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India's environmental and food security activists who have so far succeeded in stalling attempts to introduce genetically modified (GM) food crops into this largely farming country now find themselves up against a bill in parliament that could criminalize such opposition. The Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) bill, introduced into parliament in April, provides for "single window clearance" for projects by biotechnology and agribusiness companies including those to bring GM food crops into this country, 70% of whose 1.1 billion people are involved in agricultural activities. "Popular opposition to the introduction of GM crops is the result of a campaign...

In 1970, an organic chemist named John E. Franz was working at Monsanto when he and his team made a remarkable discovery: that synthesizing N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine produced glyphosate, a systemic herbicide that had the potential to rule them all. In 1974, the herbicide hit the market as “Roundup”, and since then the chemical has become the most-used herbicide in American agriculture...

CLICK HERE FOR PART 2 - CLICK HERE FOR PART 3 - CLICK HERE FOR PART 4APRIL 27, 2012, APPLE RIVER, IL – The little town of Apple River in northeast Jo Daviess County, Illinois is the hometown of a big man - Terrence Ingram. Though not big in a physical sense, when it comes to saving the American Bald Eagle, there is hardly anyone in the United States held in higher regard than Ingram. His years of documented research and expertise regarding eagles and the work of the Eagle Nature Foundation, founded by Ingram, is in great part responsible...

The animal-welfare group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says Austin ranks first on its list of most vegan-friendly cities in the United States. Paul McCartney presented the award to Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell while in town for a concert two weeks ago. Los Angeles, New York and Chicago round out the top five. Seattle is No. 6.

The booming deer population in the northern United States is bad for the animal's beloved hemlocks, a new study finds. During Michigan winters, white-tailed deer converge on stands of young hemlocks for protection from winter chill and predators. The same deer return every year to their favorite clumps of the bushy evergreens, called deeryards. The high concentration of deer in a small space saturates the soils with nitrogen from pee, according to a study published online in the journal Ecology. While deer pee can be a valuable source of nitrogen, a rare and necessary nutrient for plants, some deeryards are...

Danish Farmer Reverses Illnesses in pigs by reverting to a GM-free diet for his animals, which is yet further evidence for the toxicity of glyphosate tolerant GM crops Dr Eva SirinathsinghjiA Danish farmer has gained huge public recognition for publishing his simple method for ridding his pigs of illness- removing genetically modified (GM) ingredients from their diet.Published in the farming magazine Effektivt Landbrug on 13 April 2012 [1], the farmer Ib Borup Perderson describes how his pigs suffered from symptoms including chronic diarrhoea, birth defects, reproductive problems, reduced appetite, bloating, stomach ulcers, weaker and smaller piglets, and reduced litter sizes....

The ice served in six out of ten of Britain’s most popular high street restaurants contains more bacteria than the water found in their toilets, an investigation by The Mail on Sunday has found. Scientific tests have shown that ice from branches of McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Starbucks, Cafe Rouge and Nando’s all had higher levels of bacteria than samples of water taken from their lavatory bowls. Experts say it could be due to them being cleaned more often than the ice machines. None of the samples found presented an immediate health danger, but four contained such high levels of...

–The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced today that test results of plant samples from an Oregon farm indicate the presence of genetically engineered (GE) glyphosate-resistant wheat plants. Further testing by USDA laboratories indicates the presence of the same GE glyphosate-resistant wheat variety that Monsanto was authorized to field test in 16 states from 1998 to 2005. APHIS launched a formal investigation after being notified by an Oregon State University scientist that initial tests of wheat samples from an Oregon farm indicated the possible presence of GE glyphosate-resistant wheat plants. There are no...

Bees have been battling bad weather, loss of habitat and possible pesticide effects but now keepers are facing a new threat - bee-rustling. Cardiff beekeeper Elaine Spence found one her hives stripped of its honey bee colony in March. She said she knows of 10 other hives being stolen in the past year by people who need expert knowledge to do it. BBC Wales' Eye on Wales programme has found a number of hive theft cases although no officials figures are kept. (snip) She tells the the current affairs programme of her devastation to discover the theft of one of...

