Farm Confessional: I Raise Livestock and I Think It May Be Wrong
I have no farming background. I was born and raised in the suburbs, and I spent more time in a shopping mall playing video games and eating fast food than I did outside. "Animals...
Farm Confessional: Secrets of a Supermarket Produce Buyer
“A lot goes into this business if it’s done right, a lot of psychology. We aren’t just throwing up stuff and hoping you’ll buy it.”
Farm Confessional: I’m a Family Farmer (But Some People Call Me a Factory Farmer)
With two turkey houses that collectively hold 36,000 turkeys at a time, some would say John Sponaugle runs a “factory farm.” Sponaugle would choose the term “family farm.” It’s complicated.
Farm Confessional: I Bred Mice for Medical Testing
When I was 21, I had a job breeding mice as a research associate in a basic science laboratory. I bred mice, tested them for genetic traits, and sometimes had to kill them.
Farm Confessional: I Haul Manure
“I spent 23 years dealing with government BS, I can handle a little horse manure.”
Farm Confessional: I’m an Undocumented Farm Worker
In our new feature, Farm Confessional, we talk to agricultural workers whose stories often aren’t told. This week: a 40-year-old migrant farm worker based in Madera, California.
Dear Modern Farmer: How Do I Start Up a Community Garden?
A community garden can take any number of forms, but there are a few key considerations before breaking ground on your new project.
This Is What Humane Slaughter Looks Like. Is It Good Enough?
Technically, humane slaughter became law in the United States with the 1958 Humane Slaughter Act, intended to prevent the “needless suffering” of livestock during slaughter. But while it’s one thing to understand slaughter practices on a theoretical level, it’s another to be in the same room when a cow dies.
