Food & Agriculture News: 5/25/23

Food & Agriculture News: 5/25/23

'You won't see a Georgia peach in the grocery store': Central Georgia farmers face drastic crop loss - WMAZ 

As the headline says, Georgia peach farmers have had a rough year. Lawton Pearson of Pearson Farms anticipates a 90% drop in production this summer. Pearson says not enough chill hours in December, a warm February, and frosts in March compounded another to create the disaster.

Oat milk is everywhere. Why is it still so expensive? - The Guardian

I’ve often wondered why oat milk is so pricey, when it’s relatively easy to make at home (just blend oats and water, I like to add dates, cinnamon, and vanilla) and oats are relatively cheap at the grocery store. I certainly do not have the ability to raise a dairy cow for milk, but cows milk is usually much cheaper than oat milk. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t find this article helpful in getting an answer. They claim that factories, workers, and transportation all play a role, which is true but surely the same or similar for dairy milk. 

What I did find interesting is that plant based milks are decreasing in popularity, with many people switching back to dairy milk because of the price and the difference in protein. 

Chile's firefighting goats protect a native forest from deadly blazes - Reuters 

Absolutely love this. We’re big fans of small ruminants (goats, sheep, etc) here at Farmers Jam because they can play such a critical role in maintaining landscapes in a healthy way. Not only are these goats eating dry shrubs and grasses that help wildfires spread, their droppings improve soil health which helps it retain more water. 

Small ruminants should play a greater role in maintaining our landscapes naturally. For all of you in metro Atlanta, I’m sure you can picture creeks and rivers overtaken by vines like kudzu and English ivy. These should be community assets, not eyesores, and small ruminants are perfect for the job. 

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