Here are a few articles I especially enjoyed writing.
This is Wheat Farming
Unlike the vegetable farmers you can chat up at the farmers market, local wheat farmers remain mysteriously out of sight. Here is a look at who is growing wheat and how they are working to feed the soil. Published in Communal Table in 2017.
Going to Seed
Anthony Boutard of Ayers Creek Farm is a rare specimen: a plant breeder, seed producer, and farmer, all rolled into one. Here, he and his extraordinary wife Carol, explain how they got into plant breeding, why light regimes matter, and how they’ve involved chefs in selecting for flavor. Published on the Lucky Peach website in 2015.
Walking on Water
A madcap farmer in the Klamath Basin is navigating the contentious water battles and looking for common ground. Published in Commonplace Magazine in 2015.
Underground Operators
Entrepreneurs are feverishly trying to domesticate Oregon’s wild truffles. Will it work? Published in Edible Portland in Winter 2014.
Pop! Cherries in Taiwan
The story of an ingenious marketing campaign to popularize cherries in Taiwan. Published in Gastronomica in Winter 2010.
Food is Emptiness
An excerpt from my senior thesis on the history of beef in Japan, focused on the moment when the government began its propaganda to popularize beef eating. Published in Thoughts of Amherst in Spring 2007.