Walaita first learned high tree climbing for seed collection more than 25 years ago at a course organized by the Danish nonprofit DANIDA Forest Seed Center and has been honing his skills ever since. Over the years, he has trained a cadre of Ugandan botanists at Tooro, who can now safely collect seeds from even the most difficult trees, he says, improving their ability to propagate native species.
Every year brings its own unique challenges for California farmers: water shortages, fires, finding laborers to do the work, bureaucrats in Sacramento adding new requirements and fees, and more. But the second term of President Donald Trump has made this year very different. As part of deep cuts across much of the government, the administration of President Donald Trump chopped $1 billion from the U.S. Department of Agriculture almost without warning. This led to widespread financial pain that affected already struggling farmers and left hungry patrons of food banks in many parts of the country desperate for other sources of healthy food.
In response to federal immigration enforcement targeting farmworkers and their communities around the country, the United Farm Workers union (UFW) organized a demonstration in New York today, challenging Trump administration immigration policies and calling for the release and a halt to the deportation of farmworkers already detained.
Last month, I had the privilege of representing Regeneration International at the Uzbek-German Expert Dialogue on Agroecology in Uzbekistan, alongside my dear friend and colleague André Leu, Director of Regeneration International. It was an incredible experience to bring our global network’s voice to this important conversation on transitioning Uzbekistan’s agriculture toward sustainability and climate resilience. André shared powerful global insights on regenerative agriculture, drawing on decades of experience worldwide. He emphasized how practices like soil regeneration, biodiversity enhancement, and ecological balance can restore degraded lands, improve farmer livelihoods, and strengthen food security.
View invasive plants as your mortal enemies and smite them with your righteous wrath. Flora such as: Himalayan blackberry, Scotch broom, Japanese knotweed, English ivy, pokeweed, gorse, tree of heaven…and many others. Native bees need native plants.
Madera County’s Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) is set to significantly bolster its financial resources, with an anticipated $13 million in state grants earmarked for the upcoming fiscal year. This funding will primarily support initiatives aimed at land repurposing and groundwater recharge, crucial for local agricultural sustainability.
Agrivoltaics is the practice of using the same land for both farming and solar power generation. As the need for sustainable energy increases, so does the interest in efficient land use. Traditionally, one might think you need to choose between food or energy. But agrivoltaics offers a win-win solution, allowing farmers to raise crops or livestock beneath solar panels.