Fly Jumping Spider And with babies Aphids Dragonfly Woodlouse Nosy Beetle Longhorn Beetle Praying Mantis with prey Spider

Three months ago, Mira Winery in Napa embarked on a grand experiment: It lowered 48 bottles of its 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon into the ocean outside Charleston, S.C. in a custom-built cage to see what aging in the sea would do to the wine's flavor. On Tuesday, the bottles were retrieved and tasted. The differences between the wine aged in the ocean and the wine aged in the regular process are "incredible," according to Gutavo Gonzalez, Mira winemaker. Both were fruit-forward and jammy, as would be expected from a new wine, but the vino in the ocean-aged bottles had loosened up...

Researchers Have Finally Solved The Mystery Of The Irish Potato Famine Denise Chow, LiveScience May 24, 2013, 12:03 PM The Irish potato famine that caused mass starvation and approximately 1 million deaths in the mid-19th century was triggered by a newly identified strain of potato blight that has been christened "HERB-1," according to a new study. An international team of molecular biologists studied the historical spread of Phytophthora infestans, a funguslike organism that devastated potato crops and led to the famine in Ireland. The precise strain of the pathogen that caused the devastating outbreak, which lasted from 1845 to 1852,...

On a map, the rambling 2,500-acre inlet known as Drakes Estero looks like a chicken foot, its bony fingers pointing north from the larger Drakes Bay. In person, the estuary is strikingly beautiful: calm water protected from ocean waves by sand spits at its mouth, flanked by headlands and low, grassy hills dotted with cattle and a few trees tough enough to withstand the wind. It's also an ecological jewel, a stopping point for dozens of species of migrating birds, host to a thriving eelgrass population, a favorite sunning spot and pupping ground for harbor seals. There are signs of...

Billie Sol Estes, a flamboyant Texas huckster who became one of the most notorious men in America in 1962 when he was accused of looting a federal crop subsidy program, has died. He was 88... One of the strangest episodes in his life involved the death of a U.S. Department of Agriculture official who was investigating Estes just before he was accused in the fertilizer tank case. Henry Marshall's 1961 death was initially ruled a suicide even though he had five bullet wounds. But in 1984, Estes told a grand jury that Johnson had ordered the official killed to prevent...

Abstract: Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup®, is the most popular herbicide used worldwide. The industry asserts it is minimally toxic to humans, but here we argue otherwise. Residues are found in the main foods of the Western diet, comprised primarily of sugar, corn, soy and wheat. Glyphosate's inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes is an overlooked component of its toxicity to mammals. CYP enzymes play crucial roles in biology, one of which is to detoxify xenobiotics. Thus, glyphosate enhances the damaging effects of other food borne chemical residues and environmental toxins. Negative impact on the body is insidious and...

FRENCH CAMP, Calif. (KCRA) —San Joaquin County sheriff's deputies are still on the hunt for a pack of wild dogs believed to be responsible for nearly 200 livestock deaths

Nobody is quite sure where the wandering spider came from, but its travels ended Monday in a pool of alcohol. All 6-year-old Isabelle Tavares wanted Sunday night was a snack. Instead, what she found was a spider belonging to Ctenidae (pronounced TEN-ih-day) family, which includes the widely feared Brazilian wandering spider, rated deadliest on Earth by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010. To Isabelle, it was just "Venomous Red-Fanged Jake."

A collection of nearly 100 antique tractors, mostly of the bright-yellow Caterpillar variety, will be auctioned at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Trout Run, Pa. The auction’s 109 lots, which range from farm tractors to heavy earthmovers and various durable parts, carry an total estimated value of $500,000, said Scott Edwards, territory manager for Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, which is managing the sale. The presale value is Mr. Edwards’ own best guess because such collections of vintage industrial iron rarely come up for auction. Still, many antique tractor enthusiasts have inquired about the sale. “It’s not something you see every day,”...

Bryan Sobel grad is trying to help women in the Rwandan town of Butare through what some would say is an unusual method: growing mushrooms. Sobel first taught women in Butare mushroom cultivation methods for two weeks in December 2012. The trip was one of many that Sobel has embarked on to promote international development, from a stay in Bangladesh to a garden-based learning service trip to Belize over this past spring break. Sobel, who specializes in mushroom production and cultivation, promoted the nutritional and economic benefits of one specific variety — oyster mushrooms, or Pleurotus ostreatus — during his stay...

So beer drinkers, it's Saturday... as I sip [gulp] on my Stone Brewing IPA, I'm wondering if y'all have any recommendations on your favorite IPA's. Weigh in now, while you can still type!

