Tag: agriculture
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How Perennial Grains Like Kernza Fight Climate Change
Food certifications are multiplying. As the dysfunction of our industrialized food systems become increasingly apparent, it’s clear simply “organic” is no long good enough. From “pasture-raised” to “grass-fed”, new adjectives and certifications appear regularly on food labels. However, there is still no certification for regenerative farming. Regenerative farming practices are restorative to ecosystems and help…
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How are Hops Grown?
We all know that a primary ingredient in beer, especially craft beers, is hops. But where and how are they grown?Hop plants are actually vines and are fairly widespread and grow in temperate climates throughout the world. The key part of the plant is the flowers. These give beer its trademark bitter notes. The vine-like…
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Cascara: The New Non-Coffee Coffee Product
Cascara: The New Non-Coffee Coffee Product Most of us know that coffee is made from the seed inside a type of fruit known as a coffee cherry. But what is cascara? Is it a type of coffee? An herbal tea? Turns out, it’s really a whole new kind of beverage. Cascara is now popping up…
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Child Labor in Cacao Production
While cacao is grown worldwide (within twenty degrees of the equator) the majority of the world’s cacao comes from just two west African nations: Ghana and Ivory Coast (or Côte d’Ivoire). In these two countries, thousands of family farms produce over 60% of the cacao used in the global chocolate industry and are the primary…
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What is Biodynamic Agriculture?
As quality and production methods become more of a concern to the general consumer, there has a been an increase in third party labeling. The most common labels are organic and non-GMO, both of which most consumers are familiar. However, another certification has started appearing on a wide-range of products. That label is Biodynamic and…