Free Republic

Valerie Stull was 12 when she ate her first insect. “I was on a trip with my parents in Central America and we were served fried ants,” she says. “I remember being so grossed out initially, but when I put the ant in my mouth, I was really surprised because it tasted like food — and it was good!” Today, Stull, a recent doctoral graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, is the lead author of a new pilot clinical trial published in the journal Scientific Reports that looks at what eating crickets does to the...

We have a 12 x 24 foot lean to with a metal roof that is open on the North and South side. West wall is our garage and East wall is partially walled in. @e used to store our already seasoned/almost seasoned wood. We were using pallets before but as you know one wrong step and you do your ankle in. We are thinking of crusher run. Any advice?

Link only due to copyright issues: https://www.wired.com/story/the-hydroponic-robotic-future-of-farming-in-greenhouses-at-iron-ox/

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Kim Jong Un wants to turn the art of kimchi-making into a science. And the North Korean leader is putting his money where his mouth is. On the outskirts of Pyongyang, surrounded by snow-covered farms and greenhouses, stands one of Kim’s latest pet projects, the Ryugyong Kimchi Factory, which produces 4,200 tons of the iconic Korean pickled vegetable dish a year. The shiny new facility replaces an older factory and opened in June last year after getting Kim’s final seal of approval, according to manager Paek Mi Hye. The factory is intended to showcase Kim’s...

On a 13-acre plot of land located a mile north of Holyoke, Jose Varela is quietly pushing the boundaries of both agriculture and aquaculture. The career trucker and operator of EVD Trucking is setting up an aquaponics operation on his family’s property, and has his sights set on providing sustainable, locally-grown produce for Holyoke businesses. “We’re the only ones I know of that are doing this locally,” he said. Aquaponics combines hydroponics — a technique that grows plants in a nutrient-rich water solution, sometimes among rocks or gravel, rather than soil — with traditional aquaculture, creating a system of food...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country should feed its soldiers better, according to state media KCNA on Wednesday, after a defected North Korean soldier's health last year highlighted nutrition problems in the isolated state. On a visit to a military rations factory, Kim said it should produce tasty and nutritious food to "substantially contribute to improving the diet of the servicepersons", according to KCNA. Kim said "officials and employees of the factory should always overfulfill the production plan on all indices, bearing in mind the noble intention of leader Kim Jong Il (his late father) who spared...

Completion of Sanderson Farms' new Poultry Complex is just around the corner. They're working to fill 1,600 new jobs to get the complex up and running, according to Brent Glasgow with Sanderson. "Sanderson Farms is bringing a fully integrated poultry event to the Tyler area. With a feed mill, hatchery, processing plant as well," Glasgow said. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week, they're holding interest sessions at the Skills Training Center at Tyler Junior College's West Campus. There will be three sessions each day, at 9 a.m, 1 p.m and 6 p.m. "Going through some information about our...

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) has filed a bill that he said would further develop the aquaculture industry in the country. S. 3138, named the “Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture Act,” calls for the creation of the Office of Marine Aquaculture within NOAA Fisheries. That office would oversee regulatory issues within NOAA and push for development opportunities to spur aquaculture’s growth, especially within the country’s exclusive economic zones. “Aquaculture is the fastest-growing sector of the agriculture industry,” Wicker said in a press release. “This bill would give farmers a clear, simplified regulatory path to start new businesses...

Expect to see a dramatic increase in new technology coming into the pork industry as a host of manufacturers from diverse industries look at animal agriculture and attempt to measure or monitor welfare, environmental pressures and food safety with their technologies. That was the first message Lee Whittington, president and CEO of the Prairie Swine Centre had for delegates to the 2018 Banff Pork Seminar in Banff, Alta. The second is that what will be needed is a method to evaluate systematically how well the products work, the data integrity and security, and the link to decision support software and...

Sanderson Farms, Inc., says they are beginning the hiring process for its newest poultry complex, which is under construction in Tyler. The company says they are seeking to hire over 1,400 hourly team members, with initial operations set to begin in early 2019. A statement from the company gives more details: “For those interested in pursuing hourly employment with the Fortune 1000 company, Sanderson Farms is hosting “Sanderson Way Career Interest Sessions” on Tuesday, July 17; Wednesday, July 18; and Thursday, July 19 at the Skills Training Center on Tyler Junior College’s West Campus. Career interest sessions will begin at...

The vegetables and fruits grown inside a Burlington, New Jersey greenhouse look completely ordinary. But Solomon Fried's crops are different. He goes to extreme lengths to make sure they are free of bugs. "You're always looking for insects, I would imagine? Yes, that's a 24-hour thing. They never sleep, so we have to be alert," Fried said. Fried is obsessed with bugs because his produce is sold in Brooklyn's ultra-orthodox community, and insects are not kosher. Jews who strictly observe religious dietary rules do not even want to eat them accidentally. "The problem is there are many insects that lodge...

