Use your words: GMO

I know that this post will cause controversy. And I encourage you to post comments in response to this post. It's ok to have differing views, and I encourage respectful discussion on the matter.

When talking about GMO crops, this is what some people think.

We hear this acronym thrown around all the time. GMO, which stands for Genetically Modified Organism, brings haunting images of frankenstein-like vegetables designed in a lab with a mad scientist concocting new creatures for the fields of America. But let's take a closer look at what GMO crops are all about.

What is GMO?

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. This normally refers to an organism that has been modified using a non-breeding technique. So, there's normally a gene (or set of genes) that's been inserted using biotechnology. These are interchangeably known as biotech crops.

How are GMO crops different from conventional crops?

GMO crops differ from conventional crops in the way that genetic traits make their way to the final product. Conventional breeding of a crop can take up to 10 years to integrate all the traits needed for a successful crop. GMO crops use a few techniques where those genes can be directly inserted into the genome. The result is a crop that is ready for market in 5 years or less. Typically, there's a gene that normally exists in the gene pool anyway, such as disease resistance or increased yield. However, recent breakthroughs have made it possible to use genes in a different species, such as a salmon for cold resistance.

What kind of techniques are these scientists using?

The first technique was developed at Cornell University in 1987, and is known as a gene gun. The prototype of this was actually a modified bb rifle. The gene gun, or "biolistic particle delivery system" uses a heavy metal (most often gold or tungsten). This gold is coated with DeoxyriboNucleic Acid (DNA), but not just any DNA, the DNA that when decoded will produce the desired trait. So, let's say you want to make super sweet corn, you'd take known "super sweet" genes, multiply them, and then apply them to the gold dust (we're talking small, measured in micrometers). This mixture is shot at the plant you intend to modify, and tada! GMO plant! However, this doesn't always work. As one professor described it to me, it's like dropping a boulder into your house and hoping that you include the piece of DNA in the restoration.

Another technique is the use bacteria. Agrobacterium tumifaciens is a plant pathogen that hacks the plant. Unfortunately, all the bacterium can do in nature is give the plant a tumor. However, researchers over in Belgium realized that the tumor would not go away after the bacteria was removed. After further examination, they realized that the bacteria actually transferred genes to the plant. This bacteria had been genetically modifying plants well before we could. Fast forward a few more years, and researchers have found a way to insert genes into this circular piece of DNA (called a plasmid) into plants with the traits they want. It's similar to putting a CD into your computer.

There are several other ways to genetically modify a crop. But these are the two most common forms. Viruses can also be used along with double haploids.

What kind of traits can you put into my food?

Depending on the crop, there are many traits that are desirable. For example, people around my area LOVE sweet corn, the sweeter the better. So, isolating and inserting genes into a variety of corn to make it sweeter is something we all want. Another trait that is always sought is resistance to disease, so once researchers isolate the gene (or genes) wanted, they can proceed with developing a better crop for the future. One of the most famous crops that was saved from a virus is the papaya. Read about it here.

Is it safe?

YES! This is something that most people don't realize about GMO crops. All GMO crops that are grown commercially are Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS), an FDA label. Check out this information sheet on how the FDA tests GMO crops here. When genes are first inserted into plants, it's normally 4-5 generations before large scale production, so if you're afraid of a gold allergy, you have nothing to worry about. Also, the genes being inserted are very specific, and well documented. It is considered extremely irresponsible for scientists to use the gene gun filled with an unknown gene mixture just to "see what grows".

So once they have a "prototype" of a potential crop; something that has been transformed and a small scale. The prototype is sent off to third party agencies to be examined (USDA, FDA, and the EPA to start). This is a heavily regulated sector of agriculture, and for good reason. If something were to go wrong, this is the time to catch it. The regulatory agency goes through each prototype with a fine tooth comb, proving that the gene (or genes) have been inserted, and that any proteins that gene makes are safe and familiar to the human body.

To conclude, I think that many people who don't understand this technology are quick to dismiss the potential benefits of GMO crops. Rather they base opinions on emotions of fear of the unknown. However, we aren't producing any new farms (at just 2% of the workforce in farming) and people need to be fed. The population is expected to double by 2050, and we're going to need feed those people somehow. Better crops, along with better management of our resources, we will be better prepared to feed these people.

This isn't your father's farm

This is what comes to mind when most people hear words like "Agriculture, farming, rural"
(American Gothic by Grant Wood 1930)

Many people I talk to about agriculture reply with something with, "That's so cool, I'd love the simple life of growing your own food". And while small growers have the opportunity to live the simple life, if you're supporting the average 155 people, you can't really do that anymore. Today's agriculture operations are more carefully managed, more regulated, and high tech than they were 50 years ago, or even 30 years ago. This isn't your grandfather's or even your father's farm.

Since the 1920s, there has been extensive research on land management. Before the dust bowl, growers would completely plow up the prairie grasses and replace it with their crops. At the end of the season, the ground was left barren. This misuse of land led to wind and water erosion and the subsequent loss of the topsoil (the good stuff). This conservation movement has been the single largest change in how we grow our crops. Today's land tends to be plowed less and has something growing on it more often than when your grandfather was growing up.

In addition to better management, we have technology that our fathers and our grandfathers could only dream of. Technology has been one of the sole reasons why growers can grow more food using fewer resources with less labor. While no one likes pesticides, they allow growers to produce more with less waste. And today's pesticides are more effective and (when used properly of course) are safer to both man and beast. According to Iowa State University, growers can grow 4 times as much corn and soy using modern pesticides. Additionally, the use of herbicides saves 550 million gallons of fuel across the nation annually. If the weeds are dead, there's less need to plow. This is only one facet of technology, but there are countless other innovations that have made farming more efficient.

In addition to technological advances, growers are also held to a much higher standard than their parents and their grandparents. Agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) focus on environmental regulations such as nutrient management, soil and water conservation, and sound pesticide use. Then there are agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institute of Health (NIH), and the Center of Disease Control (CDC) that monitor and regulate the safety of food. And that's just the national agencies, many states have additional regulatory agencies with additional regulations. There are more people that growers must keep happy than the generations before us.

So what's the result of more technology, better land management, and more people regulating the operation? The result is more productive fields, a safer work area, and  a more efficient system for getting stuff done. If these practices weren't implemented, growers would need about twice the land to produce the same amount of food. That translates into more land conserved. So while it may not be as simple as your father's or grandfather's farm, it's better.

