#rural-economic-diversification

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fromRealagriculture
11 hours ago

Pulse School: Balancing P-K-S fertility when margins are tight

"The awesome thing with pulse crops is no nitrogen needs... not having to put any nitrogen on a pulse crop is a great starting point," he says, noting that this allows growers to not only meet PKS requirements but, in some cases, build soil fertility for the rotation.
Agriculture
#climate-change
Environment
fromNature
1 day ago

'Yes, we can': a blueprint for a clean economy and healthy society

A new 'clean' economy focused on sustainability can lead to a more efficient and prosperous society.
Environment
fromNature
1 day ago

'Yes, we can': a blueprint for a clean economy and healthy society

A new 'clean' economy focused on sustainability can lead to a more efficient and prosperous society.
fromPhilosophynow
6 days ago
Philosophy

The Collective City

Islamic philosophy invites plurality and coexistence, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and the acceptance of error in understanding.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
1 day ago

Preserving farmland, strengthening food security: Why the Greenbelt matters

Ontario's agriculture sector must diversify and reduce reliance on U.S. trade to enhance self-reliance and capitalize on local production opportunities.
#small-business
fromEntrepreneur
1 week ago
Bootstrapping

6 Low-Cost Business Ideas That Are Perfect for Families

Small businesses, comprising 99.9% of U.S. firms, thrive on family collaboration and digital-first models, reducing startup costs and enhancing accessibility.
fromEntrepreneur
2 months ago
Business

Why Small Businesses Should Choose Resilience Over Growth This Year

Small businesses prioritize resilience and financial flexibility over rapid growth due to rising costs, constrained financing, and cost-focused decision-making.
Bootstrapping
fromEntrepreneur
1 week ago

6 Low-Cost Business Ideas That Are Perfect for Families

Small businesses, comprising 99.9% of U.S. firms, thrive on family collaboration and digital-first models, reducing startup costs and enhancing accessibility.
Agriculture
fromModern Farmer
1 day ago

How to Kill Winter Crops Without Losing Soil Gains

Proper timing and method for terminating cover crops are crucial for maximizing soil biomass and ensuring successful subsequent crop growth.
Online Community Development
fromForbes
6 days ago

Rural America's Connectivity: Interstates, Broadband And Livability

The COVID pandemic reversed rural brain drain as telecommuting allowed skilled workers to return for affordability and livability.
NYC startup
fromCornell Chronicle
2 weeks ago

Grow-NY competition invites applications from food and ag startups | Cornell Chronicle

Grow-NY competition supports innovative food and ag tech startups in upstate New York with $3 million in prize funding to stimulate the regional economy.
Everyday cooking
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 weeks ago

I lost my love of cooking after 12 years as a chef. Moving to a pig farm restored it

The hospitality industry can be toxic, leading to burnout, but a love for food can inspire a return to passion and creativity.
fromThe New Yorker
2 weeks ago

China's Shifting Relationship to the Countryside

"You have this kind of alienation between the two generations. The younger ones are trying to get closer to nature, but in a way we might roll our eyes at."
London
#farmland-ownership
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
2 days ago

RealAg on the Weekend: Pre-seed decision making, Agracity, & who should own farmland, Apr 4 & 5/26

Farmers have opinions on farmland ownership, and discussions include acquisitions, decision-making, and family expectations on farms.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
2 days ago

RealAg on the Weekend: Pre-seed decision making, Agracity, & who should own farmland, Apr 4 & 5/26

Farmers have opinions on farmland ownership, and discussions include acquisitions, decision-making, and family expectations on farms.
Agriculture
fromTruthout
2 days ago

Gaza Farmland Is Destroyed, But Some Are Growing Food Even While Displaced

Survival in Gaza has replaced beauty, with agricultural devastation leading to a focus on basic sustenance over the cultivation of flowers and greenery.
fromDaily Coffee News by Roast Magazine
2 weeks ago

Study: Social Enterprises Beat Corporate Sustainability in Farmer Well-Being

The study frames each of the models as 'emerging strategies' that can either complement or serve as alternatives to well-known sustainability certification schemes such as Organic, Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance.
Online Community Development
Bootstrapping
fromEntrepreneur
2 weeks ago

Economic Outlook: What's in Store for Small Business in 2026

Small businesses adopting digital-first models, optimizing cross-border payments, managing cash flow strategically, and investing in cybersecurity will build resilience and achieve sustainable growth in 2026.
Women in technology
fromRealagriculture
3 weeks ago

