farmers

By Victoria Witke

Christina Petalas, a doctoral student McGill University, studies herring gulls to learn about plastic pollution near the St. Lawrence River. Across two studies, she found plastic additives in every bird sampled, which could have human health consequences.

The post What herring gulls tell us about plastic pollution first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

By Isabella Figueroa Nogueira

“Indigenous Activism in the Midwest: Refusal, Resurgence and Resisting Settler Colonialism” explores how Dakota and Anishinaabe communities in Minnesota continue their relationships to the land and challenge dominant settler narratives about ownership, belonging and identity.

The post ‘Refusal is insisting on your own terms’: Indigenous activism in the Midwest first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

New rules from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy on when and how the largest animal farms dispose of manure and liquid wastes are being praised by […]

Current system promotes helplessness

Matt Stevens, Finite Robotics CEO, said startups sometimes develop great products that are impossible for farmers to integrate into their operations

Fifty-nine per cent of farmers meet the classifications for anxiety and 35 per cent meet the classifications for depression.

By Mia Litzenberg

Climate change is creating new challenges for Great Lakes coastal communities. To tackle these hazards, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority launched the Lake Ontario Coastal Resilience Pilot Project last summer. Over the next four years, the project aims to engage communities in developing a coastal resilience plan.

The post New Lake Ontario initiative tackles climate hazards alongside Lakes Huron and Superior projects first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Jack-o-lanterns will once again illuminate the trail for visitors of Bruce Botanical Food Gardens (BBFG) in Ripley the day after Halloween. “We had over 100 pumpkins last year and we hope to have that many again this year,” said Heather Newman, BBFG president, in an Oct. 15 email. Following the success of the inaugural Jack-o-lantern […]

Did you hear the one about the pioneer who walked his dinner home? That would be the first settler in the eastern part of Arran Township, David Chalmers, a bachelor and a bit wet behind the ears. It was back in 1851, before Arran was surveyed into farm lots. Historian Norman Robertson tells the story, […]

In New York, Farmers across five Finger Lakes counties are receiving major support for conservation projects that reduce runoff, manage nutrients, and improve long-term water quality throughout the state. Read […]

It was 1940, a time of national emergency. At the start of the Second World War, Hitler’s army ruthlessly swept across western Europe. Britain suffered devastating bombing raids and food shortages due to German blockades. Canadian farms would have to supply hundreds of thousands of tons of food to feed the troops and the starving […]

By Donté Smith 

Despite being surrounded by the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, Michigan imports the vast majority of its seafood, between 65% and 90%, according to Michigan Sea Grant. As global aquaculture has grown to meet increasing demand for protein, a small but determined group of inland fish farmers in the Great Lakes region are building a more sustainable, local supply. Researchers say doing so could ease pressure on wild populations, create jobs in rural areas and help restore public trust in the food on their plates. But with high regulatory costs, limited consumer awareness and strong competition from imports, these farms face an uphill swim.

The post How inland fish farmers cultivate a sustainable future for the Great Lakes  first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.