Growers have always worn many hats. In order to keep costs low, growers have an extensive knowledge of ag mechanics, horticulture, and in many cases, business management. Today's farmers are true professionals, that are in the ag business not to feed their families, but to make a living. That's not to say that the efforts of our ancestors is insignificant. Rather, it's through their efforts that we have a higher standard of living.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulder of giants" -Isaac Newton

Life in Rural America

This is me with my mother helping her harvest some squash.
I was 11 months old in this photo. 

Recently, I saw a quote from Don Dillman, a professor at Washington State University. He was quoted in saying, "Ironically, rural America, has become viewed by a growing number of Americans as a higher quality of life...not because of what is has, but rather because of what it does not have.". Growing up, I would agree that there is a lot that rural life doesn't have. No street lights, no malls, no sidewalks, no reliable high speed internet,  the list goes on and on. Perhaps I was too young to yet appreciate that "lack" of city amenities.

 Fast forward to 2008. Moving out to Ithaca was a bit of an adjustment. I remember how much artificial light there was. Of course, it didn't help that my room mate the first year was a night owl and would stay up until 2am. If anyone has ever tried to drive around downtown Ithaca, you know how bad the traffic can be (especially if you're on the way to Moe's).

Living in the middle of nowhere offers many benefits that simply aren't possible in an urban environment. We  live on a major road (but not a highway) and rush-hour traffic is by no means a gridlock. Every morning, I watch the Philadelphia morning news and needless to say, the traffic is horrible. Congested traffic is non-existent in rural areas (unless it's behind a tractor).

Pollution is another consideration. Air pollution tends to be lower in rural areas (due to less traffic/congestion) although this can be argued when farmers are out spreading chicken manure. Light pollution is also less prevalent due to fewer streetlights. If you want to see a clear night sky, you gotta get away from the streetlights of the city. Finally, the only form of noise pollution I remember from my childhood was that obnoxious rooster that crowed all hours of the night.

Growing up, we ate a lot of vegetables and steak. This was because we grew most of what was on our dinner table. So not only did I get a sound work ethic from the garden and the farm, but I also got a balanced, nutritious diet through the crops we grew. I actually got tired of having steak once a week growing up. I say this not to be a snob but when you grow an 1800 lb Steer (a bull without his manhood), there's a lot of steak to eat.

One of the steers we raised. We would raise 4 at a time and would harvest 2 per year. 

Rural life also tends to be a slower way of life. This was an adjustment moving back home after college. Going from the fast-paced lifestyle of college to the slower lifestyle of a 40 hour work week in the country can be a bit boring. I'm convinced that this is because I've never had this much free time in 5 or so years. But more importantly, a slower lifestyle translates to a lower level of stress. Higher stress is clinically proven to decrease lifespan, although it is true that some stress is necessary (most people I meet are well past this threshold).

To conclude, I think many people yearn for a simpler life. I think we all would like to eat steak weekly, have a smooth commute to work, and live in a cleaner environment. Unfortunately, it's not so easy in an urban environment. So while I couldn't stand living in the country growing up, I am glad to have the experience and wouldn't want it any other way.

Accept no fillers! Well...not so fast

Recently, a disgruntled microbiologist at the USDA blew the lid open on the "pink slime" controversy. If you haven't heard about the process, beef trimmings are separated using a centrifuge and is then sterilized using ammonia gas. This is used as a filler in ground beef. This has caused an upset in people that eat anything with this pink slime. However, I think this has been a sensationalized issue that has been blown out of proportion. This post is dedicated to why fillers are used not only in the meat industry, but in coffee, beer, and many other foods (Hot dogs are especially notorious). Additionally, the use of fillers is found in many household items, such as cleaning solutions, detergents, and just about anything, as we'll see.

The biggest reason that fillers are used in foods today is to maintain low prices. In the US, we spend less than 10% of our income on food. I truly believe that is because our food is cheap rather than us being rich. The price of this food is controlled through subsidies and the use of fillers. Both of these features allow the US to feed so many people, regardless of their level of income.

Another reason to use fillers is to take an existing product, and stretch it out to reach more people. A great example of this is during the civil war. During the civil war, confederate troops would add root chicory and even acorns to their coffee to make their rations stretch out. Sometimes when supplies are tight, it just makes sense to make the most of a limited product.

Now that we have established the needs for fillers, we will look at some common fillers used in common foods or drinks. The most common filler used in the world is water. That's right, water. Water is used to dilute detergents, cleaning solutions, and even in pesticides. Why? water as a filler makes substances like those mentioned safer. It also makes for a more convenient product as it is often ready to use.

Another common filler is corn-based products. Corn is used in everything as a filler it seems. Corn is used as a filler in malted barley to make cheaper beer (which is probably why it doesn't taste as good). Corn starch is used as a thickener with literally hundreds of uses. Then there's public enemy #1, corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup literally is in thousands of products. Why? it all goes back to price. To use a sweetener produced in the US is much cheaper than importing cane sugar from the Caribbean or Central America. The US is addicted to sugar, and a cheap alternative equals lower prices. While I don't necessarily agree with the US sugar addiction, it's there and people would be outraged to pay $2 for a soda.

While writing this, I got to thinking about all the fillers that may be in products, and I'll leave you with a few products I found while browsing the house. And while no one prefers fillers, they make our American lifestyle possible with low prices. And as I leave you today, I want you to ponder on the cost of ground beef, versus prime cut steaks. Many people simply cannot afford to eat prime rib, New York strip steak, and filet mignon every week. Sometimes, you gotta have a burger and hotdog night.

Left: some "original syrup" from Giant. On the reverse, we see the ingredients. Apparently, the original syrup wasn't a maple syrup.

This is the back of a coke can. The first ingredient is water, followed by high fructose corn syrup. This 12 oz portion has 39 grams of sugar from the syrup.

While this is non-dairy creamer, the first ingredient, again is corn. This is a common filler used. 

Make sure the rows are straight!

This GPS monitor attaches to a large tractor.
I wouldn't be surprised  if we try this out for straighter rows.

In a few weeks, our garden will be plowed, rototilled and laid out for the season. One serious point of our garden is that my mother insists that the rows be straight. I wouldn't say that she was obsessive about this, but she wanted her garden to be neat and organized. For her, part of the quality of the garden is translated into the straightness of the rows.

