Items

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  2021-07-06

  World Zoonoses Day

  This is a tweet from the UN Environment Programme showing the driving factors behind zoonotic diseases and pandemics. Humans abuse of the environment is to blame.
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  2021-07-21

  Coronavirus, Climate Change, and the Environment

  In this article, Dr. Aaron Bernstein, Director of Harvard Chan C-CHANGE, answers questions about how climate change and COVID-19 are related. He discusses the problems that animal agriculture causes for both the environment and human health. Hopefully, more people will hear the words of a world-renowned scientist and make the change to veganism like I did 4 years ago.
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  2021-03-18

  Frontline farmers now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine

  Agricultural workers in Virginia are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Although farm production hasn't dropped significantly due to COVID-19, many farmers are apart of high-risk categories. Giving farmers access to the vaccine is believed to ensure that the food supply is maintained.
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  2020-10-08

  Over half of Canadians embracing the joy of pandemic gardening

  One study from Dalhousie University reported that "pandemic gardens" became a thing this past summer as thousands of Canadians across the country spent more time outside growing their own food. This article also reveals the reasoning behind why people took to gardening as one of their main sources of entertainment during lockdown and even afterwards. The study shows that Canadians gardened for a multitude of purposes. Not only did they want to spend more time outside, but some were also concerned about food affordability due to the shortage of produce. This article will further illuminate how Canadians viewed gardening as one of their favourite pastimes during COVID-19 through an informative survey.
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  2020-06-16

  Class of 2020 Celebrated by a Rural Community

  The rural community of Tuttle, Oklahoma honored their class of 2020 high graduates with a sign made out of a round bale of hay. The round bale was located just off of State Highway 37 next to the Tuttle Grain & Supply. As part of the creativity, the bale had a sign saying: "Class of 2020" with comments such as "Proud of You!" and "Congrats!" as well as "Great Job!" The sign then covered the face of the hay bale in the design of a large face mask. The community was acknowledging the circumstances that altered the 2020 senior year and graduation to be a smaller event.
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  2020-06-25

  “In Mexico City, the Coronavirus Is Bringing Back Aztec-Era ‘Floating Gardens’” - Atlas Obscura

  In Mexico, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen the revitalization of an ancient, indigenous farming method: chinampas, or floating gardens. As described in Amanda Gokee's article for Atlas Obscura, this indigenous farming method had been in decline for several centuries, but the disruption of Mexico's food supply chain has created an opening for indigenous farmers to sell their produce on the market. According to Gokee, the chinampa system, which dates back to Pre-Columbian times, is one of the most productive agricultural systems in the world. So it is no surprise that it has seen a resurgence thanks to the pandemic. Gokee's article showcases the efforts of one agricultural collective Colectivo Ahuejote, to further develop the use of the chinampa system in the Valley of Mexico.
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  2020-08

  143 Year Tradition Interrupted

  The Grantsburg Fair was a big part of my life growing up and it happened every year in August. 2020 would have been the fair's 143rd year but was interrupted due to the pandemic. It was surprising to hear that something that was so expected from my childhood could be interrupted by COVID.
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  2020-09-25

  Business as Usual

  COVID has sent the planet for a loop. In general, we are all reeling from the changes and policies that have been implemented. However, in some areas where life moves a little slower, there are some things that continue on, business as usual.
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  2020-07-20

  Rural Rainbow

  My aunt's photo of a rainbow on her dairy farm in rural Wisconsin. It shows how a lonely and quiet area in rural Wisconsin during the midst of a pandemic can have beautiful parts to it.
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  2020-06-13

  Virtual Colusa County Fair Junior Livestock Auction

  On June 6, 2020, the California Department of Food and Agriculture informed the Board of Directors of the Colusa County Fair that an in-person junior livestock sale would be prohibited to combat the spread of COVID-19. As a result, local students who raised livestock with 4-H and FFA were left with little choice but to participate in a virtual auction hosted by EZ2Bid. For students who were unable to care for their livestock at home and relied on school facilities, raising animals quickly became difficult as campuses closed. Having already purchased their livestock well before the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, local students had to adapt to the shifting climate to avoid losing thousands of dollars in invested time and money. In Colusa County, agriculture is an integral part of the educational experience that prepares students to succeed in the local economy. In an all-too-real scenario, students received an irreplaceable life lesson on the unexpected challenges faced by farmers and ranchers. While COVID-19 might have negatively impacted the education of K-12 students overall, there are some lessons that could not have been taught any other way.