From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report. Aquaponics is a new farming method that combines growing vegetables and raising fish. The word aquaponics comes from aquaculture and hydroponics. Aquaculture means fish farming. Hydroponics means growing plants in water without soil. Supporters say this is an efficient way to produce healthy food. At Cylburn Aquaponics Farm […]
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report. Some food experts estimate that up to 40 percent of all food in most wealthy countries is wasted every year. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organizationsays more than a billion tons of food goes to waste each year. Food waste also takes place in developingcountries. Even as so much food […]
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report. Americans love Christmas trees. The NationalChristmas Tree Association says more than 35 million of them were bought in the United States in 2012. In large cities, many people buy trees that have already been cut. But some people drive to a tree farm and cut their own tree. The National Christmas […]
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report. Poinsettias are the best-selling potted flowering plant in the United States and, they are a traditional part of Christmas celebrations, which is why almost all of them are sold in the winter. The Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans bought $250 million worth of poinsettias last year. The poinsettia is native […]
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization expects harvests in the Sahel area of Africa to be smaller in 2013 than they were in 2012. The UN agency says a short rainy season reduced grain and cereal production in several countries in the Sahel. The agency described the conditions in its Crop Prospects and Food Situations report. The report […]
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report. Farmers in the United States are concerned about a possible decrease in the use of ethanol. Ethanol is a liquid fuel made from plants, such as corn. Last November, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed lowering the required amount of ethanol in the nation’s gasoline supply. The requirement began in […]
Federal officials in the US are asking drup companies to discontinue the use of someantibiotics meant for farm animals. Antibiotics are medicines used to fight infections caused by bacteria. Farmers around the world often use the drugs to make healthy animals grow faster and eat less feed. Farmers put antibiotics in the food and water they give cows, pigs and birds […]
Some weeds are strong enough to resist weed-killing products called herbicides. But researchers are finding natural ways to deal with unwanted plants. Steven Mirsky is a scientist with the US Department of Agriculture. In January, he went looking for weeds at the USDA’s research stations, just north of Washington, DC. He found evidence of pigweed in […]
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report. The western United States is not getting enough rain or snowfall. The dry area includes the state of California. Many of the fruits and vegetables eaten in the US are grown there. Andy Domenigoni is a farmer in the California community of Riverside. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather all farmed […]
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report. President Barack Obama signed a new Farm Bill into law on February 7th. The law ends guaranteed government payments to farmers. Critics say the legislation replaces the old system with farm aid that may violate international trade rules. The law also changes how the United States provides food aid around the world. […]