Speedy, a Gyr-Merlin falcon, is seen in a Royal Shaheen enclosure on an island off the coast of Abu Dhabi. The Royal Shaheen is a company that takes in falcons, which have been born in captivity, when they are at least six months old and trains them to hunt, enabling them to be used for pest control purposes in areas with increasing numbers of crows and pigeons. REUTERS/Jumana El-Heloueh
Crop-Destroying Birds Better Prey These Falcons Don't See Them
Brad Felger runs Airstrike Bird Control, a raptor abatement business. It's different than traditional falconry because rather than hunting quarry, he uses his falcons to scare off birds that can be bad news for crops. In 2011 in Washington state alone, honeycrisp apple farmers lost nearly $3,000 per acre to birds eating their produce. Felger has employed about 30 falconers and used over 100 falcons to control troublesome crop-eaters
Controversial New Milk Shakes Up Big Dairy
An upstart milk company’s success in marketing a controversial type of milk that is supposed to be easy to digest has some big dairy companies setting aside their skepticism to introduce their own versions. A2 milk does not contain the A1 protein in regular milk, which supporters of A2 milk contend causes indigestion for many people. Skeptics say there hasn’t been enough independent research to show there is any real benefit of A2 milk.
How IoT and IoE Are Positively Disrupting the Farm-To-Fork Industry
With the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Internet of Everything (IoE), there is limitless potential for improving the food sector. In the agricultural sector, there are thousands of sensors currently deployed to improve water sustainability, imaging, production, and ease of farming. Technologies such as UAVs and orbital satellites are becoming necessary for successfully utilizing fields, analyzing crops, and providing proper interventions. Today’s technology allows data about extremely specific field observations to be delivered straight to a tablet or computer.
A Remarkable New Technology that Will Diminish a Global Cancer Threat
Aflatoxin, one of the single largest causes of cancer in the developing world, is a natural chemical contained in infected crops like corn, peanuts, and tree nuts particularly when there is damage by insects or drought. A new system could remove grains contaminated with aflatoxin while still using as much of the yield as possible, creating a food waste reduction success.
Meet the Founder of Impossible Foods, Whose Meat-Free Burgers Could Transform the Way We Eat
Impossible Foods’ founder Dr. Pat Brown says he’s not interested in offering vegans another option; instead, he wants to win over omnivores with plant-derived products that are so delicious, nutritious, and affordable they completely replace meat from animals by 2035.
Inside an Epic Experiment: Where the Buffalo Roam, Texas Agriculture Thrives
A piece of Texas Hill Country is in recovery—all thanks to the bison, which have been reintroduced to the area as part of an agricultural experiment spearheaded by Katie Forrest and Taylor Collins, the millennial founders of meat-bar company EPIC Provisions. Regenerative agriculture practices implemented on Roam Ranch actively improve a farm’s ecosystem and enrich the soil’s biodiversity.