Rize Food Tech Discussion Threads

[adrian j boris] 22/2/2019 18:02

HONEY FUNGUS

Sounds real good to eat







The Largest Organism In The World Is Not What You Think It Is
Linh Anh Cat
Linh Anh Cat
Contributor
Science
I write about microbes and the environment.

If you guessed a redwood tree or a blue whale, you would be wrong. The largest organism is a fungus. And under climate change, it's likely to have an advantage compared to its host species. Scientists discovered the largest organism by area when a massive tree die-off occurred in Malheur National Forest in the Blue Mountains of Oregon.

Armillaria mushrooms, or honey fungus.Getty

Trees were infected by Armillaria ostoyae, or honey fungus. Honey fungus spend their lives extracting nutrients from conifer trees. We can't see most of the honey fungus because most of it is composed of underground filaments that connect the mushrooms we can see aboveground. Scientist took over 100 samples and found that they were a genetic match. It was the same fungal colony. This humongous fungus has almost as much biomass as the Aspen grove "Pando". It's also very old - around 2,400 years old, with estimates ranging from 1900 to 8650 years. The honey fungus is able to grow so old because it can rely on both live and dead wood for its nutrients.

A perspective paper from January 2019 postulates that A. ostoyae may adapt to climate change better than the coniferous trees it infects. A. ostoyae has high environmental plasticity, which means it can acclimate or adapt to a relatively wide range of environmental conditions. This is advantageous if the honey fungus needs to find a new host, since the coniferous trees will be more impacted by climate change. Scientists think some species of conifers will be completely wiped out by climate change, with honey fungus infections exacerbating the problem.

Aerial view on a conifer forest.Getty

While environmental plasticity is great for honey fungus, it poses a challenge to those managing threatened ecosystems. Honey fungus also threatens the commercial timber industry and economic loss is another result of tree death from honey fungus. The honey fungus are difficult to eradicate for the same reason they have survived so long and under changing conditions.

In the future, it is likely the largest organism in the world will continue to be honey fungus, even under climate change. Thankfully, they are tasty with cooked with peppers and spaghetti.

Linh Anh Cat is a microbial ecologist. She tweets from @LinhAnhCat. Learn more about her research on fungi and read her other posts on microbes and the environment.

[mr hangman] 15/2/2019 12:35

Utter nonsense, how hard is it to cook a Curry, can't youngsters be trained to do this ?

[ariane] 17/1/2019 11:18

M&S Trials Plastic-Free Produce Aisles In UK Stores

Published on Jan 17 2019 7:50 AM in Retail tagged: Trending Posts / M&S / Marks & Spencer / Plastic-Free
M&S Trials Plastic-Free Produce Aisles In UK Stores

Marks & Spencer has recently revealed its commitment to reducing the amount of plastic it uses by launching over 90 lines of loose fruit and vegetables completely free of plastic packaging in a trial at its Tolworth store in the UK.

The British retailer outlined in a statement that in order to support the trial, M&S has introduced trained greengrocers, who will be on hand to offer customers valuable advice as they select from two aisles of fruit and vegetables free of plastic packaging.

“Our trial at Tolworth is an important milestone in our plastic reduction journey and bringing back the traditional greengrocer will play a key part in educating our customers,” Louise Nicholls, Head of Food Sustainability, said.

“Our plan is to create long-term impact in the future using tangible insights from the Tolworth store trial.”

Greengrocer Tips

In addition to helping customers pick and weigh their products, the greengrocers will provide tips on how best to preserve fresh produce and prevent food waste at home, as M&S has removed “best before” date labels from fresh fruit and veg as part of the store trial.

The range not only includes hard fruit and veg like potatoes and bananas, but also more perishable items such as soft fruits and berries, which will be retailed in compostable punnets.

Alongside the initiatives at Tolworth, M&S has committed to launching additional lines of loose produce and more sustainable alternatives to plastic in every UK store, which could save 580 tonnes of plastic waste over two years alone, the group said.

The plan will involve replacing plastic produce bags with paper ones and phasing out plastic barcode stickers in favour of eco-friendly alternatives.

Zero-Waste By 2025

The initiative supports M&S’s target of becoming a zero-waste business by 2025.

