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    • A for profit social enterprise, all about food
    We unearth the stories behind your food
    to inform, entertain, and connect you to what's on your plate.

    BikeLoc: Discovering Local Food by Bike

    by admin on July 28, 2010

    About Harvest speaks with Robert Dubois of a movement called Bikeloc. Averaging about 70 miles per day, Robert and Aaron are traveling across America by bicycle and with a purpose to collect and share stories about Local Food Movement across the country.

    Listen here:

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    To learn more about this movement, visit BikeLoc.org

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    The Genuine Potential of Perennial Grains

    by admin on July 15, 2010

    Intermediate Wheatgrass field

    The Genuine Potential of Perennial Grains – Part One

    With a career shaped by his interest in environmental soil science, Washington State University researcher Dr. John Reganold and his colleagues have been working on a perennial wheat variety that will sprout year after year instead of dying after producing seed. These scientists are looking to maximize the potential of these perennial grains they are developing as viable and realistic means to address and help alleviate global hunger. A few weeks ago they published their findings in Science in an article titled: “Increased Food and Ecosystem Security via Perennial Grains” Washington State University produced a video which explains the benefits of perennial wheat, and last week we posted it here at About Harvest.

    Glover etal Fig1 Science

    In Part One of this two-part podcast, Washington State University researcher Dr. John Reganold speaks with us about his important work on these perennial grains in the department of crop and soil sciences at Washington State University.

    John Reganold

    Listen here:

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    Farmer Jane: The Book and Movement

    by admin on July 10, 2010

    Temra Costa cooks, gardens and serves as an advocate for farming and food. She is also is the author of the new book and movement known as FARMER JANE.

    In her new book, readers learn that women are one of the fastest-growing demographics to own and operate farms in the United States and that they are tending towards diversified, direct-marketed foods that create relationships with the people that Temra indentifies simpy as, eaters.

    Press material that accompanied my review copy of Farmer Jane describes Temra and her work as follows:

    Costa was intrigued by the number of women engaged in food and farming through her professional career as a sustainable food and farming advocate with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), in California. With a thirty percent increase in women farm operators from 2002 – 2007, along with increases in women-owned businesses and involvement in government, the feminine voice in food and farming is starting to be heard. Farmer Jane is a compelling and empowering look at how communities, businesses and homes can be enriched by the sustainable food movement. Enlightened by the lessons and trials of women farmers, chefs, advocates and educators, Farmer Jane gives information and support to anyone wishing to become involved.

    Listen here:

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    What are Perennial Grains?

    by admin on July 7, 2010

    Kevin Murphy is an Assistant Researcher at Washington State University. He and his colleagues have been in pursuit of a perennial wheat variety that will sprout year after year instead of dying after producing seed. These scientists are looking to maximize the potential of these perennial grains they are developing. With further research and development, these perennial grains will be a viable and realistic way to address and help alleviate global hunger.

    Last week, he and the WSU breeding team published their findings in Science in an article titled:

    “Increased Food and Ecosystem Security via Perennial Grains”

    WSU has produced this video, which explains the benefits of perennial wheat:

    Untitled from Nancy O’Mallon on Vimeo.

    Coming soon: About Harvest has talked with WSU researcher Dr. John Reganold about what he calls:

    “Addressing the Sustainability of Agriculture”

    Part one of this three part podcast series begins here at About Harvest next week.

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    World Wine Tour 2010: New Zealand!

    by admin on July 6, 2010

    Catch up with the World Wine Tourists Anja and Georges as we speak with them shortly after their arrival in Napa Valley, California. In this video podcast we learn all about their journey through the vineyards of New Zealand.

    World Wine Tour 2010: New Zealand! from Nancy O'Mallon on Vimeo.

    2 young travelers
    15+ countries
    300+ wineries
    150,000 for charity

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    A Honey Bee’s Best Friend: The Apiarist

    by admin on June 30, 2010

    Do you wonder what makes a honey bee tick? We definitely do and decided to speak with someone that you might say is one of the honey bee’s best friends, Tim Schuler.

