The Crossroads of Ag and Public Health

What is the connection between what you eat and how you feel?

Does the way an animal or crop is raised impact its nutritional value?

How are farming methods contributing to environmental problems and human health issues?

These questions and others like them represent the crossroads of agriculture and public health, that complex interdependency between what we eat and how it is raised with our individual and collective well-being.

They are the kinds of questions that seem to be popping up more and more, from the mainstream press to scientific journals and trade publications.

But clearly the frequency of the questions does not mean we have answers. In fact, as any researcher knows, most so-called answers just lead to more questions, more debate and more avenues for research.

To help bring some order to all that research and to the multiplicity of answers derived from it, the Center for a Livable Future, a research institute partnering Johns Hopkins University with its School of Public Health, recently launched a new Web site, the Agriculture and Public Health Gateway.

The gateway provides a central starting point for anyone interested in exploring the ag-public health connection. It lets you simultaneously search four key databases dealing with agriculture (NAL's AGRICOLA), ag safety (the National Agricultural Safety Database), medicine (PubMed) and the environment (Earthtrends). Or you can browse a range of Web-based goodies -- articles, reports, databases, programs, videos and more -- organized by topics such as crop production, community and occupational health, or food safety and labeling.

You'll find more details about the site on the Center's blog, or just jump in and start exploring. And when you find answers to the questions above, let us know.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Animals and Farm Safety and Food and Nutrition and Libraries and Natural Resources & Environment and Organic Production and Plants and Crops and Rural Life and Water Quality on November 04, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Hey! What a rich and inviting pool you left for exploration here. Thanks!! I also noted related ideas from an NPR broadcast today. This was on gut (human) microflora, and their contributions (or detraction) from our physical well-being. See: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95900616 These connections are not new. JI Rodale started "Prevention" magazine - then soon added "Organic Gardening." This witnesses his belief in food production and health outcome relationships. Thanks for these neat notes! - Karl

Submitted by: Karl Schneider on November 4, 2008 09:55 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on November 5, 2008 11:23 AM

Submitted by: Karl on November 6, 2008 10:00 AM

Submitted by: Water Damage on November 21, 2008 08:12 AM

Submitted by: Alex Tiller on November 26, 2008 01:42 PM

And Now a Word from Our Sponsor

I'm turning the blog-waves over to USDA today to help get the word out about the upcoming Agricultural Outlook Forum, February 26-27, 2009, in Arlington, Virginia.

This year's presenters and break-out sessions will deliver on the theme "Global Agriculture & Rural America in Transition."

You'll hear scientific, policy, business and marketing perspectives on a range of ag issues, from food safety to food security, from rural America to world markets, and from conservation efforts to developments in biotechnology.

The then Secretary of Agriculture will give the keynote, with an as-yet-unnamed distinguished guest speaker to follow.

Got any ideas who that distinguished guest speaker should be? I'm collecting suggestions below. Who knows, the conference planners just might listen.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Education and Farm Bill and Food and Nutrition and Marketing and Trade and Natural Resources & Environment and Plants and Crops and Rural Life and Water Quality on October 29, 2008 EST | Permalink

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I wait, when can you send me more information about health?

Submitted by: jhjityiity on October 30, 2008 09:58 AM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 30, 2008 10:13 AM

Submitted by: Bill Harshaw on October 30, 2008 12:27 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 30, 2008 02:13 PM

Submitted by: Karl Schneider on November 4, 2008 10:29 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on November 5, 2008 11:31 AM

The Adventures Continue

We may well wonder whether there can be any new plant left to be introduced, so great is the variety we possess, and so far afield have collectors searched.
Frank Kingdon-Ward, 1930

I am so wrong.

Plant exploration has been an active and ongoing part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's work for over 110 years.

Even today, botanists, horticulturalists, geneticists and others at the Agricultural Research Service set out on expeditions to identify and collect plants. These varieties, often known to the local farmers but new to American researchers, might possess genetic traits that are exactly what we need to overcome a pest, counteract a disease or resist environmental extremes. At minimum, they represent genetic material that scientists are seeking to preserve against an uncertain future.

It's a job with a high cool factor, traveling the world, heading into exotic locales, talking with people tucked away in the furthest corners of the world. What makes it even more compelling is the idea that what they discover could one day feed the world.

This crucial aspect of what might be perceived as globe-trotting adventures hooked Sally Ingleton, an Australian filmmaker, and pushed her to make a documentary called Seed Hunter. Her subject: Dr. Ken Street, "the real life Indiana Jones of agriculture," who calls what he does "prospecting for green gold."

The film's Web site kindly delivers a generous sample of the story in twelve video segments, along with background information on the issues behind plant exploration. One video segment includes in-the-field comments from USDA's own Barbara Hellier, a horticulturalist who works particularly with species of wild onion and garlic (Allium), collecting and studying the plants' genetic material.

The documentary really tries to serve up "drama and action," with "science elements to back up the narrative," and it admirably succeeds, simultaneously entertaining while educating.

Give it a look. And then see how Street's expeditions compare to those of his predecessors, including William Morse, Palemon Dorsett and Frank Meyer.

The adventure most certainly continues.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Biography and Plants and Crops on October 24, 2008 EST | Permalink

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This blog does not represent official communications from the National Agricultural Library, the Agricultural Research Service or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Nikolai Vavilov Seeds the World

I spent the afternoon at the forum NAL hosted today on Nikolai Vavilov and the ongoing importance of gene banks.

Since I had written about gene banks before, particularly the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, I knew going in the value they provide to humanity by preserving seeds and genetic materials.

But in a world full of plants more varied than we can even imagine, how do these seed banks get it all?

Such collections start with people like Nikolai Vavilov, just one of many plant explorers who traveled the world looking for new species and varieties.

His one hundred-plus expeditions read like an adventurer's wish list, with the rugged Pamir Mountains, Afghanistan, Abyssinia, East Asia, western Canada, and big chunks of Latin America among them.

And all this at a time (1916-1940) when travel was slow, GoreTex didn't exist -- in fact, he always wore a suit -- and specimens were sent home with a hope and a prayer they'd reach their destination.

He recorded the details of his journeys with a writer's eye and scientist's focus. His journals blend intriguing cultural habits and historical events with the environmental details, agricultural practices and botanical nuances he came to capture.

As Jeremy Cherfas, a biologist, noted, "If Vavilov were alive today, he’d be popping into the nearest internet café at every opportunity to share his discoveries with the world."

Thus inspired, Cherfas launched vaviblog a mere three weeks ago, using Nikolai's own journal entries to take us into the mind of a great scientist and the adventures of a world traveler.

But Vavilov's story does not end as an adventurer's should. Instead, he and his work fell victim to Stalinist ideology and political intrigue, a tragic tale well told in Peter Pringle's recent book, The Murder of Nikolai Vavilov.

But Vavilov's work lives on. He was posthumously "rehabilitated" under Khrushchev and his reputation restored. But more importantly perhaps, the specimens he found and the genetic ideas he developed continue to inform research.

Gary Paul Nabhan, an ethnobiologist and essayist, highlights the ongoing significance of Vavilov's work in his recently released book Where Our Food Comes From. Nabhan revists many of the regions Vavilov explored, noting the changes that have occurred in the last century and explaining why those changes matter.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Biography and Plants and Crops on October 23, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Thanks for the link. I hope we'll get more details from the NAL forum in due course. Meanwhile, the Vaviblog welcomes contributions.

Submitted by: Jeremy Cherfas on October 25, 2008 07:48 AM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 28, 2008 03:17 PM

How Is a Cow Like an Ethanol Production Plant?

You can find the answer to that question by checking out the colorful and informative handout (PDF | 618 KB) prepared by Paul Weimer, a microbiologist at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center.

Before you go, I'll give you a hint: think fermentation.

And if you'd like to learn more about dairy cows and the ins and outs of dairy and forage production, check out the other handouts and fact sheets from the Dairy Forage Research Center, along with the focused collection of Web-based resources on dairy cattle and milk NAL staff have pulled together.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Animals and Education and Plants and Crops on September 03, 2008 EST | Permalink

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I wanted to research this subject and write a paper. Your post gave me what a thousand words would not. Nice job.

