Fracking our Thanksgiving Feast

Fracking our Thanksgiving Feast

My family has raised dairy cows on our farm in Monroe County near Kendall, Wisconsin, for almost 150 years. We’ve weathered the Great Depression, low milk prices, droughts, floods, and snowstorms. Despite difficulties, the dairy and related industries generate...
The Ingredient Haunting our Candy

The Ingredient Haunting our Candy

This Halloween, keep an eye out for “milk protein concentrate.” Avoid buying any treats made with it and don’t let your children eat candy or anything else made with this additive. You may not have heard of milk protein concentrate before, but...
Why We Need the Food from Family Farms Act

Why We Need the Food from Family Farms Act

Although my Mississippi community has fared pretty well this summer, the worst drought since 1956 is jeopardizing more than half of U.S. cropland. Thousands of farmers are facing tough decisions, especially if they own livestock. Dairy farmers face a triple threat...
Let’s Resist Herbicide-Resistant Crops

Let’s Resist Herbicide-Resistant Crops

A Pioneer seed saleswoman introduced the first genetically modified crop to my central Missouri county in the winter of 1996 at a University Extension Soils and Crop Council meeting. She told us that if a farmer planted this genetically engineered soybean, then...
Congress Must Pass a Farm Bill in 2012

Congress Must Pass a Farm Bill in 2012

There’s a nasty fight brewing in Washington over the budget that could determine whether a farm bill is enacted in 2012. Given the gridlock that has afflicted Congress since before this election year even got underway, some lawmakers say it should wait until...