In Sunday’s Insight section, the Austin American-Statesman ran a fascinating excerpt from Serve the People, a new book by Jen Lin-Liu. It seems traditional markets in China are losing ground to corporate businesses just like they did here. Even worse, though, the coming Olympics may be hastening the process.
Local is the latest fashion, so the uber-wealthy are finding ways to make it their own according to a report last week by Kim Severson in the New York Times. In San Franciso, an on-the-go gardener is making the most of the trend by contracting with city dwellers to plant, tend, and harvest their gardens [...]
In yesterday’s Austin American-Statesman, Helen Anders reported on Gulf shrimpers and how they’re faring against competition from farmers and importers. She tells us that about 90% of the shrimp Americans eat is imported. But on South Padre Island, where her story takes place, the scampi, ceviche, and tacos all boast locally harvested shrimp.
In the New York Times last week, Bina Venkataraman reported on growing interest in skyscraper farms — that’s farms located in skyscrapers (not farms that grow skyscrapers). At the website of the Vertical Farm Project, you can see what one such farm might look like and read about how the 80% of the world’s population [...]
In case you missed it, Lee Nichols reported in the July 4 edition of the Austin Chronicle on our state’s microbreweries. It’s a comprehensive primer with background on seven Texas beer makers and a rundown of brewpubs, too.
In the June 23 edition of Chemical & Engineering News, associate editor and my good friend Rachel Petkewich reports on innovations in chemistry that are helping to understand and promote the healthfulness of foods. Our own Lone Star State shines front and center in her story, with coverage of maroon carrots and Texas grapefruits.
On June 18, the Houston Chronicle published a surprising article in which Peggy Grodinsky reported on the struggle of Texas catfish farmers. Apparently there’s much to be praised in local catfish that’s well-raised, but word is slow getting out. “Evokes the taste of almonds” is certainly not a phrase I’ve previously heard associated with catfish, [...]
“Local Food” is the tenth-most-popular Topics page at The New York Times online! Check it out for a trove of stories, plus a helpful list of other locavore resources.
What costs even more than a gallon of gas? A pound of t-bone steak, according to a story yesterday on KUT News. Since most steer in the U.S. are fed corn, and corn prices are up due to demand for ethanol, beef prices are skyrocketing. What to do? Buy grass-fed. [...]
In yesterday’s New York Times, Dan Koeppel, author of “Bananas: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World,” braces us for cheerios floating alone in milk, one fewer perfect partner for peanut butter, and increased demand for potassium-rich potatoes. Perhaps unique in their story of globalization on the cheap, bananas, he argues, will soon [...]