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Banish the phrase "plain vanilla" from your lexicon. Why? Because vanilla is one of the most complex spices around, boasting at least 250 different flavor and aroma compounds, only one of which is vanillin, the stuff that can be made artificially in a lab (and is used in a lot of processed foods). And as we discovered in a round-the-world tasting tour of single-origin vanilla beans — the real stuff — the plant has evolved distinctions in flavor and, dare we say it, terroir, at each stage of its turbulent, globetrotting history. You've likely heard of Madagascar Bourbon vanilla. It's...

A Nova Scotia mainland moose checks out the surroundings. An additional 198 hectares of land is being added to protected holdings in the region connecting New Brunswick to Nova Scotia with the goal of making it easier for the mammals to migrate and find mates. (CONTRIBUTED) AMHERST — The mighty moose. Large, gangly, antlered, awkward-looking twig eater. Amorous and sexy, not so much. But the so-called Moose Sex Project and the land conservancy that makes it possible were at the forefront of a land protection announcement at the YMCA in Amherst on Thursday. “In terms of capturing people’s imaginations...

When you and I were 12, we were really lucky to make $10 selling lemonade on even the hottest of days. But one very special 12-year-old isn’t making the big bucks on shilling drinks — she’s just sold a grand champion steer for a whopping $100,000.

So here's a story and you can tell me if I am bat s*** crazy or you can laugh or whatever. My wife and I walk along a rural paved road in the evening about a half mile and turn around and come back. We have corn and bean fields on each side and nice wide ditches. One evening about 2 weeks ago on a Monday we were walking back and noticed a dead deer in the ditch on the far side. At first we thought it must have been hut by a car. The strange thing was that it...

Now, the population of the cormorants on East Sand Island has burgeoned from about 100 breeding pairs to 14,900, and a federal agency wants to have thousands of the seabirds shot to protect the fish, including some that are protected or endangered. The birds eat lots of endangered wild fish, as well as hatchery stocks — an estimated 11 million a year — mainly in May as the young fish head for their years in the ocean. In June, the corps released its plan to kill 16,000 of the birds. A public comment period has been extended to Aug. 19....

A Massachusetts homeowner was arrested Monday for “open and gross lewdness” after passing motorists spotted him--leaf blower in hand--doing yard work in the nude, according to cops. As Richard Capra, 69, worked on the curb appeal of his Shrewsbury home, “several vehicles were slowing down taking photographs,” according to the Shrewsbury Police Department. Responding to 911 calls, Officer Timothy Charland spotted Capra “completely nude, blowing off his driveway with a leaf blower.” Capra was “intoxicated and belligerent towards police” when questioned. Capra, arrested on a misdemeanor charge, was later released from custody after posting $500 bail. He is scheduled for...

A set of studies based on three years of research concludes that by 2040, the need for drinking water and water for use in energy production will create dire shortages. Conventional electricity generation is the largest source of water use in most countries. Water is used to cool power plants to keep them functional. Most power utilities don’t even record the amount of water they use. “It’s a huge problem that the electricity sector do not even realize how much water they actually consume,” says Professor Benjamin Sovacool of Denmark’s Aarhus University, one of the institutions involved in the research....

With honeybees on the decline because of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and Varroa mites, a virus-transmitting parasite, Harvard engineering and applied sciences professor, Robert Wood invented Robobees, bee-size robots “inspired by the biology of a bee and the insect’s hive behavior.” […] Despite the hype surrounding these amazing robobees, before farmers go out and try to buy them, they should note that researchers anticipate robobees won’t be functional for at least another 20 years. …

Large-scale groundwater extraction for irrigation, drinking water or industry has resulted in an annual rise in sea levels of approximately 0.8mm - this works out at one quarter of total annual sea-level rise (3.1mm). The remaining total can be attributed to thermal expansion (50%) and run off from glaciers and ice caps (25% approx.).

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced this week the Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Tax (SWEET Act), which aims to institute a tax of one cent per teaspoon—4.2 grams—of sugar, high fructose corn syrup or caloric sweetener. The measure (HB 5279), introduced Wednesday says, “A 20-ounce bottle of soda contains about 16 teaspoons of sugars. Yet, the American Heart Association recommends that Americans consume no more than six to nine teaspoons of sugar per day.” Even though the manufacturers of the sweet drinks are targeted to pay the tax, the text of the bill itself notes that the goal is to reduce public consumption...

