Category: Agriculture & forestry
-
Support Your Local Goat Herder
by James A. Bacon A common reed plant, known by the scientific name of Phragmites australis, introduced into the United States in the 18th century from Europe, has invaded the eastern marshes of North America. Like many invasive species, Phragmites out-competes native marsh plants. When the reed establishes expansive mono-cultures, plant diversity declines precipitously. And when plant diversity declines,…
-
Let the Grass Grow Free
There’s a movement afoot in Henrico County to make it easier to grow grass. Not marijuana. Meadow grass. Lawns are one of the banes of suburbia. They are biologically sterile, supporting very little wildlife. They require constant maintenance, including applications of fertilizer that washes into the watershed and causes algae blooms in the Chesapeake Bay…
-
Putting the “Garden” in Rain Garden
Soon Virginians will start spending billions to meet tough storm-water regs. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden wants to show how we can save the bay – and look really good doing it.
-
Chart of the Day: Virginia’s Land Inventory
This 2010 Natural Resources Inventory data was published back in October but I haven’t seen anyone do anything with it, so… here it is. Key stats: Of Virginia’s 27.1 million acres of surface area, 1.3 million were developed between 1982 and 2010. Dig into the details, and you’ll find that cropland and forest are declining…
-
Tempe, Tofu, Bean Sprouts…. or Bacon.
Who would have figured? PETA has selected Richmond, Va., as the 10th most “vegan friendly” city in the United States, behind Boulder, Colo., Las Vegas (really?), Salt Lake City, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Portland and, at the No. 1 spot, Austin. Writes PETA : It’s somewhat ironic that a city that’s historically been…
-
Holy Pig Slop! Chinese to Buy Smithfield
By Peter Galuszka For eons, the name “Smithfield” has conjured up rich, salty Virginia ham slices that fit right on Christmas rolls or in crab dishes and with eggs for breakfast. The company that has produced such food for 80 or so years is based (of course) in Smithfield, a quaint Tidewater town the Pagan…
-
Chowing on Chickpeas
There sits in my refrigerator a near-empty container of Sabra red-pepper hummus. The Bacon family generally avoids pre-meal snacks and hors d’oeuvres, but when we do indulge, we put hummus on our crackers, not the usual cream cheese-based dips. Hummus, which uses chick peaks as the main ingredient, is high in protein. Not only does…
-
Is Virginia Uranium Quickly Running Out of Money?
—
by
in Agriculture & forestry, Business and Economy, Disasters and Disaster Preparedness, Economic development, Energy, Environment, Government Finance, Government workers and pensions, Health Care, Infrastructure, Insurance, Labor and Workforce, Land use & Development, Media, Money in politics, Planning, Politics, Property rights, Public safety & health, Science & TechnologyBy Peter Galuszka Just how financially viable is Virginia Uranium, which appears to be losing its battle to lift a 31-year-old ban on uranium mining in Virginia? Corporate documents filed with Canadian securities regulators state that as of last September, Virginia Energy Resources Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia-based parent of Virginia Uranium that wants to mine…
-
The 2013 Session’s First Sure-Fire Media Circus: The Boneta Bill
by James A. Bacon In August 2012, Martha Boneta held a birthday party for eight girls on her Fauquier County farm. After an ensuing altercation with local authorities over permissable land uses on her property, including the hosting of events and the sale of farm products and home crafts, she filed suit against the county.…
-
Creek by Creek, Fish by Fish, the Bay Is Slowly Recovering
Despite a growing population in its watershed, the Chesapeake Bay continued its long, slow recovery in 2012, reports the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CFB). It may be another four decades before we can say that we “saved” the Bay, but we’re moving in the right direction. Five of 12 key indicators improved last year while only…
-
“The Bay,” The Chesapeake As Horror Movie
—
by
in Agriculture & forestry, Business and Economy, Consumer Protection, Demographics, Disasters and Disaster Preparedness, Economic development, Environment, Government Finance, Health Care, Infrastructure, Insurance, Labor and Workforce, Land use & Development, Property rights, Science & Technology, Water-waste waterBy Peter Galuszka Imagine you are enjoying a refreshing summertime swim in the Chesapeake Bay or one of the Rivahs. You feel great, but shortly afterwards, you become very ill. Before you know it, new forms of parasitic isopods are eating up your heart, lungs and kidneys. You are terrified, in great pain and you…
-
More On Coal and Utility Money Ties to Va. Politicians
By Peter Galuszka This isn’t exactly breaking news, but coal companies and utilities pay to be a dominant force in Virginia politics, a trio of environmental groups charges as The Governor’s Conference on Energy opens in Richmond today. The three groups – Appalachian Voices, Sierra Club Virginia and Chesapeake Climate Action Network – note that…
-
Laboring in the Garden of the Lord
A church in Richmond’s inner city does more than minister to the homeless and hungry. Volunteers tend an urban garden to feed them fresh, healthy food.
-
Time to End the Demon-Fuel Mandate
Gov. Bob McDonnell joined six other governors earlier this week in asking President Obama to waive the ethanol quotes mandated by the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). His letter to the Environmental Protection Agency earlier in the month follows a similar plea from Virginia senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb earlier this month. The RFS…
-
Oasis in the Food Desert
Tricycle Gardens wants to bring health food to Richmond’s inner city. It’s a tall order changing ingrained dietary habits. Engaging people in growing their own food is the key.