A recent major outbreak of listeriosis in cantaloupes serves as a warning to hobby farmers to guard against food-borne diseases.
Photo courtesy Growing Cities Filmmakers Dan Susman (right) and Andrew Monbouquette (left) traveled the country looking for urban farming. Article first published in Urban Farm November/December 2011. From children swiftly entering their teenage years to small towns hastily developing into cities, growth — and change — happens within a blink of an eye. But a […]
Photo by Audrey Pavia Zani, this blue-pointed Ragdoll, is one of the cats I met at the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center. I have a soft spot in my heart for homeless creatures, which might explain why so many of my urban farm animals are rescues. All four of my cats, two of my […]
All too often, farmers’ and gardeners’ hubris actually cause their gardens harm.
Photo courtesy Zpizza, Seal Beach, Calif. Zpizza locations in Seal Beach, Calif. and Huntington Beach, Calif., deliver pizzas with the help of electric-powered bicycles. The latest pizza trend isn’t about off-beat toppings like elbow noodles, squid ink or fried eggs; instead, it’s coming from some independently owned pizzerias that are taking steps toward improving air quality: […]
I’m so disappointed that we didn’t get any of our own pumpkins this season! I planted five pumpkin vines, including an Atlantic Giant, a Howden, and some others I don’t remember, but none of them managed to set any fruit.
As bumblebee populations continue to decline, a USDA entomologist searches for a replacement pollinator.
The great thing about the Internet is the instant access to information. I use it on a regular basis for owner's manuals and user suggestions. You can find almost anything in the way of how-to videos on www.youtube.com or dozens of other "how to" sites. I got more than 5,000 responses when I Googled "how to fix a chainsaw." Some sites rely on amateurs, while others offer high-quality professional work, placed there by a company to promote their product and services.
Photo courtesy PRNewsFoto/U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance Results from surveys of farmers, ranchers and consumers. Last week, the findings of two national food production surveys were released during “The Food Dialogues,” a town hall-style discussion presented by U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance. The surveys, conducted by phone by Ketchum Global Research Network and Braun Research […]
Photo by Audrey Pavia Me and Chirpy, a House Sparrow we raised from a nestling. Lately, when I throw feed to my chickens in the morning, a thieving flock of House Sparrows flies down, grabs some of the pellets and flies up into the bushes to feast. Rather than get irritated at them, I am […]
Hobby Farms talks with the author and small-scale dairy farmer about his new book, cheesemaking and how the restaurant business was a stepping stone to farm life.
