explainer Archives - Modern Farmer

explainer

Digging In: Food’s Big, Plastic Problem

“Does anyone realize we’re headed toward plastic armageddon?” That’s how Bradley Aiken of Portland, OR... (more)

Rose Garrett
What Does it Take to Become an Organic Farmer?

Even though organic farming makes up less than one percent of US farmland, it’s still... (more)

Lena Beck
February 28, 2024
The Staggering Scale of Food Waste, Explained

Most people don’t set out to waste food. And yet, we’re pretty much all guilty... (more)

Lena Beck
February 22, 2024
Food Was a Focus at COP28. Here’s What You Need to Know

Every fall, the United Nations holds a global meeting to discuss the state of climate... (more)

Modern Farmer
December 12, 2023
The Dirt on Fertilizer

For plants to thrive, they require a magic formula: water plus sunlight plus air plus... (more)

Daliah Singer
November 24, 2023
Why is Turkey the Main Dish on Thanksgiving?

Have you ever wondered why Thanksgiving revolves around turkey and not ham, chicken, venison, beef... (more)

Troy Bickham, The Conversation
November 23, 2023
What’s in a Name? Food Labels, Explained

Do you know what “cage-free” means? How about “free range”? “Pasture-raised”?  Some of the terms... (more)

Lena Beck
October 9, 2023
In the Shopping Cart

Food fraud is the act of misrepresenting or adulterating a food product, usually for financial... (more)

Lena Beck
October 8, 2023
Navigating the Buzzwords Behind an ‘Ethical’ Bag of Coffee

You’re shopping for a bag of coffee beans at the grocery store. After reading about... (more)

Spencer M. Ross, The Conversation
September 30, 2023
The Dirt on Cover Crops

What’s cover cropping all about, anyway? As with many eco initiatives, what was old is... (more)

Daliah Singer
August 31, 2023
For Years, Farmers Milked Cows by Hand. Now Robots and Technology Do...

Chad Kieffer, a third-generation farmer from Utica, Minnesota, has five milkers for his herd of... (more)

Ethan Humble, Investigate Midwest
May 2, 2023