that number is the amount of corn the united states is on track to produce this year in tons.  so that means for every man, woman and child in the united states, they can have 2600 pounds of corn to themselves this year.  it’s used for an incredible amount of things in this country: food for people, livestock, fuel for cars, hundreds of plant-based products, etc.

the only thing more incredible than the sheer number is the percentage of that seed which is genetically modified.  while the europe union has effectively banned gmo seed and crops, the united states has wholly embraced it.  88 percent of our crops are now genetically modified, with corn taking the lead as our principle crop.  this is up from less than 10 percent only 20 years ago.  is it a coincidence that we’ve seen an increase in food production by 120 percent in that same time frame?

now yes, there are a lot of controversies around gmo crops and seed these days.  everything from regulation to pricing concerns and health issues has kept people hesitant to embrace these engineered foods.  but with the global population skyrocketing, the increased yields of these seeds might be hard to ignore. 

is it fair to debate our concerns about gmos while people in the developing world need food desperately? is this a health discussion worth having regardless of the immediate crisis? weigh in on the debate in the comments.

gabe salkin and mel mcintire are seniors at the george washington university majoring in journalism.

but it doesn’t have to be.

there are tons of little things we can do in our day-to-day lives that help fight against the human impact of climate change.  it takes a little knowledge and some curiosity.

we wanted to see what the average person focuses the most on during their day and see if they have any curiosity about what they can do to help the environment.  we went to washington dc’s historic h street corridor, a diverse and rapidly changing area of the washington dc area, in order to find out what matters most to people. 

what we found out is that just asking the question can get people thinking.  it’s a small step that can lead to conversation and eventually, action in our daily lives.

gabe salkin and mel mcintire are seniors majoring in journalism and mass communication at the george washington university.

now imagine corrugated steel.  four story high grain silos.  massive combines powered by gps technology.  genetically modified seeds and nitrogen-based fertilizers. this is the landscape of harborview farms, a farm in rockhall, maryland that is not only sustainable but may be the future of farming.

harborview is run by trey hill, a third generation farmer who has taken on the challenges of modern industrial agriculture by working with environmentalists in order to make his farm more sustainable while still increasing yields.  his combines use advanced gps in order to drive themselves across the fields while mapping the yield from each section.  they can lay down fertilizer with less than 1% waste.  during the off months, he plants cover crops to protect the chesapeake bay from fertilizer leaching.  there’s even a 280,000 kw solar array on the farm!

trey doesn’t call this sustainable farming, “rather than sit here and argue about definitions […] why not just say ‘responsible agriculture’ […] which i view as just being more knowledgeable in everything.  i know what i’m doing, i know why i’m doing it and i have a reason for doing it.”  trey’s methods have spread, with harborview managing over 40 farms across the county.  his yields are up, his costs are down, and his crops are grown in a responsible way for the future.

is this is how we feed 9 billion people?

gabe salkin and mel mcintire are seniors at the george washington university majoring in journalism.

every year, starting in november, many americans start to get excited about the upcoming holiday season.  in a season that involves family, football, and food, there are many things to look forward to.  however, one of the most popular holiday traditions is the christmas tree.  in comparison to snow, decorations, and delicious desserts, christmas trees are arguably the most recognized symbol for christmas – other then santa clause of course.  despite santa’s tremendous influence on christmas, what would santa do if there were not any trees to put presents under?  essentially, santa and christmas depend on these decorated trees!

despite the overwhelming popularity of christmas trees, many tree purchasers are unaware of the options that exist.  no, i don’t mean eastern red cedars, doulas firs, fraser firs, or the blue spruce, i am talking about organic, artificial, or fertilized.  according to research at the oregon state university, about 99 percent of christmas trees in america are grown with some sort of chemical.  however, some farmers still insist on growing organically, even though it requires more work. 

recently, in a visit michael tabor’s farm in needmore, pennsylvania, we sat down and discussed the concept of sustainable christmas trees with tabor.  although there are negative economic effects associated with growing organic christmas trees, tabor wouldn’t have it any other way.

during the interview, tabor also questioned the negative impact of non-organic trees.  despite the fact that nothing has been scientifically proven, tabor insists that these chemical and pesticides could be harmful to the environment.  in order to protect the environment, he chooses to grow sustainably without the use of pesticides and herbicides.

while the christmas season nears, consider other tree options.  christmas has always been a time of family and tradition, so this winter consider starting a new tradition that involves a sustainable tree.