Holiday Greetings!

As always, plenty of exciting things are going on in agriculture, science and natural resources education.

Food Security in the U.S.

From the USDA—eighty-nine percent of American households were food secure throughout the entire year in 2007, meaning that they had access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. The remaining households (11.1 percent) were food insecure at least some time during the year. About one-third of food insecure households (4.1 percent of all U.S. households) had very low food security—meaning that the food intake of one or more adults was reduced and their eating patterns were disrupted at times during the year because the household lacked money and other resources for food. Prevalence rates of food insecurity and very low food security were essentially unchanged from those in 2005 and 2006. Household Food Security in the United States, 2007

Food Security around the World

Imagine inviting yourself to dinner with 30 different families, in 24 countries. Imagine shopping, farming, cooking and eating with those families, taking note of every vegetable peeled, every beverage poured, every package opened. Well that's what photographer Peter Menzel and writer Faith D'Aluisio did for their book,Hungry Planet: What the World Eats. Listen to some of the stories from the NPR website.

Cattle in Colorado History

Cattle in Colorado History is getting a face lift. Many of you have been using this free publication for years as part of your school presentations. Coming in January/February, it will be a new full-color, updated version of the booklet. Sections include: History of Cattle in Colorado, Oxen Lead the Way, Spanish Influence, The Civil War, Trail Drives, The Chuckwagon, Open-Range Ranching and more. To receive a copy of the new booklet as soon as it is done, email Julie Moore julie@cobeef.com at the Colorado Beef Council.

Power Plants

"Power Plants" may sound like a fifties sci-fi flick, but this USDA resource is an inventive display of more than 20 different kinds of plants that are now serving or might someday serve as a source of renewable energy in the United States. This link has an easy to read chart and images of the major biofuel sources. For more…

Heifer International: Service Learning

Heifer International's education programs give teachers and other educators the resources to help students develop a passion for helping others. Web site resources include K-12 lesson plans, action ideas, activities, multimedia supplements and other tools for teachers. Students can't help but learn about agriculture, here in the U.S. and abroad. To find out more…

The USDA gets Trashy

It's a trashy idea from the USDA. And it's one that everyone concerned about gas prices—and the environment—will surely love. The idea is to combine household garbage and other urban trash—known as "municipal solid waste" (MSW)—with after-harvest leftovers from fields, orchards, and vineyards to create ethanol and other forms of bioenergy. Read more…

Watershed Defenders

The Watershed Defenders middle school comic made its debut this fall. The publication is now available free to Colorado classrooms. Visit growingyourfuture.com for downloads and orders.

2009 Farmer, Rancher and Ag Educator Dinner

The Colorado Farm Show will host the second annual Farmer & Rancher Appreciation Dinner on January 28, 2009. The Chuck Urano Memorial Award scholarship winners will be recognized during the event.

For more information, contact CFA Executive Director Bette Blinde.

LIFEONTERRA.com

LIFEONTERRA is a collaborative filmspace and laboratory exploring the questions and ideas on the cutting-edge of science and at the farthest horizons of the natural world. More…

National Western Stock Show

It'll be January before you know it and time for National Western Stock Show in Denver. National Western proudly hosts more than 20,000 students, teachers and parents annually through the organized School Tours program.

GMO: Solution to Hunger or Threat to Mankind?

Genetically engineered food is also known as GE food, biotech food, and genetically modified food. It is made by scientists who insert genes from other organisms to give the animal or crop desirable traits. The author explains how these foods are developed, produced, and marketed. The book is a good exploration of the viewpoints of both sides of the GE food argument. More…