History

June 14, 2011June 14, 2011

What’s cooking Uncle Sam?

I just listened this morning to a fascinating report from What’s cooking Uncle Sam? — a new exhibit at the National Archives in Washington DC. Broadcast on National Public radio, it gave a series of glimpses into what I guess would be a very worthwhile visit. My plan was to Nibble the story, make a fatuous comment wondering why the US never took to the jujube, and why the exhibit curator hadn’t done a little more work on that specific topic, and leave it at that. Fortunately, The Scientist Gardener, keen as ever, was able to visit the National Archive and report in detail. So I don’t have to.

No mention in the exhibit of the plate that ate the pyramid, though The Scientist Gardener’s gf gets it.

And a throwaway “almost ” in the broadcast made me revisit a cherished story. And no, best beloved, the Reagan administration did not reclassify ketchup as a vegetable. Damn.

June 9, 2011June 9, 2011

Nibbles: Food security, Food carts, Cotton, Ritual, C4 C3 CC, American Indian diets, Community genebanks in India, Fowler, Dark earth soil, Domestication

German donor examines food and security, notes “the fast loss of biodiversity”.
Food carts are successful oases in at least one food “desert”.
Yesterday’s Botany Photo of the Day was American cotton.
Good news, everyone: “Hardcore farmers prefer lowkey rituals.” Obviously the memo didn’t reach the children of the corn.
Photosynthesis and climate change: it’s complicated.
Native Americans try to reclaim control of their foodways. And their waists.
“…every district should have a community-controlled seed centre with a gene bank for traditional seeds.” Of course it should. “The local available seed diversity needs to be protected and conserved at any cost.” Of course it must.
“Right now, all over the world, projects are underway to store seeds…“
Dark earths not just in Amazon, Africa too.
Presentation on IFAD project on cultivating wild aromatic etc. species for money in Morocco.

June 8, 2011June 8, 2011

Nibbles: Royal genebank, Fish collection, Plant health, USDA wheat breeding project, Afghanistan, Breadfruit Art, Pests and Diseases, Idaho, Plant breeding, Gates, Panax quinquefolius, Natives

Thai king has crop genebank on palace grounds.
Fish in jars.
Planning Plant Clinics.
Plant Breeding for Drought Stress: The Project.
Wait, the Nebraska National Guard has an agribusiness development team? Maybe they should talk to the people responsible for the previous bullet point?
Kids! (And adults!) An Art Contest to celebrate ‘Ulu. Breadfruit, that is.
Use of Agrobiodiversity for Pest and Disease Management. A slide show from Carlo Fadda at Bioversity.
3rd Annual Biodiversity Working for Farmers Tour in Idaho. 23rd June, you have been warned.
Huge New York Times story on plant breeding and climate change.
Bill Gates hails creativity for small farmers challenge.
American ginseng: use it or lose it.
Do you live in Ann Arbour? Do you want native plants for your garden? Yeah but how about American ginseng?

June 7, 2011June 7, 2011

Nibbles: ITPGRFA, Hotspots, Adaptation, Agrobiodiversity, Potatoes and climate change, Cowpeas and drought, Apios, Tree planting, Fairtrade, Egyptian archaeobotany, Bolivian video

All about the International Treaty on PGRFA.
More, much more, on that climate change hotspots study.
IDRC on climate change adaptation in Africa. Almost nothing on agricultural diversity as a coping mechanism.
Unlike this.
Or this, for that matter. Never knew the Basque country was such a hotbed of potato research.
Or…oh forget it.
What, in the name of all that is happy, is hopniss?
Danone buys some goodwill.
Fairtrade chocolate: this looks like it should be really important. Is it?
So, you say you want to know what plant remains were found in the baskets in Tutankhamun’s tomb?
Bolivian agricultural biodiversity, anyone?

June 4, 2011

Nibbles: Whiskey fungus, Ecological imperialism, Value chains, Mexican blog, Mexican maize and gender

Newly-named urban extremophile fungus survives on angels’ share.
1493. An oldie but goodie. And the book version is on its way.
AVRDC lists the 6 principles of food value chain research.
El cuexcomate, un nuevo blog en español, acerca de “agricultura, plantas útiles, etnobotánica, comida … desde México.” Bienvenido!
Women more interested than men in better-tasting maize. Maybe El cuexcomate will comment.