nebraska
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Maya immigrants embrace ancient farming techniques in Nebraska
In Nebraska's fields, Maya farmers from Latin America are revitalizing the landscape with traditional milpa farming practices, designed to enrich biodiversity and mitigate climate change impacts.
In short:
- The milpa farming method intercrops various plants to maintain soil integrity and enhance ecosystem health.
- Luis Marcos leads Nebraska's Maya community in implementing these sustainable practices as a way of cultural and environmental preservation.
- This initiative counters monoculture's drawbacks and aligns with global efforts to leverage nature-based solutions for climate change.
Why this matters:
Rooted in a Mesoamerican method of intercropping corn, beans, and squash, milpa encourages biodiversity and has become increasingly relevant as a sustainable model in the face of climate change. As the global community seeks effective strategies to manage climate change, embracing indigenous knowledge offers a viable path forward.
Related: Alexa White argues that the global food system is failing small-scale farmers — and suggests some ways we can fix this.
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Newsletter
Credit: Taylor Siebert/Unsplash
Nebraska's water ownership quandary amid farmland investments
Nebraska grapples with the implications of out-of-state investments in farmland, spurred by the valuable groundwater resources of the Ogallala Aquifer.
Yanqi Xu reports for Flatwater Free Press. Storyrepublished by Investigate Midwest.
In short:
- John Childears, a local farmer, highlights the critical value of water in Nebraska, where regulations restrict new irrigation wells.
- Groundwater rights in Nebraska don’t equate to ownership, meaning the water under the land can be used but with stringent controls.
- Rising farmland purchases by out-of-state investors raise concerns over water usage, but legal experts note strict regulatory measures prevent misuse.
Key quote:
“It’s what I call, ‘The guy with the deepest and biggest well wins,.”
— Dean Edson, Executive Director of the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts.
Why this matters:
The issue of water rights affects not just agriculture and property values but also broader health outcomes linked to sustainable water resources management. This issue is particularly salient as climate change exacerbates water scarcity, making stewardship over such resources a matter of national concern.
Do rivers have rights? A movement to grant rights to the environment tests the power of local control.
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Opinion
Photo by Nick Karvounis on Unsplash
Mary Pipher: Grandmothers of the world, unite
What leads us to rock the babies and volunteer for Meals on Wheels leads us to care for the earth.
Nuclear Regulatory Commis/Flickr
Nebraskans are sitting on strategic metals. Is mining a patriotic duty?
One county has a wealth of minerals essential to defense and the green economy. Mining would transform the community, yet many say they feel a patriotic obligation to dig.
$3 billion from Inflation Reduction Act goes to help farmers fight climate change, including in Nebraska
A new year means new help is on the way for Nebraska farmers thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. It’s all in an effort to fight climate change especially for those communities hit hard by flooding and drought, which Nebraska saw plenty of in 2022.
Newsletter
Citizen scientists map urban heat down to the block level
Thousands of volunteers have taken part in a federal agency-led initiative to better understand where US cities’ hot zones are.
commons.wikimedia.org
Nebraska elected Jim Pillen, a controversial pork tycoon, as its next governor. What could go wrong?
Nebraska’s next governor made his fortune in bacon and racked up pollution complaints along the way. Now he’s turning his sights on alternative meat.
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