We originally eyeballed the rows and she trusted all of us to make the rows straight. After a few years, she decided that the precision was inadequate. I distinctly remember my father making a contraption that had a notch on a standard board that you could lay out and that solved the problem of unequal spacing. However, if the first row was crooked, all of your rows were crooked. We needed a better system

So we used the old stakes and string. These were two stakes that were connected with a taut piece of string. We would sometimes use these, but the string would move if you made a furrow too close with the hoe (or if it was windy). And when asked about why our rows weren't straight, it became a running joke that "it wasn't our fault, it was windy that day!". My mother wanted an even better system in her quest for straight rows.

The last few years, we entered the 21st century with our straight row technology. My father took his laser level, and set up the laser at one end and pointed it at the other end at the second stake. This created a straight line that wouldn't be affected by wind, and was always straight. I chuckled when I noticed my dad doing this, because it looked more like a surveyor site rather than a grower preparing for the season. Our rows were laid out with laser precision. This was maybe a bit ridiculous, but we have the nicest rows in our garden around.

While we may laugh about my mother's quest for straight rows in her garden, it's been a quest for people in the ag field for thousands of years. Precision agriculture has been a growing trend in the past 30 years. Growers now have options of using GPS and robotics to ensure that their rows are pinpoint accurate. Whether or not you see a significant yield is negligible, but there's something to be said about driving down a road and being able to see down the rows of corn to the end of the field. Perhaps there's something within the human brain that yearns for organized rows.

We are the 2%

This past year, we got to see the 99% rise up against the greedy 1%.  I never quite understood what they were protesting, but I'm sure they were justified in some form.  I'm here to talk about a different imbalance within the US. The 2% of American farmers, ranchers, and growers feeding the rest of the US.

My question this week is how did such a big industry like agriculture get so small on the grower's end? The answer is technology and a few important events.

In 1790, with a population of just over 3 million, 90% of the labor force was in farming (much of which included slaves). At this time, there was very little in mechanization. Harvest and planting was all done by hand, and plowing could be done with a mule, ox, or even a horse.

In 1840, with a population of just over 17 million, the labor force was 69% farming. In 1850, this percentage dipped to 64%, with 203 acres being the average farm. In 1860, this figure dipped again, to 58% of the labor force, but the average acres dropped slightly, to 199. This, I believe was the start of a more efficient land management system. We'll see a reversal of farm size as the demand for food/fuel/fiber increases with population.

1870, the labor force was 53%; Slavery had been abolished by this point in history. In 1880, the scales were tipped, as 49% of the labor force was involved in farming. Farmers were supporting more than 1 additional person and with a national population of nearly 50 million, this was no small task.

By 1910, less than a third of the labor force was committed to farming. This trend continues in the 1920s and 1930s, and many people got out of farming during the advent of the dust bowl. This exodus of farmers, coupled with the mechanized harvester led to an increase in average acreage per farm. By 1940, the statistic was less than one fifth. 1960 saw the US labor force dip below 10% committed to farming. By this time, not only did farmers have tractors, but the advent of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and more efficient land management made this possible to produce more food for more people.

In 1995, we bottomed out at the 1.8%. And this number is probably even lower now. The average farm size is about 470 acres, which would have been unbelievably difficult to manage back in colonial times. We have come a long way technologically.

Today, there are (approximately) 3 million farmers/ranchers/growers that provide all the food, fiber, and farm products to not only themselves, but to an extra 297 million people. But, what's more impressive, is the actual carrying capacity of each farmer. According to Americasfarmers.com the average farmer can feed up to 155 people. Here's the biggest shocker, we actually maintain a surplus in production. That's right, we produce more than we consume. We have maintained a net export since the 1970s, one of the few industries that has maintained such a high rate of export.  I went ahead and crunched the numbers, and if this 2% were all working towards just feeding the world, our 2% would be able to feed our great nation and maintain a surplus of 35%! Currently, one third of all arable land grows crops that are destined to be exported.

So the next time you go shopping, and you're standing in the line, look at everyone around you in the store. It's amazing to think that all those people may have theoretically been supported by one grower. So while the 99% were demanding equality from the 1%, I want to thank the 2% and their hard work to feed the US and the rest of the world!

For more information, I found this website to be very helpful:

Busy beekeepers

A few weeks ago we looked at beekeeping in ancient times and how a colony works and is governed. This week we are looking at modern beekeeping. There are 2 major reasons for keeping bees, one is for honey, the other is for pollination services.

Honey

Here on our farm we keep bees for the honey. Honey is one of those substances that really can't be imitated. The most common form of honey is clover honey which gives a mellow, sweet flavor. Floral honey consists of the bees feeding heavily from wildflowers. Our bees tend to feed heavily on our herb garden, which gives it a subtle herbal flavor. 

Our honey is sold by weight. A gallon of honey weighs about 11lbs.

With honeybees, honey is a product that the bees work for all season. In order to sustain a colony, a beekeeper shouldn't take any more honey than is necessary.  Otherwise, the hive will starve over the winter. With our nine hives, we are able to take off 35 to 40 gallons of honey each season (with no starvation losses). So even if growers can't harvest 100%, there's still plenty to sell.

This is our 3-frame honey extractor. Larger extractors can hold up to 16 frames, and are motorized

Extracting the honey is an age-old challenge. Before the framed hive the entire colony was destroyed. Nowadays, the framed hive allows beekeepers to take out specific frames, leaving the hive intact. Once the frames are taken out of the hive, the cells are normally capped with a way top. A hot knife is used to remove the cap, and then a specialized extractor is used to spin off the honey.

This is the interior of our extractor, the frames sit on the wire rack

Pollination services
Most beekeepers are not considered commercial until they manage about 300 hives. At that point, honey production is secondary. Having to extract 4 gallons of honey from each hive would yield about 1200 gallons (slightly more than 6.5 tons). When beekeepers reach the commercial scale, the main market is pollination services. Regional farmers will rent out 12 to 20 hives for the season to increase pollination. This practice was first implemented by the ancient Egyptians, which they found increased yields. The average price is $75 to $85 per hive (and it's recommended that one hive is used per acre).

Honeybees are responsible for more crops that you might realize. Hives are rented for watermelon, apples, pickling cucumbers, strawberries, pears, almost all tree nuts, and many more. According to the USDA, honeybees are responsible for nearly 1/3 of all the crops grown. Commercial beekeeping is valued at $15 to $20 Billion annually.  

