food

Dalma Cartagena teaches a class on agricultural science to elementary-school students in Orocovis, Puerto Rico. "I'm preparing them to make good decisions when it comes to the environment and healthy foods," she says.

Puerto Rico Is Sowing A New Generation Of Small Farmers

7:55pm May 06, 2015

by Greg Allen

Decades of industrialization have left the island reliant on imported food. But change is coming — from government subsidies for small farmers, to classes that teach school kids how to grow food.

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Because of the limited structural integrity of The Saltwich, Robert had to employ the Butterfly Grip in 2013.

Arts

Sandwich Monday: We're Full

3:18pm May 06, 2015

by Ian Chillag

The Sandwich Monday team says "See you later." Then we say, "Are you gonna eat that?"

Pappy Van Winkle bourbons at Bourbons Bistro in Louisville, Ky. The spirit was pricey even before a heist at the distillery.

National

At Last: Kentucky Authorities Bust Ring Behind Great Bourbon Heist

3:08pm May 06, 2015

In 2013, more than 200 bottles of pricey Pappy Van Winkle bourbon vanished from a Kentucky distillery. Tuesday authorities announced indictments in what appears to be a much bigger crime syndicate.

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Chipotle restaurant workers in Miami fill orders on April 27, the day the company said it would use only non-GMO ingredients in its food.

Science

Why We Can't Take Chipotle's GMO Announcement All That Seriously

3:06pm May 06, 2015

by Dan Charles

Chipotle says providing "food with integrity" means dropping genetically modified ingredients. But critics say the company's new policy is inconsistent and even dishonest.

Once the roots of the Eskimo potato got too tough to eat, Christopher McCandless started collecting the seeds in a plastic bag, says author Jon Krakauer.

'Into The Wild' Author Tries Science To Solve Toxic Seed Mystery

3:06pm May 06, 2015

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Jon Krakauer has long been haunted by how Christopher McCandless died in the Alaskan wilderness. In a scientific journal, he and a chemist show that the seeds McCandless consumed can contain a toxin.

What's inside artisanal looking bottles may be startlingly close — and in cases exactly the same — to bourbon produced in big batches.

'Bourbon Empire' Reveals The Smoke And Mirrors Of American Whiskey

3:06pm May 06, 2015

by Stacy Adimando

A new book suggests that tall tales on craft bourbon labels are the rule rather than the exception. They're just one example of a slew of "carefully cultivated myths" created by the bourbon industry.

Chef Dan Barber explains how he went on a journey to find the perfect fish.

Science
Arts

Can Organic Farming Make Perfect Fish?

11:41am May 06, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Chef Dan Barber tackles a dilemma facing many chefs today: how to keep fish on the menu. He chronicles his search for a fish that would please both diners and environmentalists.

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Author Barry Estabrook says pigs can be taught to play computer games and recognize themselves in a mirror.

Books
Arts

'Tales' Of Pig Intelligence, Factory Farming And Humane Bacon

5:59pm May 05, 2015

Journalist Barry Estabrook wanted to know more about the animal and its journey from the farm to his plate. In a new book, he explores the dichotomies of the industry that's raising our pork chops.

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Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett explains how his city went from one of the fattest to one of the fittest.

How Did An Obese City Lose A Million Pounds?

4:20pm May 05, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett explains how his city sidestepped gluttony and collectively dropped one million pounds.

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Now that's a big root: Sweet potatoes aren't tubers, or thickened stems, like potatoes. Sweet potatoes are roots — swollen and packed with starch.

Natural GMO? Sweet Potato Genetically Modified 8,000 Years Ago

2:51pm May 05, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

People have been farming — and eating — a GMO for thousands of years without knowing it. Scientists have found genes from bacteria in sweet potatoes around the world. So who made the GMO?