A Sussex rosé has become become the first English wine of its kind to scoop an international organic award. ... The vineyard's regent variety grape vines were planted 16 years ago and cultivated using biodynamic techniques, which aims to keep the vineyard in tune with the earth's rhythms. (Wednesday June 29th, 2016 — The Argus - UK)

Vasilis Dimas stunned his agricultural community near the ancient city of Corinth when he switched his organic olive groves to the more stringent, premium category of “biodynamic” four years ago. ... Such methods create a more sought-after product for which customers in Germany and other markets are willing to pay a premium. (Tuesday June 28th, 2016 — Forbes - USA)

Historic Yellow Springs representatives said that the unique show of weaving by the residents of Camphill from around the world shows their “power of creativity.” Historic Yellow Springs is hosting the Camphill Foundation World Wide Weave Exhibition in the village of Yellow Springs through July 6 at the Lincoln Galleries at Historic Yellow Springs. (Tuesday June 28th, 2016 — Daily Local News - West Chester, Pennsylvania USA)

Boyan Slat was just 16 when he realized he wanted to rid the oceans of plastic. It all happened after he dove into the problem in the most literal way while snorkeling in Greece and finding more drifting plastic than fish swimming. ... lat, chief executive officer of The Ocean Clean Up, has taken his eureka moment and turned it into a collection system based on floating barriers attached to the sea bed that use the ocean’s energy to gather plastic waste. After obtaining over $2 million through crowdfunding and more from Dutch government financing, Slat unveiled the first prototype last week in the North Sea, just off the coast of Netherlands. (Tuesday June 28th, 2016 — Think Progress - USA)

Who knew that the Windy City has become so green? As Co.Exist reported, Chicago is quietly becoming the country’s urban agriculture capital with 821 growing sites across the city, from small community gardens to multimillion dollar indoor farms, according to the Chicago Urban Agriculture Mapping Project. Even O’Hare’s Terminal 3 is home to the world’s first airport aeroponic garden. (Tuesday June 28th, 2016 — Care2.com - USA)

Perdue's new animal welfare standards seem as ambitious as the company's move away from antibiotics. ... The company has committed itself to following the Farm Animal Welfare Council's "five freedoms" for farm livestock, the most notable of which are the "freedom from discomfort," "freedom to express (most) normal behavior by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind," and "freedom from fear and distress." (Monday June 27th, 2016 — Mother Jones - USA)

Just as you catch up on local, organics and sustainability, along come biodynamics and veganics. These are emerging food interests on the lips of those associated with Chicago’s organic food specialty distribution firm, Goodness Greeness. (Sunday June 26th, 2016 — TheProduceNews.com - Oradell, New Jersey USA)

India and the United States have been working together to support India’s transition to clean energy, including its goal of deploying 175 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2022, including 100 gigawatts from solar power. (Thursday June 23rd, 2016 — Think Progress - USA)

“Not all pharmacists are human.” So begins a 1993 review article on the use of medicinal plants by animals. Reading on, we learn that pharmacists can be chimpanzees, Kodiak bears, starlings and grackles. As we learn more about how animals use plants to prevent and treat ailments, this list has only continued to grow. It now even includes caterpillars. Self medication defined: When a substance is deliberately sought out that prevents or cures a condition and its use results in increased survival and reproduction. (Monday June 20th, 2016 — Nature.org - )

A former Steiner school forced to shut after its building was destroyed in a fire has launched a landmark bid for state funding. The board of the Glasgow Steiner group has sent a submission to the Scottish Government to become a publicly-funded autonomous school. (Monday June 20th, 2016 — Herald Scotland - UK)

It all started in 1924 when Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner gave lectures known as the Agriculture Course. These outlined what would become known as biodynamic agriculture. The idea is that the universe is interconnected, from the moon and the stars to the soil beneath our feet — and it should all be considered in a spiritual light when farming. And that’s how biodynamic wine is made, with grapes grown following the practices that adhere to that philosophy. (Monday June 20th, 2016 — Huffington Post - USA)

A report by the influential think-tank the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has singled out the historic community of Camphill Newton Dee for praise saying it provides “many lessons for Care in a communal setting” for those with learning disabilities. (Wednesday June 15th, 2016 — ResponseSource (press release) )

Studies have yet to show much benefit from technology in schools, leading some to wonder whether the offline life is better for children (Tuesday June 14th, 2016 — The Guardian - UK)

The membership-based grocery chain has been leading the surge in big box going all-natural. (Monday June 13th, 2016 — TakePart.com)

I retired 12 years ago and started gardening as a serious hobby. After gaining that hands-on experience, I realized how much damage pesticides cause to the living environment of the soil. I learned all sorts of things that I wasn’t taught in graduate school. For example, I learned that not only pesticides, but also regular fertilizers damage communities of microorganisms in soil. I became “organic,” so to speak. (Monday June 13th, 2016 — Mother Earth News - USA)

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter just may see his 91st birthday wish come true. His hope is to “outlive” the Guinea Worm. Now, with only two known cases left (down from three million in 1980), the extinction of this human disease will be the first to be eradication since smallpox. (Saturday June 11th, 2016 — Daily Kos )

Bonterra Organic Vineyards has been making wine from 100% organically grown grapes since 1993, even before organic became so trendy. Certified organic, Bonterra utilizes composting, cover crops, and biodiversity to grow wine grapes, yielding pure and vibrant fruit that translates into the essence of the wines. Adding biodynamic practices to the mix, such as spraying the vines with a special “tea” of manure and quartz, helps the vineyards thrive and efficiently convert sunlight into ripened grapes. (Saturday June 11th, 2016 — Examiner.com - )

Los Angeles: The City Council is going to consider a motion this month that would direct the municipal utility to determine how to move the city to 100 percent renewable energy. (Saturday June 11th, 2016 — Think Progress - USA)

Researchers have decoded more writing on the 2,000-year-old Antikythera mechanism and found it may have an astrological purpose (Saturday June 11th, 2016 — Smithsonian online -USA)

Star gazers, rejoice—the skies above the Grand Canyon will never lose their sparkle (Friday June 10th, 2016 — Smithsonian online -USA)