Submitted by: Apply food stamp on September 25, 2008 01:21 PM

Tomato Love

Tomatoes have gotten a lot of press this year. Salmonella outbreaks, unfortunately, will do that.

But with the official finger no longer pointing to tomatoes for that, the news pendulum seems to be swinging back the other way.

Good thing, too, since a sizable chunk of the U.S. now finds itself smack dab in the middle of fresh tomato season. After all, when folks have kitchen counters laden with golden, red and green tomatoes of various shapes and sizes, they can't really brook another story about what diseases could be lurking there, even if their backyard crop is a thousand miles or more from the alleged ground zero.

Enter Arthur Allen, whose centuries-spanning look at the tomato gets us back to the love so many feel for this succulent gift of summer.

Allen's article, "A Passion for Tomatoes" (Smithsonian, August 2008) wends its way from industrial production to organic farms, from genetic hybrids to heirlooms, and from 16th century Mexico to 21st century laboratories. He also criss-crosses the country, riding shotgun during a California tomato harvest and tasting transgenic varieties in Florida, all in an effort to understand the journey this favored veggie (fruit?) has traveled.

The piece delivers a well-timed reminder of how varied and valuable the tomato is, as if six weeks without them didn't remind us enough.

And Americans do love their tomatoes. They rank as the fourth most popular fresh-market vegetable behind potatoes, lettuce, and onions, and the country is one of the leading suppliers to the world, second only to China. (We're second to China a lot these days.)

But this summer I'm seeing that nothing can spoil tomato love like having too many of them. We're already pushing bags of them onto friends and looking for ideas on what to do with what's left.

The Food Stamp Nutrition Connection's Recipe Finder has helped, since I can find recipes based on ingredients, but if you have any ideas, send them along. I know I'm not alone in feeling the pressure of too many tomatoes.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Food and Nutrition and Plants and Crops on August 20, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Just because this always comes to mind during Tomato conversations: YouTube - You Say 'Tomato', I say 'Tomato'... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ3fjQa5Hls

Submitted by: Donna Herendeen on August 25, 2008 05:42 PM

Submitted by: Karl Schneider on August 27, 2008 09:07 PM

Can Strawberries Impact the Olympic Medal Count?

Did you see that China's Olympic athletes accomplished what years of negotiation could not?

Thanks to a survey the Chinese athletes completed regarding their food preferences during the Games, the first shipment of U.S.-grown strawberries was legally exported to China last week, in time for opening ceremonies.

But the inaugural shipment did not just sail through the gates of the Olympic Village. Instead, "Chinese inspectors spent 12 hours going over 50 trays" before giving them the okay.

Even in the face of such scrutiny, California growers were more than willing to satisfy the shortage of fresh strawberries left by China's short growing season. In fact, the California Strawberry Commission and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had been trying for years to break into the Chinese market.

No telling yet though if the trade doors will stay open. Growers are hopeful.

I share their optimism, but I do have one question. If strawberries ended up third on the Chinese athletes' list of preferred fruits, what ranked one and two?

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Marketing and Trade and Plants and Crops on August 12, 2008 EST | Permalink

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We should have never let them have those strawberries...

Submitted by: michelle on August 14, 2008 04:09 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on August 14, 2008 04:24 PM

Forbidden Fruit? Nope, Just Expensive

How much are you willing to pay for a bunch of grapes?

That's all?

What if they're really, really tasty, "sweet but fresh at the same time, very well-balanced," and a product of 14 years of government-sponsored research?

Such is the pedigree of the new premium grape that was introduced in Japan today, and the top price fetched at auction hit nearly $910, or about $26 per grape.

Can you imagine what the wine will cost?

The newest delicacy, the Ruby Roman, a tomato-red grape about the size of a pingpong ball, obviously piqued the curiosity of those Japanese willing to pay luxury prices to have something unique.

The average price paid for the new variety hovered around $245 per bunch, which, you gotta admit, is amazingly steep, especially compared to the still-lofty $90 per bunch the highly favored Muscat of Alexandria grape garners in Tokyo markets.

When looked at in that light, I'm not sure what made the $910 bunch so special.

But the Japanese have shown themselves quite willing to pay a premium for fruit with built-in status.

In 2001 square watermelons hit the Japanese market at $83 each. I never heard how good they tasted, but they were touted for their simplified storage, easy cutting and unique look, all of which I can appreciate but still wouldn't pay fifteen times over average for.

How about you? How much would you pay for a funky fruit? Is the novelty really worth the expense?

Or would you rather just stick to growing regular fruit the regular way?

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Food and Nutrition and Plants and Crops on August 11, 2008 EST | Permalink

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This blog does not represent official communications from the National Agricultural Library, the Agricultural Research Service or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Frugality Fallacy

Are you someone who'll bend down to pick up a penny off the sidewalk? What about eight dollar's worth of pennies?

Wheat farmers, folks who are generally frugal and hardworking by nature, are facing those very questions.

This summer most are looking to cash in on the high prices currently available for their crop. At an average of about $8.00 a bushel, they can pull in about twice what they were making just a few years ago.

With prices like that, you can understand why they might be driven to go the extra step to also harvest their crop residue and sell it for ethanol production. Not doing so is like leaving money on the ground.

But according to Ann Kennedy, a soil scientist with USDA's Agricultural Research Service, picking up that money (in the form of wheat residue) is penny wise and pound foolish.

According to a recent article in ScienceDaily, wheat residue left on the ground decomposes, and that process builds up the organic matter in the soil while also reducing erosion. Remove the residue and farmers will just have to find other ways to restore the organic matter lost to cultivation.

Best just to leave the wheat residue there in the first place, says Kennedy.

In the long run, leaving that "money" on the ground does more for the soil and more for a farmer's bottom line than the quick $8.00-a-bushel hit.

"We need to constantly replenish organic matter, so removing valuable residue, especially in areas with low rainfall, may not be the best practice."

To learn more, consult the full list of Ann Kennedy's research or see the great stuff on field crops and soil the experts at the National Agricultural Library have pulled together.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Plants and Crops on July 24, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Yes, We Have More Bananas

If you're a typical American, you eat, on average, two bananas a week. And if you buy those bananas at a typical American grocery store, you're getting the same kind of banana each time, a variety called the Cavendish.

Fifty years ago, that was not the case.

My parents and grandparents grew up eating a different kind of banana, the Gros Michel, that, from all reports, was both tastier and better suited for export. But for all its popularity, the Gros Michel had a weakness: it was highly susceptible to Panama disease, a fungal disease that, over time, wiped out the Gros Michel.

Enter the Cavendish.

Resistant to the Panama disease that felled the Gros Michel, the Cavendish surged to the top export spot and never looked back. Now, however, its position is threatened, not by a competing cultivar, but by a strain of Panama disease that neither it nor its growers can combat.

Back in March NAL hosted a forum that examined this situation, along with the importance of bananas and plantains in meeting the food and economic needs in tropical regions around the world. As it turns out, the Cavendish is just one piece -- though certainly a big commercial piece -- in the sustaining role bananas play around the globe.

Nearly one thousand other varieties of bananas populate tropical regions, and most never leave their home countries. These other varieties sustain the farmers that grow them and serve as staples in their surrounding communities.

But economic forces are understandably pushing small growers to abandon these other varieties in favor of marketable ones. That trend, however, threatens banana diversity.

What can we do?

While scientists chart the banana's genome, preserve their genetic resources in genebanks, and work to counteract the diseases that plague them, consumers can help by buying more than just the Cavendish. Be willing to spend a little more to try something new and to send the message to your grocer that there is a market for other varieties and the products made from them.

You can also learn more about the banana in all its forms. Over the last two years alone three major books on the banana and its history -- political, cultural, economic and otherwise -- have hit the shelves:

• The Banana: Empires, Trade Wars, and Globalization by James Wiley
• Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World by Dan Koeppel
• Bananas: How the United Fruit Company Shaped the World by Peter Chapman

My library colleagues have also pulled together a collection of resources covering the agricultural and scientific research focused on the banana, along with nutritional info and recipes.

