How to run a farm on sheer, total, utter neglect by Mark Shepard

The rivers in this region of northwestern Peru are running dry as the Amazon Basin experiences its most severe drought in decades.

A 2008 study found that individuals without access to supermarkets were 25 to 46 percent less likely to maintain a healthy diet. Farmers markets, supported by federal, state, and private food assistance programs, are helping to bridge the gap by offering a direct distribution model.

Despite Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast for six more weeks of winter in 2025, it is time to start thinking about the growing season. For me, it is time to sort the seeds, check the seed potatoes, toss the inevitable pantry rot, and clean up the weeks of neglect down there in my basement.