Posted by Robyn Lee, July 8, 2008 at 12:00 PM
The Farm of Tomorrow, an animated short directed by famed animator Tex Avery, shares 1954's predictions of the future of farming—mostly involving strange crossbreeding pairs. Has the future delivered chickens crossbred with centipedes (for more drumsticks), cows crossbred with beavers (for built-in fly swatters), or ducks crossbred with bananas (for ease of skin peeling)? Not yet. Those geneticists better get crackin'. Watch the video after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Robyn Lee, May 26, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Flat-screen TVs and waterbeds are two of the comforts enjoyed by Kirk Christie's dairy cows on his farm in Iowa. The idea behind the frills is that cows will make more milk if they feel more comfortable—"Christie estimates his cows' milk production has increased 10 percent since he installed the waterbeds." Watching TV helps the cows get used to different kinds of voices, which prevents them from getting as nervous when they have to hear the different voice of people who visit the barn. Christie isn't the only farmer using this method to increase his milk production—the idea to use waterbeds on dairy farms originated in Europe more than a decade ago.
Related
Happy Cows Are Tastier Cows
How to Art Direct a Cow
Is Raw Milk Safe? Which Side Are You On?
Posted by Emily Koh, January 23, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Move over, Berkshire pork: a new heritage pork is set to take center stage. The Mangalitsa, a breed of furry pigs raised in Central Europe recognized for their high-lard quality, are now available for the first time in the States at Seattle's U-District Farmers Market thanks to Wooly Pigs, the only importer and producer of these pigs.
Considered one of Europe's best-tasting pigs, these gigantic hairy beasts have twice the marbling than that of your average pork, and it's also more unsaturated, giving it a lighter taste and allows it to melt at lower temperatures (you can even whip Mangalitsa lard like cream!). The popularity of fatty pork doesn't seem to be dying out anytime soon, and the introduction of mangalitsa to the American market should be something to keep tabs on for all you fatty pork fans (just take a look at the cuts!).
Posted by Ed Levine, July 30, 2007 at 7:32 AM
In my heart I would like to be a locavore purist, eating food grown or raised within a 500-mile radius of my house. When I read about Broadway East, a restaurant opening this fall in New York City that is going to serve three locavore squares a day, I applauded. I believe in local food, slow food, and every other kind of "food" movement that supports local farmers and sustainable agriculture. I pledge allegiance to Alice Waters every day. But what's a localist to do when the cherries taste better from Washington, 3,000 miles away from where this local yokel calls home?
Continue reading »