Obviously, there is much to learn, but there is also much to eat. With over one thousand varieties of bananas out there, you'd better get started. Stop back to tell us which ones you like, and if you've got a good recipe for banana bread, send it along. It's one of my favs.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Food and Nutrition and Marketing and Trade and Plants and Crops on June 23, 2008 EST | Permalink

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I can’t say I know a lot about bananas and I have never really looked for different varieties. Occasionally my local grocer will have plantains, but I will have to check to see if there are multiple varieties of bananas. –Thanks for calling this to my attention. Are any bananas being grown in the US right now? If so, where and what kind of volume? Alex Tiller http://blog.alextiller.com

Submitted by: Alex Tiller on June 25, 2008 02:26 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on June 25, 2008 03:12 PM

Urban Farming & the D.C. Land Grant

City farmer.

Sounds like a oxymoron at best, or a scathing insult at worst.

But two recent articles from decidedly "city" papers have exposed some depth and texture to the phrase.

Six weeks ago the New York Times ran a piece describing the urban agriculture movement that has sprung up in the Bronx and Brooklyn, along with other cities like Detroit, Milwaukee and Oakland.

There, hardworking city residents with green thumbs and lots of heart are turning vacant lots into farming plots. The food grown feeds themselves and their neighbors. They make a profit for their efforts, but more importantly, they provide fresh, local produce in places not used to getting such quality affordably.

Then today the Washington Post took a look at the University of the District of Columbia's designation as a land grant university in a decidedly urban area.

This designation, one more commonly associated with colleges and universities serving agricultural areas, calls on the school to provide a practical education to the common people, whether through formal education, less formal outreach and extension programs, or research related to the agricultural and family sciences.

UDC does all that through its youth programs, like 4-H and the Urban Agriculture Grasshoppers, and advanced research into issues relevant to the urban environment such as air pollution, obesity, juvenile violence and yes, food production.

To many, UDC's position as a land grant university makes no sense, but to others, these programs and others highlight the important role the university can play in the community.

What do you think? Is there a place for education "related to agriculture and the mechanic arts" in cities such as D.C.? If you already consider yourself a "city farmer," where do you go to learn about crops, critters and composting?

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Education and Food and Nutrition and Plants and Crops on June 20, 2008 EST | Permalink

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With fuel prices compounding the issues related to food prices, I am confident that we will see a renaissance in the ways and places people buy their food. It’s not just a matter of a consumer choosing to lower their carbon foot print. Local food may very well be cheaper once local distribution gets worked out. Alex Tiller http://blog.alextiller.com

Submitted by: Alex Tiller on June 25, 2008 02:30 PM

Submitted by: Alex Tiller on June 26, 2008 02:01 PM

Flowers of Stone

John Jayson Sonnier worked as a garden designer for many years. According to him, "Gardens were [his] world." But when fate crossed his path with that of Master Sculptor Constantine Seferlis, his world changed.

Sonnier studied under Seferlis for years, finding a talent for sculpture and discovering an artform that allowed him to give solid yet eloquent expression to nature's wonders.

This summer, you'll find over a dozen of Sonnier's botanical pieces on exhibit here at NAL, with companion prints from the Library's Rare Book collection. Together, the two collections reveal these plants' power and grace -- the rise and fall of a leaf, the curve of a supple flower.

The exhibit, "Floral Expressions in Stone and Print," runs through August 29, 2008. You can catch a sneak preview on the Library's Web site, or more detailed images on the artist's site.

Sponsored by the Library's Special Collections division, the exhibit is free and open the public during the Library's normal hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 4:30.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Art, Artifacts and Photos and Plants and Crops on June 13, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Amber Waves?

Are you feeling the pinch at the grocery store yet?

Higher food prices are creating unrest in some parts of the world and simple belt-tightening in others.

The Washington Post devoted this past week to exploring the current food crisis brought on by food shortages and spiking inflation. If you haven't yet read their five-part series, I recommend you do.

• The New Economics of Hunger looks at skyrocketing grain prices and their impact on the global markets and the world's poor.


• Where Every Meal Is a Sacrifice focuses on the situation in Mauritania and other poor countries that are forced to import most of their food.


• Emptying the Breadbasket tells of the fall in wheat production in the U.S. as more farmers turn to corn and soybeans and examines some of the forces that led to the shift.


• Siphoning Off Corn to Fuel Our Cars examines the tug-of-war over corn as food and fuel and identifies the winners, losers and ongoing fighters in the battle.


• Clipping, Scrimping, Saving registers the impact of rising prices on American consumers across income levels and reveals what steps folks are taking to save money.

You can also hear Dan Morgan, Washington Post agriculture reporter and one of the series' authors, talk about what he learned while researching the series in an interview on C-SPAN. Morgan also answer questions during the hour-long video.

Of course, the global reach of these events means that far more than just the Post is writing about them. For other perspectives, you might also want to dip into the BBC's extensive coverage or read The Economist's recent cover story on what they termed The Silent Tsunami.

Finally, for information about food aid available from USDA and the Administration's response to recent events, see the Department's Food Aid page.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Food and Nutrition and Marketing and Trade and Plants and Crops on May 01, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Interesting blog post, Mary Ann. With Del Monte leaving Hawaii, the last two producers are Dole and Maui Pineapple. Maui Pine was the last to close their cannery on Maui, they did it earlier this year or late 2007. So all the fruit produced in Hawaii is for the fresh fruit market. The latest statistics shows that the acreage in pineapple in Hawaii is less than 14,000 acres and seed crops has now surpassed pineapple as the number crop in terms of farm gate values. Sugarcane, macadamia nuts and coffee round out the top 5. As for poi, taro, which is used to make poi, only 9% of the taro consumed in Hawaii is produced here. All of these statistics are from the NASS Hawaii state statistics. Doug Vincent College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii.

Submitted by: Doug Vincent on May 19, 2008 06:14 PM

The Farmer Next Door

How far are you willing to go to eat locally?

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday about some folks in Boulder, Colorado who have turned to growing vegetables in their backyards. And front yards. And their neighbors' yards.

Neighbors who submit their yards to be furrowed and planted are rewarded with free food and yard work. Others back the effort through a Community Supported Agriculture program, which means they get part of the weekly yield in exchange for upfront payments.

And I'm not talking about planting a garden. That implies a smaller scale than what's going on here. These suburban farmers are planting enough bok choy and beets to supply their neighbors and a few nearby restaurants.

Not everyone in the 'hood loves what a farmed front yard looks like, particularly in the off-season, but the idea is getting a lot of play, as evidenced by the Wall Street Journal coverage (complete with video) and the response in the blogosphere.

No need to start so grandly though. Even with limited space, you can make a go of it with containers or square foot gardening. NAL's gardening Web sites can get you started and keep you going, from seed to harvest.

Just get your kitchen garden going and start eating really local.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Plants and Crops on April 23, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Ok I'm cheating a little, since I live in the boonies and the closest big grocery store is 30 minutes away, but I buy all of my meat and fresh vegetables locally. We have several local farms with cooperatives, several local dairies, and most of the smaller stores and butchers carry local food. I just wish I didn't have a brown thumb. Yes, envy me! Maine = the way life should be :) New England Bee

Submitted by: Michelle on August 14, 2008 04:32 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on August 14, 2008 04:39 PM

Two Shows Worth Watching (and Discussing)

It's not often that we get two thought-provoking documentaries on agriculture and farming in the same week, but PBS is serving up a couple of conversation starters, beginning tonight.

"King Corn," a film looking at the corn's central role in American agriculture and food production, makes its television debut in just a few hours on the Emmy award-winning series Independent Lens, PBS's showcase for independent films. Not all PBS stations will be airing the show today, however, and many will be repeating it as well, so be sure to check your local listings for air times. You still might be able to catch it.