Changing conversations highlight evolving role of women in agriculture

The Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference has evolved to address mental health, resiliency, and workplace challenges, reflecting decades of progress in recognizing women's contributions to agriculture.
London politics
fromwww.bbc.com
3 weeks ago

Residents to grow food on 'unloved' public land

Hounslow Council launches Right to Grow initiative allowing residents to cultivate food on unused public land, becoming only the second London council to adopt this policy.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
5 days ago

RealAg Radio: Carney's to-do list, important on-farm infrastructure, and a late spring, Apr 2, 2026

Corteva Crop Protection offers solutions for effective crop management and decision-making in various conditions.
Media industry
fromNieman Lab
3 weeks ago

A new report looks at 559 funding proposals to determine local journalism's biggest problems

Local journalism funding suffers from too many competing nonprofit solutions, inefficient intermediaries, and philanthropic institutions failing to select viable winners or allow unsuccessful projects to fail.
London food
fromIndependent
4 weeks ago

From boardroom to barn: A couple's leap into organic sheep farming in Wicklow

Tom Stewart transitioned from UK logistics management to full-time farming in Ireland through a succession partnership, with his wife Katy joining after initially remaining in her dentistry career.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
5 days ago

More than just stress: why connection matters for farm mental health

Mental health support in agriculture is crucial as farmers face unique pressures, with initiatives like Agknow addressing gaps in the current system.
Public health
fromEurasia Review
4 weeks ago

Digital Transformation Of Food Retail Is Reshaping Food Access For Consumers

Digital retail transformation reshapes food access through online platforms and AI, creating both health promotion opportunities and risks of targeted unhealthy food marketing to vulnerable populations.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
5 days ago

Learning more about KWS hybrid rye, Ep 2: The push and pull of the market

The rye market faces challenges due to decreased demand and overproduction, prompting growers to adapt their strategies and explore new markets.
fromBon Appetit
1 month ago

Homeward Bound

The expense, return on investment, and volume of investors needed to make it a reality did not make sense. I thought, 'maybe it's time to do something new.' The amount of money you need to run a restaurant in Brooklyn or Manhattan at this point is so crazy. If you fail, the loss is massive. Here, we were able to do a major renovation, we have a 100 bottle wine list, and we can use the ingredients we want and serve them at a decent price point because our overhead is not as bad.
NYC food
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
6 days ago

Ag Policy Connection: Tackling food waste through a systems approach, with Lori Nikkel

Canada's food waste is a systemic issue, with 46.5% of food produced lost or wasted, necessitating a national food waste strategy.
Agriculture
fromModern Farmer
1 week ago

5 Ways Interseeding Can Change the Farming Landscape

Interseeding enhances crop output and sustainability by allowing multiple crops to grow simultaneously, benefiting both large and small farms.
Canada news
fromRealagriculture
1 month ago

Canada is way behind on capital investment in ag. Where does it fall apart?

Canada's agri-food sector contributes 7-10% of GDP but receives only 2% of federal venture funding, creating a significant growth capital gap that limits company scaling.
#canadian-agriculture
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
1 week ago

A call to leadership

Collaboration in Canadian agriculture is essential to address existential threats and ensure effective policy solutions for food production.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
1 week ago

A call to leadership

Collaboration in Canadian agriculture is essential to address existential threats and ensure effective policy solutions for food production.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
2 weeks ago

RealAg on the Weekend: Emergency prep, ag diversification, and jobs of the future, Mar 21&22, 2026

Spring brings timely topics in Canadian agriculture, including agronomy, policy, and safety.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
1 week ago

Struggling to work with family on the farm? Clear expectations can help

Working with family on the farm requires clarity in roles, expectations, and boundaries to improve efficiency and reduce tension.
Miscellaneous
fromlrt.lt
1 month ago

From capital to countryside: a growing shift around Vilnius

Residents are leaving Vilnius for nearby districts due to lower housing costs and remote work flexibility, with Vilnius District and Trakai District receiving the most relocations.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 week ago

It helped me feed my six children': how Africa's first water fund supports farmers to protect Kenya's biggest river

