http://www.psfk.com Your Go-To Source For New Ideas And Inspiration Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:13:40 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.psfk.com/2011/09/is-there-an-ethical-dilemma-in-graham-hills-weekday-vegetarian-plan-headlines.html Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:41:27 +0000 Is it morally sound to selectively eat meat? Or should one just stick with either extreme? ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/09/more-than-30-million-climate-migrants-in-asia-in-2010-report-finds-headlines.html Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:18:47 +0000 Natural disasters, including flooding and drought, have displaced millions of families.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/09/farmigo-lets-buyers-get-fresher-and-more-affordable-produce-fast.html Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:03:21 +0000 Farmigo is a budget-friendly choice for communities who want to get fresh produce straight from the farm.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/08/wmmna-worms-dance-in-light-of-a-microscope-at-genomics-awards-in-the-netherlands.html Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:58:52 +0000 Régine Debatty gives us a look into the Designers and Artists 4 Genomics Awards in The Netherlands. A stand out project was 'Microscopic Opera' that showed lab worms dancing under a microscope.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/08/u-s-debt-crisis-causes-government-to-withdraw-from-biodiesel-corn-farmers-headlines.html Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:05:27 +0000 American farmers who used to feel proud of growing corn for ethanol that was used to fuel the country are now feeling abandoned by the federal government as they withdraw subsidies in the midst of a debt crisis and criticism on biodiesel.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/07/imagining-an-africa-that-can-feed-the-world.html Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:36:06 +0000 The president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development claims that, by focusing on farming, Africa has the potential to feed not only itself but the rest of the planet.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/07/a-vertical-farm-in-the-horizon-for-manchester-headlines.html Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:29:08 +0000 A vertical farm in the city may be a very viable solution for a growing urban population in Manchester.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/06/nutrismart-edible-rfid-tags-that-track-food-down-the-supply-chain.html Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:48:48 +0000 Interested in eating food laced with data? Hannes Harms created a concept that incorporates tiny tags embedded in your food. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/03/how-we-engineered-the-food-crisis.html Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:51:46 +0000 A reality check on the factors that lead to a global imbalance of food distribution. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/02/marketing-vs-the-farm-who-gets-your-money.html Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:41:41 +0000 A simple approach to data visualization makes the complex systems of modern consumerism apparent.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/11/easybloom-empowers-plant-owners-with-data.html Tue, 09 Nov 2010 21:09:28 +0000 A sensor stick that can monitor soil conditions, sunlight, air humidity, weather patterns soil fertility.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/10/bee-colony-collapse-is-viral.html Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:16:40 +0000 Biologist identifies reasons for the death of billions of the insects. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/10/local-food-and-grassroots-local-brands.html Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:58:51 +0000 PSFK explores "Eat Drink Local Week," a celebration of the local NYC foodshed.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/09/local-meat-processing-plants-go-mobile.html Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:04:07 +0000 New project in the Northeast provides crucial infrastructure for sustainable agriculture. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/08/crop-farming-on-mars.html Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:16:40 +0000 An alien environment may be better suited for growing food according to the Advances in Space Research journal.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/08/data-visualization-and-social-media-connect-social-enterprising-businesses.html Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:55:25 +0000 iuMap is a new online hub for international social enterprising organizations. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/05/making-it-rain-with-lasers.html Wed, 05 May 2010 18:29:02 +0000 An experiment at the University of Geneva gives hope to the promise of on-demand rain.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/03/aquaponics-growing-in-popularity-around-the-world.html Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:46:39 +0000 Aquaponics, a mode of agriculture that combines water based planting and fish cultivation, is becoming popular in the US and around the world.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/03/facebook-app-farmville-becomes-its-own-web-destination.html Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:06:47 +0000 The most popular Facebook application, FarmVille has launched its own website.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/03/pic-triscuits-campaign-to-seed-the-home-farming-movement.html Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:30:05 +0000 A new campaign by Triscuit in collaboration with non-profit Urban Farming looks to grow the home farming movement.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/11/indian-farmers-use-sms-to-turn-irrigation-pumps-onoff.html Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:27:48 +0000 The 'Nano Ganesh' is an ingenious GSM Mobile-based system that transforms a mobile phone into a 'remote control' for rural farmers.