Backyard Farming
Special fund to aid Mexico's poorest, smallest-scale farmers now subsidizing families of notorious drug traffickers, agriculture minister, other officials
By Tracy Wilkinson
Los Angeles Times 2010-03-07
Crop Mob draws volunteers who descend on a farm for afternoon to mulch, build greenhouses, pull rocks from fields
By Christine Muhlke
The New York Times 2010-02-28
In Haiti, farm assistance program expands to aid refugees; stopgap crops planned for between seasons
By Ianthe Jeanne Dugan
The Wall Street Journal. (may require subscription) 2010-02-22
Fishing
Discovery that red grouper dig holes that become homes for coral, sea sponges forces scientists to recalibrate and heightens tension with those who fish
By Juliet Eilperin
The Washington Post 2010-03-08
EPA signals tighter rules on traditionally lax approach to megafarms' manure, which smothers waterways, taints air
By David A. Fahrenthold
The Washington Post 2010-03-01
Foul byproduct of fracking, a drilling technique for natural gas, pollutes water supplies
By Marc Levy and Vicki Smith
The Associated Press; Charleston Daily Mail (SC) 2010-02-02
"Food-integrity and humane-handling whistleblowers should not have to rely on an undercover video investigation in order for USDA supervisors to take their disclosures seriously."
Foraging
With cod, sea urchins overfished, fight brews in Maine over seaweed harvesting
By Robert Tomsho
The Wall Street Journal. (may require subscription) 2010-01-04
Weed extract shows promise against diet-related disease
www.invasive.org/weedus/index.html
States where kudzu is considered invasive.
Kudzu, long used as health food in China, Japan, shows promise in fight against metabolic syndrome. After two months of taking root extract, rats in study had lower cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and insulin levels than control group. Invasive vine covers 10 million acres in South. And: Study shows kudzu's ability to cut alcohol consumption (click 'See also').
Science Daily 2009-08-27
Fruit trees ready-made for sharing, urban foragers believe
Urban fruit foragers look around cities, see trees full of fruit and think, 'Delicious.' Underground fruit economy is growing across country, building community. Supporters hold two basic principles: It's a shame to let fruit go to waste; neighborhood fruit tastes best when it's free. And: In Seattle, volunteers harvest unwanted fruit, deliver it to local food banks and meal programs (click 'See also').
By Kim Severson
The New York Times 2009-06-10
Gardening
Concerned for their child's future, California couple replaces water-guzzling grass with wood chips, drought-tolerant plants - and is sued by city
By Amina Khan
Los Angeles Times 2010-03-02
Seed exchanges, offering unusual varieties and heirlooms, grow in popularity
By Anne Marie Chaker
The Wall Street Journal. (may require subscription) 2010-02-10
Torrential rains prove that much of needed water falls from sky - trick is catching it
By Susan Carpenter
Los Angeles Times 2010-01-23
Hunting
Iowa town besieged with fans of pheasant-focused festival that also includes bird-dog parade, tractors, jerky, boots, knives, ammo
By Jared Strong
The Des Moines Register 2010-02-26
Hunting becomes economic imperative along bird migration route and in biodiversity "hotspot" of Balkans despite wildlife protection laws
By Phil Cain
GlobalPost 2010-02-16
Destructive feral hogs, which are prolific breeders and ravenous foragers, now found in 44 states
By Isaac Wolf and Jason Bartz
Scripps-Howard News Service; The Oakland Press (MI) 2010-01-10