I wrote this as a discussion board post in my Sustainable Orchard Management course. A few students were talking about it, so I thought I’d give it a broader audience. -TB It’s so easy to beat up on the old … Continue reading →

“DEI work” is a known ‘thing’ in academia, as it should be. I have attended numerous trainings redesigned courses, and thoughtfully considered my place and privilege in this academic as well as the broader world for most of my adult … Continue reading →

Another year, another story on the egregious use of pesticides by Vermont farmers. A recent VPR story by John Dillon, titled “As Farmers Plant Cover Crops To Reduce Runoff, Report Says They Also Use More Herbicides”, is making the rounds … Continue reading →

This week a terrible explosion occurred in the port of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. Well over 100 are dead, thousands are wounded, and the city is heavily damaged. This is a city that certainly knows explosions- for most Americans, … Continue reading →

Agricultural pesticides are regularly in the news these days. Whether it’s another court ruling against a pesticide company for contributing to a victim’s cancer diagnosis, a contrary scientific safety review that declares that same herbicide is likely not carcinogenic, or … Continue reading →

The need for farmers, scientists, regulators, and consumers to balance farming and food production systems with environmental conservation is only growing greater.  In many cases, this discussion gets framed by polarized views, with one side claiming that a return to … Continue reading →

Sharing this information from my colleague Jane Kolodinski To:       UVM Community From:   Jane Kolodinsky, Professor & Chair Date:    April 3, 2018 Please join us all of us in the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics, and Grace Matiru (Bob’s … Continue reading →

The agriculture, academic, and extension world lost a true friend with a sharp, grounded mind and a sense of humor only developed in farm fields, barns, and milk house driveways when Dr. Bob Parsons passed away Friday after a two-plus … Continue reading →

Much has recently been written about the poor state of scientific literacy in the U.S, and the media’s role in that downward slide.  At the same time, ‘industrial’ or ‘conventional’ agriculture, and the real, live farmers that contribute to it, … Continue reading →

I have the best job in the (my) world. I was raised in the 80s and early 90s on a seventh-generation Vermont dairy farm in Orange County, where the cows have two legs shorter on one side than the other … Continue reading →