Examining the culture of agriculture

I snapped this photo of a grower I was working with. This cover crop alleviates compaction (it's a variety of raddish)

Recently I interviewed one of the growers that was in the soil health program for an agribusiness class I'm taking. And along with the typical interview questions, I asked him, "what do you consider the most rewarding aspect of your field?" His answer was "being part of a culture of people that grow their own food". That pretty much sums up anyone you meet in our field. Growers have this can-do attitude, which is rarely matched in other career fields. This doesn't mean that we have it easy; agriculture is by no means a get-rich-quick career. To be successful in this field it takes determination, hard work, innovation, and then more hard work.

It may be tough to see it if you didn't grow up in it, but ag was, and still is a place where you can be your own boss, set your own schedule (to an extent). This is the one area of the job industry that isn't going anywhere. People need to eat. Currently, agriculture employs nearly 23 million people in the US alone (FFA.org). And this is not just farming (farmers currently account for less than 2% of the labor force), in addition to growing the food, someone needs to truck it there, someone needs to process it into food, someone needs to ensure the food is safe to eat, still another person needs to sell the food. (see how this could get really big really fast?).

There's a lot of hats that growers wear. Growers are some of the most well-rounded people I meet. Not only do they need a green thumb but they also need people skills. On a typical day not only are growers interacting with coworkers, but salesmen, county agents, and consultants are frequently contacting them. In addition to dealing with people, growers must also deal with new regulations, and new findings. New and emerging technology and crops change quickly, and growers must make decisions of  which to try.

There are a lot of opportunities growing, processing, inspecting, and supporting our food supply. Our food supply is one of the safest and in the world. There's something to be said when you're part of that assembly line of feeding others through your efforts.I commend you, fellow ag employees!

So the next time you're browsing the produce aisle, or buying a cotton shirt, or a pack of smokes, think about how many hands that final product passed in growing, processing, and manufacturing to get it there. I know what you're thinking, all those dirty hands?!, but remember, someone also inspected it along the way. We often forget how much effort is going on behind the scenes to maintain our high quality of life, and agriculture is responsible for many of the items we take for granted.

Growing up rural

I got a hay fort whenever we baled hay, you jealous?

Growing up in the country, you face the problem of not a whole lot to do. Looking back, I don't know how I survived. I mean, we just got high speed internet a few years ago. We weren't allowed to have any video games in the house, which explains why I'm no good at COD, (unless it's with the riot shield, then I just kinda hide behind it and run into people). We didn't have cable, though we did get satellite TV when I was about 10 or 11.

Growing up, we spent a lot of time outside. Summertime was, and still is my favorite time of year, mainly because it's ideal outside time. Growing up, I would help bale hay when the time came, and swimming was always a good memory. Looking back, we didn't run the air conditioners a whole lot (compared to other households), which probably explains why I'm used to the humidity. I came from a household, where, as long as you put on your sunblock, the sun was good for you.

One very fond memory I have is for my second or third Christmas, my parents had bought me one of those toy jeeps, the ones that were big enough to drive around in. Well, my father is pretty handy, and rigged a way to take the measly 6 volt battery out and drop in a car battery. After a few tweaks, there may have been a small electrical fire along the way, I had a super-jeep. No, really, I used to hitch that little jeep up to my father's trailer, and pull it around. This jeep was a beast. So, at a young age, I was "encouraged" to spend as much time outside.

Later on, as I became older, I took up other hobbies after harvest. Another fond memory while I was homeschooled was making air cannons with PVC pipe. I would shoot anything that would fit down the barrel, though vegetables were my favorite, as they would explode on impact. Ah, the joys of being a strange homeschooled kid with a mad-scientist's brain.

And while I may have said multiple times that I wanted nothing more than to live in a place with sidewalks and street lamps, looking back, I don't think I could sleep in a place where anyone could walk up to my front door, or have a street lamp flooding my bedroom with artificial light. I'll stick to my starry nights and empty spaces.

Eat your vegetables: battling malnutrition the old-fashioned way

Malnutrition is the problem where someone is undernourished and is missing vitamins or minerals from the diet. This unbalanced diet was a common problem in ancient and medieval times, mainly because the nations were developing, and the poorer classes tended to be limited to a grain diet. This is still a problem in developing nations today, but it's still a problem here in the US. In this week's post, I'll attempt to unravel why this is STILL a problem in the US. There's two ways to combat malnutrition, dietary supplements or eating right.

When growing up in our house, it was mandatory to eat your vegetables. There was no sneaking them past my eagle-eyed mother. There was no fussing and there was never any negotiation. They were always there, staring back at me. And, after enough staring, I grew to like them. Growing up with a serving (or two) of vegetables on your plate is a disappearing trend. In the US, we have maintained a surplus in our food supply to the point where we export the extra, yet we still have problems with nutrition in the US. What's going on?

Instead, we are leaning towards a white bread, white rice, and bleached flour diet with vitamins added back in (fortified or enriched). This never made sense to me. The one product I never understood was the "Splenda Essentials', it's an artificial sweetener that is fortified with B-vitamins, fiber, or antioxidants. You know where you can also find antioxidants, B-vitamins, and fiber all in one? Vegetables! If you can afford to buy artificial, fortified sweeter, something tells me you could afford vegetables.

I think that the malnutrition problem is more of a choice problem rather than a lack of buying power. Two large programs in the US which help people out with food encourage vegetable consumption. Food stamps can be used to buy vegetable seeds under Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). You can start a garden using tax dollars! Then, there's the Women Infant and Children (WIC) program also offer the option for fruits and vegetables. And just like any government program, there are regulations and restrictions. (and I checked, and pizza is not considered a vegetable under the WIC program, they seem to have more sense than the school lunch program). But, alas, it's up to you, the consumers to make the right choice to fight malnutrition with all your available resources. Whether it's supporting your local grower, or you're receiving assistance from the government, there ARE options to eating well.

Vegetables are great either fresh, frozen, or canned. While I love vegetables fresh, I would encourage you to work it into every meal, whether they are boiled, steamed, or even roasted. In fact, last night, my mother served beets and turnips, blanched and frozen from our garden the season before. I guess some things never change.

The next time you're out shopping, look into your cart, how much color is in there? And I'm not talking about the packaging, look at the color of your food. Just like anything else, vegetables are an acquired taste, but the nutritional benefits from eating well are well worth it!

