Homepage - Modern Farmer
Aug 08, 2023

Agriculture sucks a whopping 80 percent of the Colorado River’s water every year. The largest contributor to that massive amount of drainage is not commonly criticized culprits such as California almonds or avocados—it’s hay. Alfalfa hay, the nutrient-rich backbone of the dairy, beef and horse industries in the West, produces more protein per acre than […]

Andrea Parish holds back Zora, her black Labrador Retriever, who is coiled like a spring. Zora, a detection dog, can’t wait to get to those potatoes. Parish scans the environment for potential distractions—how noisy is it? Did the wind just change?—then releases Zora and watches her  posture and ear and tail positions for cues. Zora […]

Aug 04, 2023

On most farms, a crop field is a timestamp that reflects a specific moment in a specific place. The fields at Norwich Meadows Farm, however, are more akin to a time capsule—or even a treasure chest. With their meticulously selected collection of approximately 1,300 crop varieties, farmers Zaid and Haifa Kurdieh have gathered generations of […]

Plastic Mulch is Problematic—and Everywhere. Can We Do Better?

In Washington’s Skagit Valley, the beginning of summer is largely marked by the first ripe,... (more)

Lena Beck

Farm

Watching Grass Grow … From Space

There’s a sweet spot of the grass growing stage you want to hit in terms... (more)

Lena Beck
July 31, 2023
Opinion: As the Heat Rises, We Must Do Better at Protecting Agricultural...

On a hot day in Florida in 2016, Haitian tomato picker Jean Francais Alcime fell... (more)

Joan Flocks
July 28, 2023
The World Could Lose Half of all Farms by 2100

A study from researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder predicts that the number of... (more)

Emily Baron Cadloff
July 27, 2023
More Farm

Food & Lifestyle

Meet the Women Making Waves in Maine’s Tough Lobster Industry

To become a lobster boat captain on the rugged coast of Maine, you will need... (more)

Kirsten Lie-Nielsen
July 26, 2023
Tinned Fish is Trending. But Can You Trust the Label?

Tinned fish is hot.  The colorful packages are trending on Tik Tok and Instagram, (#tinfish... (more)

Natalie Jesionka
July 25, 2023
How the Haskap Berry Survives Arctic Temperatures

Agriculture is a tricky business in the Yukon. Bordering Alaska to the west, most of... (more)

Jennifer Cole
July 19, 2023
More Food & Lifestyle

News

Why Russia Pulled Out of its Grain Deal with Ukraine, and What...

The Russia-Ukraine grain deal that has been critical to keeping global food prices stable and... (more)

Anna Nagurney, The Conversation
July 25, 2023
Kill Pen Scammers are Preying on Horse Lovers

Crystal Kraft first saw Nacho, a sturdy golden chestnut Halfinger with a flaxen mane, on... (more)

Sara Ventiera
July 17, 2023
State of Abundance

California is an agricultural powerhouse, producing over a third of the country’s vegetables and three-quarters of... (more)

Modern Farmer
July 9, 2023
More News
Meet the modern farmer
Meet some men and women who turned their love of country into a love of land.
Meet the Flavor-Focused Farmers Cultivating More Than a Thousand Crops

On most farms, a crop field is a timestamp that reflects a specific moment in... (more)

Meet the Women Making Waves in Maine’s Tough Lobster Industry

To become a lobster boat captain on the rugged coast of Maine, you will need... (more)

In Becoming a Farmer, I Found Community and Unearthed My Trans Joy 

Earlier this year, I put a call out for help preparing my farm for spring.... (more)

Meet the Arkansas Farmers Turning Sweet Potatoes into Spirits

The rich soil of the Arkansas Delta takes its minerals from the Mississippi River that... (more)