From Eastern NC to Tokyo: A new breed of ‘silky' pork

Historically, farming has been very difficult in Alaska, making certain food products very expensive, and leading to a lack of locally grown food. However, due to climate change and new technology, farming is increasingly possible.

University research in Kansas and California is providing technical solutions for small farmers to help them compete against large scale farms.

For years, a rancher in Southern Oregon has been trying to keep a local pack of wolves from killing his livestock, and after many rounds of trial and error and collaborative efforts, a high-tech fence may be the solution. Although the fence isn't cheap, many came forward to help make this a possibility and show their support for a project that united people that historically have stood politically opposed.

Connecting new farmers to community partners facilitates the process of buying and selling land. In addition to linking buyers and sellers, the Hudson Valley Farmlink Network (HVFN) enrolls local organizations such as GrowNYC’s FARMroots program, the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Corporation, as well as micro lenders to make the sale of the land possible. The network increases the resources available to farmers in New York.

Oftentimes in farming, once farmers spot an issue with a crop, it is too late to save it. Artificial intelligence is changing that, starting with implementing the technology that is used to manage orchards into the practice of growing corn and soybeans.

In prison, most inmates are alienated from social practices and can be a tax burden for the states. The Colorado Correctional Industries is a program that positions inmates in different forms of labor such as making stuffed toys, farming fish, picking fruit, tending livestock, and creating crafts to be sold at grocery stores. The program makes inmates into taxpayers instead of tax burdens and offers skills that are useful for future employment once they leave prison.

When cattle die on ranches in Montana, they can attract grizzly bears that can come dangerously close landowners, ranches, and living livestock. Blackfoot Challenge, a coalition of ranchers and landowners who work with the government, collects and composts dead cattle into odorless woodchips. These woodchips are effective at repurposing carcasses into high-way side revegetation projects.

Spurred by federal and state incentives, farmers in Massachusetts are adopting agrivoltaics, the practice of installing a solar array on the same land they use for crops and livestock.

Following a successful pilot, Malawi’s National Commission for Science and Technology is now expanding use of solar-powered milking devices and water pumping systems, which have improved milk quality and significantly reduced time spent fetching water.

A new Hydrogen nutrition technology allows a rancher in Utah to turn alfalfa seed into cattle feed within a few days with less than one-tenth of the water used in traditional hay fields. By using this technology, he’s been able to manage the drought in the region and preserve his farmland. While many could be skeptical of the system, the Legislature is planning to study how effective it could be for others in the state.