Use your words: Organic

This week, we look at the most over-used buzz word in the discussion of our food. We will look at what organic means, how it differs from conventional production, and how organic food is produced.

What is Organic?
When talking organic agriculture, this is a specific term that is owned by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government agency regulates the certification process and deems what is considered an organic practice, and conducts audits on farms to maintain growers' certification. This is important, because without a regulating agency, anyone could slap an "organic" on anything (a misuse of the logo is punishable with an $11,000 fine). There are synthetic items that are banned from organic production (unless there's an exemption). Additionally, there are organic items that are allowed in organic production (unless they have been banned for any reason).

Wait, so what kind of synthetic compounds are still allowed?
Although this is a fairly long list (the sum of which can be found here), many of which are used in negligible amounts. A few synthetic compounds include: hydrogen peroxide, some antibiotics (bacteria derived), plastic mulches, Ozone for sterilizing, bleach, gasoline.

If something is organic is it pesticide free?
NO! this is the most common misconception about organic agriculture. Organic just means that only organic pesticides can be used. These pesticides are normally plant-derived, or an organic by-product. This applies to growing the crop AND processing the crop, say, into snack foods.

Is organic automatically sustainable?
Not necessarily, organic is not automatically sustainable. Sustainability is a management goal that many growers strive for, whereas organic is a restriction on what can and can't be use on the crop. An organic grower has just as many tools as a conventional grower in many cases. In fact, many growers use a hybrid system with conventional chemistry and biological tools. Many people found that having the most tools in their belt makes sustainability more attainable.

Why does organic cost so much?
This is connected to the previous question. In many cases, management is more difficult, and organic producers are limited in what they can and can't use for specific problems (mainly insects and pathogens). This often leads to more blemishes, and more losses in marketable crops. Additionally, there's a pricetag on maintaining your USDA certification. It's a sliding scale cost, but the average is about $750 per certification. There's a value added to the produce and in many cases it's more difficult to maintain profitability without raising prices.

So the next time you see that USDA organic logo on something, remember that the product, along with going through the same rigors of growing, inspecting, packing, and marketing, the grower also has additional regulations to comply to. It's a lot of extra work (and money), and doesn't guarantee success for the grower. But, it does provide a value-added product to the market that some people enjoy just based on the principle of the matter.

Busy bees

What's in the box?

While it's not a typical crop, beekeeping is an extremely old form of agriculture. The honeybee was first cultivated in Egypt, and later in Rome and Greece. This ancient art and science included artificial hives (known as skeps), smokers, and even using them to boost vegetable yields. This was the major source of sweetener in the ancient world, along with dates. Honey was considered to be the superior sweetener, and was reserved to many of the wealthy.

Skeps were ancient baskets that were used for artificial hives, (believe it or not, that advanced basket-weaving class was essential back then). Unfortunately, in retrieving the honey, the skep would be destroyed, so that advanced basket weaving would be needed more than the final exam. Skeps could also be made out of mud or clay, (see that's your pottery class too). Smoking the hive was discovered to sedate the bees, making honey retrieval less treacherous.

In today's beekeeping, the hive has changed, but the concepts have stayed the same. Today's hives are in the form of boxes, which contain frames, which encourage uniform combing, which makes it possible to extract honey without destroying the hive. A complete anatomy of a modern beehive can be found here.

Above, the wooden frames can be seen resting inside the box hive structure.

The honeybee is a unique crop, not just because it's an insect crop, but the crop is self-managed. Honeybees are controlled by a queen bee. This queen is in charge of laying all the eggs, called brood. The queen emits an array of pheromones, which keeps the workers in check. The workers are all female, and live about 6 weeks, compared to the 2 year lifespan of the queen. This short lifespan of the workers is attributed to the exhaustive work of collecting nectar. Then there's the guys of the hive, the drones, who's sole purpose is to mate with the queen, not a bad life...until wintertime. In the winter, the drones are ousted, why feed the deadbeat boyfriend when you can make more next season?

While it may seem like a dangerous crop to manage, the hive really isn't as dangerous as you'd think. Between the smokers and the protective equipment, beekeeping is a fairly low-maintenance (and safe) crop to manage. For more information, there's a really good book available at Amazon or at your local library. In the coming weeks, look for an additional post looking at commercial beekeeping and honey extraction!

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Chicken or Junglefowl? (Answer at the bottom)

Ah, the age old question, which came first, the chicken or the egg? I never quite understood why people even bothered with such a question, I mean it's obviously the chicken...right? And why the chicken and egg? why not plant vs. seed, or fungus vs. spore, or even bacteria vs. endospore? Ok, maybe I'm a nerd that looks into things too much. While no one knows for sure, I'm going to attempt to debunk this question and maybe teach you, the readers, a thing or two about chickens and eggs.

First, we will start with the egg. Now, the egg is not something that is exclusive to the chicken. This is something I always called as a technicality and beat the argument. Eggs are also found in reptiles and amphibians, and I'm pretty sure pterodactyl eggs were around long before chickens were even domesticated. Eggs are also found in other birds, which have been around much longer than domesticated birds, like chickens. I think you know where I am going with this argument. Eggs were eaten in ancient Egypt, but they weren't chicken eggs, rather they ate pelican, ostrich, and quail. It wasn't until 1500 B.C. that chickens were introduced and cultivated, before that time, quail were the primary domestic egg source for the civilization.

So, before we can tackle the question of what came first, we must first examine where the chicken (or it's eggs) came from. The chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus). The chicken is actually a descendant of this Asian jungle bird, found naturally in China and Malaysia. The chicken was domesticated in China around 6000 B.C. and in India around 2,000 B.C. Originally, these were bred for cockfighting, but I guess they found out they were pretty tasty being cooked. From there, they were bred for their plumage, meat production, and their egg production. Chicken is one of the cheapest animal protein sources available, which feeds millions of people daily.

While the egg may have arrived well before the chicken was a major food source, both are an important food source for civilizations now and then. Without these major staples, not only would we not have this eternally confusing question, along with omelettes, deviled eggs, chicken salad, fried chicken, and hundreds of other dishes.

Answer: Red Junglefowl

Now, the question to you: what is your favorite chicken/egg dish?

Roses are red

It's that time of year, Valentine's day! Fellas, make sure to buy a dozen red roses for your lady.

