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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 |

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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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Could Seaweed Help Save Us From Climate Catastrophe?

Nadra Nittle

December 21, 2020 |

The Huffington Post |

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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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Pandemic Offers Surprising Opportunity for Farmers

Linda Mujuru Vimbai Chinembiri

December 08, 2020 |

Global Press Journal |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Zimbabwe, Mutoko

The coronavirus pandemic,and related lockdowns and travel restrictions caused farmers across Zimbabwe to lose substantial income as crops spoiled. But the crisis led to a shift in strategy, with many farmers participating in bartering networks that have opened new markets closer to home. Having to travel shorter distances creates greater income stability, as reliable transportation was an issue well before the pandemic. Farmers also shifted the types of crops they sell with an eye towards adding value. Dried produce and herbs increase profits by up to 30% and allow farmers to supply crops out of season.

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If Ranching Wants To Survive Drought And Other Climate Hassles, It's Time To Show Soil Some Love

Michael Elizabeth Sakas

December 07, 2020 |

Colorado Public Radio |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Thanks to a microloan from a local nonprofit and a willingness to try a new approach, a ranching operation in Colorado has begun introducing regenerative agriculture practices in the form of carbon capture. Using "portable electric fences to keep their cattle moving," the farmers have been able to produce healthier soil which has promoted better grass growth. Although the practice has not caught on across the industry, "regenerative agriculture is considered an important climate solution."

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A grassroots push to save disappearing birds and bees forces change in Germany

Bridget Huber

December 03, 2020 |

National Geographic |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany, Bavaria

Environmental advocates got 1.75 million signatures to change Bavarian farming laws to protect biodiversity. The Save the Bees Campaign calls for using subsidies to nearly triple the amount of organic farming, creating a network of wildlife corridors, and other actions to protect bird and insect life. Initial results show that, since the law took effect, the share of organic farmland increased and thousands of more acres of forest have been protected. Farmers have also adjusted their view of productivity, including protecting nature as a way to be productive. Similar efforts are happening across Europe.

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An unusual snack for cows, a powerful fix for climate

William Neff Tatiana Schlossberg

November 27, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Prince Edward Island

A farmer on Prince Edward Island fed his cows seaweed and noticed that they produced more milk and had better pregnancy success. A study of his cows found that they also reduced methane emissions by about 18 percent, a decent amount that could be beneficial in combating climate change. The farmer is now part owner of North Atlantic Organics, which produces seaweed supplements for livestock. Now, other companies around the world are popping up to do the same thing and scale this climate solution.

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An urban farm nourishes the poorest part of Philly as its growers fight to keep the land

Alfred Lubrano

November 24, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Life Do Grow Farm in Philadelphia, run by the nonprofit Urban Creators, is a two-acre plot that yields food needed to feed the community who might not be able to make ends meet. Since June, the farm has distributed 65,000 pounds of produce, along with free children’s meals. But the farm is also a community gathering space for artists and entrepreneurs. While the land’s lease runs out in 2022, the nonprofit hopes to own it and highlight it as a “reimagination of city land, a radical collaboration in the service of empowering Black and brown communities in North Central Philly,” said the farm manager.

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Worker-led programs like Milk with Dignity are key to protecting dairy farm workers

Aaron Mok

November 19, 2020 |

Prism |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Vermont

A first-of-its-kind worker-led program in Vermont is helping dairy migrant workers to "hold farmers, corporations, and suppliers in the dairy industry accountable for the rights of workers in their supply-chains through a legally-binding agreement." Although not all dairy farm operations have joined in the program as participants, it has been enacted on 64 farms and helped bolster wages and housing situations for migrant farmers.

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