Fruits and Veggies Inspire Edible Packaging

"Could it soon be commonplace to eat your snack and then its package, too? Could an order of gazpacho arrive at your table in a tomato-like capsule? Could you stick a straw in a huge grape and sip wine," wonders Annie White of Inside Grower.  

Annie has discovered the next big thing in food and gardening, edible packaging!

Wikicells creates a new way to package food and drinks using the rules and methods of nature—also known as biomimicry. 

Wikicells imitate natural packaging, such as grapes and oranges, by enclosing food and liquids in an edible membrane comprised of natural food particles held together by nutritive ions. A hard shell generally protects the soft skin and is either entirely edible (like a grape skin) or biodegradable (like a coconut shell).

If you find yourself in Paris, you can taste some of the professor’s edible experiments and inventions at his storefront, Lab Store Paris.

Read more interesting things like this from Annie when you subscribe to her weekly email! 


-Katie @KatieGMG
Garden Media

Organic Sector Still Growing

 According to Annie White of Inside Grower, the market continues to grow for organic food!

And that comes as good news for organic farmers and producers as the consumer-driven U.S. organic market surpasses $31 billion!

“With 94% of organic operations nationwide planning to maintain or increase employment in 2012, the organic sector will continue to fuel jobs, rural economies and consumer choice,” said Christine Bushway, executive director of Organic Trade Association (OTA.)

Annie provides a few findings from the 2012 Organic Industry Survey from the OTA:

• Organic sales of all products had a 9.5% ($2.5 billion) increase in 2011, while conventionally produced products (both food and non-food items) had a 4.7% increase.
• Organic food sales now represent 4.2% of all U.S. food sales, up from 4% in 2010.
• The fruit and vegetable category accounted for nearly 50% of those new dollars in 2011
• The organic food and beverage sector had sales of $29.22 billion in 2011, a 9.4% increase over 2010
• There are 17,600 certified organic farms, ranches and businesses in the U.S.
• Seventy-eight percent of U.S. families report they buy organic.
• More than half of parents surveyed report they have a high level of trust for certified USDA organic products.

Bushway adds, “Consumers are increasingly engaged and discerning when they shop, making decisions based on their values and awareness about health and environmental concerns. For them, it matters whether foods are genetically engineered, or produced using practices that are good for their families. Price is still an issue, but with the wide availability of private label products and many venues for organic products, they have many choices for where to shop and a variety of products from which to choose.”

And I agree, with the increase of Whole Foods stores and farmers markets, organic food no longer sits on the peripheral of the supermarkets.  It's here to stay.

 

 Katie @KatieGMG
http://www.gardenmediagroup.com

New York City Farming... say WHAT?

Annie White of Inside Grower wrote about a new innovative agriculture movement, farms sprouting up on rooftops in NYC!

She explains, "The New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) is currently undertaking a series of green initiatives to promote sustainable communities throughout the city. As part of this effort, DCP is proposing a citywide zoning text amendment to remove zoning impediments to the construction retrofitting of green buildings. More specifically, the proposal would allow for rooftop greenhouses on industrial, commercial and school buildings."

With this new ordinance, NYC will certainly become the leader of rooftop farming in the world.  There are currently three working rooftop farms in NYC:

• Brooklyn Grange is a one-acre commercial organic rooftop farm in New York with plans to double in size this year. 
• Gotham Greens sits atop a former bowling alley in Brooklyn and is the first urban rooftop greenhouse in the U.S. 
• Bell, Book and Candle is New York’s first rooftop-to-table restaurant, growing vegetables and herbs hydroponically for their upscale menu. 

I'd love to visit all of these, especially the restaurant! 

For more information read Inside Grower.
@KatieGMG Garden Media Group