When I was president of Hortus Forum, the undergraduate horticulture club on Cornell's campus, we did an annual rose sale to celebrate the holiday, and I received an email from a gentleman who wanted 35 long-stem red roses, but he was insistent that the plastic water picks be removed. When he picked them up, he boasted, "I'm trying to be sustainable this year". While a noble new year's resolution, I think he missed the point, and by the end of this, you'll see why.

The origin
First, roses are typically NOT grown in the US. Rather the large producers are Colombia, Ecuador, and Ethiopia. These are grown year round, but, the busiest time is undoubtedly the week before Valentine's Day.

Now, there isn't a direct sale of grower to florist, rather, there's a series of middlemen. After the roses are cut in the producing nation, they fly to Europe, Aalsmere Holland in fact. This nation is home to FloraHolland the largest warehouse in the world, at 10,750,000 square feet. Here, they are auctioned off, in addition to about a million other flower lots...daily.

At each flower auction hall, there are four clocks, which indicate 4 auctions going on simultaneously. (courtesy of bunches.co.uk)

This is the warehouse portion of the Aalsmere flower auction. We were on a catwalk for over half a mile. (courtesy of plantsgalore.com)

So, once one of the hundreds of brokers has bought the lot of roses, they are repackaged and send by rail to the airport, where they are shipped to the US about 3 or 4 days before valentine's day.

Next stop: The United States!
But, when they reach the US, they have to go through customs. Being inspected at the Miami Airport. The USDA inspects nearly everything coming into the US at this one airport. Here, they are inspected and repackaged for insect pests, and fungal pathogens. This is to protect the US from invasive species and other devastating diseases that could ravage our economy and food supply.

The flowers are being transferred from a cargo plane to a refrigerated warehouse for inspection and fumigation

Ok, so perfect score! the roses passed inspection. From here, the roses are repackaged onto palettes and then ready to be sent off. Now, roses are very fragile. So, there are some companies that even specialize in transporting flowers.

Boring Botany Lesson of the Blog
Plants put out hormones, just like humans. One common hormone is ethylene, which is used for ripening, and dropping leaves. The hormone is actually, a gas, and flowers tend to be very sensitive to this hormone, and too much ethylene will make these flowers open before Valentines' Day. Plants are more sensitive to ethylene in relation to temperature. The colder the air temperature, the less sensitive the plants are to ethylene. That's why roses tend to be kept in the cooler at your local florist.

Keep on trucking
Armellini trucking is located in Miami, and they specialize in flower transport. What makes them special? well, all of their trailers are refrigerated, and are designed to allow for flowers to be transported cool. These trailers are designed to maximize air circulation throughout the trailer during transport. These are shipped to local distributors, who in turn repackage and distribute it to local florists.

The floor grates here are used to get air exposure to the bottom of the flower stack

The area noted by the red strip is left open for air circulation.
Needless to say, other trucking companies don't find this a useful.

So, from the growers in South America or Africa, to the auctions in Aalsmere Holland, and through the customs in Miami, there's a lot of stops that those roses take to make it to your lover. There are at least two plane rides and a long truck ride that take place, and at least one inspection, and three repackaging processes. So, while leaving those plastic water picks off  makes you feel better, it is by no means makes a serious difference in the process.

The final stop of Coffee

A large scale drum roaster in Panama, this place did everything.

Recently, Starbucks introduced a new line of their "blonde roast", but what does a "roast" really mean? Also, how does a green bean turn into a productive morning? When we last talked about coffee, it had been hand picked, pulped, dried and bagged. Now, it's bound for the US, where it's final stop will be in a coffee shop near you.

Once the coffee arrives here, it's sent to a roasting house. Most of the coffee arrives here green, so when you hear the term "green coffee", it's not that it was environmentally friendly, rather, it just wasn't roasted. Very few cafes actually roast their own coffee anymore. Rather, they are sent to these big roasting houses, the largest roasting over one million pounds annually.

What do all those roasting terms mean?


French Roast? Cinnamon Roast? Vienna Roast? what all does it mean? Serious coffee drinkers have a certain roast that they prefer, and the industry itself has designed different levels. The style of roast is determined by the temperature and duration of roasting. Another indicator that is used is often the "cracking" of the bean. The first and second crack separate out varieties. Each type of roast gives the coffee a unique flavor, whether it's a caramelized hint or a charcoal blast. To learn more about the roasting phases, and to figure out what all those roasting styles are, I've found that this website has a nice pictorial of the phases. (everyone loves pictures).

Onto grinding and blending


Once the coffee "bean" has been thoroughly scorched, it's onto be pulverized into a coarse powder. It's in this grinder that different blends are made too. Many coffee experts believe that a single roast style isn't complex enough for our taste buds. Blending is also done to balance the flavor profile, to make for a smoother drink. Some people like a comprehensive breakfast blend, that hits on hints of chocolate with a burnt cherry wood. For me, I simply don't have that refined a palate, but it is an interesting science behind it.

One distinct memory I always had in college was going to Manndible Cafe and I never knew what kind of coffee to get. I would read descriptions about them, and I could never decide what sounded better. And after agonizing over what tone, balance, taste, and finish I wanted, I would undoubtedly go with what I knew, either a coffee from Panama of Guatemala.

Home roasting, a new trend


Home roasting is trend that is growing in the US. People can actually buy in green coffee and roast it in their own home. This can become a serious hobby for some, including some doctors my mother works with. You can buy specialized equipment, or in many cases, you can use household items to complete the roasting, including a popcorn air popper and even a skillet.

A quick recap


Starting in the fields of South America, or Africa, or Asia, coffee is handpicked, pulped, dried, and bagged. Then, it's shipped to the final destination, in this case the US, roasted, ground, and blended. Needless to say that the journey of coffee has a lot more stops than meets the eye.

Spring is on its way!

Tulip bulbs emerging from a long cold period

Every year, around this time, it starts in our house. My mother sits down with a stack of seed catalogs, and here current seed inventory, and begins planning for the season. Not a space is left empty on our dining room table, as seed packets are sorted and inventoried in addition to multiple catalogs opened comparing varieties and prices. In a normal season, this would be the dead of winter, or just past it at least. But this tradition was always a hopeful sign of warmer weather and greener pastures.

In the next few weeks, we will regularly receive packages in the mail of different seeds from different companies. As the inventory of seeds gathers, the seeds are sown in small trays with potting soil. The trays are filled and the seeds sown on the same dining room table. In case it hasn't been made clear, our dining room table is a central hub for all activity.

