Steeped in years of talk around college campuses and in stylish urban enclaves about the evils of factory farms, the perils of relying on petroleum to deliver food over long distances and the beauty of greenmarkets, some young urbanites are starting to put their muscles where their pro-environment, antiglobalization mouths are. They are creating small-scale farms near urban areas hungry for quality produce and willing to pay a premium.

While this is hardly the first time that idealistic young people wanted to get back to the garden, the current crop have advantages over their forebears from the 1960s and 70s, many of whom headed to the country, only to find it impossible to make a living. This time, the growing market for organic and locally grown produce is making it possible for well-run small farms to thrive.

[Read](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/fashion/16farmer.html?ex=1363320000&en=eeece986027380cb&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss “Read the Article”) (New York Times)

Around the world, wheat is becoming a precious commodity. In Pakistan, thousands of paramilitary troops have been deployed since January to guard trucks carrying wheat and flour. Malaysia, trying to keep its commodities at home, has made it a crime to export flour and other products without a license.

At a moment when much of the country is contemplating recession, farmers are flourishing. The Agriculture Department forecasts that farm income this year will be 50 percent greater than the average of the last 10 years. The flood of money into American agriculture is leading to rising land values and a renewed sense of optimism in rural America.

“All of a sudden farmers are more in control, which is a weird position for them,” said Brian Sorenson of the Northern Crops Institute in Fargo, N.D. “Everyone’s knocking at their door, saying, ‘Grow this, grow that.’ ”

The biggest blemish on this winter of joy is that farmers’ own costs are rising rapidly. Expenses for the diesel fuel used to run tractors and combines and for the fertilizer essential to modern agriculture have soared. Farmers don’t just want high prices; they need them to pay their bills.

Read (The New York Times)

Wherever city meets country, clashes develop over animals. Urbanites transplanted to rural areas often find the sounds and smells of livestock offensive, while many longtime residents contend that farm animals give rural areas their charm.

This is the story of one urbanizing community’s attempts to save its rural character in the face of suburban sprawl. The result was an innovative policy to protect livestock ownership, and the inspiration came from a donkey.

[Read & Listen](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19274443&ft=1&f=1025 “Read and/or Listen to the Story”) (NPR)

Organic apple farmers keep their fruit free of worms by spraying their trees with a naturally occuring virus. But insects in some orchards in Germany have developed resistance to this biological insecticide and farmers are concerned.

[Listen](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14829418&ft=1&f=1025 “Listen to the Story”) (NPR)

Squeezed by high energy prices and more overhead costs, some small farms are exploring ways to increase their energy efficiency and lower costs. By erecting wind turbines, making biodiesel fuel and adopting more efficient tilling practices, farmers have cut costs and reduced their environmental impact.

[Read](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20953363/ “Read the Story”) (AP via MSNBC)

This season’s hot, dry weather may have resulted in fewer, smaller grapes across Virginia, but those grapes are expected to produce superb quality wines.

The state’s commercial wine industry adds about $160 million annually to the economy. There are now about 130 wineries and more than 300 vineyards in Virginia.

[Read](http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0907/457645.html “Read the Story”) (AP via WJLA)