In the spring of 2019, a perfect storm of conditions led to severe flooding across the Midwest. Farmers in many states had to delay spring planting because fields were too wet. What […]
How does flooding affect farms?
How do my food choices affect the environment?
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 […]
Are there edible cotton seeds?
Most of us associate cotton with its fiber. A by-product of cotton fiber production is the leftover seeds. One item that can be made from the seed is cottonseed oil, but that […]
What do nutrients do for plants?
If a plant decided to go on a diet, you know, to keep its plant-like figure, what do you think it would choose to be as healthy as possible? It turns out […]
Rice Terraces 101
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 […]
How do high tunnels extend the growing season?
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 […]
What is urban ecology and why is it important?
In the summer of 2007, humanity reached a milestone. For the first time in human history, more people were living in cities than in rural areas. Those people need food, clean water […]
What is the value of using crop wild relatives in potato breeding?
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 […]
How are scientists making wheat more climate resilient?
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 […]
Polyploidy – or how do we get seedless fruit?
It’s quite possible that you have seen a commercial for “23 and Me”, advertising an ancestral DNA test. The “23” represents the DNA in a human being, contained in 23 chromosomes. Now […]