Mainstream

December 7, 2012December 8, 2012

Given to us this day

It will be a challenge and far more than a technical task to translate the book from Neo-Norwegian into English language, but we can hope that this will be done soon so many more readers can be inspired by the cultural dimensions of cereals and their diversity.

Axel Diederichsen’s wish at the end of his review last summer of Prof. Åsmund Bjørnstad’s magisterial Vårt Daglege Brød — Kornets Kulturhistorie has come true. Our Daily Bread — A History of the Cereals is out in English. And many more readers will indeed now be inspired.

LATER: And it’s on Amazon!

December 6, 2012May 2, 2014

Nibbles: School genetics, Sigrid Heuer, Fungal sex, Rubber, Wine, James Scott, Sustainable diets meet, Food exhibit, EU and climate change

Much may be made of a wheat gene-jockey, if he be caught young.
Or rice gene-jockeys, for that matter.
Lots of naughtiness going on in blue cheese.
Hope those reprobate fungi are using sustainable Amazonian rubbers.
Some wine with that naughty cheese?
Learning Burmese, researching the deep history of crops. Meah.
Start planning for the next sustainable diets symposium. Symposium is quite apt, isn’t it.
Feast your eyes on Feast Your Eyes.
European agriculture is totally prepared for this climate change whatsit.

December 5, 2012December 5, 2012

Nibbles: Sesamum publications, Organic China, Melaku Worede biopic, Pre-breeding smackdown, Price of spice, Pineapple breeding

A bibliography of sesame. Good to have.
All you want to know about organic farming in China. Who knows when it might come in useful.
The legacy of Melaku Worede. Proud to know him.
European pre-breeding meeting. Would be good to go.
The Spice Trade 2.0. Good gig if you can get it.
Coconut-tasting pineapple. Why?

December 4, 2012December 4, 2012

Nibbles: Desert afforestation, Breadfruit, Sustainable tea, Biofortification, Cassava breeding, Wheat breeding, Ancient microbrewery

The Sahara Forest Project: what could possibly go wrong?
Maybe they should try breadfruit. Or avocados. Or ask this guy for advice.
Not for all the sustainable tea in China!
Or all the high-Fe pearl millet in India.
Or all the wild chickens in South Asia.
Cassava gets the genomic selection treatment. Maybe wheat too?
Did someone mention beer?

December 3, 2012December 3, 2012

Nibbles: Old rice, New quinoa, Fishy stuff, Cropland landscapes, Forest landscapes, Old seed, Superdomestication, Intensification

Youth compiles list of rare and extinct rice varieties of Assam. Maybe he should look at weedy rice too?
Meanwhile, American farmers are learning to grow quinoa, probably including some rare varieties.
The smelliest fish in the world. No traceability needed for that one, I guess.
Cropland getting mapped. Presumably including the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). Help needed by both, by the way.
Follow the forest discussions at COP18. High on the agenda: what is a landscape? It’s what you study when you’re being holistic, no? Anyway, there’s got to be a connection to the previous links.
Boffins find a genetic marker for old seed. Will need to Brainfood this one.
Pat Heslop-Harrison breaks down superdomestication for you.
SRI gets a scaling up. What could possibly go wrong?