Here in the Washington area, Independent Lens will also be re-broadcasting "The Real Dirt on Farmer John" later this week, a 2006 film that follows an Illinois farmer, John Peterson, as he tries to transform his family farm in a way that is at odds with his community. Hopefully, this film too will crop up where you're at in the coming months, so keep checking those local listings.

If PBS lets you down, or you'd just rather watch on your own timetable, "The Real Dirt on Farmer John" is already available on DVD, and "King Corn" will be released later this month.

I haven't seen either film yet, so I'm very interested in seeing what they're about. And, of course, I'd love to hear your take on things. Once you've watched either or both, come back and let us know what you thought. I'm sure our community of readers can get a good discussion going.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Biography and Food and Nutrition and Organic Production and Plants and Crops on April 15, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Nature's Wonders on Display

It has been a big week for biological diversity.

Not only did the Svalbard Global Seed Vault open, as mentioned Tuesday, but that same day, the Encylopedia of Life launched its Web site.

I would have mentioned it sooner, but the site proved so popular that it was down quite a bit in the early going -- a good sign, to be sure, but an equally good reason not to send more folks their way.

How popular was the site? A local radio station reported that the site "logged 11.5 million page views in 5 1/2 hours -- and two of those hours were downtime." That's quite impressive for any site, but particularly so for one just catching the light of day.

The Encyclopedia of Life is setting out "to document all species of life on earth." Toward that end, they already have well over a million pages, though all but 30,000 of those provide only minimal descriptions and links.

To really get a sense of what they envision, you're better off touring their exemplar species pages, two dozen pages that have been fully fleshed out and convey the breadth and depth all pages are heading toward. These exemplar pages have been reviewed and endorsed by scientists, so they bear the mark of authority. They also include links to full-text articles from the Biodiversity Heritage Library, and -- a highlight for me -- these pages are sporting some great pics, really amazing, beautiful photos that leave me in awe of both nature and the photographer.

Please check it out. They're seeking feedback and are even eager for your involvement. Starting later this year, the public will be able to contribute text, videos, images, and other information about a species, with the best of this info incorporated into the authenticated pages.

EOL describes itself as "an ambitious, even audacious project." I couldn't agree more. But it's also project worth doing, and one I wager you'll dip into more and more as it grows over the next decade.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Animals and Education and Plants and Crops on February 29, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Just wanted to say Hello to everyone. Much to read and learn here, I'm sure I will enjoy !

Submitted by: Sensbachtal on March 17, 2008 11:05 AM

Submitted by: SKEETER on March 19, 2008 03:35 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on March 20, 2008 01:10 PM

Submitted by: Karl S on March 25, 2008 07:53 AM

A Cool Idea Comes to Fruition

If you've been around InfoFarm a while, you know that one of our October entries described the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the latest effort to ensure the survival of crop diversity should disaster strike.

Today, the vault officially opened in a ceremony marked by boxes of seeds being carried down a red carpet to the permafrost-surrounded rooms.

According to the official press release (PDF | 44 KB), "some seeds in the vault will be viable for a millennium or more," if they are properly stored and maintained. They estimate "barley can last 2000 years, wheat 1700 years, and sorghum almost 20,000 years."

And proper storage, you can imagine, means cold. The vault will keep the seeds at -0.4 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius).

But interestingly, the massive underground structure is more than just a biodiversity warehouse. It also brings art to this frozen corner of the world. Its steel roof has been outfitted with prisms and mirrors that will reflect polar light in the summer, while in the dark winter months, fiber-optic cables will emit a muted greenish-turquoise and white light.

Here's just one photo gallery out of many currently on the Web that'll give you a taste of things at Svalbard.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Plants and Crops on February 26, 2008 EST | Permalink

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The Case of the Disappearing Bees

Did you catch last night's episode of 60 Minutes? They re-ran a segment looking at the mysterious disappearance of honey bees, a problem beekeepers first noted in 2006.

(If you did miss it, you can still catch the video, just be aware that it is television, which means you'll get a commercial first.)

The mystery in a nutshell: the bees are not returning home. Quite uncharacteristically, they are abandoning their hives, even those filled with eggs, larvae, honey and bee pollen. But there are also no dead bees.

The phenomenon, termed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), has been seen in at least 35 states and has resulted in the loss of about 25% of the country's bees since late 2006.

The missing bees are having a substantial impact on agriculture and business. Without the bees, the necessary pollination doesn't occur for many specialty crops such as almonds and other nuts, berries, fruits, and vegetables. That's a potential loss of nearly $15 billion in added crop value.

Scientists within USDA's Agricultural Research Service are looking for the factors contributing to CCD, but they've yet to determine anything with certainty. They do believe CCD arises from a complex interaction of elements, and they're investigating pathogens, parasites, environmental stresses, and bee management stresses as relevant factors. They're also tackling this through a new bee-focused areawide program that includes university partners, apiculturists, and many others.

The ongoing mystery, however, has beekeepers, growers and food industry folks frightened. Private industry has started to kick in to fund research, with both Haagen-Dazs and Burt's Bees, a manufacturer of personal care products, recently getting involved.

If you'd like to know more about Colony Collapse Disorder, dip into the deep collection of CCD resources my Library colleagues have pulled together. You'll find some great stuff there, including links to articles and Web sites for both the layperson and the beekeeping professional.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Animals and Plants and Crops on February 25, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Ag Words on the Growing Edge

As a follow-up to yesterday's entry on locavores, I wanted to quickly mention the other agriculturally related words that have recently been in the running for Word of the Year.

In 2005 Oxford gave the nod to "podcast," a decidedly non-agricultural word, but a technology the aggies have certainly taken advantage of, including the folks over at USDA's Economic Research Service and National Agricultural Statistics Service.

And among the runners-up that year we had "bird flu" and "trans fats," two very different but significant challenges to our health that ag researchers are addressing.

The following year was also big for agriculture and the environment. "Carbon neutral" took the top spot, encouraging all of us to reduce our carbon emissions and to then balance "our remaining emissions...by purchasing a carbon offset, paying to plant new trees or investing in 'green' technologies such as solar and wind power."

Then "CSA," community supported agriculture, occupied a key runner-up position, and -- who knows? -- maybe contributed to "locavore's" win in 2007 by building momentum in the "buy local" movement.

For the librarians in the audience, 2006 also brought us "DRM," digital rights management, a mere hop, skip and a jump from the copyright issues we discussed the other day.

Then, as noted earlier, "locavore" snagged Oxford's latest blue ribbon, but the mysterious "colony collapse disorder" made the list, as did "upcycling," a innovative alternative to waste disposal, one that puts a value-added spin on recycling.

So, not bad, nine words in three years related to agriculture, the environment, nutrition or librarianship. (I cast a wide net.)

But what did Oxford miss? Any other good, new agricultural words out there? Send 'em along or make 'em up. We're always ready to push that growing edge.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Animals and Food and Nutrition and Marketing and Trade and Natural Resources & Environment and Plants and Crops on January 18, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Hello! Nice site ;) Bye

Submitted by: BersJonrete on January 20, 2008 12:26 AM

Submitted by: David Engel on January 23, 2008 09:57 AM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on January 23, 2008 01:26 PM

Submitted by: Lori Finch on January 24, 2008 05:18 PM

Are You a Locavore? Should You Be?

So, do you consider yourself a locavore? If so, you're environmentally conscious and trendy, wearing a label declared the "Word of the Year 2007" by the New Oxford American Dictionary.

For those who've never heard the term, it was coined just a few years ago by Jessica Prentice, one of four women in San Francisco who set out to eat food grown or produced within 100 miles of their homes. They weren't the only ones doing so, but their word caught on, at least in some circles, and is now, as Oxford sees it, a "word to watch."

It has gotten a few amateur (maybe even professional) lexicographers in an uproar: Should it be "localvore," (with an "l")? Should it be "localtarian," to convey the choice implied (a la "vegetarian")? Should we even care?

Of course, the last question touches upon more than just the word, but on the choices and actions the word encompasses -- eating locally, supporting nearby farmers and producers, reducing the transportation and shipping costs associated with what we eat.