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/09/urban-farm-tours-building-a-network-of-backyards-rooftops-and-abandoned-lots.html Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:26:02 +0000 The Urban Farm Tour concept builds a network of individuals who are raising their own food in limited space and opens their homes and gardens to the public. The event synthesizes ideas of local food and community with a bit of DIY inspiration and education.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/08/uk-supermarket-chain-to-exclusively-sell-locally-sourced-dairy.html Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:10:22 +0000 In a move that aligns well with the supermarket push to place more of their in-house brands on their shelves, while at the same time keeping pace with consumer demand for locally-sourced products, UK Grocery Store chain Waitrose has announced that it will only sell milk and other dairy products that come from British cows. The products will be sold exclusively under the Essential Waitrose label, a further commitment to their network of 60 British dairy farms, a partnership now in its tenth year that ensures fair prices and best practices. The store’s website explains their dairy standards, purportedly theRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/08/bed-breakfast-farming.html Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:16:19 +0000 Though it was a common practice up until the 1950's, farm stays slowly lost favor in a world of interstates, motels and drive-throughs that transformed the family vacation to a study in modern convenience. But as issues surrounding where and how our food is raised increasingly become important considerations in our lives, city-dwellers and suburbanites alike are beginning to warm to the concept of agritourism once more.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/08/even-urban-chickens-come-home-to-roost.html Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:30:11 +0000 Image Credit: Getty Images, vAns/Flickr There’s been plenty written on the subject of converting urban space into farmland, from rooftops and abandoned lots to the empty beds of pickup trucks, but this idea always revolves around growing various varieties of vegetables and rarely strays into the realms of animal husbandry. Sure there’s the recent emergence of secret communities of city beekeepers and the age old tradition of rooftop pigeon coops, but now it appears even the humble chicken is getting its due. A new documentary called ” Mad City Chickens” takes an informative (and often whimsical) look into the increasinglyRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/a-farm-on-wheels.html Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:40:45 +0000 Filmmaker Ian Cheney has transformed the bed of his old, gray Dodge Ram pickup into a fully functioning farm. To convert the back, Cheney adapted elements of green roofing technology – adding drainage, a water-absorbent bottom layer and lightweight soil – enabling him to plant a crop of heirloom vegetables and still be able to drive, giving an entirely new meaning to the idea of food miles. In an effort to track the growing process, Cheney has installed a solar-powered timelapse camera onto the truck’s roof that captures real time footage of the progress that will later be edited into a shortRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/better-farming-through-rfid-tagging.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:30:55 +0000 In an effort to help dairy farmers better manage their herds, Danish technology firm, SmartFarming has developed an animal tracking and monitoring system called CowDetect. The system enables farmers to maintain a more meaningful account of individual animals by analyzing movement and eating patterns in real time.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/the-new-crop-of-farmers-40-farmers-under-40.html Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:49:27 +0000 Small scale and personal farming have been slowly becoming popular again over the last few years. Whether for the health and economic benefits of growing your own food, or the moral boost that comes from knowing your vegetables are locally or sustainably grown, agriculture is increasingly on people’s minds. Playing off this wave of interest, Mother Nature Network has compiled an interesting who’s who list of younger American farmers. Their 40 Farmers Under 40 list examines the new school of farmers who are growing produce in urban and rural areas all over the country. Mother Nature Network: 40 Farmers UnderRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/06/plastic-agricultural-trays-pull-dew-from-air.html Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:58:09 +0000 A new irrigation product by Israeli company Tal-Ya is the best kind of design—unobtrusive, perfectly functional, and wonderfully simple. Tal-Ya’s plastic trays are placed atop nascent plants or trees, collecting dew and condensation in their grooves and funneling them directly to the seedlings below. The trays also serve additional functions by virtue of their very form: blocking sunlight from the plant’s immediate radius—preventing the growth of weeds— and protecting plants from frost damage. The environmental benefit of the trays should be substantial when implemented on a large scale: they are fabricated from recycled plastic and are themselves fully recyclable, theirRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/04/charting-the-rise-and-consolidation-of-organic.html Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:40:00 +0000 Between 1997 and 2002, the USDA drafted and implemented a National Organic Standard, an act that unified the disparate state by state regulations and unified certification under one umbrella. This move, while benefiting the consumer, by providing a universal labeling system for recognizing a product as organic, also opened the door for giant food manufacturers like Kraft, ConAgra and General Mills to enter this segment of the marketplace. Phil Howard, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies at Michigan State University, posited that this change would lead to greater consolidation in the organic foodRead more...]]>