THE RURBAN FRINGE

Betting on the Farm

In the March 21, 2011 publication of Maclean’s magazine, Sarah Elton’s article - Betting the farm – and winning - highlights how farmland, not farming, is providing new opportunities for investors.  Not everyone is exited.
From the article:
“Farmland is food land,” said Kevin Wipf, executive director of the National Farmers’ Union, which authored a report that condemns the trend.  “To have [...]

Wanted: ‘Farmsitters’

I love watching Dragon’s Den … the ideas, the pitches, the banter, and the deals never fail to amuse or inspire.

Although the dragons didn’t ‘bite’ this Alberta company’s ‘farmsitting’ concept, the men behind the business are convinced they’re offering a valuable service.
AgriConnect is essentially a ‘farmsitting’ service that has been around since 2007. 
Their website allows individuals – [...]

Wal-Mart to Go Local

Latching on to the local food movement, Wal-Mart announced a program this month that focuses on “sustainable agriculture among its suppliers as it tries to reduce its overall environmental impact,” writes Stephanie Clifford in The New York Times. 
“The program is intended to put more locally grown food in Wal-Mart stores in the United States, invest in training [...]

Rurban Sense and Sensibilities

With increasing numbers of people moving from urban areas to suburban/rural residential developments near farmland, the result is often a mix of dashed expectations or distress.  In the country, farming is often a way of life … with all the dust, noise and smells that go along with it.  But do new residents really understand their [...]

Growing Food Helps Connect Urban and Rural Neighbours

In the Toronto Star, Jesse McLean shares how small, niche farm operations are doing just that.
Today, people … are trying to reconnect urbanites to the farm, and in doing so, re-establish the farmer as a neighbour – one not defined by proximity, but by a common, more intimate connection – food. 
Click here to read the [...]

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