Posted in Agriculture, Books, Family, General, Native Seeds / SEARCH, Sustainable Environments on Mar 25th, 2009
Perhaps it was hard at first to know whether the “antique” in the phrase, “antique apple experts,” referred to the apples or to the experts. But when the Hall of Famers of the Heirloom Apple Kingdom gathered on March 19th at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum outside of Madison, it was clear that the so-called [...]
Posted in Agriculture, Coming Home to Eat, Family, General, Links, Native Seeds / SEARCH, Sustainable Environments on Nov 26th, 2008
It is an ironic time to be celebrating Thanksgiving, a sharing of the bounty of American farms and ranches among family, friends and neighbors. Not only are our traditional foods a fading feast, but fewer Americans than ever before may be able to access them. This year, while a million Americans may be losing their [...]
Posted in Agriculture, Books, Coming Home to Eat, Earth Day, Family, General, Native Seeds / SEARCH, Poetry, Sustainable Environments, Vavilov on Oct 28th, 2008
When I arrived at the National Agricultural Library just outside Washington D.C. one noon this October, a white-haired man with a commanding presence stood at the security check, impeccably dressed in an elegant suit, while his translator explained to the guard that he would be the guest of honor for an event that afternoon.
When he [...]
Posted in Agriculture, Books, Family, General, Native Seeds / SEARCH, Sustainable Environments, Vavilov on Sep 19th, 2008
When the leaves of New England begin to glow with crimsons, purples and golds, many of us remember that it’s time for crimson, purple and gold apples to be picked, packed, sequestered in storage sheds, or processed into cider, butter, sauces or pies.
Apples exemplify that taste of the fall for many of us, but just [...]
Posted in Agriculture, Books, Coming Home to Eat, Earth Day, Family, General, Native Seeds / SEARCH, Poetry, Sustainable Environments, Vavilov on Sep 2nd, 2008
For a quarter century, the breed of ethnobotanists I’ve hung with have proposed through countless lectures and publications that crop diversity can best conserved in situ, in the cultural landscapes managed by the traditional farmers who have long been its stewards. Now, in the highlands of Peru, a dream has come true, one that would [...]