Once the seeds are sown, the trays are put into large clear bags (to keep the moisture in). In the olden days, the bags were laid in our living room, as that was a largely unused space at the time. This was before we put up our new greenhouse, and it just made sense. Over the following week, as the weather started to warm, the seemingly empty soil was invaded by tiny green shoots, the first signs of life! This was always encouraging that winter was on its way out.

While she may not realize it, this was a secretly exciting part of growing up. It was a sign that soon the snow would be gone, and more outside time would be upon us. Growing up, this also meant little league baseball, baling hay, and summertime was close at hand. And all the anticipation started with a tiny green shoot.

Now, my question to you, the readers, as the "dead of winter" is behind us, what do you look for as a sign that springtime is coming?

Use your words: sustainability

Recently, my sister told me that I use too many big words in my blog. Being the big brother I am, I simply wrote her off as a bimbo.Then I got to thinking that this could be a good platform for a new form of discussion of terms we hear all the time, but what do they really mean?

So, this week's term is "sustainability". This will basically run as a fast-paced interview to appeal to people that don't have a long attention span.

What is sustainability?

Sustainability is a hot topic in a bunch of industries. Sustainability is defined as the ability for us to live in a world where resources are not exhausted (sustained) for future use. This is an especially important issue in energy and agriculture.

What is sustainable agriculture?


Sustainable agriculture is a goal that growers work towards. Typically, there are 3 points that growers strive for: economic profitability, stewardship of land, air, and water, and maintaining a high standard of living for the community. (According to SARE). This idea of managing the resources we have as smart as possible is an old idea which has evolved over the years as technology developed.

How do growers do it?


Growers make changes to the way they use resources. The biggest resource managed is water. Irrigation has made it possible to feed more people on less land, but, the amount of water that actually makes it to the plant varies. Creating a more efficient watering system (such as drip irrigation) is a sustainable practice.

Using drip irrigation only waters the immediate root zone, which is much more efficient compared to soaking the entire ground. The amount of water used is measured in gallons per hour instead of gallons per minute. (courtesy of indianairrigation.com.

Conservation is also a good way to create a sustainable system. For example, growing the same crop year after year can create a deplete soil of nutrients. To combat this depletion, growers use crop rotation, cover crops, and soil amendments (manures and composts) to sustain the productivity of the soil.

These practices are collectively known as Best Management Practices. And there are literally hundreds of tools available, depending on what the grower grows, how much land they have, and how much they are willing to spend. In many cases, the upfront costs are offset by higher profits later on.

If it wasn't for sustainable practices within our nation's farms, our landscape would look very different, and we would not be as technologically advanced as we are. Once the land was depleted, we would at best, revert to our hunter-gatherer way of life. In a worst case scenario, without proper resource management, we could potentially cause our own extinction.

And for the record, I don't think my sister is a bimbo...all the time.

A second cup of coffee

This is what a pile of dried green coffee looks like

When we last visited the coffee plantations, workers were dumping full baskets into large bins, once this bin is full, coffee begins its second phase of becoming your morning motivation. Processing.

With the "beans" neatly tucked inside the pulp of a cherry-like fruit. They use a process known as pulping (makes sense right?). This is either done by hand by squeezing the fruit at one end to eject the seed out the opposite end. Or, this can also be done by a pulping machine. Just as picking, it's a very labor-intensive process.

The place we visited used a dry method of processing. There's an excellent video of wet processing which can be found here. After the seed has been removed from the cherry-like fruit, the seed still has a layer of mucilage (goo) and a paper seed coat (known as the hull). This layer protects the seed, and must be removed before roasting. The dry method simply involves spreading the seeds out in the sun (see below).

Coffee seeds being dried on a platform in the sunshine

After about a day of drying, the paper-like seed coat is brittle with the goo being dried. Just as sundried taste different than fresh tomatoes, this sun-drying creates chemical changes which gives coffee a unique taste. In many regions, the coffee is graded using a process known as elutriation. This process simply separates high quality seed from low quality seed. The high quality seed sinks, and the lower quality (along with all the other garbage), known in the industry as "floater coffee" is sieved off and sold.  Interesting fact, the #1 and #2 buyer of floater coffee in the world is Folgers and Nescafe respectively. I guess the old adage, "you get what you pay for" holds true. At this point, the hull is removed in a dryer, and the seed is bagged. The next step in the journey of coffee is the US, Europe, or Asia.

Not until I've had my first cup of coffee...

Our Panamanian guide next to a demonstration coffee plant

Coffee, it's "essential" for many of us to get our day started, but where does it actually come from? What does it look like growing? This is part one of a multi-part journey based on the drink we all need to get going in the morning, or an afternoon pick-me-up, or to burn the midnight oil.

The coffee plant is in the family Rubiacea; popular relatives include: Quinine (that's what gives tonic water it's taste) and West Indian Jasmine. And while people often use the term coffee beans, the botanical term is a bit off, the coffee you drink is actually the seed of a fruit. Beans tend to be associated with the pea family (Fabaceae), but that's enough botany for one day.

Legend has it that coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian goat herder by the name of Kaldi. While out herding his goats, when he noticed that they were more energetic than usual. Curious, Kaldi noticed that they were chewing on this bush with what looked to be cherries on them. Being the brave, adventurous man he was, Kaldi also tried some of the red berries from the shrub, and was delighted to see that the berries gave him a boost of energy. Coffee is believed to be first cultivated in Yemen around 575 AD. From it discovery, coffee growing has taken two very different avenues of production. We start our journey in the fields of Brazil, Colombia, or in the case of all these photos, Panama.

This is what the coffee plant looks like. It's a shrub, but can reach heights of 25 feet.

There are two major species grown commercially. The first is Coffea arabica, which prefers higher altitudes, 900 feet or higher. This species is described as "delicate". Coffea arabica is the original domesticated variety, and tends to be more prone to heat and disease. Additionally, the flavor in arabica tends to be finer, with less caffeine content per bean. The arabica plant is typically grown under shade, as to alleviate excessive heat. Traditionally, they growers have used trees to provide shade, which was employed well before the advent of shade-houses, or shade cloths. This created what is known as a polyculture. A polyculture is when more than one crop is grown in a region at the same time. This is beneficial for many reasons, polycultures have fewer pest problems, and tend to be less damaging to the environment. In a polyculture, songbirds can still nest in the trees, this was a big selling point for smaller growers of shade coffee. This is also a good way for small growers to hedge their risk. If the coffee fails, they can always harvest the timber. Small growers also pick the fruit by hand. This is great when demand is low, but when demand increased, people needed a better way to produce coffee.

