Personalized Nutrition
We are beyond the “one size fits all” approach in so many parts of our lives. Nutrition is no exception, and Jenna Bensko — Grounded Grub staff writer and our go-to nutrition expert — writes about the increasing number of companies that have engineered algorithms which can suggest the best dietary plan to lower your glucose response to a meal, or analyze the makeup of your individual microbiome and can make dietary recommendations that boost the health of your gut microbiota.
Night Bees: An Introduction to Bat Pollination
Contributing writer, Xander Balwit, writes about the importance of bat pollination and all the other essential functions that bats serve in ecological and agricultural systems. Tequila, chocolate, bananas? All delicious results of bat pollination!
Beyond the Hawaiian Decor and Smiling Employees
Staff writer Jenna Bensko took some time to investigate a grocery chain near and dear to so many of our hearts -- Trader Joes. After exploring the Corporate Social Responsibility report for Chipotle, we were full of questions and curiosity around so many other consumer staples and how they stack up. In her investigation, Jenna explores why TJs has become such a “thing,” what information they make available to us as consumers, where they’re killing it & where they can improve, and what we can do to push chains like them in the right direction!
Microgreenery
Staff writer and resident urban farmer, Oksana Bihun, is giving us the lowdown on the crop she specializes in, Microgreens! You may have heard about them, seen them a few times, or even incorporated them into your daily diet, but wherever you are in your personal microgreens-journey, Oksana is here to give you the inside scoop from someone who works with them daily.
Urban Agriculture
Staff Writer Oksana Bihun brings us an overview of “urban agriculture” — a term that can encompass a lot of different growing practices and scales. Oksana covers what urban agriculture can mean and showcases four urban farms that show how varied and diverse “urban agriculture” can be.
Food Hubs
Contributor Anna Birn shares her experience working with Food Hubs and their role in providing flexible sourcing outlets to strengthen local food systems. Providing her perspective of managing direct-to-consumer operations at Headwater Food Hub during the pandemic, Anna helps us better understand what a food hub is, and how they can be supported to strengthen regional food systems and support local farmers.
A Guide to Plant-Based Proteins
Plant-based protein is a hot topic for plant-based eaters and carnivores alike. Much of the controversy and confusion revolves around fear of not getting “enough” protein, but there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to plant-based protein. We’re going to dive into the science behind how our bodies utilize protein and review some popular, plant-based protein sources.
Beyond Impossible: The Showdown
As you make your Independence Day shopping list, you may be considering swapping out your ground beef burgers for a meatless alternative like Impossible Meat or Beyond Meat. Staff Write, Lily Falk, recently tested these two industry behemoths, and compiled a few helpful tips to cooking alternative meats for those taking a crack at cooking alternative meats for the first time this holiday weekend.
Regenerative Agriculture
Staff Writer Oksana Bihun brings us an overview of “regenerative agriculture” — a term that has been circling the media lately but often without a very clear definition. Oksana covers what regenerative agriculture is, why it holds such appeal for climate change mitigation and how reasonable large scale adoption could be. From reduced tillage to rotational grazing to agroforestry, concepts take this lofty term down into the soil and show how it works in real applications.
A Future Perspective in Agricultural Waste Management
Contributor Harry Tibbetts dives into agricultural waste (figuratively!) and the current overload of animal byproducts on the environment. Rather than natural nutrient recycling that happens on traditional small farms between animal waste and crop land, waste in large agricultural systems is concentrated on factory farms. This imbalance in our waste system leads to additional greenhouse gas production, waterway degradation and other issues.
Revelations in Foraging
Staff Writer Kahlea Williams shares her latest journey into exploring foraging, the basics of safe foraging and the important cultural implications of foraging, especially for Indigenous communities and people of color.
Tackling Tofu
It’s well known that reducing your meat consumption can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. Many choose to replace meat-based protein with tofu, and while this is a great alternative for many reasons, understanding how to source it sustainably can be trickier than you might think. Contributor Osamu Tsuda breaks it down!
I Hated Tomatoes and You Might Too
Contributor Jenna Bensko reflects on the noticeable differences between produce from corporate farms and small, local operations, and questions what nutritional differences we may not be able to see. Jenna dives into what nutrition research there has been on this topic, and highlights our need for a better understanding of how production affects nutrition.
Perennial Plants for Soil Health
Guest contributor, Laura Danial, rings us an in depth analysis of how perennial crops can be better for soil health and how places like The Land Institute are working on creating perennial replacements for some of our annual staple crops like wheat.
I am Not a Tractor: Book Review
Guest contributor, Colleen Alexander, takes us into Grounded Grub’s first ever book review. Through the review of I am Not a Tractor! How Florida Farmworkers Took On the Fast Food Giants and Won by Susan L. Marquis readers can get a better understanding of the conditions in which Florida tomato farmworkers are working and the efforts to create better working conditions for farmworkers .
How the Rice Industry is Contributing to Sustainable Agriculture
Guest contributor, Osamu Tsuda, takes us on a deep dive into the world of rice! How it’s grown, the impact it has on the global food system, how its processed, the different varieties, and the sustainable future of rice, Osamu unpacks it all!
Meat Without the Animal? The Growing Field of Cellular Agriculture
Contributing writer, Colleen Alexander, shares a general overview of lab grown meat products, their viability in the market and the implicants they hold for sustainability and animal welfare.
The American Mindset and Sustainability
“I’ve always believed that some of the reasons we have been unable to address sustainability as a country is because of American’s mindset of freedom, a freedom focused acutely on the individual. I’m obviously not against freedom, I just believe there are always going to be limitations. We put limitations on our freedom constantly with the laws that are passed to keep us all safe: seatbelts, chemical laws, etc. I believe our inability to deal with environmental issues as a country can be attributed to our acute sense of freedom, our capitalistic economy, and our individualistic mindset.”
An Ode to Microsymbionts
Contributing writer, Harry Tibbetts, shares with us an ode to Microsymbionts, the fermenting magic behind so many of our favorite foods.
“Are You Allowed to Eat That?”- Sustainable Eating as a Personalized Experience
Contributing writer, Colleen Alexander, shares with us a personal essay on the entirely personalized journey of sustainable eating. With so much emphasis on the environmental aspect of sustainable eating, it can be easy to forget that these new eating patterns must be sustainable for us as people too.