Category Archives: Environment

posted by Patricia Hohl

There’s a lot happening in gardens this winter and in thinking about gardens.

Such as #OccupyGardens, a Twitter movement based on our basic need for food and the power of being able to feed ourselves.

And as food activists head into a fierce battle over the Farm Bill early next year, some small farmers are finding an ally in the Occupy Wall Street movements. Continue reading →

posted by Patricia Hohl

The number of winter farmers markets in Massachusetts will increase this year from 30 to 48, following a strong national trend.  The USDA recently reported that according to the updated National Farmers Market Directory, since 2010, the number of winter markets has increased 38 percent, from 886 to 1,225. These winter markets also account Continue reading →

posted by Patricia Hohl

Do you look for the Fair Trade label on products?  Well, Fair Trade USA, the movement’s leading advocate in the United States, has angered critics by saying it will cut its ties at year’s end with the main international fair trade group and make far-reaching changes in the sorts of products that get its seal of approval.According to the New York Times, “The changes include giving the fair trade designation to coffee from large plantations, which were previously barred in favor of small farms. The group is also proposing to place its seal on products with as little as 10 percent fair trade ingredients, compared with a minimum of 20 percent required in other countries”  Read the entire story at: A Question of Fairness