The avocado seedlings enabled him to grow his farm income to close to 2m Kenyan shillings, with each mature avocado tree yielding 70kg annually. Improving farming methods and conserving the watershed has helped me to feed and educate my six children.
Agriculture
#agriculture
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
1 week ago

The truth about where ag needs to go next, with Arlene Dickinson

Arlene Dickinson emphasizes the need for innovation and value creation in Canada's agricultural sector beyond commodity production.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
1 week ago

RealAg Radio: Steady growth in land values, tight margins, and safety for young farmers, Mar 25/26

RealAg Radio connects listeners with agricultural insights and updates relevant to Canadian and US farms.
fromFingerlakes1.com
1 month ago

IN FOCUS: Making Upstate communities stronger will require tradeoffs (podcast) | Fingerlakes1.com

While remote work has expanded opportunity and demand for high-amenity, walkable communities, it has also intensified housing shortages in desirable regions. Zoning reform alone will not solve the housing crisis, warning that regulatory changes must be paired with coordinated public-private investment to deliver meaningful supply.
Online Community Development
Agriculture
fromFast Company
2 weeks ago

The most innovative companies in agriculture for 2026

The agtech sector is experiencing a downturn, with significant declines in crop prices and startup failures, but opportunities for innovation remain.
#food-security
#rural-economy
Startup companies
fromFast Company
2 months ago

Community is the smartest investment a solopreneur can make

Building intentional communities is essential infrastructure for solopreneurs to sustain creativity, provide reality checks, and amplify professional impact.
Public health
fromNature
2 months ago

How to eat well and within Earth's limits

Dietary choices drive human health and planetary stability; shifting to minimally processed, protein-rich and plant-forward diets reduces emissions, water use, pollution, and premature deaths.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
2 weeks ago

Policy Brief: Agriculture R&D through a critical infrastructure lens

Canada's public agricultural research infrastructure has declined significantly, with reduced AAFC funding shifting away from essential research site operations and maintenance.
Canada news
fromRealagriculture
1 month ago

67 options and counting: Navigating the complex landscape of farm incentive programs

Canadian farmers face a growing number of sustainability incentive programs that create administrative burdens, confusion, upfront costs, and unclear financial benefits as major programs end.
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

Humanity's favourite food': how to end the livestock industry but keep eating meat

For someone aiming to end the global livestock industry, Bruce Friedrich begins his new book called Meat in disarming fashion: I'm not here to tell anyone what to eat. You won't find vegetarian or vegan recipes in this book, and you won't find a single sentence attempting to convince you to eat differently. This book isn't about policing your plate.
Environment
fromFast Company
2 months ago

The Farmers' Almanac isn't dead. It's getting a digital reboot under a new owner

"I saw the announcement that one of America's most enduring publications was set to close," Konrad said, "and it felt wrong to stand by while an irreplaceable piece of our national heritage disappeared."
Media industry
fromwww.kaltblut-magazine.com
2 months ago

The Rural Cut

The Rural Cut places vintage fashion in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, among vineyards, open fields, and the animals that inhabit the land. As a Beirut-based stylist, I worked with a fully Lebanese team to create a shoot that feels authentic, where each garment and every frame reflects the textures, history, and rhythm of the rural landscape. Photography by Angele Basile / Instagram: @angelebasile Styling by Rinad Saad / Instagram: @rinaaaaddd
Fashion & style
fromFast Company
1 month ago

5 lessons for building up an industry, not just a company

But if you're innovating within your industry, it's a problem you should expect and prepare for because it means having to operate in two realities-the internal reality where you know the challenges in your industry and how you're going to solve them, and the external reality where nobody else has recognized the problem that needs to be solved. In a highly regulated industry like healthcare, safety, and stability create an inertia that often works against innovation.
Startup companies
fromwww.aljazeera.com
2 months ago

Thousands of Irish farmers protest EU's Mercosur trade deal

Thousands of Irish farmers have taken to the streets to protest against a trade agreement between the European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur, a day after a majority of EU member states gave provisional approval to the long-negotiated accord. In the central town of Athlone, tractors streamed onto roads on Saturday as farmers from across Ireland gathered to demonstrate against the deal, holding placards reading Stop EU-Mercosur and shouting slogans accusing European leaders of sacrificing their interests.
Miscellaneous
Agriculture
fromTasting Table
2 weeks ago