The payoff comes in terms both personal and global. The food I get from our neighborhood farmers' market is generally fresher and tastes better than the long-distance stuff. Even the meat is more flavorful. And I get all that while doing something positive for the environment.

Not so fast, interjects Sarah Murray. While buying locally might supply those benefits, "food miles" shouldn't be the sole factor taken into account when buying food. We must also consider harvesting and production methods, storage requirements, food packaging, and other steps along the road from farm to fork.

Murray cites the example of a British snack company that teamed up with the Carbon Trust to measure the carbon footprint of a bag of its potato crisps. In calculating the carbon dioxide emissions in the making and shipping of the crisps, they found that the troublespot was not transportation, but "storing and frying the potatoes." Making changes there, Murray points out, could reduce emissions more than constraining the miles the crisps travel to consumers.

Okay, sounds good. But what about the formula used for calculating a product's carbon footprint in the first place? What gets included? What doesn't? And how far down the growth and production chain do you go? As an article in The Economist points out, how you answer these questions significantly impacts your formula, and, of course, the results.

And taking a consumer's position on this, how will I know which formula is "right"?

Obviously, this carbon footprint stuff is tricky business, and the scientists will be hashing out the details for some time. Until then, though, until we see standards, I'll work with what I do know and buy locally as much as I can. I might never be a true locavore -- I like chocolate way too much for that -- but I'll do what I can, even if it does address just one factor in a lengthy environmental equation.

But what are you doing? Have you tried being a locavore, even on a short-term or seasonal basis? Do you grow your own herbs or veggies? Have you joined a community supported agriculture program? Are you a regular at the local farmers market? Let's hear your tips for reducing our individual carbon footprints.

Or offer your comments on our latest Word of the Year. Does "locavore" work for you? Got a better idea? Propose it here and you might find fame via your well-chosen neologism. Wouldn't that be cool?

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Food and Nutrition and Marketing and Trade and Natural Resources & Environment and Plants and Crops on January 17, 2008 EST | Permalink

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I have started looking into this for myself. The task can sound simple at first, but in reality may require some research. I would have to cut many things from my diet like bread and beer because ALL the ingredients weren't grown within 100 miles of my home. Then again wine would still be available. The process of researching what does grow in your area opens up your mind to what really goes into producing food and getting it to your kitchen. And as we already know the food that's least processed is usually the best for you. So I think I can do without the potatoe crisps, but I draw the limit at giving up beer. It's a challenge that I want to take soon. I'd love to hear if anyone else does this, what their personal parameters were and how it went!

Submitted by: Virgie J on July 9, 2008 07:15 PM

Winter Gives Way to Spring...Already?

I'm in agreement with the folks over at GovGab -- winter is a great time to visit a botanical garden.

Here in DC, the U.S. Botanic Garden displays a vivid pallet of greens year-round, and the sun streaming through the glass walls of the Conservatory dispel any thoughts of winter, at least for a time. It's one of my favorite cold-weather escapes.

This month, however, the Botanic Garden has something for those of you who appreciate the diminished light and cold days this time of year. Their current exhibit "Glorious Winter" includes a variety of landscapes that capture the beauty of barren trees and snow-covered fields. Even the gardens pictured, mere stick figures in comparison to the lushness they'll show come spring, are striking, grounding us in the season while evoking thoughts of what's to come.

The Washington Post's garden editor, Adrian Higgins, offered an eloquent review of the exhibit last week, complete with a video interview with Roger Foley, one of the photographers featured.

If you can't get to the Botanic Garden before the exhibit ends January 27, check out a sample of Foley's winter scenes on his Web site. Barbara Southworth, another local photographer, is also a part of the exhibit.

Across town, the U.S. National Arboretum is showing winter landscapes of a different sort, namely, viewing stones that evoke the season. These naturally occurring stones, selected for the way they suggest to the viewer scenes of winter, are joined in the exhibit by pine, bamboo, and plum species, the so-called three "Friends of Winter."

Or be a part of the winter landscape by walking the grounds of the National Arboretum, either on your own or as part of their full moon hikes. (The latter requires registration.)

For other great outdoor activities, review the resources the Rural Information Center has pulled together on winter in rural America. They include a great link on winter recreation and another conveying the challenges of ranching during this season's short days and temperamental weather.

Of course, if winter's just a speedbump on your way to warmer weather, then put this time to use by planning your garden or seeking inspiration at your local botanical garden or arboretum. Nothing gets you through the coldest days like a seed catalog and visions of this year's masterpiece

Unless, of course, it's the Botanic Garden's annual orchid show, which opens February 2. Mark your calendars so you don't miss it.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Art, Artifacts and Photos and Plants and Crops on January 08, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Duck...Duck...Goose

Next week, mixed in with the last of their holiday cards and the first bills of 2008, farmers and ranchers across the U.S. will be getting their packets for the 2007 Census of Agriculture. The folks at USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service are dropping them in the mail today.

NASS conducts the survey every five years to count the nation’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Census questions cover land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, crop yields, livestock count, and machinery used, along with income, expenditures and other topics.

Maybe this is where that old game "Duck, Duck, Goose" got its start -- farmers counting their animals for the annual ag census. Okay, I admit that's not likely, but you do have to report your poultry numbers on the survey, so there actually might be folks mumbling that very phrase to themselves as they walk through barnyards across the country this January.

But lest you think the ag census is equally silly, let me assure you that the reponses provide vital information that factors into a range of decisions, from crafting agricultural policy like the farm bill, to making funds and services available to rural communities. Businesses might use the information to determine the locations of facilities serving agricultural producers, while the farmers and ranchers themselves can use census data to make informed decisions about the future of their own operations. (More ducks, perhaps? Or maybe more geese? Hmmm, let me run around in a circle while I think about it.)

So, when that envelope arrives next week from the government, don't just toss it into recycling. Open it. Look it over. Fill it out. Or grab your Census ID from the mailing and click your way to the online response version.

After all, filling out the ag census is not only a good idea, it's the law (Title 7, U.S. Code), regardless of the size or type of your operation. Fortunately, the same law makes your responses confidential and limits their use to statistical purposes, so no worries that your survey will be passed along to the IRS or your local inspectors.

Instead, think about getting yourself counted so that decision-makers know you're out there. If nothing else, it'll be a great way to spend a cold January evening, right? Right? Um, right?

Census reports are due February 4, 2008.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Animals and Farm Bill and Marketing and Trade and Organic Production and Plants and Crops and Rural Life on December 28, 2007 EST | Permalink

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Don't Trash that Poinsettia!

The holiday season is most definitely upon us. You can't go anywhere without hearing Christmas carols, and those decorations that first popped up in October have finally started to feel appropriate.

Among the seasonal favorites, poinsettias add color and beauty to what might be a cold, grey season in many parts of the country.

They also have the ability to stick around for a while, a bit like that hefty fruitcake you can't seem to get rid of.

Some unwanted poinsettias end up in the trash, their owners somehow able to toss them with nary a care. That's not me. I once had a poinsettia plant for a good couple of years. It never flowered again -- at the time I didn't care enough to even try -- but I couldn't dump it. Thankfully, an "accident" befell it during a move, and I was cut loose from the 18-inch green albatross.

Now, I simply try not to let poinsettias in the house. Better to stop them at the door than to have to send them out to the garbage later. Less guilt that way, that's my thinking.

But for those of you more hearty, more adventurous or -- dare I say it? -- more foolish than myself, I've assembled the following links to help you care for your poinsettia through the holiday season and beyond. Maybe you'll even get lucky and nurse a new round of blooms out of it next fall.

Home Care of Poinsettias (PDF | 70.8 KB) guides you through the seasons with your beloved plant, from the basics of tending it to the art of reblooming. It also adds tips for selecting a plant -- if you're on the buying end of the equation -- and a bit of the plant's history.

The Poinsettia Pages covers some of the same points -- selection, care, reflowering, along with a dose of history -- but you'll also find there a good batch of links to additional poinsettia resources.

