A Better Banana? Organic vs Non-Organic Bananas.

real banana with seeds
Real Banana

This is a real banana. Two weeks ago, I stood on top of a truck with a machete in the rain, intent on harvesting a bunch of wild bananas I’d found on a back road. A few swings, and slice! The bunch fell to the ground like a crashed spaceship. My friends and I gathered them quickly (not wanting to get drenched), so we barely noticed that there was something odd about them. When I sliced one open, however, I noticed a great difference from the bananas I was used to eating: it was filled with pea-sized black seeds. “Aha!” Axel said. “This is a real banana.”

As it turns out, the tree we’d found was a direct descendent of the first wild bananas human beings ate. Continue reading

Why Almond Butter Is So Expensive (And That’s A Good Thing)

Why is almond butter so expensive?

Why is almond butter so expensive now? This is what I thought as I returned the glass jar to the shelf of the co-op last summer. It was my first summer working full-time on a farm, and I watched my newfound perspective inform my reasoning. California… drought… almonds… aha!

Almond butter is so expensive because there’s a drought in California, where most of America’s almonds are produced. A no-brainer for anyone connected to their food. But I was just beginning to learn the consequences of the food choices I was making, and most Americans are still in the dark.

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Indian Women Farmers Take the Plough

Indian women farmers drying chillies in Karnataka. Photo by Asian Development Bank
Indian women farmers drying chillies in Karnataka. Photo by Asian Development Bank

Take a train from one Indian city to the next. Squeeze through the aisle, dodge a man selling chai from huge kettles and pause near the toilets, where a man is spitting red chewing tobacco into the sink. When he moves, dart to the open door, grasp the worn metal handles and lean out. The wind pummels you, knocking back your fears and thoughts and desires, leaving you nothing but ragged and raw life. You soar through the Indian countryside, one hand clutching the handle and the other outstretched, stroking the delicious air. Continue reading