“We know our customers want to play their part in cutting out plastic, while as a business our goal is to become zero-waste by 2025,”

© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.

[grupo guitarlumber] 17/1/2019 10:51

Welsh farmers gear up to take food and farming into schools
News
17 Jan 2019


The Cows on Tour roadshow will kick off with a visit to one school each day around Wales with the help of nearby farmers offering the loan of machinery, livestock and teaching.


Lauren Dean

Lauren kicked off her print journalism career with Farmers Guardian shortly after graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in B Load More...

Founder of Cows on Tour Abi Reader.

Welsh farmers gear up to take food and farming into schools

A team of Welsh farmers are gearing up to take ‘the farmyard to the schoolyard’ to help educate youngsters on where their food comes from.



Welsh dairy farmer Abi Reader, who has been part of the Cows on Tour movement since it started five years ago, said it was about a group of local farmers going into schools and teaching about food and farming ‘in as fun a way as possible’.



The roadshow (May 13 to 19) will kick off with a visit to one school each day around Wales with the help of nearby farmers offering the loan of machinery, livestock and teaching.



In the evenings the team will be raising money for RABI and the DPJ Foundation with activities such as football and rugby matches, tug of war, and a sack race – as well as food and refreshments from local farmers.


“To be a strong community we have to support each other,” Ms Reader said. “It also gives us more opportunity to take those messages to adults, as well as the kids.”



Leading up to the week, Cows on Tour will be doing a number of publicity stunts with a life-size fibreglass cow at its core – including being dressed up as a dinosaur, flying down the UK’s longest zip wire and being carried to the top of Snowdon.


Charity

Ms Reader said: “The first is on March 1 at Dan yr Ogof at the National Showcaves Centre for Wales, so we will have a dinosaur theme and the hashtag #jurassicfarm.



“On April 1 we have teamed up with Zip World where we are going to send the cow down one of four zip wires and have three people going down the other three at the same time.



“Then on May 4 we are of course going to be using the hashtag #maythefarmbewithyou and will be asking local farmers to help carry the cow up to the top of Snowdon for a big group photo at the top.”
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Tractor Toy

Walkers will be asked for a £25 donation towards charity, rather than compiling sponsorship money, she added.



And for schools who cannot be involved during the roadshow or for any who would like to take part in food and farming after the event, educational kits will be left with local farmers.



Each will include a model milking cow, a grain mill, butter making kits, wool kits, posters and lesson plans.



Funding is required however and businesses will be asked to buy model milking cows for school students to paint, which will also come with a free adult ticket to the Smallholders Festival, Builth Wells, at the end of the week.



Local people will also be asked to knit small cow teddies for young pupils to take out and about as a school mascot.



For anyone interested in sponsoring the tour or getting involved, contact [e-mail].



The roadshow line-up:

May 13 – Fishguard
May 14 – Maesteg
May 15 – Aberystwyth
May 16 – Wrexham
May 17 – Newtown
May 18 and 19 – Smallholder Festival, Builth Wells

[sarkasm] 29/8/2018 14:59

KILL SOFTLY,CALMLY WITHOUT TENSION OR PAIN



I RIDE HORSES, NOT EAT THEM

I WALK DOGS, NOT EAT THEM

FROGS LEGS I ABHOR, BUT ESCARGEOTS I ADORE

CHICKEN,PORK,LAMB AND BEEF I EAT

CATS,RATS AND OTHER RODENTS I IGNORE

FOIE GRAS AT CHRISTMAS I ACCEPT

AS DO I OYSTERS AND MUSCLES

AND OF COURSE I LOVE FISH AND CHIPS and PRAWN INDIAN MADRAS CURRY WITH SPECIAL RICE WITH SAMOSAS

HAVE YET TO EXTEND MY EATING RANGE TO ANT,WORMS,GRASSHOOPPERS AND OTHER INSECTS

i am not a vegan or vegetarian but that one day i will be ONE

[wild bill] 12/7/2018 10:35

Rogan Josh

[waldron] 09/7/2018 16:13

DEAD MANS HAND RETURNS 2

[wild bill] 09/7/2018 15:03

Wild Bill is back