Every food-related action you take calls a world into being. We call this world the food system, and it is a vast network of farms, fisheries, processors, manufacturers, stores, restaurants, and home […]
Sticky or unsticky rice? Always a decision worthy of deep contemplation before dinner. Interestingly, soil can be sticky or unsticky, too. It all depends on how it’s managed. In the case of […]
Despite cold and snowy winters, farmers in the northern states can grow cool season vegetables year around! The structures that help them do this are referred to as hoop houses or high […]
It may surprise you to learn that wild potatoes grow like weeds in South America. While farmers in the United States battle weeds like pigweed and lamb’s quarters, farmers in the Andes […]
Like humans, plants experience stress. One of those stresses is temperature changes. And, to continue having food security in a changing climate, scientists are working to make more heat resilient crops. Wheat […]
Yes it does! Various crops are sensitive to water stress at different growth stages. The rule of thumb is that reproduction is sensitive to low moisture. The amount of moisture available at […]
When you buy your packet of squash seeds each spring, you plant them in the ground, and expect plants to sprout! It seems like an easy process, but there’s a lot of […]
Are you friends with a person who can eat anything they want and still not gain weight? Part of that could be in how their body metabolizes the food they eat. Of […]
Global warming and changes in the amount – and location – of water, are key factors in the need to continue crop breeding programs. In addition, there are many diseases that affect […]
Did you know that sunflowers are the only major global crop that is native to the United States? And, that this native plant has about 64 species and subspecies that grow wild […]