Shepherd's Grain Field Tour - July 2009

Shepherds Grain's 33 farmer-owners grow wheat on 65,000 acres in a geographic area of Washington, Oregon and Idaho known as the Columbia Plateau. Shepherds Grain has been selling its certified sustainable flour to leading Northwest bakeries and restaurants for several years.
To become a part of Shepherds Grain, farmers practice no-till agriculture, also known as direct seeding which, unlike conventional plowing, prevents erosion, retains moisture in the soil, saves fuel, and preserves soil carbon, reducing harmful green house gas emissions that contribute to global warming. Unlike "chemical no-till" that relies on genetically modified seeds and regular applications of herbicide, Shepherd's Grain producers practice crop rotation to suppress weeds and enhance soil health. With crop rotation, no-till/direct seed practices are climate-friendly requiring less passes of the tractor, less fossil fuel use, and help to trap carbon in the soil, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
Shepherds Grain products are Food Alliance Certified.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• sustainable
• farm
• agriculture
• wheat
• food
• alliance
• certified
• stone
• buhr
• palouse
• columbia
• plateau
• dryland
• rural
• no-till
• direct
• seed
• crop
• rotation

[foodalliance]

Did you know...

There are some major differences between conventional and sustainable no-till/direct-seed agricultural practices.

Much of conventional no-till/direct-seed agriculture in the U.S. relies on the use of "Roundup-ready" genetically modified plant varieties (GMOs). This has led some critics to denounce all direct-seeding as "chemical no-till," which is a hasty oversimplification.

[foodalliance]

Food Alliance Certified no-till farmers do not use round-up ready GMOs. Instead they rely on diversified crop rotation to help with weed control & soil/nutrient balance.

In situations where farmers make considered & carefully implemented use of herbicides for weed control, Food Alliance believes the larger ecological benefits of the no-till system — dramatic reductions in erosion, reducing fossil fuel use, & enhancing wildlife habitat - outweigh the occasional use of synthetic herbicides.

[FeelThePunkBlast]

Shepherd's grain is Genetically Modified.

[foodalliance]

You are misinformed. Shepherd's Grain wheat is a Food Alliance Certified product and GMO wheat is not even on the market yet. Food Alliance certified producers meet these standards: -Safe and fair working conditions -Reduce pesticide use and toxicity -Conserve soil and water resources -Protect wildlife habitat -Healthy & humane care for livestock -No added hormones or non-therapeutic antibiotics -No genetically modified crops or livestock -Continuously improve practices Thanks.

[thefarminkid8760]

@foodalliance lol thats what all the big companies say!!!!!!! but its not true lol not saying that you are not telling the truth but have to question