Presenting, Coffea canephora var: "robusta", commonly called robusta. This was a variety that was developed much later, around 1850, and addresses many of the shortcomings of arabica. Robusta coffee has much more tolerance to heat and disease; however, most of the alluring traits of arabica simply aren't there. Robusta coffee is, as the variety name suggests, a more robust bean, containing more caffeine, and what experts call a harsher taste, including more astringency and bitterness. Given the nature of this species, it does not have to be grown under shade, so, just like many of the other commercially produced crops, this species can be grown as a monoculture, more commonly called sun coffee by industry officials. A monoculture, as the name suggests, is a system where only one crop is grown at a certain period of time. This can lead to a more precarious state for profits, if a fungal pathogen comes in and wrecks the entire crop, there's no safety net. However, the payoff is a more efficient system to harvesting coffee. More efficient harvest can lead to more product to sell.

Sun coffee can be seen growing on the hillside in Cerra Punta, Panama 

Coffee is grown in several tropical and subtropical nations, with the largest producers being Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Mexico, and Ethiopia in that order. A more extensive list can be found here. In 1996, the world production of coffee was estimated to be 13.6 billion pounds. During this same time period, approximately 26.8 million acres were dedicated to coffee production.

Most of the coffee in the world is still hand harvested. For many in these regions, coffee harvest is a way of life. Workers are typically paid by the basket, known in the US as piecework. Entire families will show up to these plantations during harvest to earn a living. In many cases, being paid one dollar for a basket full of ripe cherry-like berries is the only means of income for families. For every dollar spent on coffee in the supermarket, about 8 cents goes to the farm labor, and 5 cents goes to the grower. So the next time you claim that you NEED coffee, just remember that a world away, there's a family that needs coffee as well, but for a totally different reason.

Further Reading:

One large resource throughout my research was The Coffee Book, available on Amazon, or at your local library.

These are excellent websites, and you will most likely see resources in others parts. Coffeescience.org has all sorts of facts on the health benefits of coffee. Coffeegrail also has a lot of information, including on some southeastern Asian coffee, which we almost never see in the US or Europe.

No farms No beer Part 2: Bringing it all together

Case study: Dogfish head brewery

This is part 2 of the "No Farms No Beer" post, where I expand on the process of making beer and add a practical case study. Below is the story of the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.


A true Delaware tradition is Dogfish head brewery. Started in 1995, Dogfish Head has grown to the 11th largest microbrewery in the US, producing nearly 186,000 barrels of beer per year. The brewery is located in the town of Milton, Delaware. The company employs over 100 employees in the brewery alone. While not a farm, they support agriculture by the importation of ag products, such as barley, and other grains, hops, and even some specialty timber for certain brews as we will see.

Dogfish head beer is distributed to 27 states in the US, with over 20 styles to choose from. Their two most popular styles are the 60 minute and the 90 minute India Pale Ale. These two have hops added continuously, versus at the beginning or the end of brewing, which gives both ales a complex aroma and flavor profile. These are the top two beers produced and distributed, and are considered the flagship beers for the company. The amount of time brewed is proportional to the amount of alcohol content, so for the 60 minute, the brew contains about 6% Alcohol by volume (ABV), and the 90 minute, about 9% ABV. Once you get to the 120 minute brew, you're in sipping territory, not one to be chugged at nearly 15 to 20% ABV.


Another style is their seasonal brews including tweason'ale which is created brewing sorghum (another type of small grain) instead of barley, the result: a gluten free beer. Not a bad brew, though it tastes more like a hard cider than an actual traditional lager or ale. The name comes from the time it's available, between the seasons, starting in late January, and being released between each season. This is a great alternative for those with dietary restrictions, or for those that simply want something different.

The one brew that stands out is their "Palo santo marron" which is brewed in a custom made wooden browning vessel, which can hold 10,000 gallons of wort. The wood is from the tiny nation of Paraguay, and the tree's wood is so dense, it's supposedly the densest wood in the world. When the Dogfish Head staff were touring the nation, rumor has it, the Paraguayan guide pulled out a revolver and shot at the palo santo tree, sending the bullet into a ricochet, due to the tree's dense trunk.  The browning cask is expected to last about 25 years, and the color within the wood looks like something that should be on a rich man's floor, rather than holding beer. The brew is a brown ale, though it looks and tastes like a very dark stout, and the flavor is extremely complex, and difficult to describe. It's almost a sensory overload of subtle flavors which wanes after each sip. 

The palo santo browning vessel, capable of holding 10,000 gallons.
The wood is so dense, that workers went through 17 diamond tipped saw blades to cut the wood during construction.
(Courtesy of yourbeernetwork.com)

When asked about their grain, it comes in from many different places, including Wisconsin, Canada and even parts of Europe. From the hops side, this is mainly grown in the Northwestern part of the country. When this is coupled with the fact that the beer is then distributed into 26 other states, it makes for a long journey for one grain of barley or one  from field, to brewery, to pub. 


So, if you'll remember in my last post, the barley is turned into mash, then is separated out to make wort. Well, at 186,000 barrels a year, this barley can be a large volume of waste. The brewers have a few options with the waste. They can pay to have this sent off to the landfill OR they can give it away to area farmers. The managers at Dogfish Head have decided on the latter, offering free waste-barley to any farmer willing and able to pick it up. The spent barley is then used to supplement the feed of area cattle and hogs. So, even if you don't drink beer, the impact of this brewery may still be felt if you consume beef or pork throughout the year.

Dogfish head offers free tours and tastings, so if you're in the area, I would recommend you take advantage of this. I mean, it's free! And when you first sip a sample of Palo Santo Marron, imagine for a minute the travels that every ingredient made. The barley had to potentially travel across the Atlantic (or at least crossed state lines) to reach the brewery, the hops most likely made a cross-country journey to arrive, and the brewing chamber, constructed of wood from another hemisphere, had to be shipped to the US and constructed on site. While this may not be the first thing that comes to mind when the sample hits your lips, it is worth noting the amount of work that went into importing and crafting that bottle of beer. Obviously, this is an extreme case, but there are similar stories with other beers of the world. It's easy to forget where the food that we grow can have so many avenues for how it ends up on our plate and in our refrigerator. 


Interactive Map by iMapBuilder

follow the journey of palo santo marron