- A Sri Lankan renaissance farmer muses.
- A Mongolian renaissance farmer talks.
- The Opium Museum and the Corn Palace.
- Guam fights rhino beetle with virus to save coconuts.
- Dutch ban eel fishing.
Nibbles: Teaching vegetables, Truffles, Freakonomics of farmer markets, Crops used for art, Seed storage, Organic farming in Spain, 2050
- Pamela Akinyi Nyagilo wins prize for teaching Kenyan kids to grow indigenous greens. In 2007, but better late with the news than never.
- The Great War did for truffles?
- “Does a local food system truly enhance the integrity of a community, much less make the peasant the equal of a prince and eliminate greed?” And more. And more. And more. And…
- Crop art, and more. And more.
- Brassica seeds survive 40 years in a genebank with no loss of viability. Phew.
- “It seems that, while discount and low-end retailers face more difficulties selling organic products, specialised organic shops and high-end retailers continue to develop beyond expectations.”
- “As Andy Jarvis, an award-winning crop scientist, puts it: ‘When you look at the graph, under even small average heat rises, the line for maize just goes straight down.’ “
What plant would YOU save?
Kew asks people in Trafalgar Square what plant they would save, if they could only save one. Nice idea. Interestingly, some actually choose a crop. What would you choose? Agrobiodiversity only: leave your selection in comments.
Nibbles: Introgression in sorghum, British cheese, Cassava development, Fishing
- “Farmers have quite accurate perceptions about the genetic nature of their sorghum plants, accurately distinguishing not only domesticated landraces from the others, but also among three classes of introgressed individuals, and classing all four along a continuum that corresponds well to genetic patterns. Their practices are fairly effective in limiting gene flow”
- Cheese map of Britain. Had no idea there was a National Cheese. I always liked Wensleydale.
- “I harvested part of the cassava and transported it to the nearest processing centre, where it was peeled, washed, pressed, dried and milled into cassava flour. They charged me Tsh600 per kilogramme (about half a dollar) and the market price was Tsh380 a kilo.”
- The giant Ponzi Scheme that is modern fishing.
Nibbles: Livestock photos, Rice, Beer, Oca, Potatoes, Beer, Fermentation, Aquaculture, Chinese food, Citrus
- 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.