Growers and Grocers

Food production costs are on the rise as drought continues to worsen for the lower two-thirds of Australia. As much as ninety-four percent of New South Wales is now experiencing water shortage due to lack of rain. Queensland is a little better off at 61%. The Queensland Farmer’s Federation’s John Cherry predicts that grain prices […]

The November 3rd 2006 issue of the journal Science reported that in as early as 2048, we could be facing the loss of seafood due to overfishing and pollution. Environmental stresses, including global warming and destruction of habitat, add to the challenges faced by marine animals in survival.
“We really see the […]

If you’re from New York and regularly drop by McDonald’s for your usual lunch of fries and burger, then this may be good news for you.
New York health officials are seriously considering banning the use of artificial trans fats in restaurants. Artificial trans fatty acids or trans fats increase the risks of coronary […]

I love to bake. Cakes, cookies, pies. Chocolate Espresso Mousse is one of my special recipes for special occasions. I never had to worry about eating uncooked cookie dough, or serving mousse and cakes decorated with colorful royal icing. Until my cousin married and his wife got pregnant, I didn’t really give consuming raw eggs […]

Dried gamet sheets
Photo courtesy of ilocostimes.com
Harvesting gamet is not for the faint of heart. Nor is it for the slow-footed. Citizens of Burgos, Ilocos Norte, a province north of Manila can attest to this, as they have lost three members of their community to gamet harvest since 1970. Others have been injured. Only the well-trained […]

The cool mountain air of La Trinidad, Benguet, 250km north of Manila is the perfect place for growing mushrooms. Going by years of experience, Dr. Janet Luis of the Benguet State University (BSU) believes that oyster mushrooms are feasible as a cash crop similar to the sweet strawberries that the province is known for.
With a […]

Photos from Don Roberto’s Mango Wines
When people say “wine”, we normally think “grapes”. While grapes do not grow in hot climates like in the Philippines, local entrepreneurs have taken it upon themselves to produce wines anyway. Since mangoes are widely popular and Philippine mangoes are making their mark around the world, which fruit is better […]

There is now more reason for us to heed our mother’s advice to eat our vegetables. An epidemiological study at the University of Wisconsin found that American women below 75 years old with a regular diet rich in phytonutrient carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin may have a lower risk of developing eye diseases such as cataracts […]

An old Filipino proverb said, “There’s nothing that can’t be settled over a hot cup of coffee.” These words of wisdom are now proven true when former leaders of a Philippine government military unit and a communist rebel group set aside their differences to unite their village in an effort to rehabilitate the coffee plantation […]

Scientists at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) based in the Philippines announced recently that they have isolated the gene, labelled Sub1A-1, that allows rice to survive flooding for up to 2 weeks. To countless poor rice farmers that have been repeatedly been hit with crop losses year after year due to typhoons and moonsoon […]