Nibbles

Nibbles: Roman gardens, Gwich’in video, Medicinals, Crowdsourcing, Genomics in general, Genomics in particular, ICARDA strategy, Growing plantains, Fonio, Fancy chocolate

All nice and rested, we are resolutely back. With the peaceful gardens of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
With the very different lifeways of the Gwich’in.
With Cassandra Quave and her quest for medicinal plants. Not among the Gwich’in, alas.
With Jacob van Etten and his quest for crowdsourcing. Also not among the Gwich’in, who can’t buy a break, it seems.
With Eve Emshwiller (and others) on the joys of genomics.
With Mary Ndila and her efforts to get to the bottom of the good cow/bad cow dichotomy. Using genomics, natch.
With ICARDA’s exhortation to be smart and systematic.
With CTA’s instructions on how to plant better plantains. Presumably by being smart and systematic? Kinda. Not, apparently, by varietal mixing, though.
With ICRISAT’s pean to fonio. And now I need another holiday.
Or a piece of chocolate.

It’s Easter. A bigger than usual haul to see you safely through the lean times ahead.

Simons says, plant a tree. And here’s how.
FAO had an e-conference on “Impacts of genomics and other ‘omics’ for the crop, forestry, livestock, fishery and agro-industry sectors in developing countries” and all I got was this pdf.
I personally think The Dude would prefer seeds.
That potato day-length gene paper deconstructed. A bit.
Owen’s ~~Potato bean~~ hopniss seeds have sprouted. Can a new variety be far away?
No doubt he’ll be contributing to a list of US seed suppliers for perennial veg.
There are perennial peppers, you know. A new weapon as the pepper breeding wars heat up?
And enthusiasm for Kerala Agricultural University cools down.
“Attention responsible gene stewards!” You had me at Attention. (But you lost me at responsible gene stewards.) On the other hand, if you are “diligent about developing or releasing durable varieties that will ensure long-term global wheat security” stick with it.
Arroz, trigo, maíz y patata. The usual story: Casi todos los esfuerzos de la Revolución Verde se han enfocado hacia la mejora de los denominados cultivos principales.
Farming in the Sinai is 5000 years older than it used to be.
How to get genuine maple syrup.
Raw milk is fine. No it’s not.
Nestle and Mars commit to equality for women cocoa farmers. Mondelēz has not yet responded to Oxfam-inspired consumer pressure. Perhaps because few people know they’re Cadbury and Suchard and Toberlone and … what’s with that stupid ē anyway?

Enjoy that Creme Egg!

“…for many for many smallholder farmers little has changed over the decades in terms of the methods and tools they use.” Geoff Tansey would seem to agree. Nobody has told ACIAR, though.
Cherfas favourite spread bog butter among oldest food finds.
Why it is silly to say that GMOs are always bad.
The Star Trek tricorder-type DNA widget comes a step closer.
Which will make it easier to do things like working out the evolution of palms. Before it’s too late. Because of all that nasty agriculture. Anyway, read about it on page 3 of Kew Scientist, along with lots of other stuff.
Like the taxonomy of herbal medicine, for instance, which coincidentally also comes up in a newspaper article from Australia today. Maybe some of the plants involved will go into the Kimberly Ark, whatever that is.
Passion fruit is the next big thing in Costa Rica.
Colombian peasant organizations go to market. Including, I bet, with passion fruits.
Even in the struggle between man and steer, the issue is uncertain.
Is it time for Plant Cuttings again? Thank goodness.
I think I’ll read it with some Danish wine at my elbow. Or maybe Vietnamese coffee.

The botanist in the kitchen takes on the diversity of squashes. And pumpkins. And some gourds. So we don’t have to.
Aren’t you glad we’re here to tell you that “Potato Beans” are Apios americana? Why do we even link to this stuff?
Split peas split Jewish communities. Because it allows us to have fun.
Like this: USDA grant condemns Bolivian peasants to eternal poverty but better nutrition.
I see your allegedly neglected crop and raise you a really neglected one.