Can You Grow A Garden From Grocery Store Produce Seeds? - Tasting Table

Growing vegetables from store-bought seeds is possible but results vary based on produce type, growing method, and post-harvest treatment, with hybrid plants producing different crops than their parent plants.
Canada news
fromRealagriculture
1 month ago

AAFC expands AgriMarketing Program to include small and medium-sized businesses

Canada is investing $75 million over five years to launch AgriMarketing Market Diversification streams to expand export markets and support SMEs and industry associations.
Environment
fromwww.mcall.com
1 month ago

Backyard vegetable gardens are healthy for people and the planet. Here's how to start yours

Backyard vegetable gardens reduce food-related emissions, improve soil and pollinator habitat, and boost physical, social, emotional, and nutritional health.
Food & drink
fromEarth911
1 month ago

Taking Your First Bite of Upcycled Food: Understanding the Certification

Upcycled foods repurpose ingredients that would otherwise be wasted, reducing food waste, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and are identified by an Upcycled Certified label.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
3 weeks ago

Ag Policy Connection: Innovation at the heart of food security and resilience, says Alison Sunstrum

Canada must treat agriculture as critical national security infrastructure rather than solely an economic sector, requiring systemic innovation across processing, supply chains, and digital infrastructure.
Agriculture
fromFast Company
3 weeks ago

Why the industry that feeds 8 billion people still can't read its own data

Agriculture's fragmented, incompatible data systems prevent AI from delivering value, despite massive untapped information potential worth $500 billion globally.
Environment
fromwww.dw.com
1 month ago

Global economy needs nature to thrive

Business models prioritizing growth over nature drive biodiversity loss and risk human extinction unless transformed to integrate environmental stewardship.
fromRealagriculture
3 weeks ago

RealAg on the Weekend: Women in ag, diesel prices, & future plant breeding options, Mar 14 & 15/26

If we did that today, it would be a hundred percent, because right now, without question, 2026 is riskier than 2025. So farmers really [face significant challenges]. The war in Iran continues and it works back to the world of agriculture. It's had an impact on fertiliser and diesel prices and commodity markets, as well as currency.
Agriculture
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
4 weeks ago

Forty per cent of farmers see their banker as a "partner"

Farmers facing 2026 financial challenges should cultivate strong banker relationships as trusted partners rather than transactional service providers to navigate commodity price pressures.
fromRealagriculture
3 weeks ago

Ruminating with RealAg, Ep 39: Ranch economics, record-keeping, and real-world decisions

Profitability in the cattle business often hinges on understanding the real cost of production, something that can be difficult to pin down when labour, land, and opportunity costs aren't always clearly accounted for.
Agriculture
Agriculture
fromEarth911
4 weeks ago

Fill Your Windows With Year-Round Edible Produce

Window farms enable indoor food production in small spaces through vertical hydroponic gardening, with 71% of Americans planning to grow food in 2025 and over 27% choosing indoor methods.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
1 month ago

Hiring? Agriculture Canada announces funds for youth jobs program

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada allocated $27 million for the Youth Employment and Skills Program over 2026-2028 to support young workers aged 15-30 gaining agriculture sector experience.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
1 month ago

Farmers say improving financial decisions boosts profitability more than new tech or government programming

Seventy-three percent of Canadian farmers believe improving financial decision-making impacts profitability more than technology or government programs, with younger farmers showing strongest agreement.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
1 month ago

The cost of digging out of a soil fertility deficit

Excessive fertilizer rate reductions deplete soil nutrient reserves below critical thresholds, causing rapid yield losses that require costly long-term rebuilding.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
1 month ago

Don't cut the science that pays the bills

Closing AAFC research stations undermines Canada's agricultural competitiveness by eliminating the only coordinated system for validating crop genetics across diverse agro-ecological zones, despite wheat breeding generating a 32:1 benefit-cost ratio.
Agriculture
fromWIRED
1 month ago

The Latest Repair Battlefield Is the Iowa Farmlands-Again

Iowa lawmakers advanced legislation enabling farmers to freely repair their own agricultural equipment, marking the first of 57 state right-to-repair bills in 2026.
Agriculture
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

US farmers are rejecting multimillion-dollar datacenter bids for their land: I'm not for sale'

Rural landowners are rejecting lucrative offers for datacenter development, turning down multimillion-dollar buyouts as tech firms seek vast powered land for AI infrastructure.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Eye-watering numbers': food producers sound alarm on rise in energy charges

