GridPhilly

Photo: Keith Bedford, New York TimesCilantro haters aside, there are two interesting ag stories in The New York Times right now. The first examines Wal-Mart’s foray into India, and the company’s relationship with farmers there. The second story addresses the use of genetically-engineered crops in the U.S.—the downsides might be starting to outweigh the upsides.

In the pantheon of people I hate—Cowboys fans, tall people in front of me at concerts, mutants who don't respect bike lanes—eaters who shun cilantro are pretty central.
Well, turns out it might not be entirely their fault. From the New York Times:

Some people may be genetically predisposed to dislike cilantro, according to often-cited studies by

Rigatoni with Arugula PestoIn some ways, April is the cruelest month for seasonal eaters. The sun is shining, bars are reopening outdoor seating, upper arms are freshly exposed—stuff should be popping out of the ground, right? Well, not really. Stuff is going into the ground, and, for the most part, we're still stuck with apples,

Tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m., enjoy a screening of 5-minute films about sustainability, presented by MiND TV, the Nature Conservancy and the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education.
This is all part of MiND TV and The Nature Conservancy's month-long celebration of the environment, happening through April 30. More than 22 new, community-submitted programs will premiere on MiND TV on

A study was released on Monday that addresses the energy inefficiency of the American South. (Here's New York Times' Green Inc. on the subject; here's Grist.org.) From the study:

Relative to the rest of the country, the South consumes a particularly large share of industrial energy, accounting for 51 percent of the nation’s total industrial energy

The debate over raw milk—its benefits and dangers—has been steadily gathering momentum. Yesterday, The Atlantic had this story. As I mentioned a couple months ago, I’ve been doing my own experimenting. I’ve bought a few bottles of raw milk when available, but I don’t think I have a big enough sample to determine whether or

Moore College of Art and Design waves its green flag yet again with the Annual Trash Fashion Show. The fashion show—now in its thirteenth year—is the final project for the Basics Design Class taught by Prof. Jack Thompson. The event will be held Thursday, April 22, falling the same week as Earth Day, naturally. Students

There sure are a ton of local Earth Day events this year, but the Second Annual Earth Day Festival & Flea Market in Clark Park seems to have it all. Free workshops will be held on topics such as environmental justice and community gardening, The Food Trust’s weekly farmers market will be up and running

It’s a big week for Grid—not only did we celebrate one year in business with a birthday bash, we also debuted our brand new magazine racks. Designed by local whiz Eric Allen, these racks are made from recycled materials and will be appearing all over town starting this week. (Distribution guru Claire Connelly is actually

Will Allen, in sleeves for a formal occasionYou might have noticed that the Griddle was a bit quiet on Friday. No, we didn’t spend the day picking out our outfits for Saturday—Alex and I were attending PHS and ILSR’s Compost Matters Seminar in West Philly. It was a great day of speakers featuring farmers, advocates