Our fare is not the same as the pilgrims'
Wired Nov 27, 08 2:45 PM CST
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Thanksgiving food has undergone massive genetic changes in the centuries since the Pilgrims first prepared the feast, resulting in turkeys more than twice as big and corn six times as sweet. But human taste buds have evolved, too, meaning we don’t necessarily appreciate our new and improved fare any more than our ancestors did, writes Alexis Madrigal for Wired.
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Wired Oct 3, 08 10:35 AM CDT
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Scientists have made a breakthrough that could dramatically boost the world's food production by making more land farmable, Wired reports. A slight change to a single gene allows plants to thrive in earth made toxic by aluminum, which currently renders nearly half of the world's soil useless for growing crops. The metal severely stunts root growth, and scientists think they’ve figured out why.
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Heavy rains cut some yields by half due to bloating, rot and wash-outs
Boston Globe Sep 18, 08 7:45 PM CDT
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An unseasonably wet growing season has devastated the New England pumpkin crop, the Boston Globe reports. The rain has multiple effects, almost all bad: some overwatered gourds swell so much they burst, while beds are washed out and depleted of fertilizer, leading to undersized specimens. And “pumpkins are pollinated by bees,” one grower sighed, “and bees don't fly when it's raining.”
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Ideal growing weather wipes out flood fears
New York Times Aug 13, 08 8:19 AM CDT
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America's farmers are on track to deliver the second-biggest corn harvest ever despite June floods, according to the Department of Agriculture. Shortages were predicted after severe flooding swamped fields, but the Midwest has had ideal corn-growing weather since, the New York Times reports. A healthy soybean crop is also expected.
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Farmers nationwide fight feathers with feathers
Associated Press Aug 12, 08 1:38 PM CDT
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On the heels of new federal regulations, US farmers are deploying falcons to stop smaller fowl from destroying their crops, the AP reports. Indigenous birds of prey may be used in place of older methods like pyrotechnics, propane cannons, and straw men in overalls to keep pest birds from eating their way though fruit, grain, and flowers—munching that cost $944 million in damages last year.
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OPINION
Opposition to genetically souped-up crops has run its course
Economist Aug 4, 08 5:48 PM CDT
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The recent destruction of a research crop of genetically modified potatoes in England highlights how attitudes towards altered crops have changed, the Economist writes. A decade ago, Greenpeace activists caught in the act of destroying food crops were acquitted because of popular fear of the consequences of “Frankenfoods.” Today, such crops have been accepted by most as safe.
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21st century-style 'sharecropping' takes root nationwide
New York Times Jul 10, 08 3:45 AM CDT
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Consumers wanting food straight from the source are buying up shares of farms in growing numbers, the New York Times reports. For a set annual fee, shareholders buy access to the land and a guaranteed share of the harvest income. The number of community-supported farms in America has mushroomed from 100 in the early '90s to almost 1,500 today.
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Ruined Midwest crops spark worries about fuel supplies
New York Times Jul 1, 08 4:09 AM CDT
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The floods that swamped the corn belt last month have raised fresh fears about the future of biofuels, the New York Times reports. The ruined corn crop has sent the price of ethanol soaring, and experts worry that unpredictable weather could lead to future spikes in the price of energy as destabilizing as those caused by turmoil in oil-producing countries.
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Water inundating heartland expected to drive food, oil prices still higher
Wall Street Journal Jun 14, 08 9:45 AM CDT
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The floods inundating the Midwest are pushing grain prices to new highs, the Wall Street Journal reports. Corn prices jumped 10% to a record high last week as farmland flooded. The domino effects will hit the ethanol industry, hog farmers, and even owners of catfish ponds who rely on corn to feed the fish. Food prices are now forecast to keep climbing for years.
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Bad weather in US, Australia threatens harvests amid shortages
New York Times Jun 10, 08 7:14 AM CDT
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Amid fears of looming food shortages around the world, this year’s crops aren’t providing much hope, the New York Times reports. While farmers in America have been hit with too much rain, Australian farmers are battling the effects of drought. US farmers planted 4 million more acres this year than last, but drenched fields are preventing good results. “The anxiety level is increasing,” says a grains analyst.
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Without mutations on just 2 genes, red fruit would be tiny bud
Reuters May 12, 08 11:29 AM CDT
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Tomatoes would be about the size of blueberries if it weren't for two key genetic mutations, Reuters reports. Scientists mapping the plant's DNA discovered one gene that encourages additional cell division, and another that allows the fruit to grow many more internal compartments. Together the changes have created tomatoes up to 1,000 times bigger than their wild ancestors.
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Record-breaking grain harvests worldwide expected to bring prices back down
Reuters May 10, 08 9:11 AM CDT
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Farmers worldwide will reap record-breaking harvests of wheat and rice this year, the US projects, and the news is expected to ease some of the worldwide concern about food prices. The USDA says good weather will bring bumper crops that will replenish depleted stocks, Reuters reports. Analysts warned, however, that prices will remain high for some time and that the world's poor will still need food aid.
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'Food coalitions' aim to keep ingredients, recipes key to US heritage in circulation
New York Times May 1, 08 7:40 PM CDT
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Vanishing culinary breeds are getting a new lease on life, thanks to the efforts of an ethnobotanist with an interest in America's foodie past, the New York Times repor