Food
KQED Science
Los Angeles Willing to Pay Its Highest Price Ever for Water
Los Angeles is offering rice farmers in the Sacramento Valley more money than the city has ever paid for water — $700 per acre-foot. At this price, rice farmers could make more money selling water than they can make on their crops. That makes it easy to say “yes,” says Lance Tennis, whose family has […]
KQED Science
California Unveils Strictest Rules on Pesticide
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has introduced stricter regulations for chloropicrin, a pesticide which has had negative health effects on farm workers.
KQED Science
Foie Gras: Back on California Menus
Chefs from Los Angeles to San Francisco celebrated on Wednesday when a federal judge lifted a statewide ban on foie gras.
KQED Science
How Science Can Help Prevent a (Bad) Hangover
In the annals of medical research, you won’t find many studies on the common hangover. But one intrepid Bay Area scientist has taken on the topic -- and even has an inexpensive remedy you probably haven't heard about.
QUEST
With GMO Labeling on the Ballot, Oregon and Colorado Learn From California Defeat
Voters in Oregon will head to the polls Nov. 4 to decide whether to require foods made with genetically engineered ingredients to be labeled. In doing so, they'll be voting on an initiative shaped in part by the experience of activists in California, who watched a similar measure fail ...Read More
KQED Science
Drought-Stressed Crops May Be Better For You
Scientists in California's Central Valley are testing the nutrient content of fruits grown with less-than-normal amounts of water. And the findings so far are raising a question: will consumers buy fruits that are just as nutritional, or sometimes higher in antioxidants, if they aren't as pretty?
KQED Science
California Aquaculture Companies Explore Sustainable Fish Farming
Most of the farm-produced seafood consumed in this country is imported, much of it from Asia, and that has raised concerns about environmental and public health regulation at overseas fish farms. Now some California aquaculture businesses are pitching environmentally friendly ways to bring more business here.
KQED Science
Retail Operations Close at Drakes Bay Oyster Company
What's next for the oyster farm, its employees and the natural environment of Drakes Estero.
KQED Science
A Quest for Vegan Cheese That Actually Tastes Like Cheese
A team of Bay Area scientists is biohacking baker's yeast, in an effort to produce proteins that are just like milk proteins, only they're aren't from milk.
KQED Science
California’s Drought is Hurting Farmers More Than Food Consumers
Economists estimate that the drought will cost the state's farm economy about $2.2 billion this year, including the loss of more than 17,000 jobs.
KQED Science
A ‘Squid Bloom’ in Monterey Bay Is Good News for Local Fishermen
Squid fishermen in and around Monterey Bay are experiencing early success this season with California market squid, which may be a result of a couple happy accidents.
KQED Science
California Drought Dries Up Honey Supply
Mountain meadows that would normally be covered with wildflowers have nothing to offer the bees this year, as the flowers lie dormant in the drought. Beekeepers are looking at drastically reduced production, and in some cases are just trying to keep their bees alive.
KQED Science
Drought Outlook: ‘Disastrous Consequences’ If 2015 Is Dry
A new report echoes some of the worst fears of a fourth straight drought year.
QUEST
Foraging for a Better Beer
Watch as a Durham, NC brewery makes persimmon beer from foraging to fermentation. ...Read More
QUEST
How to Plant a Backyard Rain Garden
This growing season, consider planting a different kind of garden, one that will sop up stormwater and take pressure off the sewage system. ...Read More
KQED Science
Drones: The Newest Water-Saving Tool for Parched Farms
Farmers are looking to the sky for the latest water-saving tool. But will aviation authorities allow it?
KQED Science
Cold, Then Dry: Dealing California Citrus Farmers a Double Punch
First the freeze, now a crippling water shortage confront citrus growers in the Central Valley.
KQED Science
Science of Beer: Tapping the Power of Brewer’s Yeast
Whether it’s a lager or ale, sour or bitter, dark or light, most beer has one thing in common: yeast. KQED Science visits a commercial yeast laboratory and a local brewery to reveal how this key ingredient is a major player in both science history and beer production.
KQED Science
Drought Forces Tough Decisions on Farmers and Ranchers
Among the first and hardest-hit by the drought are ranchers and farmers who are now faced with some tough choices. The decisions they'll soon be making will have a ripple effect from the farm to the table.
KQED Science
Should Wine Bottles Carry a Deposit?
Some are calling for bottle deposits on wine and liquor bottles to solve the deficit in the state’s recycling fund, but the industry says its recycling rates are already high.