The Unintended Consequences of Water Conservation

...access TV show. Who cares if you pull the water? Never mind that insects, animals and people call those landscapes home. Two ways out of this: a focus on long term solutions in our civic discourse and instilling a love of plants (we could call it horticultural literacy) in the next generation. Both are tall orders. In the meantime, I recommend reading Hodel and Pittenger’s paper. They are, perhaps, more enamored of the lawn than I but their call...

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Saturday Tweets: Hello 2019

....twitter.com/SfWJ4E4m7q — Laura Goodfellow 🚌🏃🏼‍♀️ (@transitrunner) January 2, 2019 #UCDavis‘ @JamieLPeyton continues success with innovation burn care for animals. https://t.co/0vGIzPC3V3 — UC Davis Vet Med (@ucdavisvetmed) January 2, 2019...

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Boozing Bees

...down of combs by heat, or the upturning of the hive by wind or mischievous animals or human beings. In this same issue, there’s an article about an attempt to reconcile the need to spray fruit trees with pesticide and the impact of those chemicals on bees. Another talk at the conference by Dr. May Berenbaum of Cornell, that I was only able to hear part of, looked at the history of the use of pesticides. Honeybees are a complex organism and their i...

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Spaceship Earth

...s non-essential types. And what could be more non-essential than hippie avant-garde thespians? For us urban homesteader types, it’s also good to have a reminder that hubris in the face of complexity is an occupational hazard of anyone who attempts to garden, keep animals, cook from scratch or otherwise interact with things other than laptops and iPhones. You can stream Spaceship Earth via the YouTubes for here. If you haven’t seen Adam Curtis’ All...

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On Moldy Jam

...jelly having surface mold growth. Mycotoxins are known to cause cancer in animals; their effects on humans are still being researched. Because of possible mold contamination, paraffin or wax seals are no longer recommended for any sweet spread, including jellies. To prevent growth of molds and loss of good flavor or color, fill products hot into sterile Mason jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace, seal with self-sealing lids, and process 5 minutes in...

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