.

By Tiffany Ran

Chase fees and this year's budget cuts mean Seattle's Farmer's Market Nutrition Program may be on the chopping block. In some low-income neighborhoods, it could mean serious trouble for the markets themselves.

Green Acre Radio: How Mexico struggles to defend against flood of U.S. grain

Posted Sun, Nov 20, 6 a.m.

By Martha Baskin

A farmer from Oaxaca visits the Puget Sound region to talk about defending non-GMO corn and culture.

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The hidden savings in organic meat

Posted Mon, Nov 14, 2 a.m.

By Amy Pennington

Forget the well-being of chickens. Sustainable meat keeps you (and everyone else) healthy. Why and how to eat organic, grassfed meat without breaking the bank.

Redistricting away Seattle's minority representation

Posted Mon, Nov 7, 8:48 a.m.

By Collin Tong

Activists cheered the prospect of Washington's first majority-minority congressional district. Then they noticed what redistricting would do to South Seattle's legislative delegation.

Urban ag grows up in Vancouver, even creating some political backlash

Posted Mon, Nov 7, 2 a.m.

By Peter Ladner

The urban agriculture movement is gaining strength across B.C., enthusiastically adapted by everyone from businesses to backyard growers to pot-growers. So why is it being used as a wedge issue in Vancouver's latest election?

Whidbey gets serious about building local, healthy food systems

Posted Fri, Oct 28, 2 a.m.

By Valerie Easton

Using Whidbey Island as a blueprint for healthy, sustainable food communities, the Whidbey Institute launches the first in a series of conferences dedicated to thriving communities.

Farm workers at risk: EEOC wins NW harassment settlements

Posted Wed, Oct 26, 2 a.m.

By Eric Scigliano

The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sues a series of Northwest employers for letting foremen harass and assault immigrant workers. Civil rights attorneys say abused farm and janitorial workers are just starting to come forward.

Green Acre Radio: Stimulus project tries to satisfy environmentalists, Skagit farms

Posted Sat, Oct 22, 4:39 p.m.

By Martha Baskin

Sometimes the best thing for nature is a construction project. And this one hopes to meet the goals of both environmentalists and farmers.

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Washington's wine industry feeling the squeeze of cold weather

Posted Fri, Oct 21, 2 a.m.

By Tuck Russell

An unseasonably cold spring and summer are adding stress to an already strained Washington wine industry. How will this affect this year's harvest and what will it mean for the state's darling wineries?

The rise of the farm-cation

Posted Wed, Oct 19, 2 a.m.

By Amy Pennington

With the boom of the Northwest's local food movement, a new kind of vacation has emerged. More and more farmers are converting spare rooms into guest rooms, and offering city-dwellers a taste of farm life -- chickens and all.

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Sustainable wine certifications for dummies

Posted Fri, Oct 14, 2 a.m.

By Tuck Russell

With so many different sustainability certifications popping up on wine bottles, how's an enviro-connoisseur to choose? Tuck Russell breaks down the (genuinely confusing) world of sustainable wine.

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Seattle summer jobs of yore: Berry hard work

Posted Fri, Sep 9, 2 a.m.

By Collin Tong

Seattle's current Japanese-American civic leaders remember their roots as teenage farm workers, living in a city bordered by berries, not burbs. If only today's jobless teenagers were so lucky.

The new contender: British Columbia's emerging wine superstar

Posted Thu, Sep 1, 3:04 p.m.

By Ronald Holden

Free trade has forced the Okanagan Valley to step up its winemaking game, which has launched British Columbia into the forefront of the Northwest winemaking world.

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How a South Korean trade pact would impact the Northwest

Posted Thu, Sep 1, 2 a.m.

By Dick Nelson

The free-trade agreement is getting close, though the politics is still divisive. Here's a look at how strong are the trade bonds between the Northwest and this Asian tiger, and it's far more than jetliners.

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Shellfish farmers confront silent watershed crises

Posted Wed, Aug 31, 2 a.m.

By Tiffany Ran

Recent problems facing the shellfish industry have made nurturing the tender little bivalves a little tougher, leaving farmers struggling to stay productive and sustainable.

READ MORE 1 COMMENTS

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Agriculture Blog posts

You say basil, I say arugula

Posted Fri, Sep 23, 9:42 p.m. 2011

by Amy Pennington

Words of wisdom from a local green thumb for gardeners looking to extend their harvest into the fall months.

Green Acre Radio: Can organic farming be sustained on the Olympic Peninsula?

Posted Tue, Jul 5, 9:54 p.m. 2011

by Martha Baskin

As with regular farming, the work force is nearing retirement ages. New approaches are needed to attract young people.

Is this the 'suite' life? Making honey on the roof at the Fairmont Olympic

Posted Tue, Jun 7, 2:28 p.m. 2011

by Ronald Holden

You wouldn't know it from The Georgian room or the lobby bar, but five boxes of bees were recently placed on the Fairmont's roof, where they will eventually house up to 50,000 bees producing 150 pounds of honey.

A springtime feast: Wendell Berry at SAL, plus a nourishing course on sustainability

Posted Wed, Apr 20, 2 a.m. 2011

by Judy Lightfoot

The naturalist and author will read from his work May 24 as part of a Seattle Arts & Lectures series that starts tomorrow (April 21) and concludes with a tour of the UW Farm, complete with prosecco and pizza.

Green Acre Radio: How Obama helped bring healthy local foods to more people here

Posted Sat, Apr 16, 2 a.m. 2011

by Martha Baskin

Martha Baskin looks at the way a small amount of the Obama administration's stimulus money is helping King County farmers, school kids, and health.

Community college part-timers worry about losing more ground

Posted Wed, Mar 16, 2 a.m. 2011

by Joe Copeland

A bill in the legislature could signal that lawmakers are backing away from dealing with the part-timers' longstanding concerns about low pay.

Crosscut Tout: A locavore's delight

Posted Tue, Aug 3, 2 a.m. 2010

by Ronald Holden

For The Herbfarm's special "100-mile" dinner, every menu item and ingredient is local. Even the salt is made from scratch.

Crosscut Tout: All-American strawberry shortcake

Posted Sun, Jul 4, 2 a.m. 2010

by Ronald Holden

For maximum freshness, the berries at 20 Anthony's restaurants are brought in daily by lunchtime.

Crosscut Tout: A rich harvest at farmers markets

Posted Thu, Jul 1, 3:32 p.m. 2010

by Ronald Holden

After our cool, wet spring, it's prime time for the local harvest, perfect for those of us avoiding out-of-town travel.

Who needs sun? The cherries are telling us it's summer

Posted Tue, Jun 22, 2 a.m. 2010

by Ronald Holden

The state's 2,500 growers and a valley full of packing houses are in full swing, producing two-thirds of the nation's cherries. Look for shipments to hit local stores next week.