Of course, if you're like me and would prefer something other than a poinsettia to liven up your mantle, then print out Beyond Poinsettias: Alternative Holiday Plants before heading to your local nursery. The beauty of the amaryllis inspires poetry, and the ease and longevity of the Christmas cactus makes it a family favorite.

And now for the shameless plug:

For more prints like the one reproduced above, see the collection of images from Curtis's Botanical Magazine presented by the Library's Special Collections.

Or get that very image, the golden poinsettia (Poinsettia pulcherrima), on this year's holiday cards from Special Collections. They also offer other great holiday gifts and stocking stuffers.

As always, a portion of all sales goes to protecting and preserving the historic treasures housed at your National Agricultural Library.

Finally, let me send out a hearty thanks and happy holidays to the university extension programs that created the resources cited: Kansas State, Illinois, and Purdue. We appreciate your great work.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Plants and Crops on December 20, 2007 EST | Permalink

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Great information, but I could have used it two weeks ago before I did have to trash a poinsettia. I had a misguided impression that watering the red guy once a week was about right. That is, until a Monday morning when I walked in to be greeted by a pot of green spikes sitting on a table covered with red and green drying leaves. Sighhhhh. My new one is doing much better, thank you.

Submitted by: Gary on December 21, 2007 09:12 AM

Submitted by: Karl S on January 12, 2008 08:45 AM

The Big Apple's Green Acres

You remember "Green Acres," don't you? That 1960s sitcom in which attorney Oliver Douglas and his socialite wife, Lisa, leave their penthouse on Park Avenue for the ol' Haney place in Hooterville. Lisa cries, as you recall, when she has to say "goodbye, city life."

Sixty years later -- if they could've just hung on -- they each could have had it all, Oliver his farm and Lisa her penthouse view.

Enter Dickson Despommier, a microbiologist and professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University. Despommier wants to see New York's city blocks dotted with vertical farms, each 30 stories high and capable of yielding enough food and water to sustain 50,000 people annually.

None of the glass tower farms envisioned have been built yet, but a few architects have rendered designs, and students in Despommier's classes have, over the last eight years, studied the scientific, economic and political viability of the multi-storied greenhouse.

Others have focused on perfecting the systems that make it work, from optimizing energy usage to purifying water (PDF | 1.52 MB).

Even the soilless systems that these towering farms will rely upon is getting a boost from NASA research. [Think space stations and Mars settlements. Such a future also needs a reliable way to grow fresh foods (PDF | 865 KB) without soil.]

Given all that, perhaps the vertical farm is not as farfetched as it might sound. After all, many of the technologies that go into it already exist; others just need refinement. And the advantages, according to Despommier, are significant:

• Year-round production
• All-organic foods
• Sustaining energy systems
• Full use of all waste and byproducts (no polluting run-off)
• Less shipping, more local consumption
• And the ability to return much of our current farmland to its natural forested state

All of these, he notes, will help the planet, even as our population booms and arable land grows scarce.

Apparently, the vision has been catching on. Popular Science (PDF | 628 KB), New York Magazine, the BBC and others have covered it.

So, will it work? Despommier lays out a pretty convincing scenario, not only for the engineering and technology behind the plan but also for the environmental and socioeconomic needs that drive it.

But then I'm no scientist.

What do you think? Are agricultural skyscrapers in our future? Got any insights that might help bring this gleaming, 30-story urban farm to fruition? (Or a few hundred million dollars to help finance one?)

If all goes well, the vertical farm might mean Green Acres for a lot of us.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Plants and Crops on December 19, 2007 EST | Permalink

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Yes, I love the concept. If everyone could have their personal tower, outside their windows, even better!

Submitted by: Carole on December 19, 2007 12:37 PM

Sour Oranges or Public Good?

What would you do if someone came into your yard univited and cut down one of your trees? What if that someone was the state and the tree one you've enjoyed the fruits of for many years?

Over the last decade or so, these questions have moved beyond the hypothetical for many Floridians.

In an effort to eradicate citrus canker, state agricultural crews destroyed infected trees, along with any additional citrus trees within 1,900 feet. Whether in orange groves or somebody's backyard, the trees were coming down -- over 16.5 million total (PDF |112 KB).

As the Washington Post reports today, some folks weren't too happy with that, leading to five separate class-action law suits. The key issue: whether the compensation received -- a $100 WalMart gift card for the first tree, $55 cash for the remaider -- was sufficient for trees that fed a family for years.

I can understand the reaction. I have a friend, a true native Floridian, whose ancestors first settled there in the 1860s, who says she never bought citrus until she came north for graduate school. She got her fruit from the trees in her backyard, or her neighbors' yards, knowing whom to visit for Florida lemons, calamondin oranges or sweet tangerines. Her family still gets fruit that way, a simple, steady, seasonal presence.

Those backyard trees, it seems, are central to many Floridians' identity. They're something that makes Florida Florida.

Of course, the same can be said of the citrus industry.

Which brings us back around to the citrus canker eradication program.

Cutting down infected and exposed trees was meant to halt the spread of this highly contagious disease and spare greater losses to Florida's #1 crop. Unfortunately, it didn't work. During the intense hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, the resulting wind and rain created the perfect means for spreading the bacteria beyond manageable levels.

Things got so bad that in January 2006 the USDA decided citrus canker could no longer be eliminated without inflicting permanent damage to the citrus industry. They'd have to cut down so many trees to eradicate the disease that the growers simply couldn't recover.

Enter the Citrus Health Response Program, a collaborative effort to scientifically control canker's spread and to safeguard the citrus industry. Though citrus canker is harmless to humans, Florida citrus is now under quarantine (PDF | 66 KB). No citrus may leave the state without receiving a limited permit, and no Florida citrus may be shipped to any other citrus-producing U.S. state or territory.

That means all you folks in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Texas will need to fill your holiday baskets with oranges grown elsewhere. And for the foreseeable future, please tell your Aunt Judy in Bartow not to send any grapefruits from the tree in her yard -- unless she wants to get her fruit treated, packed and inspected at an approved packinghouse.

So, the tree cutting is over. The lawsuits go on, however, wrestling with the issue of compensation, but also with the questions I opened with, questions that seek to examine the line between private property and public good, between individual rights and state powers.

I don't begin to know where to draw that line, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. No law degree required.

Finally, for more on citrus canker, check out the books and articles here at the Library. With eradication unlikely, we need to know all we can about this contagious, costly disease.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Invasive Species and Plants and Crops on December 10, 2007 EST | Permalink

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We can't grow citrus in New York but, I think that if people loose their property they should be compansated for that loss even though it may be for the common good. The other comment I would like to interject is that I think the citrus people should share more of those sweet, juicy lemons that grow in some of the back yards instead of sending all of those tart ones. I never knew how pleasant it was to eat a fully ripe lemon.

Submitted by: James Hilderbrant on December 14, 2007 11:22 PM

Submitted by: Amanda Slykerman on April 1, 2008 02:52 PM

Submitted by: Tracy on April 28, 2008 03:06 PM

Six Important Updates You Don't Want to Miss

In just the last two days I've noticed how many of the stories I've addressed over the last two months continue to pop up in the news. Given that, I thought it'd be interesting to see how things have moved on a few of them, or what fresh angles more recent coverage offers.

So, without further ado, here are the updates you don't want to miss:

• Since my October 15 entry on food recalls, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a Food Protection Plan that seeks to identify potential foodborne hazards before they sicken or kill anyone, but the plan isn't impressing Congress. Members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions have made some pretty strong statements indicating that neither it, nor the plan to enhance import safety, goes far enough.


• The potato cyst nematode doesn't seem too interested in joining the Year of the Potato celebration. Instead, it's spoiling the party by spreading to its eighth field in Idaho, threatening crop production there.


• Faster computers are accelerating the pace of discovery, but they're also making it possible to generate more realistic, more accurate and more powerful computer simulations. Such progress validates our October post on schools and industries moving away from using animals for education and experimentation.


• Avocado farmers who have started to regroup after October's wildfires are learning that their crop insurance doesn't cover as much as they thought it would. And even those that can expect some payments might not see money until early 2009.


