MAY252009

MAY252009, originally uploaded by colemama.

Walking the beach this morning, I listened to Louise Fresco's TED talk on feeding the world. She has many premises, one of which is the foundation of bread as the world's mainstay, another is the need to balance the agricultural needs of mass production with individual wholesome-ness, but the one that struck me was the simple interconnectivity of people around the world for basic sustenance.

Maize is another basic gift of sustenance. For me it is not only the sweet taste, texture, and even messy consumption of the cob - only after taking care to prepare them for the grill...a 'strip tease' of sorts with the peel of the husks revealing first the silks and then the smoothly aligned kernels of yellow, white or both. In addition to gracing our summer picnics, corn provides a favorite snack in popcorn, feed for livestock, and even a source for biofuel. It definitely competes for the 'staff of life' title! Naples, FL