Bringing back American chestnuts
Jill Neimark (@jillneimark) is a writer whose work has been featured in Discover, Scientific American, Science, Nautilus, Aeon, Psychology Today and The New York Times. She writes this piece for …
Bringing back American chestnuts
Jill Neimark (@jillneimark) is a writer whose work has been featured in Discover, Scientific American, Science, Nautilus, Aeon, Psychology Today and The New York Times. She writes this piece for …
Harnessing bacteria to give crops a boost
There is growing interest in the important ways that microbes impact all facets of our life. “In our bodies, they help fight off disease. In the soil, they help deliver …
“Flow hive” minimizes bee stings; sets crowd-funding record
Impatient with what he viewed as a labor-intensive method of extracting honey from his home hives, Australian Cedar Anderson and his father, Stuart, invented an “alternative setup” called Flow Hive. …
A machine that turns grocery waste into liquid fertilizer?
Approximately 40% of food in the United States – about $165 billion each year – is wasted. Much of that food ends up in landfills. In addition to being an …
Technology makes “droughtshaming” easier
Social technologies are making it easier for Californians to call out those they deem to be water wasters. Twitter hashtags such as #DroughtShame or #DroughtShaming not only verbally reprimand water …
Calculating your water footprint
The California drought is dominating the news. Washington and Oregon have also declared drought emergencies. The list goes on. And the water situation is not likely to get better: “water …
#dessertworthy social campaign puts sweets in perspective
Pastry chef Emily Luchetti doesn’t think you should eat dessert every day. She’s concerned about over-consumption of sugar and the attendant issues of Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Luchetti says, …
Fruit growers try tricking Mother Nature
Producers in northern Michigan grow a variety of fruits, but tart cherries – sour cherries – are one of their biggest crops. Fickle spring weather has resulted in extreme temperatures …
Hydroponics turn Kenyan homes into gardens
Hydroponics is increasingly being used for production agriculture in Kenya, but it’s also gaining traction in urban settings, by those interested in growing their own food. The adaptability of the …
Consumer demand is changing iconic products
Consumer insistence for healthier, more natural ingredients and transparency in the food system is prompting an increasing number of corporations to “overhaul” even iconic products. A large and vocal consumer …