New Bee Variety; Virtually Stingless and a Hardy Producer

These gentle bees that rarely sting are isolated in mountain valleys in the Caucasus. They have the longest proboscis of any bee giving them an advantage in nectar production. Not available in the US yet but this hardy but docile bee would be great for the urban back yard beekeeper.

Best Method to Make Sauerkraut.

I have tried the crock method to make my sauerkraut, but the mason jar and ziplock bag of brine method has given me the least amount of fuss. I found this video to be the most instructive in this method. I usually forgo canning to keep the probiotic effects of fresh kraut. It keeps well in the fridge so I don't find canning necessary.

Urban Beekeeping in New York City

Urban farming continues to grow a mainstream following.

One Million People Sign Emergency Petition to Ban Bee-Killing Nicotine Pesticide Illegally Registered in Us

Word is getting out there of collateral damage from nicotine based pesticides.  The ground swell of attention is surprising considering overall knowledge of our food supply here in America by the average citizen.

A remarkable emergency petition with over one million signatures has been submitted to the USEPA requesting the withdrawal of the pesticide clothianidin - a nicotine-based systemic pesticide widely used on corn/maize. Multiple activist organizations participated, lead by major US beekeepers.
The basis of the petition is that the USEPA's legal requirements for the demonstrated safety of clothianidin were never proven - and subsequent findings have shown its damages - violating the US law FIFRA, which governs the registration process for pesticides.
A coalition of beekeepers and activists gained over one million signatures on this petition, that walks step-by-step through the reasoning behind the proposed determination of the clothianidin registration's illegality - used as the basis for the withdrawal request.
This is fantastic.
http://pierreterre.com/blog/bee-killing-nicotine-pesticide-illegally-registered-us-one-million-sign-petitionPlease download the complete original emergency petition linked here (English version):
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/pollinators/CFS-Clothianidin-Petition-3-20-12.pdf

From http://www.i-sis.org.uk/Emergency_Petition_to_Ban_Bee-Killing_Pesticide.php