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Farmers Can be Isolated and Unsure How to Seek Support. One State is Trying to Help.

Kate Elizabeth Queram

January 13, 2021 |

Route Fifty |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Wisconsin

The state of Wisconsin has launched a pilot initiative that aims to help farmers who are dealing with job stressors access mental health services including "a 24-hour wellness hotline, tele-counseling sessions and vouchers for in-person visits with participating mental health providers." While some of the services have proved more successful than the others, as a whole, use of the counseling services has increased, especially as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

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Second home in strange lands

Katherine Stanley Obando

January 08, 2021 |

El Colectivo 506 |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Costa Rica, Coto Brus

Coffee farmers in Costa Rica, who employ indigenous migrants and Nicaraguans to work during coffee harvests, have had to shift their practices to keep workers safe during the pandemic. The housing quarters for the workers have to meet safety standards, and many farmers have also built isolation shelters in case anyone tests positive.

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Soil: The Dirty Climate Solution

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Alex Blumberg

January 07, 2021 |

Gimlet Media |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Redwood Falls, Minnesota

More and more farmers are turning to regenerative agriculture techniques as a way to cut down on costs, increase crop yields, and sequester carbon into soil as a way to reverse the effects of climate change. One farming family in Minnesota switched to no tillage farming and also planted cover crops and used animals to fertilize their land. Some people question their methods, but these farmers saw their cost of production decrease and increased the amount of organic matter in their soil compared with their neighbors.

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Experiments in Coexistence

Juliet Grable

December 22, 2020 |

Earth Island |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Klamath, Oregon

Conflict prevention specialists for USDA Wildlife Services in southwest Oregon work with livestock producers to deter the local wolf pack from killing livestock. The specialists patrol overnight, making noise so that the wolves know they are there and stay away. They also set up scare boxes and deploy fox lights, which emit random patters of light, to make it seem like there are more people covering larger areas. If inspectors determine livestock was killed by a wolf, the rancher receives compensation. Funding has been secured to deploy conflict prevention specialists in up to 12 additional states.

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Could Seaweed Help Save Us From Climate Catastrophe?

Nadra Nittle

December 21, 2020 |

The Huffington Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Marshall, California

Seaweed aquaculture is a growing field that scientists are investigating for a number of climate-related uses, from reducing methane emissions in livestock to replacing plastic in packaging. Governments, startups, and researchers around the world are getting into the algae business that is also helping to create new jobs. There are challenges with scaling many of these products, but recent research for many of these initiatives have shown signs of early success.

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With Centuries-Old Techniques, This Farm Is Preparing for the Future

Klaus Sieg

December 18, 2020 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: France, Normandy

An unusually robust crop yield is stunning scientists at a small family farm where traditional farming techniques have replaced machinery, pesticides, and fertilizers. The French farmers implemented tips and tricks from cultures around the world and they now produce organic produce at much higher rates per square feet than conventional farms. Their methods have also bolstered the farm against extreme weather patterns, making it a model worth replicating.

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Is Farming with Reclaimed Water the Solution to a Drier Future?

Cirrus Wood

December 17, 2020 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Martinez, California

A California farm has successfully grown crops with the use of post-treatment water which the historically dry state has plenty of. Coco San Sustainable Farm is built on land that is reclaimed and uses free reclaimed water to irrigate its abundant produce. If wastewater reclamation was put into effect by the states $50 billion agricultural industry, it would relieve the water-strapped state’s constant water struggles.

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The world's fastest-growing source of food

Meenakshi J

December 15, 2020 |

BBC |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Tamil Nadu

Local villages along the coast of India are seen as a model for large-scale seaweed cultivation, which can be a form of sustainable agriculture and climate mitigation. As the country’s land is being lost to soil degradation, seaweed cultivation has had a positive socio-economic impact on the communities. About 1,200 families, mostly women farmers, are involved in collecting seaweed for industrial use, allowing them to increase their economic independence.

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California Farmers of Color Need More Support During the Pandemic. Can Private Efforts Help?

Hannah Ricker

December 14, 2020 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

The coronavirus pandemic highlighted the ways in which the food system is broken, but governments, NGOs, and philanthropists are working to address the discrepancies by connecting small-scale farmers of color with businesses that can purchase their produce at fair rates. “For the first time, they felt connected with a real community. For the first time, they felt they were getting paid what’s right for what they’re growing,” a business advisor for one of the operations explains.

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Long distances and stigma: Telehealth seen as way for farmers to access needed mental health assistance

Marissa Plescia

December 08, 2020 |

Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Illinois

A variety of telehealth counseling options throughout several Midwestern states are helping connect farmers with mental health clinicians. One option is online training, specifically targeted towards engaged couples and newlyweds, that teaches best practices for farming basics and managing communication and stress – already 1,500 people have enrolled in the course.

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