Cargill and Seoul-based AG Meat, a specialty import meat distributor are partnering to offer premium US beef brand, Excel®, in a new concept meat store called 'It’s Meat'. At 'It’s Meat', Korean consumers can now purchase high-quality, premium Excel® beef at competitive prices. Cargill Protein is focused on making sure the food it produces is safe to eat. The Excel® beef carried at ‘It’s Meat’ undergoes a seven-step, regulated production system, ensuring safe handling from the feeding environment to product packaging. In addition, micro-sized pathogens are accurately removed through a new scientific process offered by Cargill Protein globally to support...

Kim Jong Un put potatoes ahead of Mike Pompeo during a US visit to agree denuclearisation details, state media has suggested. The US secretary of state visited Pyongyang on Friday and Saturday in an attempt to agree details of a deal made during June's historic summit between Donald Trump and the North Korean dictator. However Mr Kim has not been seen in public for seven days, with every official move usually documented by news agency KCNA. During Mr Pompeo's trip relations between the US and North Korea appeared to take a dive as Pyongyang accused the US of a "gangster-like...

President Donald Trump pardoned two men on Tuesday who were involved in a dispute with federal authorities over federal land usage that sparked the takeover of a wildlife refuge in Oregon. Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son Steven Hammond were granted executive grants of clemency by Trump, according to a White House statement. The father-son duo are cattle ranchers and were convicted in 2012 of committing arson on federal lands in Oregon. "Justice is overdue for Dwight and Steven Hammond, both of whom are entirely deserving of these Grants of Executive Clemency," the statement read....

By now, the images of shelves full of perfect greens in hulking warehouses, stacked floor to ceiling in sterile environs and illuminated by high-powered LED lights, have become familiar. Food futurists and industry leaders say these high-tech vertical farming operations are the future of agriculture — able to operate anywhere, virtually invincible against pests, pathogens, and poor weather, and producing local, fresh, high-quality, lower-carbon food year-round. That future seemed one step closer to reality last year when San Francisco-based indoor farming startup Plenty, which grows a variety of salad and leafy greens hydroponically (without soil) and uses artificial lighting in...

For those of us living in cities, the memories of the 2007 economic crash are a distant memory. But for our neighbors in rural counties, the ghosts of the depression are still haunting vacant towns where farming and manufacturing used to thrive. According to the Economic Research Service arm of the USDA, rural and metro employment equalized in the early part of 2008 before bottoming out, but while metro employment has more than recovered, rural employment has yet to achieve parity with its pre-crash levels. Farmers are suffering especially hard, and many are having to find supplemental work off the...

Sushi lovers in South Korea will be able to taste a new breed of tuna in local restaurants and gourmet shops as farm-bred bluefin tuna is coming to the market this year, the fisheries ministry said Friday. Local fishermen have tried to cultivate bluefin, one of the most popular fish with its rich red meat, to meet the high demand, but their efforts were fraught with challenges like typhoons and cold winters. After a lot of trial and error over the past decade, Hongjin Fishing Association said it succeeded in growing bluefin tuna in a pen in waters off Tongyeong,...

In the 1990s, a devastating famine struck North Korea. According to international observers, a combination of drought, flooding and government mismanagement decimated food production. The death toll is uncertain, but estimates range from 240,000 to 2 million. By all accounts, the situation is better today. Domestic agriculture has improved significantly. Today, grain production hovers around 5 million tons per year, roughly double what it was in the famine-stricken '90s. But agricultural scientists and aid representatives familiar with the situation believe that the country is still unable to feed all of its population. And some question whether it even wants to....

A new way to farm indoors using different wavelengths of light could boost the taste of fruits, salads and herbs, while also increasing food supply and nutritional value. Growing food inside brings many benefits to farmers by reducing the amount of land, fertilisers, energy and water needed to cultivate the plants. But it can come with a major drawback – produce grown indoors sometimes lacks the depth of flavour it would have if it was allowed to flourish and ripen outside. And it is the controlled environment of indoor farming itself that seems to be at least partly responsible. "A...

The modern day aquaponic system, which has its roots in South China and Southeast Asia, is rapidly gaining in popularity. Here on home soil, an aquaponic farm in the rolling hills of Ndwedwe, which was established by a group of big-hearted Durban University of Technology (DUT) students back in 2016, continues to thrive. From subsistence farming in rural areas, to large-scale commercial farming in peri-urban areas, as well as vertical and indoor farming by hobbyists to feed neighbours and beautify urban spaces, when it comes to aquaponics, the possibilities are endless. Situated in the Noodsberg community, the project came about...