Just off the coast of South Carolina sits St. Helena Island, a 64-square-mile stretch of moss-lined oaks and sandy roads surrounded by marshland. Black farmers have spent decades caring for the land on this island; the Gullah people who live here are the descendants of formerly enslaved people from West and Central Africa who worked […]

Bats are a captivating bunch, flying hundreds of miles, pinpointing prey with sonar and leading complex social lives. They’re also voracious predators of insects wreaking havoc on crops such as cotton, cocoa and rice. By literally wiping out tons of pests every night, bats save US farmers an estimated $3.7 billion annually. Besides the bug […]

Last month, the USDA recognized four school districts for their work in improving the nutrition standards of their lunches. That’s no easy feat, says Brandy Dreibelbis, with the Chef Ann Foundation, an organization that helps schools transition to from-scratch cooking.  Transitioning away from a system often characterized by carb-heavy, frozen and fried food can be […]