Has anyone heard any more on this? I haven't found much written on it, not even on the Cornwall Alliance site.

The business of the Round Hollow Farm in Dubuque County focuses on the endless rows of cows. Mark and Karen Hosch have been here for decades. Mark has lived on this 400-acre farm all his life and the couple has raised four children here. Yet just as their youngest is about to leave the nest for college, the Hosches embarked on a major change from their usual schedule. "Three in the morning and three in the evening," Mark said of their twice-daily milking schedule for approximately 145 cows. In early December, they started the process of converting to operating a...

The past week has seen a tsunami of stories about the so-called “Monsanto Protection Act,” more accurately known as Section 735 of HR 933. It’s a tiny provision attached to a massive agricultural spending bill signed into law by President Obama last week. According to detractors, Section 735 is the “most dangerous food act ever” and a “terrifying piece of policy.” Why? Because, among other claims, it purportedly allows biotech companies to sell seeds that can cause serious consumer health problems. Here is how Gawker frames it: "Section 735 effectively shields large biotech companies, like Monsanto, from the federal courts...

Plenty has been written about concerns over elevated levels of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere, but a Kansas State University researcher has found an upside to the higher CO2 levels. And it's been particularly relevant in light of drought that overspread the area in recent months.

The New England cottontail was once so common that Massachusetts author Thornton Burgess adapted one named Peter for the children's stories he penned a century ago. But the critter that inspired "The Adventures of Peter Cottontail" and the enduring song that came later faces an uncertain future. Its natural habitat is disappearing, and without intervention, it could be unhappy trails for the once-bountiful bunny. [snip] As neglected agricultural lands reverted back to forest and those forests matured, the population of New England cottontails thinned. More than 80 percent of their habitat disappeared over the past 50 years, according to the...

Imagine if suddenly, and completely without warning, the world experienced a total blackout – no electricity, no mobile phones, no banks, no internet, no TV, no emergency services. As it becomes apparent that the lights are never coming back on, nations are plunged into chaos, mass riots break out in major cities and, without electricity, governments are toppled. Into the vacuum step ad-hoc militias, armed and ready to enforce their own rule of law. This is the apocalyptic premise of the hit American TV series Revolution, which begins on Sky 1 this week. In the first episode, viewers are pulled...

FNN Rush Exclusive: President Obama was intrigued about the possibility of President Hugo Chavez being embalmed and put on public display forever. Because Hugo was not embalmed quickly enough, the procedure and public display could not be accomplished. President Zero was appalled and called his closest advisers and his science adviser in for a briefing. Upon their advice, President Zero has changed his will to ensure that when he dies that he is promptly embalmed and prepared for public display. The Lincoln Memorial will be removed and sent to Springfield, Il. for display. In its place President Zero's gold and...

I was on my way home today when my mom texted me that my dad's next younger brother had died of surgical complications. He was a great guy, took over my granddad's gun business, solid dude all the way. Pulled into the drive wanting to get more info and noticed something awry in the cow lot. The cows are still on hay welfare as it has not warmed up enough to spring the incipient grass up, though they are starting to pick around a bit for something fresh and green. One of my oldest cows, the last full-blood Texas Longhorn...

The invasive porkers have made themselves at home across more than three quarters of the U.S. and are responsible for an estimated $1.5 billion in damages each year. Most worrisome is their ability to learn from each encounter with a frustrated human. ... The wild pig population in the U.S. has ballooned to more than 5 million. In one year alone, federal managers trapped and killed more than 32,000 pigs from 28 states and collected thousands of samples to check for the nearly three dozen diseases feral pigs are capable of carrying and passing on to humans, livestock and other...

It was a productive day for Gary Strader when he pulled his vehicle up to a remote site in northeast Nevada and found nine coyotes caught in leg hold snares set by the federal government. As was routine, Strader, a former trapper with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, signaled his dogs to attack. His supervisor, who had accompanied him that day, watched and laughed as the dogs circled the coyotes and ripped into them, Strader recalled. "That was regular practice," said Strader, who in 2009 left Wildlife Services, a little-known program within the USDA. The program is tasked with humanely...

Rhode Island Rep. Joseph McNamara is currently trying to pass legislation that would make fried squid the official state appetizer. Since Rhode Island is the squid capital of the world – hey, they have to be good at something – chances are the fried rings served there are exactly what they claim to be. Elsewhere, however, they may be serving you deep fried pig anus and calling it calamari.

