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Is underground farming the future of food?

Kwon Moon

July 24, 2020 |

BBC |

Multi-Media |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: South Korea, Seoul

There’s a subterranean, organic farm in one of Seoul’s subway stations that could be another way to approach sustainable urban farming. The “vertical” farm, known as Metro Farm, uses a mineral nutrient solution instead of regular soil, and has an automated tech network to control the underground ecosystem’s temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels. While Farm8, the tech startup in charge of the venture, hasn’t made much of a profit yet, the farm produces about 30 kilograms of vegetables per day at a rate that is 40 times more efficient than traditional farming.

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Amid biting drought, sisters in Zambia fend off hunger with organic farming

Doreen Ajiambo

July 16, 2020 |

Global Sisters Report |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Zambia, Chilanga

In Zambia, where severe drought due to climate change has negatively affected agriculture, the Daughters of the Redeemer are practicing organic farming to feed hundreds of children and families whose basic needs are not being met. This group of religious sisters do not rely on rainfall to farm; they installed a drip irrigation system that has allowed them to grow crops like cabbage, maize, tomatoes, and beans. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the sisters provided training to local villages about organic farming, and this has allowed families to support themselves during the crisis.

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As a North Jersey Farmers Market Goes Virtual, It Finds a New Kind of Community

Brianna Baker

April 30, 2020 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Metuchen, New Jersey

In order to keep local farms and businesses afloat, the Metuchen Farmers Market in North Jersey went virtual. Volunteers for the market enlisted the help of the Canada-based Local Line to build the market's platform, which allows customers to place orders online for a weekend pickup.

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Philly garden activists are shipping millions of seeds to a nation fretting over food access during coronavirus pandemic

Samantha Melamed

April 27, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Across Philadelphia, people are turning to seeds to source their food instead of grocery stores and supply chains, which have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Philadelphia is home to the Cooperative Gardens Commission, helping people across the United States practice safe gardening, providing mentoring for novices, and packaging and sending seedlings. It’s just one of many localized garden initiatives working to make sure their communities and neighbors have fresh, sustainable food.

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The farmers bringing their fields indoors

Dina Newman Tom Garmeson

April 23, 2020 |

BBC |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: France, Paris

To "ease the strain" on the food supply chain, some restaurants in large cities, such as Berlin and Paris, are turning to their own crop production using in-house vertical farm systems. Although these farms have not yet yielded a profit, consumers have expressed that the produce grow in-house tastes better and investors have given billions in funding betting, "urbanites wanting this kind of food."

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Against the grain: why millet is making a comeback in rural India

Anne Pinto-Rodrigues

February 25, 2020 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Kohima, Nagaland

By reviving millet farming, farming communities are adapting to climate change. In India, the Millet Farmers Group, organized by a women’s rights nonprofit, the North East Network (NEN), helps farmers cultivate millet, an ancient grain that is less water-intensive than white rice. NEN Nagaland helps farmers from around the Nagaland district share knowledge about growing millet and obtain the necessary machinery to dehusk the grain.

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Return of indigenous crops helps reduce farm distress and restore ecosystems

Basudev Mahapatra

February 10, 2020 |

Mongabay |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Odisha

By returning to indigenous varieties of crops, farmers can increase ecological diversity and reliance to climate change. In India, hundreds of farmers in the state of Odisha have been returning to indigenous crops, like millet, vegetables, and tubers. In contrast to the high yield varieties of seeds provided by the government, heritage crops prove more resilient to changes in climate, water shortages, and local pests. Using heritage crops also reduces the need for pesticides, helping to restore ecological balance in the region.

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Can charcoal make beef better for the environment?

Mikki Cusack

February 06, 2020 |

BBC |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Australia, Manjimup

An unusual mixture of biochar — a charcoal-like substance that is produced by burning organic matter — and dung beetles is one way farmers could reduce their cows’ methane emissions to combat climate change, while also improving the health of their soil. Studies on Doug Pow’s farm in Australia have shown an improvement in soil-water retention and an increase in the amount of carbon retained in the soil, which prevents it from escaping into the atmosphere. “We are doing our bit to re-engineer the soil in a positive way, for the long-term benefits of our world,” Pow says.

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Most of America's Farm Owners Are White. This Program Is Rooting for More Diversity

Monica Humphries

December 31, 2019 |

NationSwell |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Cultivating a more diverse generation of farmers requires training and mentorship. In New York, GrowNYC’s FARMroots program trains new farmers of diverse backgrounds. The FARMroots Beginning Farmer Program offers courses on everything from finances to driving tractors. The program also pairs the new farmers with an experienced mentor. Hailing from a range of backgrounds, the new farmers bring new crops, new ideas, and new skills to their communities.

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Shouldering the Burden

Sena Christian

December 17, 2019 |

Comstock's Magazine |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Guinda, California

Drastic solutions to climate change tend not to pan out (like trying to get everyone to stop eating meat), but careful adaptation is making real progress. In California, many smaller-scale farms are trying out new methods of adapting to the new realities of climate change, including not tilling the land so that nutrients build up and the soil strengthens. This article covers a range of approaches that farmers take to protect their livelihood and conserve their resources.

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