Beyond the Hive: Wind turbines deadly for bats

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes about how bats (and birds) are being killed by wind turbines throughout Pennsylvania. Bats typically save Pa. farmers an estimated $277 million a year in "avoided costs," so the bat losses are hurting the food on your plate, too. Here is a link to the original report.

Beyond The Hive: Roundup said to cause birth defects

A newly discovered/released report shows how authorities have known for years that Roundup causes birth defects in laboratory animals.
An interesting note within this link is criticism from a professor that the active ingredient in Roundup also ends up making plants more vulnerable to disease, which, hmmm, let me guess, might force consumers to buy Monsanto's ready-made, genetically modified, "disease-resistant" plants. It is a vicious - and I mean vicious - circle.

Beyond the Hive: New Associated Press Stylebook's food section

For those interested in food writing, here's an article on why the Associated Press decided to add a separate section on food in its stylebook.

Foreign Policy: The Food Issue

I just picked it up this afternoon, and cannot wait to get immersed in it. Meanwhile, you can listen to the author of the lead story, Lester Brown, speak with Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air.

Beyond the Hive: Blake Shelton's feel-good honey video of the summer

Yeah, it's just a country song, but lots of eye candy in the form of honey in his new video.

Beyond The Hive: Help Stamp Out Hunger

Here's a reminder for you to leave food with your mail carriers on May 14, and help stamp out hunger.

Beyond The Hive: New line of food "pigments"

Remember when nature made all the flavors and colors of food we consumed? Sensient Technologies, a global manufacturer and marketer of colors, flavors and fragrances, has come up with a new "pigment range" to provide food with a more natural appearance. According to the company website, when they are not manufacturing food colors and flavors, they make cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and printing ink.

Beyond The Hive: If it looks like propaganda about high fructose corn syrup, and smells like propaganda ...

The Corn Refiners Association has put out a series of graphs that show how certain (unnamed) products dropped in sales after high fructose corn syrup was removed as an ingredient. There's so much wrong with these charts, which the ill-educated could take as gospel. First, they might have substituted the wrong sweetener, artificial or othewise, to take the place of HFCS. More important, it's hard to think of products that did not experience declines in sales over the last couple of years during the recession. Finally, we don't know what other factors might have contributed to the decline, such as recalls, rises in prices that turned off consumers, poor distribution, or maybe the TV commercials sucked.

Beyond The Hive: Winter taking huge toll on farmers

The heavy, and constant, snowfalls have killed livestock, destroyed buildings on farms.

(Slightly) Beyond The Hive: Food Trends for 2011

Atop Mother Nature News' list for the coming year is that chefs will become chummy with local beekeepers. Sounds like a plan.

Beyond the Hive: Indian tea growers worry about climate change

Tea growers in India say that climate change is having a harmful effect on their crop.

Beyond The Hive: Help your local food banks this holiday season

I'm following the lead of South Jersey Locavore and promoting the Check Out Hunger project of the Food Bank of New Jersey. One dollar added to your food bill at the checkout line means little to you, but a lot to the food bank.
While you're at it, please consider donating the free turkey you get for your local supermarket's rewards program to a food bank, and then buying your own turkey. You can visit Feeding America to find a food bank nearest you.

Beyond The Hive: From the FBI to spotting food trends

Suzy Badaracco used to work as a drug toxicologist for the FBI; now she uncovers food trends.
Here's her website.

Beyond The Hive: USDA predicts record soybean crop

Building on last year's record production, the United States is expected to produce another record crop of soybeans. The Department of Agriculture notes that this comes in the wake of a very warm summer.
Additionally, the USDA notes that corn production is down, while cotton is up (for the first time since 2005) and orange production is up a whopping 10 percent.

Beyond The Hive: How Ahmadinejad's policies hurt small business

This story talks about the struggles of small business in Iran. Here's a telling quote from one merchant:

Even our honey is 'made in China.' Two hundred fifty grams of Chinese honey costs $5, while high-quality Iranian honey costs $20. Who is going to buy the Iranian honey? So they gradually close down their businesses, as was the case with a sugar factory in Hafttappeh.

Beyond The Hive: America's top farm markets

In honor of National Farmers Market week, the American Farmland Trust has released its lists of the top markets across the country.

Beyond the Hive competition update

I'm still trying to find the "winner," but this link will take you to the five finalists -- designs for "insect hotels" in London.

Beyond the Hive: Casting for "Kitchen Nightmares"

FOX's TV’s Hit Show "KITCHEN NIGHTMARES" is Back!
Casting immediately for its next season!

If your restaurant is having problems and you want Chef Gordon Ramsay to come into your establishment, troubleshoot your problems, and try to get you back on the road to success, contact us NOW!



To be considered:
EMAIL: Twinsworld1@aol.com

Place “KITCHEN NIGHTMARES” in the subject line & Include: Your name, contact info, name of your restaurant, where you are located, type of cuisine you serve, how many seats you have, how long you have been open, photos or website if available, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, why you need our help. The MORE INFO THE BETTER.

National Zoo wants your honey recipes, poems

I'm not saying they *couldn't* be one and the same, but the National Zoo, in honor of its new honeybee colony, is seeking your favorite honey recipes and your original poetry about honey. Certainly, an exquisite recipe could be poetry for the palate.

Beyond the Hive: What's on your food?

A new, searchable website offers information on the types of pesticides that can be found on food. We already know that some experts link such chemicals to bee problems; it would not be too much of a leap to find links to human health problems, as well.