    NJ State Apiarist Tim Schuler

    NJ State Apiarist Tim Schuler

    Tim is the State Apiarist with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and also teaches the Bee-ginner’s Beekeeping Course at Rutgers University.

    Got Honey?


    Would you like to keep bees yourself but need to know more about Bee Keeping?

    Tim Schuler tells us some of the best places to find information can be found here:

    http://www.state.nj.us/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/beeinspection.html

    http://njbeekeepers.org/

    http://maarec.psu.edu/

    Tim Schuler and his BEE-Bearded son

    Listen here for our interview with Tim Schuler:

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    ‘The Farmer and the Horse’ to Premiere at Howell Living History Farm

    by admin on June 15, 2010

    Plowing at Howell Living History Farm

    Three month stay on a old-time farm turns into a feature length documentary

    In 2008, Jared Flesher started a blog called Farmbedded to document his 3 month stay at Howell Living History Farm, an educational facility that “preserves and interprets farming life and processes from the era of 1890-1910″.

    Farmer Charles Napravnik of Asbury Village Farm

    An Award-winning freelance journalist, Flesher writes about energy, the environment, and sustainability for The New York Times Online and The Christian Science Monitor. His work has also been also been published by The Wall Street Journal Online, New Jersey Monthly magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, and Gannett New Jersey newspapers. During our interview (podcast below) about this film, Flesher said:

    I decided to tell the story about The Farmer and the Horse because it tells a story about sustainability that I don’t think has been told before.

    The rough cut of the film, 75 minutes long, is now complete and has been receiving great reviews from local farmers, environmentalists, and land conservationists.

    Intern at Howell Living History Farm in 2008.

    The Farmer and the Horse will premiere at Howell Living History Farm on August 6 at 9 p.m. Click here for more details:

    http://thefarmerandthehorse.com/

    Want to help?

    The Farmer and the Horse is looking for a local organization, business, or individual to sponsor the screening. Contact director Jared Flesher at jtflesher@gmail.com for more details.

    Listen here for our interview with Filmmaker Jared Flesher:

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    World Wine Tour 2010: Australia!

    by admin on June 9, 2010

    Catch up with the World Wine Tourists Anja and Georges as we speak with them shortly after they have arrived in New Zealand. In this video podcast we learn all about their journey through Australia.

    World Wine Tour 2010:Australia! from Nancy O'Mallon on Vimeo.

    2 young travelers
    15+ countries
    300+ wineries
    150,000 for charity

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    The Farmer and the Horse: The Documentary

    by admin on May 18, 2010

    Before tractors changed farming forever, horsepower meant hooking up a team of draft horses to a walking plow or seed drill. Farms today are bigger, faster, and more productive than ever before, but are they better? A group of farmers in New Jersey aren’t so sure…

    Follow filmmaker Jared Flesher as he documents the past, present, and future of horsepower in the Garden State and beyond.

    To learn more visit project website

    To contribute to this project, visit  Kickstarter.com

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    World Wine Tour 2010: South Africa!

    by admin on May 15, 2010

    The World Wine Tour 2010 has recently visited South Africa. Check out the images Georges and Anja have shared with us below.

    Glen Carlou Donation of two Magnums

    Anja (with winemaker Arco Laarma) receives the Glen Carlou donation.

    Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

    Dramatic ‘everyday view’ of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, a wine growing region famous for Pinot Noir. Hemel-en-Aarde means “Heaven-and-Earth” in Afrikaans (the Dutch derived language spoken in South Africa).

    Peter Finlayson of 'Bouchard Finlayson'

    Peter Finlayson of ‘Bouchard Finlayson’ winery signing the 3L donation of their award wining wine.

    Michael Malherbe at Laibach

    A worm compost at Laibach, Michael Malherbe (Managing Director) showing us how grape skins are brought here, decomposed, and spread back into the vineyards.

    Georges receives Magnum of Meerlust wine

    Georges receives a Magnum donation of Meerlust wine. This is one of the oldest producing wineries in South Africa, with a typical ‘Cape Dutch’ style building.

    Listen here:

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