Recommended Reading: Week of August 27

Welcome to our new installment of Small Farms’ Recommended Reading! Here you’ll find a variety of articles handpicked each week by the Small Farms team. These include resources, educational articles, and tips — all in one location for a quick browse of news in addition to our bimonthly newsletter.

This week we’re reading about the future of lab-grown meat, the importance of soil health in eliminating hunger, and the wheat genome being mapped. Additionally, United States-based lamb producers should find results of a recent survey encouraging and a lawsuit facing Monsanto could affect the future of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) crops and pesticides.


Consumers’ Reactions to Lab-Grown “Meat”
Controversy and uncertainty revolve around the labeling and sales of lab-grown meat. However, this could be a viable option for reducing meat consumption in the United States for reasons surrounding reduced environmental impact. Read more.


Soil Health Essential in Achieving Zero Hunger
One-third of the earth’s soil is degraded and improving the health is essential to help eliminate world hunger. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently identified the top threats to soil health, some of which include: soil erosion, salinization, and compaction. Read more.


Wheat Genome Finally Discovered
Despite its standing as a staple crop, the wheat genome has never been mapped. Researchers at University of Minnesota-St. Paul charged with the wheat breeding program have successfully mapped the genome which could lead to future genetically modified wheat. Read more.


Encouraging News for Lamb Producers
Although lamb has not been a primary meat consumed in the United States, a recent survey indicates that more consumers are beginning to prefer lamb. Additionally, nearly seven in ten consumers prefer American-grown lamb. Read more.


Legal Battle Surrounding Glyphosate
While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that glyphosate (Roundup) is not carcinogenic, the World Health Organization has classified it as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The lawsuit of plaintiff, Dewayne Johnson of California, vs. Monsanto (now owned by Bayer) could change the future of genetically modified plants and pesticide use. Read more.

Kelsie Raucher

Kelsie is from southwest Missouri and grew up on a 150-acre farm helping her family buy and sell horses and cattle. She credits FFA for finding her passion for agriculture and food issues and desiring a career as an “agvocate.” Since coming to Cornell, she has gained interest in local production, global food issues, and environmental impacts of and on agriculture. She joined the Cornell Small Farms Program in May of 2018 and is excited to gain experience to complement coursework in the Agricultural Sciences major and Communication major.
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