The love of eggplant goes way back for Arunima Kashyap. It was the only food she’d eat when she was little, and it’s still her favorite. For a long time, that love was a one-way street. The eggplant gave, and Kashyap ate. But then the scientist, who grew up in India, found a way to give back to the humble eggplant, and to some of the other plants and curry spices she adores. Working with Steven Weber, an archeologist and associate professor at Washington State University Vancouver, Kashyap was able to track down some of the plants’ ancient lineage and...

"The prudent man does not make the goat his gardener," says an old Hungarian proverb. But, as I do not live my life according to old Hungarian proverbs, six years ago I added a goat paddock and shed to the rear of my garden and brought home two small dairy goats. The idea took hold of me rather suddenly while I was visiting an acquaintance in Nevada City. She kept goats, and I got to milk one and taste its fresh milk. It tasted ... good! Surprised? I was too. But I learned that goat milk from the store often...

Enlarge Image Greedy guest. Fungi (blue lines) living among the cells of a grass cause that plant to make more seeds and less pollen. Credit: Jennifer Rudgers Life demands tradeoffs, and plants are no exception. Virginia wildrye, common on U.S. prairies and rangelands, often plays host to a fungus that helps this grass grow. But the plant pays a price. Researchers have discovered that infected plants produce less pollen than their noninfected counterparts. Instead, the fungus causes the rye grass to make extra seeds, which transmit the fungus to the next generation and new locations. This is the first...

Many a mom has reached for a glass of wine after a long day of tending children. But only fruit fly moms use their version of Chardonnay to guard their babies from harm. When fly moms see marauding wasps, they seek out the alcohol in fermenting fruit, and lay their eggs there, according to new research. The alcohol is toxic to the wasps, but not to the fruit flies. They've evolved a tolerance for hooch. No only do the fruit flies babyproof with alcohol, when given a choice they'll pick just the right proof — about 3 percent. That's considerably...

"We believe that an appropriate analysis would likely reveal changes in the distribution pattern of cargo which could reasonably be expected to result in environmental impacts, particularly air quality impacts associated with increased Port activity and associated diesel truck traffic," the EPA wrote in remarks submitted to the Coast Guard.

When First Lady Michelle Obama steps out of her White House Picture Frame on her end of February nationwide tour, to take credit for not only halting—but reversing—childhood obesity, folk should be thinking “fertilizer”.The White House crediting Obama’s failed Let’s Move initiative as salvation for obese children everywhere is well fertilized with the same matter fertilizing her White House ‘organic’ garden.When First Lady Michelle Obama steps out of her White House Picture Frame on her end of February nationwide tour, to take credit for not only halting—but reversing—childhood obesity, folk should be thinking “fertilizer”.When First Lady Michelle Obama steps out...

The smell of bacon was in the air Saturday as thousands converged on Iowa's capital city for an increasingly popular festival celebrating all things connected with the meat. Some people wore Viking hats and others walked around with makeshift snouts for the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival. The annual event featured more than 10,000 pounds of bacon served in unusual ways, such as chocolate-dipped bacon and bacon-flavored cupcakes and gelato. "I love bacon more than I love my job," said Katie Nordquist, who was dressed in a tuxedo T-shirt that looked like bacon Saturday for her first time at the festival.

Many years ago, years before I moved to the country, I was what would be considered "a prepper." I saw disaster every time I turned on the TV, or read the news on the internet, or visited forums that talked about stockpiling beans and bullets. I panicked, thinking I could never have enough control for the sake of my family, never be "prepped" enough. So I got out of town, and bought a place in the country. Now, I call myself a homesteader. I don't have to store a year's worth of beans in 55 gallon drums. I can just...

ANIMAL welfare extremists want to ban the display of naked chickens in supermarkets. They also protest against pictures of raw chickens in ads, The Weekly Times reports. The American founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, president Ingrid Newkirk, criticised a newspaper for running a picture of a raw chicken. "We don't want to see any chickens on display, but instead want them to live natural, happy lives with their families. "Sexily displaying the corpse of a chicken who has been bred to grow so big, so quickly, that many collapse under their own weight, is just additionally...