• The farm bill has stalled on its way through the Senate, and there's really no telling where this one's gonna end up. Today word hit that U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid would be filing a cloture motion this afternoon. Such a motion, if passed, would limit any further debate on the farm bill to 30 hours, but a similar attempt a few weeks ago failed to get the 60 votes required for passage.


• "Sometimes it pays to read the old literature." So said Dr. Peter Palese, a researcher who determined why winter is flu season. And though I've not written a lick about the flu, I thought the lesson Dr. Palese offers to be a timely reminder that some ideas have been thunk before, which was, in fact, the main point behind the Starting Right with Turkeys entry. The Web holds valuable, historical stuff. Make use of it.

If you have more updates to add, feel free to send 'em along.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Animals and Emergency Response and Farm Bill and Food and Nutrition and History of Agriculture and Plants and Crops on December 05, 2007 EST | Permalink

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This blog does not represent official communications from the National Agricultural Library, the Agricultural Research Service or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A Thanksgiving Partnership

In the fall of 1621, the Plymouth colonists and their Native American neighbors sat down to an autumn feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest.

Now, 386 years later, we still gather as best we can around a special meal. Whether that be turkey, ham or veggie meatloaf, whether you like raisins in your stuffing or marshmallows in your sweet potatoes, food still occupies a central place in Thanksgiving. (Football, you'll note, was added much, much later.)

Because of food's integral place in the holiday, this week has been declared National Farm-City Week to acknowledge and celebrate the partnership between urban and rural residents. It reminds us all of the mutual benefit this relationship provides: farmers and ranchers supplying our food, consumers buying what the farmers produce.

So, do your part. Get out there and eat! And while you're at it, give thanks to the folks who made it all possible by buying locally. You'll get fresher foods, and you'll get to know first-hand some of the folks who grow what you eat.

You can also learn more about the many ways you can partner with your local farmers through the Library's resources on community supported agriculture. Or get more info on National Farm-City Week from the National Farm-City Council, organizers for each year's national events.

And instead of the annual Turkey Bowl touch football game, why don't you challenge your friends and family to a friendly game of farm trivia? It's easier, cleaner and less likely to result in strained ligaments. Trust me on this one.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Food and Nutrition and Plants and Crops on November 20, 2007 EST | Permalink

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This blog does not represent official communications from the National Agricultural Library, the Agricultural Research Service or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Berry, Berry Interesting (or a Bog Blog)

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, turkeys are getting a lot of air time, far more than their proverbial fifteen minutes. To balance the scales a bit, I'm going to spend today cruising you around the Web to learn about the simple but tasty cranberry.

According to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association, Native Americans knew about the cranberry long before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, using the fruit for food, in dyes and as medicine.

Despite that, we have no evidence that cranberries were present at the Pilgrim's first Thanksgiving.

That shouldn't dimish the cranberry's importance, however. It is one of only three fruits native to North America that have commercial significance. (The other two are blueberries and concord grapes.) In fact, based on sales, the cranberry is growing in popularity in other parts of the world, thanks to a focused marketing effort overseas.

Did you know though that Massachusetts is not the leading producer of cranberries? That honor goes to Wisconsin, where cranberry production is forecasted to be 3.9 million barrels, about half the U.S. production totals. Massachusetts ranks second with 1.8 million barrels.

But don't erase that New England-cranberry connection just yet. The history and importance of the cranberry runs deep there. Cranberries were first cultivated in Dennis, Massachusetts in 1816, and the fruit has developed into Massachusetts' number one agricultural commodity crop. The state is also home to over half of the country's cranberry farms.

What about the flooded bogs? Those actually signal a wet harvest, in which the fruits' ability to float is exploited to simplify the process. (If you've got two minutes to spare, watch a video of a Wisconsin wet cranberry harvest on YouTube. It's pretty cool.) Cranberries can also be mechanically harvested dry. Fruit harvested wet heads for further processing; dry harvest is reserved for cranberries that will be sold fresh.

Good cranberries also bounce, another characteristic exploited for harvest. Soft, spoiled or damaged berries will not bounce, so they'll fall through the bounce boards and not make the cut.

Need to know more? Then take a look at these books and articles from the Library's catalog, AGRICOLA. Or bounce on over to The American Cranberry site, a great collection of cranberry-related resources pulled together by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, one of NAL's AgNIC partners.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Food and Nutrition and Plants and Crops on November 19, 2007 EST | Permalink

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National Geographic offers another video on the cranberry harvest which is a more polished, professional profile of one cranberry grower in Wisconsin. Heads up though: you will get a brief commercial at the beginning. Of course no endorsement is intended.

Submitted by: Mary Ann on November 21, 2007 10:16 AM

The Flower Itself Entered Our World

It's Friday, and in the idiosyncratic logic of a blogger, I've decided we needed a bit of culture here at InfoFarm.

It's also fall, which means that the culture I've chosen -- Connie Wanek's poem "Amaryllis" -- appropriately aligns with the season. All the gardening sites out there will tell you that we've stumbled into that bulb's planting season. And the local garden shops have them in stock, since they've become popular as winter blooms.

So, if you'd like your own amaryllis, get to work this weekend, and you should have something in 7 to 10 weeks. Until then (or for those lacking the proverbial green thumb), enjoy this vivid lyrical version, courtesy of poet Connie Wanek, and Ted Kooser's American Life in Poetry site:

American Life in Poetry: Column 084

BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE, 2004-2006

Many of this column's readers have watched an amaryllis emerge from its hard bulb to flower. To me they seem unworldly, perhaps a little dangerous, like a wild bird you don't want to get too close to. Here Connie Wanek of Duluth, Minnesota, takes a close and playful look at an amaryllis that looks right back at her.

Amaryllis

A flower needs to be this size
to conceal the winter window,
and this color, the red
of a Fiat with the top down,
to impress us, dull as we've grown.

Months ago the gigantic onion of a bulb
half above the soil
stuck out its green tongue
and slowly, day by day,
the flower itself entered our world,

closed, like hands that captured a moth,
then open, as eyes open,
and the amaryllis, seeing us,
was somehow undiscouraged.
It stands before us now

as we eat our soup;
you pour a little of your drinking water
into its saucer, and a few crumbs
of fragrant earth fall
onto the tabletop.

Reprinted from "Bonfire," New Rivers Press, 1997, by permission of the author. Copyright © 1997 by Connie Wanek. Her most recent book is "Hartley Field," from Holy Cow! Press, 2002. This weekly column is supported by The Poetry Foundation, The Library of Congress, and the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This column does not accept unsolicited poetry.

Finally, for more prints like the one reproduced above, see the collection of images from Curtis's Botanical Magazine presented by the Library's Special Collections.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Plants and Crops and Poetry on November 02, 2007 EST | Permalink

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What a coincidence! As chance would have it, one of this year's holiday cards from Special Collections features the Christmas Amaryllis in "the red of a Fiat," as the poem says. The card reproduces Barbara Cotton's illustration of Amaryllis regina vittata (engraving by William Say), plate 15 of Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London, Volume V (London, 1824). Learn more about the Christmas Amaryllis or get more details about all of our potential holiday gifts and stocking stuffers on our Web site. As always, a portion of all sales goes to protecting and preserving the historic treasures housed at your National Agricultural Library.

Submitted by: NAL's Special Collections on November 20, 2007 09:05 AM

Praise the Tater

In my effort to keep myself -- and you -- well-informed, I scour various news sources, check up-to-the-minute Web sites and talk with people in the know. Despite all of that though, one bit of news slipped passed me last week: October 18 marked the official beginning of the International Year of the Potato 2008.

Now, I don't know why Spud '08 began in mid-October '07, but let's push that aside and look instead at what this year's all about, namely, "raising awareness of the importance of the potato...in addressing issues of global concern, including hunger, poverty and threats to the environment."

