A GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) is an organism whose genetic makeup has been manipulated by humans using biotechnology to insert genes from another organism. Using precision breeding, biotechnologists introduce one or two genes offering useful characteristics—such as nutritional supplementation—to a familiar crop variety. Figure 1: Due to various misconceptions in the media, many people do…
According to 2019 market research, 63 percent of Americans drink coffee daily—and this comes as no surprise, given coffee’s various benefits. Not only does coffee provide the energy and focus many adults need before heading to work, but it also provides numerous health benefits, including protection against Type II Diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, liver disease, and…
As climate change continues to affect our planet, it is now in the hands of political leaders, scientists, engineers, and—yes—even the everyday gardeners to enact change. Erratic weather patterns are threatening crops worldwide; greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are ballooning due to inefficient agricultural practices; and growing acidification in our oceans is affecting aquatic ecosystems…
Factory farm waste is contaminating our environment to an alarming extent, but these farms are exempt from reporting requirements under the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. (Retweet this!) Thus, the true amount of damage being done remains a mystery. It has been approximately one year since Hurricane Florence inflicted damage to the Carolinas. While…
By the year 2050, it is predicted that the global population will exceed nine billion. More people on our planet means that there will be more bellies to feed, but less space to grow crops. In the future, two-thirds of the population will be located in urban rather than rural areas because less and less…
In just 31 years, the planet’s dinner table will welcome 2 billion more hungry guests. By 2050, 9 billion people will inhabit the earth—and if overcrowding is your biggest concern, think again. To accommodate another 2 billion people, it is estimated that global food production will need to increase by 70 percent. Yet, currently, 850…
In the past, the consensus was that global warming was responsible for the death and bleaching of coral reefs. However, Brian Lapointe from Florida Atlantic University recently discovered something shocking. Key West’s Dying Coral Lapointe has studied coral in Key West, Florida for over twenty years, and within that relatively small time frame, over half…
While farms already require many machines, such as tractors and reapers, as technology blossoms, entirely automated farming is beginning to become a reality. Robotic farming will change the realm of agriculture forever, and food production may never be the same. Precision agriculture has the potential to reduce labor costs, minimize pesticide use, and result in…
Harvesting hay is a vital agricultural process for those who keep livestock. Hay, which consists of dried grass, legumes, and other herbaceous plants, provides animals nutrient-rich food when there is no access to pasture-land. But did you know that harvesting hay can strip soil of vital nutrients? In optimal growing conditions, farmers can harvest a…
The combination of warm temperatures and water saturated with excess nutrients (including those from fertilizer) has resulted in perhaps the most severe algae bloom in Lake Pontchartrain ever witnessed. Unfortunately, this algae bloom is only expected to get worse over the course of the following weeks. The City of Mandeville has publicly advised residents to…
