A seed saving guide unlike any other available! Seed activist Bevin Cohen takes a deep dive into the hows and whys of the modern seed saving movement. A great how-to guide, leading the reader step by step through the process of saving their seeds from 43 different crops; from adzuki beans to wheat and everything […]
An aromatic tomato could be looming — a la heirloom varieties
You can scarcely find a tasty, heirloom tomato in the grocery store. But University of Florida scientists helped discover a way to enhance tomato smell and taste. Breeding efforts over the last half century have emphasized traits that are important to producers — yield, disease resistance, appearance and post-harvest shelf life among them. While those […]
Pawpaw Shows Promise In Fighting Drug-Resistant Tumors
The pawpaw tree, which bears the largest fruit native to North America, may bear new fruit for scientists seeking ways to fight cancer. Purdue University researcher Jerry McLaughlin, working with doctoral student Nicholas Oberlies, has found compounds in the bark of the tree that have shown preliminary success in fighting some drug- resistant cancers. The […]
Gardening helps to grow positive body image
New research has found that allotment gardening promotes positive body image, which measures someone’s appreciation of their own body and its functions, and an acceptance of bodily imperfections. The study, published in the journal Ecopsychology and led by Professor Viren Swami of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), involved 84 gardeners from 12 urban allotment sites in north London. […]
How poppy flowers get those vibrant colors that entice insects
With bright reds and yellows — and even the occasional white — poppies are very bright and colorful. Their petals, however, are also very thin; they are made up of just three layers of cells. University of Groningen scientists Casper van der Kooi and Doekele Stavenga used microscopy and mathematical models describing how light interacts […]
The food we eat could affect our genes
Almost all of our genes may be influenced by the food we eat, according to new research. The study, carried out in yeast – which can be used to model some of the body’s fundamental processes – shows that while the activity of our genes influences our metabolism, the opposite is also true and the […]
Risks from Lawn Care Pesticides
Pesticides are intentionally toxic substances. Some chemicals commonly used on lawns and gardens have been associated with birth defects, mutations, adverse reproductive effects, and cancer in laboratory animals. EPA permits over 200 different pesticides to be used for lawn care, and these are often mixed together and sold as chemical combinations. Approximately 35 pesticides are […]
Harmful Chemicals In Your Garden Hose
It is not safe to drink from a garden hose. Many garden hoses are made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) that often uses lead as a stabilizer. The brass fitting on the ends of the hose are also likely to contain lead. And water left standing in the hose can absorb worrisome amounts of lead and […]
Cancer-Causing Products In The Average Home
Cancer remains to be at the top of the list of the most common causes of fatalities. This fatal disease can affect anyone. Could you be using, or even consuming, cancer-causing chemicals? And there are everyday items that increase the risk of cancer. These products contain a wide-range of carcinogenic and other toxic ingredients and […]
F.U. G.M.O.
In 2010, October was declared Non-GMO Awareness Month by the Non-GMO Project, and this year, from October 1st through October 16, protesters will march through several cities across the northeast, stopping at key points along the way to hold local rallies with guest speakers. Their goal? To convince the U.S. government to listen to the […]