It’s hard to believe, but seed planting hasn’t changed much in the last century. But as John Deere and Monsanto move big into precision farming, high-tech solutions may be shaking all that up.
Destroyed by Fertilizer, A Tiny Island Tries to Replant
Phosphate mining for fertilizer gave the tiny nation of Nauru the highest GDP per capita in the ’70s. But with phosphate tapped out, an economy on the rocks and a population addicted to imported fast food, can the tiny nation learn to grow again?
How Bees Harvest Plastic Waste for Building Materials
In a study published in the journal Ecosphere, a team at the University of Guelph in Ontario discovered bees making their homes out of bits of plastic waste.
Building Rice Paddies in New York City
From Egypt to Ecuador, Bhutan to the Bayou, there’s no food more universal than rice. So in New York City – home to 3 million foreign-born residents – what crop would you use to educate kids about agriculture?
Flock Star: From Computers to Cars, Chicken Feathers Are Everywhere
The poultry industry produces six billion tons of chicken feathers every year, most of it destined to end up in a landfill. But recently chicken feathers have ended up in everything from art projects to running shoes to car manufacturing.
The Bizarre and Fascinating Nature of Duck Sex
Ducks: by far the weirdest form of barnyard intercourse.
As Silicon Valley turns its eyes towards ag, eight companies that are using tech in interesting ways in the field.
How Farm Animals Can Help Treat Autism
The "fluke” to which Hart refers is the reason the Hart family purchased chickens; eggs were getting very expensive. To save money, she and her husband bought chickens so the fam...
Sad, Mad or Totally Indifferent: Dairy Farmers Say Goodbye to ‘Got Milk’
Before “Got Milk?” is laid to rest in the dustbin of promotional history, we thought we’d rustle up some eulogies — from the very people whose livelihoods depend on milk.
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