Welcome to FERN’s Friday Feed (#FFF), where we share the stories from this week that made us stop and think.
The deep roots of the plant that ‘took over the world’
Atlas Obscura
“Stray dogs, ‘wacky’ genes, and a deep affection that inspires ‘blasphemous’ poetry. The plant known as Brassica rapa has quite a history, one that, after decades of debate, is finally emerging,” writes Gemma Tarlach. “The single species, which humans have turned into turnips, bok choy, broccoli rabe … and other residents of the produce aisle, began up to 6,000 years ago in Central Asia, most likely in the shadow of the Western Himalayas’ sky-piercing peaks.”
My delusional, essential recipe book
The New Yorker
“Slowly, I’ve accepted that my recipe book is not a work in progress but an artifact, which contains hints and scraps of my former self,” writes Charlotte Mendelson. “Again and again, I’m struck by how desperately a younger me wanted reassurance: the ‘best’ coleslaw, the ‘perfect’ falafel. Was it my weakness for the idea of an anthology, or a pathetic elder-child insecurity about my own opinion? Was it a fear of losing the past, or does every family have an archivist who insures the preservation of three different Hungarian great-aunts’ nut-cake recipes, an apricot-jam preparation scribbled in a French hotelier’s schoolbook-curly handwriting, and an old friend’s mother’s flapjack guidance, written out twice?”
Sign up for text alerts from FERN
We want to make it easier for you to keep up with all things FERN, including getting notified of FERN’s latest reporting. If that sounds appealing, text FERN to (866) 551-0955 to opt into our brand new (and low-key) SMS messaging service*.
*By providing your mobile number you consent to receive cell phone and text communications from FERN. Msg & data rates may apply. You can unsubscribe at any time by texting STOP to (866) 551-0955. Terms and privacy policy available here.
‘What I learned inside a Dodge City meatpacking plant’
The Atlantic
“Pieces of chuck soon start coming down the belt,” writes Michael Holz. “Ahead of me are seven chuck boners whose job it is to remove the bones from the meat … The job requires both careful precision and brute strength: careful precision for cutting as close to the bones as possible, and brute strength for prying them out. My job is to trim off whatever pieces of bone and ligament the chuck boners miss. This is what I do for the next nine hours, stopping only for my 15-minute break at 6:20 and 30-minute dinner break at 9:20. ‘Not too much!’ my supervisor yells when he catches me cutting off too much meat. ‘Money! Money! Money!’”
Can new ideas about fire suppression break through in California?
Bloomberg Green
Over the next year, California will “formulate a plan that targets burned areas and outlines best practices to restore forests to a healthier state,” writes Laura Bliss. “As climate change turns up the dial on intense wildfires, Craig Thomas, a longtime environmental activist who leads … a nonprofit that advocates for the use of prescribed fire, worries state leaders won’t heed the latest science and instead favor older, faster methods. ‘Are we going to allocate this funding to practices that basically repeat the failures of the past, or are we going to bring in the best available science and scientists and do what they’re recommending?’ he said.”
The home cooks who feed India’s Covid patients
Eater
“In early April, famed Indian chef Saransh Goila … started to receive messages on social media from his followers asking if he knew of home cooks who could prepare meals for COVID-impacted families,” writes Rathina Sankari. “While restaurants continued to provide home delivery and takeout, people who were infected with COVID wanted comfort food that was not greasy and light on salt and spices … Leveraging his vast social media presence, Goila asked home cooks to reach out to him … What started as a Google spreadsheet soon moved to a listing portal of verified home cooks across the country. Today it lists more than 4,000 home cooks, restaurateurs, and volunteers across 300 cities.”