Wine producers must "let greatness happen."It's time to stop relying on science if you want to make great pinot noir. That's the message that Wine Spectator columnist Matt Kramer gave to delegates at the Pinot Noir 2013 wine conference in Wellington, New Zealand, on Monday. Kramer controversially declared that truly great pinot noir is currently produced only in Burgundy. “Burgundy has something that no other pinot region has achieved," he said. "In Burgundy, two plus two equals five. How did they get that other one? How did they find it? “The challenge is not to get two and two equals...

•EU watchdog reveals approval for GM foods fails to identify poisonous gene •54 of the 86 GM plants approved contain the dangerous gene •Gene found in food for farm animals producing meat, milk and eggs •Biotech supporters argue there is no evidence that GM foods are harmful A virus gene that could be poisonous to humans has been missed when GM food crops have been assessed for safety. GM crops such as corn and soya, which are being grown around the world for both human and farm animal consumption, include the gene. A new study by the EU’s official food...

While much of the nation’s crops withered under last year’s punishing drought, Michigan State University researchers dramatically increased corn and vegetable production on test farms using revolutionary new water-saving membranes. The subsurface water retention technology process was developed by Alvin Smucker, MSU professor of soil biophysics and MSU AgBioResearch scientist. His invention uses contoured, engineered films, strategically placed at various depths below a plant’s root zone to retain soil water. Proper spacing also permits internal drainage during excess rainfall and provides space for root growth. “This technology has the potential to change lives and regional landscapes domestically and internationally where...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Gareth Morgan has a simple dream: a New Zealand free of pet cats that threaten native birds. But the environmental advocate has triggered a claws-out backlash with his new anti-feline campaign.

I went out to my garden by the barn and heard splashing in the horse tank. I saw movement and ran to see what the heck was going on when an exhausted squirrel rose up and tried desperately to claw her way out of the metal tank. She couldn't and was swimming in circles. I grabbed a hoe and after a few failed attempts, got her out. I was afraid to touch her with my hands because of fleas and potential disease. She finally used her teeth to bite the edge of the hoe and I was able to lift...

Labeling foods is a moral thing to do to keep us from illness. There are so many questionable farming livestock practices which USDA allows, obviously those practices have great potential doing more harm to our body. Excerpt from the Article: Nine examples of what the public isn’t supposed to know (1) Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH):It’s injected into cows to force more milk production. Monsanto created it by combining cow DNA and E. coli (really). Now Eli Lily owns it. It infects cows’ udders, causing gross malformations and demands a plethora of antibiotic injections which furthers the creation of antibiotic...

(Abstract of article only): The role of cult and feasting in the emergence of Neolithic communities. New evidence from Göbekli Tepe, south-eastern Turkey 1Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Orient-Abteilung, Podbielskiallee 69–71, D-14195 Berlin, Germany (Email: odi@orient.dainst.de; jn@orient.dainst.de; kls@orient.dainst.de), 2Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Aas, Norway (Email: manfred.heun@umb.no), and 3Technische Universität München, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan, Weihenstephaner Steig 20, D-85354 Freising, Germany (Email: Martin.Zarnkow@wzw.tum.de)*Author for correspondence Göbekli Tepe is one of the most important archaeological discoveries of modern times, pushing back the origins of monumentality beyond the emergence of agriculture. We are pleased to present a summary of work in progress...

Marc Mondavi, a California winery operator, has a new vocation, water-witching, and is called upon to find ground water for local wineries, using copper rods. "You either have it or you don't," Mondavi, 58, says of the skill that takes him to neighboring vineyards in northern California to find places, without the aid of science, to dig industrial-size wells. "If you have it, you have to take time to develop it."

An unknown animal is attacking, but not eating, livestock in Kentucky, leaving many of the victims with gnawed or detached ears. According to WAVE News, the attacks have been ongoing for several weeks in Shelby County, Ky. At least five goats have had to be put to sleep due to their injuries, and a goat named Polka-dot has been left with just one ear. Kevin Cox, the local farmer who owns Polka-dot, has also had several of his bulls attacked, he told the news organization. Kentucky officials are investigating, but there's no word yet on the culprit in the attacks....

The first direct signs of cheesemaking now seen in potsherds from Poland may help reveal how animal milk dramatically shaped the genetics of Europe, scientists reported today (Dec. 12). Although cheese may just seem to be a topping on pizza or a companion to wine, it may have shaped the evolution of Europeans, researchers say.