Move over, organic milk. Health-conscious consumers are increasingly choosing a new bovine beverage: Grass-fed milk. Derived from cows fed mostly grass—not corn or soy—the pricey beverage is capturing a growing market share among consumers, The Wall Street Journal reports. […] Branded “Grassmilk,” it has cream on top and is lightly pasteurized with heat. A half-gallon sells for close to $6, more than a dollar more than the average price of organic milk and more than double the price of traditional milk. …

The singer says she used to hate the iconic song, but she has nothing but nice things to say about the "Capital of Silicon Valley"In 1968, Dionne Warwick had never been to San Jose and didn't think much of the song. In 2014, the 73-year old singer is finding her way back to the city that inspired her iconic tune, “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?” The Celebrity Apprentice veteran is in town Friday night, Aug. 1, to sing the 1968 hit and other songs at the Center for the Performing Arts. While in town, Warwick will be...

Since Florida’s frontier days when cattlemen drove their herds through the state’s vast fields and forests, ranchers and native panthers have been natural enemies. The ranchers seek to nurture and protect their calves, while the panthers see them as prey. Human development won the battle, driving the large, tawny, cats to the brink of extinction before successful efforts to restore them began decades ago. But with Florida’s panther population recovering, some farmers complain the protected 6-to-7-foot long predators are once again killing their calves. …

Cargill plans to close a Milwaukee beef-processing plant which employs about 600 people on Friday due to a shortage of cattle. A Midwest drought in 2011 and 2012 hurt cattle levels, said Cargill spokesman Mike Martin. Now, many herders are breeding the cattle they have and not selling them. U.S. beef cattle herd is at its lowest level since 1951, Cargill said. …

One of the world's largest food companies says it's about to take a big bite out of global warming. General Mills, maker of Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Wheaties, said Monday that it will set a target to limit air pollution throughout its entire supply chain next summer. This marks the first time the food giant has pledged to measurably rein in greenhouse-gas emissions from its agricultural suppliers of ingredients like soy and sugarcane. Environmental watchdogs say the effort is significant. According to Oxfam, air pollution created by the agricultural industry makes up a quarter of total greenhouse-gas emissions worldwide....

Things are heating up on planet Earth. Average global temperatures shattered records this June ... for the second month in a row, according to a new report from the National Climactic Data Center. The NCDC, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, analyzed data from 2,000 weather stations scattered across the globe measuring both ocean and land temperatures and found that global average temperatures surpassed the previous record by 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit. That makes June 2014 the warmest June since record keeping began in 1880. If this trend continues, 2014 could top 2010 as the warmest year recorded.

USA Today. No excerpts. Just title and link. http://www.kare11.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/07/22/george-harrison-memorial-tree-killed-by-beetles/12985001/

A Saudi farmer seeking revenge for the loss of his sheep chased two wolves for most of the day and killed them before hanging their bodies on a sign board in the area. Qayed Al Mutairi said he was determined to kill the two wolves after they devoured 18 of his sheep over the past few weeks. He told Sabq daily that he chased the two predators to the mountains by his four-wheel vehicle most of the day and shot them. “Mutairi then hanged the two animals at a signboard so other farmers and people will see them. This is...

Cities throughout California will have to impose mandatory restrictions on outdoor watering under an emergency state rule approved Tuesday. Saying that it was time to increase conservation in the midst of one of the worst droughts in decades, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted drought regulations that give local agencies the authority to fine those who waste water up to $500 a day. Many Southern California cities, including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Long Beach, already have mandatory restrictions in place. But most communities across the state are still relying on voluntary conservation, and Californians in general have fallen...

New research confirms some of the basic tenets of the Wheat Belly, a book by Dr. William Davis, which argues that wheat avoidance results in healthy weight loss.Published in Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry this month, and titled “Gluten-free diet reduces adiposity, inflammation and insulin resistance associated with the induction of PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma expression,” researchers compared the effects of a gluten-based diet to a gluten-free diet in mice.Researchers Noted Gluten exclusion (protein complex present in many cereals) has been proposed as an option for the prevention of diseases other than coeliac disease. However, the effects of gluten-free diets on obesity...