'Tis true. The humble potato has been a staple in human diets since it was first consumed in the Andean highlands 8,000 years ago. It requires less land to grow than most other major crops and can flourish in a variety of climates. It provides a hefty dose of vitamin C and other nutrients to go with the carbohydrates it conveys. It's also mighty tasty, with a variety of ways it can be prepared. Together, these characteristics make it an almost perfect weapon against hunger and malnutrition.

Face it, the potato does rule.

And, Year of the Potato or not, it gets a lot of attention. Researchers work to develop improved varieties or control potato-damaging pests. Economists study its significance and production trends. Nutritionists are all over its health benefits. And on the lighter side, the Potato Museum pays King Tater enthusiastic homage for its versatility and importance.

The American poet Richard Wilbur captured all this, the crucial vitality wrapped in ordinariness, in his 1947 poem "Potato":

"It was potatoes saved us, they kept us alive."
Then they had something to say akin to praise
For the mean earth-apples, too common to cherish or steal.
Full poem

The message: don't be fooled by its plain exterior. The potato is a complex, priceless thing, well worthy of its own year (or fifteen months, as the case may be).

So let's talk taters. Drop us a note, ask a question or share a recipe.

Or if you're more of a mouse potato, move on over to NAL's Food and Nutrition Information Center for a fistful of high-quality potato-related links.

Either way, let's kick off the International Year of the Potato 2008 together. We can really mash things up. (Yea, um, sorry. Couldn't resist.)

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Food and Nutrition and Plants and Crops on October 23, 2007 EST | Permalink

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Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.

What about it's cousin: the sweet potato? How many varieties of spud are there anyhow?

Submitted by: i love spuds on October 23, 2007 08:16 PM

Submitted by: Michelle L. on October 24, 2007 08:01 AM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 24, 2007 09:31 AM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 24, 2007 09:53 AM

Submitted by: Tim on October 26, 2007 11:45 AM

Submitted by: toni on October 26, 2007 12:58 PM

Submitted by: mike on October 31, 2007 10:29 AM

Submitted by: AgRef on November 20, 2007 08:53 AM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on November 20, 2007 03:39 PM

What Does Horticulture Have to do with Baseball?

I've been watching a lot of baseball lately (Go Tribe!), and in between pitches last night, I found myself thinking again about how the grounds crew cuts those designs into the stadium grass. Cleveland's Jacobs Field showed only a simple checkerboard pattern, but earlier in the week, Fenway Park was sporting two perfect "sox," looking as if they'd been hand-stitched into the infield.

I knew the patterns had something to do with how the blades of grass were laying, but I also knew there was more to it than that, so I put on my reference librarian hat and found the answer. The best explanation I could find came courtesy of David Mellor, who, coincidentally, serves as chief lawn doctor for the Boston Red Sox. (He's originally an Ohio boy and an Ohio State grad, so I feel okay about citing him, despite the BoSox connection.)

Says Mellor:

You create patterns by laying the grass blades down in a certain direction, allowing the turf surface to either reflect or absorb the sunlight. The direction the turf lays determines whether its appearance is light or dark. Grass blades laying down in the direction away from you appear light, while blades with their tips pointed toward you appear dark.

So I was partly right. You also need the pattern itself, which, if more complex, might need to be chalked onto the field; guide lines, measuring tape and a steady eye to ensure straight lines; and the key equipment that makes it happen, a roller that lays the grass down in the direction you need.

Pretty cool, huh?

Of course, I know I'm just touching the surface of the topic, so for the lawn geeks (or baseball fans) out there who want to know more of how art, science and a lot of hard work come together to fashion these turf wonders, here are links to more about Mellor and his craft:

• Establish Mowing Patterns (Grounds Maintenance Magazine)
• 10 Questions: David Mellor (Sports Field Management)
• Groundskeepers Use Parks as Canvases (USA Today)
• From Outfields to Art, One Blade at a Time (New York Times)

But if your goals are more ordinary -- like turning your lawn into something other than a sea of weeds -- we've got a batch of great sites on landscaping and turf for you to check out.

And remember, fall is not only a time to watch some great baseball; it's also one of the best times to fertilize. The nutrients will encourage root growth, which will, in turn, sustain the grass through the winter and lead to a green spring.

Just as I imagine a World Series title will nurture Clevelanders through another Ohio winter, assuming the baseball gods are willing.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Plants and Crops on October 17, 2007 EST | Permalink

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Go Sox!

Submitted by: Manny on October 17, 2007 09:18 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 18, 2007 08:30 AM

The Ultimate Back-Up Plan(t)s

Have I got a cool story for you. Literally.

A mere 600 miles or so from the North Pole, the Norwegian government has nearly completed construction on the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a "doomsday vault" built deep beneath the permafrost and layers of rock that constitute this remote Arctic island. The sub-zero vault will house millions of seeds tucked away to ensure the survival of crop diversity should disaster strike.

It's the ultimate back-up plan in case of severe climate change, nuclear war, plant epidemics and the like, a means of growing food crops that have otherwise been wiped out. As today's Los Angeles Times put it, "The survival of Earth's agriculture is being entrusted to a land inhospitable to life, where only the toughest plants, animals and humans endure."

Obviously, though, those conditions are what make Svalbard the perfect spot, for even a loss of power should not lead to a loss of the materials stored there. The frigid temperatures will do their part to preserve the valuable genetic deposits, and the island's remote location enhances security, making it "difficult to arrive or leave unnoticed."

The vault at Svalbard joins approximately 1,400 other seed banks around the world, including USDA's National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation in Fort Collins, Colorado. But Svalbard is different. This one is global in scope and has been developed as the back-up to those back-ups, the one that should outlast them all.

With the vault's opening scheduled for early 2008, construction is almost complete. The press was given its first look at the site this past August, so there are many stories online for those who'd like to learn more about the seed vault, including the previously cited Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, ABC News, BBC's The World, the News Hour with Jim Lehrer, and even YouTube.

While Norway will own the vault itself, the Global Crop Diversity Trust will help run it, and the countries that contribute to it will own whatever seeds they submit. In the end, in the words of Cary Fowler, the Trust's director, they hope to have "a library of life," one the world can depend on.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Plants and Crops on October 12, 2007 EST | Permalink

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Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.

Great concept. Ideas like these make great water cooler chit chat. That, indeed, is the ultimate back up plan.

Submitted by: Katie on October 12, 2007 07:13 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on November 21, 2007 10:29 AM

Herbs for a Day

If you haven't set your weekend plans yet, check out the events at your local HerbDay gathering this Saturday, October 13. Since this is only the second annual celebration of herbs, not every state has joined the party, but quite a few have.

Here in the Washington area, our colleagues at the U.S. Botanic Garden are expanding the celebration to Friday, October 12, filling the day with informative lectures and tours on herbal medicines, skin care, and aromatherapy. Their Saturday offerings will also touch upon these topics, along with herbal teas, baths, crafts and cooking.

If you can't hit all the lectures, try to catch Dr. Jim Duke, a retired researcher with USDA's Agricultural Research Service and a star of sorts in the ethnobotanical firmament.

Dr. Duke has traveled the world studying plants and how different cultures have used them, writing numerous books and articles along the way, among them The Green Pharmacy and Dr. Duke's Essential Herbs. He's also, apparently, a bit of a character, a 'Bama born fiddler with a passion for bluegrass that rivals his passion for herbs.

But I can't do Dr. Duke justice. To learn more about his life and work, check out any or all of the following:

• Ode to Jim Duke: America's Chief Herbalist
• James Duke: Barefoot in the Forest
• Ethnobotany Chat with Dr. James Duke

And to learn more about growing or using herbs, see these great resources from the National Agricultural Library and a few of its information centers:

• Plants and Crops: Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs
• Alternative Crops and Plants: Medicinal and Culinary Herbs
• Dietary Supplements: Herbal Information

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Biography and Plants and Crops on October 11, 2007 EST | Permalink

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Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.

Just came across another great resource on Dr. Jim Duke that you might want to know about. The National Agricultural Library has in its collection a two-hour oral history interview with Dr. Duke from 1988. Request the tape from the Library's Service Desk. It's Videocassette #629.

Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 25, 2007 01:20 PM