Section » Cornification of America
Researchers trace corn’s ancient history
Children of the teosinte: Even though maize (Zea mays) is perhaps the most important crop in the Americas (for better or worse), until recently, we didn't know where it came from and when it was domesticated. Research by botanists, geneticists and archeologists has finally found the answers in a grass called teosinte, a river valley in southern Mexico,
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SF chef pulls corn from his menu
Souring on sweet corn: Daniel Patterson, the chef at the award-winning restaurant Coi in San Francisco, has renounced corn, saying that relentless breeding to find sweeter and sweeter hybrids that play to America's sweet palate has led to corn that "... is so sweet that it overpowers or undermines everything
Asia could teach U.S. some new corn tricks
Thanks to fertile Midwestern plains, commodity-focused agricultural policy, a foreign policy that makes cheap petroleum a high priority, and an innovative agricultural industry, Americans are truly the 'people of the corn.' As the film "King Corn" and the book "The Omnivore's Dilemma" have well documented,
Beer me: Trolling for craft brews in an ocean of Bud
Out of fairness, I should begin this post by admitting that I do not actually like beer. Never a big drinker, when the urge hits, my tastes veer toward wine and, OK, a nip of whiskey. But just as I appreciate (and, in fact,
Getting corny: Video responses to the Corn Refiners’ HFCS campaign
Things have been far too serious around here lately, what with all these petitions and dire reports. Fortunately, a writer on Tufts' Comfood list-serv (yes, we poach lots of good ideas from there) has alerted us to a very fun way to waste some time and laugh, too: the anti-high fructose corn syrup ads
Sweet deal: High-fructose corn syrup price vs. consumption
Hansen's Natural Soda is replacing high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) with cane sugar in all its soft drinks. Given that most soda advertisements these
PBS’s Independent Lens is broadcasting (and celebrating) “King Corn” this week
The breakout indie documentary "King Corn" is on TV tonight and for the rest of the week on PBS's Independent Lens series. (Find your station and the schedule here.)
Postcard from Orlando I: Your tax dollars at work
I have just returned from three days in Disney theme parks in Orlando. (No snarky jokes please, at least not from those of you who have yet to push a human out of your nether regions only to discover that children now emerge from the womb begging for a trip to Disney World.) Disney is a fascinating place,
“Good Morning America” — you’re being cornified!
Thanks to reader Henry for alerting us to the recent appearance of "King Corn" filmmakers Curt Ellis and
Digest – Commentary: Eating local gains political clout, food prices, corn crisis
Locavore motion: "The buy local train is leaving the station, and it's time for USDA to hear the whistle and get on board," says Vermont Senator Ginny Lyons in this op-ed. (Times Argus
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Climate change already yielding food disruptions
A recurring theme of last fall's Kaw Valley Farm Tour was the terrible, killing freeze of the preceding spring. Now, scientists are
An adventure with live cuisine
Cocina Poblano. Regional Mexican cuisine complete with a live tortilla bar and a wide selection of high-end tequilas comes to Jack London Square. 499 Embarcadero West (at Washington), Oakland; (510) 451-4700. Lunch, dinner daily; weekend brunch. —San
Pollan paintings 1: Children of the corn
Life is full of compromises, particularly if you have a kindergartener living in the house. On a recent stormy weekend, I made the grand announcement that I was going to read all weekend long and that it was everybody's job to take care of me. That plan lasted about ten minutes. My son Frederick
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The origins of some “market signals” in agriculture and food
At a meeting of the South Dakota Corn Growers Association on January 5, 2008, Acting Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner had much to say about the current state of corn and renewable fuels. After
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Digest – Features: Azuluna veal, ethical meat in the UK, Minnesota experiment
Can veal be humanely raised?: Interesting Q&A (despite the dumb title) on rebuilding local meat infrastructure with Dr. George Saperstein of the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. He's created a rancher network under the name Azuluna Brands, for raising bull calves for veal
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