Outside, it's an overcast and blustery February day in Kent hardly the ideal conditions for growing tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. Yet inside the enormous glasshouses run by grower Thanet Earth, the climate has been optimised to a humid 20C, perfect for the regimented rows of small pepper plants poking out of raised trays. Growing fresh produce indoors in the south of England year-round requires plenty of energy to provide light, warmth and carbon dioxide.
Agriculture
Agriculture
fromModern Farmer
2 months ago

Forest Farming: Why it Might Make Sense for Your Land - Modern Farmer

Agroforestry integrates small-scale farming with forestry to produce diverse crops, timber, and livestock benefits while working within existing forest ecosystems.
fromInsideHook
2 months ago

An Essential Part of Farming Has Two Wings and a Beak

When you think of farming, what ingredients do you generally associate with a successful harvest? The basics certainly come to mind: fertile soil, plenty of sunlight and lots of water. But there are other variables that can also mean the difference between a crop of healthy fruits and vegetables and a large heap of organic waste. And it turns out that one of those variables is a very small hawk.
Agriculture
fromRealagriculture
2 months ago

What sets successful farm transitions apart?

Based on years of post-transition reviews, MNP has identified seven traits common to successful farm families, MacLean says. First, they start early. Early planning allows flexibility and time to work through the tough stuff. Clear, respectful communication is the second trait - and it's essential. Families who talk openly and establish expectations avoid the dangerous territory of unspoken assumptions. Farms that navigate the process well have a shared vision.
Agriculture
Agriculture
fromFast Company
2 months ago

Why investors and farmers are betting on organic agriculture

Organic farming is now the most profitable model for U.S. farmers, consistently generating higher net income than conventional systems.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

We're not hippies': why these Iowa farmers swapped pigs for mushrooms

My older brother has worked with pigs his entire adult life, managing about 70,000 of them across five counties, Faaborg says. But we got to a point where he went from laughing at me to saying: well, I guess maybe I'll quit my job and help you out. Now he's the most dedicated, says Katherine Jernigan, director of the Transfarmation Project at Mercy for Animals, a non-profit that helped the Faaborgs make the switch and set up their new business, 1100 Farm.
Agriculture
Agriculture
fromModern Farmer
2 months ago

5 Agri-Environmental Strategies that Prevent Species Loss

Implementing agri-environmental strategies like prairie strips and reduced tillage increases biodiversity, soil health, pollination, and natural pest control, benefiting farm productivity.
Agriculture
fromIndependent
2 months ago

'It's a kind of rock-star lifestyle... but I always loved farming': Why ex-pro surfer swapped chasing waves for regenerative farming

Fergal Smith left a professional surfing career to practice regenerative farming and train Ireland’s next generation of sustainable farmers on Moy Hill Farm.
Agriculture
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

Solar grazing: triple-win' for sheep farmers, renewables and society or just a PR exercise for energy companies?

Free solar grazing on solar farms enables farmers to expand flocks, reduce land costs, and cut vegetation-management expenses significantly.
Agriculture
fromwww.bbc.com
2 months ago

Are 'tech dense' farms the future of farming?

Precision technologies and digital tools increase farm efficiency, reduce pesticide use, boost yields, and make remaining farms more tech-dense and economically competitive.
Agriculture
fromState of the Planet
2 months ago

Student Spotlight: Stuti Banga on India's Food System

Interdisciplinary, systems-level analysis reveals how agricultural policies (e.g., sowing-cycle shifts) can create unintended consequences like stubble burning and increased air pollution.
fromRealagriculture
2 months ago

Kimberly Earls set to lead the Rural Ontario Institute

Most recently, she served as the executive director of the South Central Ontario Regional (SCOR) Economic Development Commission, a regional organization representing the counties of Brant, Elgin, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Oxford. In this role, she oversaw strategic planning, board governance, stakeholder engagement, and the execution of high impact initiatives. In addition to her executive leadership, Earls teaches part-time at Fanshawe College and holds a Master of Public Administration from Western University.
Agriculture
Agriculture
fromFood & Beverage Magazine
1 month ago

Celebrating Women in Agriculture: The Kickoff of the International Year of the Woman Farmer - Food & Beverage Magazine

NASDA launched the International Year of the Woman Farmer to elevate women farmers' voices and advance policy, recognition, and leadership in agriculture.
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