The Duncan grapefruit has been described as “the finest, sweetest grapefruit” in the world, but after 187 years as the reigning of the American breakfast, the grapefruit inexplicably disappeared from grocery shelves. After only a few decades, it seems like the Duncan is making a comeback in Maitland, Florida. Over in the courtrooms, a conflict over … Continue reading
With the abundance of food in America, few people give a second thought to eating summer produce in the middle of winter. The majority of salad greens and tomatoes sold in winter are imported to colder states from warmer climates. With the help of greenhouses, however, it is entirely possible to have locally grown lettuce in the midst … Continue reading
In 50 years, the human population will reach 8.6 billion, which means we’d need land “roughly the size of Brazil” just for growing crops to sustain the human population. Rather than expanding out, some are suggesting we grow upwards, via vertical farming. Out in the oceans, fish farms sometimes have fishbreaks, when farmed salmon, cod, and trout … Continue reading
Andrea Crawford got her start growing greens in the early 80’s for Chez Panisse. Today she operates Kenter Canyon Farms, selling mostly wholesale greens, including 20,000 pounds of oregano per year to Chipotle. She recently launched a bread line using wheat from her farm. The bread is baked, milled, and harvested using three varieties of … Continue reading
Imagine getting your fresh produce directly off of a nearby building. This building would have multiple stories, with an intricate system that cultivates different plants on every level. This is an example of vertical farming, an idea proposed by Columbia University microbiology and Public Health professor Dickson Despommier, where food is continuously grown in tall … Continue reading
Alex Weiser of Weiser Family Farms is a grower of specialty fruits and vegetables in Kern and San Bernardino counties. You can find Alex and his produce at farmers’ markets across Southern California. What hooked you on farming? Father and mother The coolest example of science in your produce? The creation of it from seed! … Continue reading
It turns out that giving fruits and veggies a good night’s sleep isn’t the only way to make them better to eat. Researchers at Texas A&M have shown that carrots produce more antioxidants in response to the “stress” of being chopped or shredded, while scientists at the University of Florida are working hard to make … Continue reading
In 400 BCE, the Greek admiral Androsthenes wrote* of a tree that “opens together with the rising sun . . . and closes for the night. And the country-dwellers say that it goes to sleep.” Over the next 2000 years, researchers discovered that the daily cycles first observed by Androsthenes fall into 24-hour periods similar … Continue reading
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