- ILRI images are online.
- Rice farmers in Lao get an airing on Public Radio International.
- Tonto: expanding head banana beer.
- Rhizowen’s ongoing oca saga.
- “Intellectual property vital for agricultural innovation.” Er .. riiiiiiight.
- Instead of whinging, as we would, Laurent subverts the Blogger Bioblitz by including potatoes.
- The British National Hop Collection comes in useful. Hey, you had me at hops.
- Make better kimchi and the world will beat a path to your door.
- How many species of aquatic animals do you think farmers use in SE Asia?
- Labeling caviar.
- China’s food culture on the move.
- California’s oranges in big trouble.
Nibbles: Great Migration, Taro in Hawaii, Chestnut blight, Coopering, Urban beekeeping photos, Plant breeding online forum
- Ex-ILRI staff member Robin Reid on “60 Minutes” explaining the Masai Mara migration.
- GM taro banned.
- All about Cryphonectria parasitica, cause of chestnut blight.
- The ins and outs of cooperage.
- I’m the urban beekeeper and I’m ok…
- Did I already announce this new plant breeding forum?
Nibbles: Future farming, Chicory, Chickens, Hungarian food museum, USDA on Facebook, Ugandan discussions, Livestock food
- Solutions for a Hungry World from PopSci: supercrops, C4 rice, remapping Africa and robots. But no agrobiodiversity.
- The symbolism of chicory.
- The backyard poultry value chain deconstructed.
- The Dobos Memorial Gastronomy Museum sounds fun.
- Join USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan at 3:45 pm ET on 1 October for a LIVE Facebook chat about local food systems.
- One-Village-One-Product in Uganda. I call that a hostage to fortune.
- Ndara, mathunzu and ngaa all that stand between drought-hit Kenyan livestock and starvation in Ukambani.
Niche products from Bengali cows highlighted
There’s a wonderful message just in from Dr Sandip Banerjee to the DAD-Net discussion list on domestic animal diversity. After sounding the alarm for the Rumpless Fowl and various local goat breeds of Bengal, which he says require urgent conservation efforts, he has this to say about what’s happening with the cattle ((I’ve added the links.)):
…I was overwhelmed when I saw a herd of indigenous cattle being maintained at the International Society of Krishna Consiousness (ISKON) farm at Mayapur. The herd they maintain comprises of Gir, Kankrej and Sahiwal breeds. The animals are very well maintained and it was really pleasing to see the magnificent animals and their calves. They are also marketing clarified butter (ghee) prepared from the cream obtained from the native Indian cattle, Go Ark (a traditional Ayurvedic medicine developed from the urine and medicinal herbs which has been patented Number US patent-6410059, dt 25/06/02), the other products are Pachamrit (for gastric troubles) and Ghanabati (tablets of dried cow urine). These product are developed according to the traditional Ayurvedic principles and are marketed through their outlets.
I had no idea that it was possible to obtain quite this range of products from cattle. This is how Dr Banerjee signs off:
If such good activities are carried out by societies throughout India then why are the Government Farms (which are well established and staffed) fail to deliver, I can only conclude it by saying that there is lack of serious willingness to do so at all levels.
Sounds like a gauntlet being thrown down.
Nibbles: Prosopis as food, Chickpea delicacy, Livestock genetic erosion in Kashmir, Pholisma
- Making mesquite pancakes.
- The origin of hummus.
- “But militants on the one side and security forces on the other shot dead these dogs as they set off alarms at every movement. Now we are hardly left with any dogs.”
- “Sand food” is endangered, apparently.