Vegetables

June 17, 2010June 17, 2010

Food for the City in Rome

There’s a great exhibit from the Food for the Cities project in FAO’s atrium this week on the occasion of the 22nd Session of the Committee on Agriculture. Here’s a quick look at a couple of the little container gardens (microgardens) they’ve created. Seem to be doing very well too.

June 17, 2010June 18, 2010

Nibbles: Protected areas, Sturgeon, Geographic indications, Ugandan yams, Tomato controversy, Maya agriculture, Alternatives to slash-and-burn, Asian veggies, Food composition

Bird people say: Critical migratory waterbird sites need urgent protection. Tomato and potato crop wild relative people say: What, only the critical ones? You’re lucky, mate!
Toffs everywhere start stocking up on caviar.
Tequila and cheese geographically indicated. Foie gras says: Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
Uganda Government minister says yams cause cancer. Oh, come now, steady on.
Are Tomatoes Fruits or Vegetables? Asks mental_floss. Oh no, I’m not going there, says me.
“…where there is a market, the Maya will work to develop supply capability; where there is no market, traditional subsistence methods are better than the introductions.”
Building a better slash-and-burn agriculture.
Nice Asian greens. I’m hungry already.
Crop Composition Database gets facelift.

June 10, 2010June 11, 2010

Nibbles: Hemp, Wheat, Wheat, Conservation, Liberia, Carnival, Climate change, Satoyama, Leafy greens

The National Cannabis Collection in Hungary. Undated. Popped up. What can I tell you?
CIMMYT’s wheat atlas. Still in beta. What can I tell you?
And here’s a primer on spring vs winter wheat.
Director of European Crop Protection Association equates biodiversity with wildlife. Well, he would, wouldn’t he?
Liberian President Sirleaf: “Agricultural growth is more effective in reducing poverty than any effort in any other sector.” h/t NtP.
New edition of Scientia pro Publica blog carnival.
Our friend Ehsan’s Seeds for Needs project launches in Papua New Guinea, beating climate change to the punch.
The Satoyama Initiative has a website. And RSS feed.
“…traditional food crops … are an important source of community resilience in Zimbabwe—including resilience to climate change and economic turbulence.”

June 4, 2010June 10, 2010

Nibbles: Wheat, Mississippi, Blogs, Greenwash, Livestock

CIMMYT live blogs the wheat meet in St Pete. Riiiiiiight.
Got the no veg blues? More ag on the airwaves. h/t Agricultural Law
Guardian collects science blogs, almost no botany. h/t Anastasia.
Coke-fuelled excitement at Green Week.
Lights! Camera! ILRI! Films on livestock goods and bads.

June 2, 2010June 2, 2010

Nibbles: Roses, Stripe Rust, Cuba, Carnival, India, GCARD, Urban ag, Genetic diversity and herbivory, Biocultural diversity

The wages of Kenyan rose growers increase 22% — to $59 a month. Sinful.
Wheat stripe rust uses sex to break down barriers.
Q&A with Cuban whiz Humberto Ríos.
Latest Carnival of Evolution is up; we’re the only ag, alas.
Proposed agricultural biodiversity heritage sites in India. (Is this new?)
Investing in Underutilised Crops to Achieve Food Security. A report from the CGARD conference in March.
The Hanging Gardens of Kenya.
Living in genetic mixtures helps plants against herbivores. No, really.
“Restoring human cultures to the web of life.”