The Magnificent Mesquite

The Magnificent Mesquite
Author: Ken E. Rogers
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Total Pages: 175
Release: 2010-07-22
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0292785925

This comprehensive guide to the versatile mesquite tree covers its various species and many uses, from food to furniture to rangeland management. A reliable source of food and shelter even in the severest droughts, the mesquite tree sustained American Indians in the Southwest for centuries. Today, mesquite is popular for barbecuing, woodworking, furniture making, flooring, sculpture, jewelry, and food products ranging from honey to jelly and syrup. Even ranchers, who once fought to eradicate mesquite, have come to value its multiple uses on well-managed rangeland. In this accessible volume, one of the world's leading authorities on mesquite presents a wealth of information about its natural history and commercial, agricultural, and woodworking uses. Ken Rogers describes the life cycle, species, and wide distribution of the mesquite, which is native or naturalized not only in the Southwest and Mexico, but also in India, Africa, Australia, South America, and Hawaii. Rogers discusses the many consumer and woodworker uses of mesquite, even giving instructions for laying a mesquite wood floor and making mesquite bean jelly. He also looks into the ways that people are using mesquite in nature, from rangeland management in the Southwest to desertification prevention in arid countries.

The Magnificent Mesquite

The Magnificent Mesquite
Author: Ken E. Rogers
Publisher: Univ of TX + ORM
Total Pages: 175
Release: 2010-07-22
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0292747381

This comprehensive guide to the versatile mesquite tree covers its various species and many uses, from food to furniture to rangeland management. A reliable source of food and shelter even in the severest droughts, the mesquite tree sustained American Indians in the Southwest for centuries. Today, mesquite is popular for barbecuing, woodworking, furniture making, flooring, sculpture, jewelry, and food products ranging from honey to jelly and syrup. Even ranchers, who once fought to eradicate mesquite, have come to value its multiple uses on well-managed rangeland. In this accessible volume, one of the world's leading authorities on mesquite presents a wealth of information about its natural history and commercial, agricultural, and woodworking uses. Ken Rogers describes the life cycle, species, and wide distribution of the mesquite, which is native or naturalized not only in the Southwest and Mexico, but also in India, Africa, Australia, South America, and Hawaii. Rogers discusses the many consumer and woodworker uses of mesquite, even giving instructions for laying a mesquite wood floor and making mesquite bean jelly. He also looks into the ways that people are using mesquite in nature, from rangeland management in the Southwest to desertification prevention in arid countries.

Mesquite

Mesquite
Author: Rodney W. Bovey
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
Total Pages: 277
Release: 2016-09-30
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 162349429X

Global problem or treasure? This question has accompanied the widespread and controversial mesquite tree wherever it grows and is studied around the world. In this comprehensive reference to the genus Prosopis, rangeland scientist Rodney Bovey has gathered and synthesized years of research in a book that reflects our current state of knowledge about the biology, morphology, and management of mesquite. Environmentally adaptive, the mesquite is considered by many to be an invasive or a pest species, and Bovey addresses the concerns about mesquite encroachment worldwide. But he also explains its ecological importance in the prevention of erosion and desertification and in providing food and habitat for wildlife. In addition, Bovey traces the uses of mesquite by humans and discusses the economics of growing and harvesting mesquite. A handy guide to the names, locations, distributions, habitat, structure, and uses of several species of mesquite is included in this benchmark publication for ecologists, range managers, biologists, landowners, and students of agriculture and ecosystem science.

Mesquite

Mesquite
Author: Gary Paul Nabhan
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2018-09-14
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1603588310

Winner of a 2019 Southwest Book Award (BRLA) An homage to the useful and idiosyncratic mesquite tree In his latest book, Mesquite, Gary Paul Nabhan employs humor and contemplative reflection to convince readers that they have never really glimpsed the essence of what he calls “arboreality.” As a Franciscan brother and ethnobotanist who has often mixed mirth with earth, laughter with landscape, food with frolic, Nabhan now takes on a large, many-branched question: What does it means to be a tree, or, accordingly, to be in a deep and intimate relationship with one? To answer this question, Nabhan does not disappear into a forest but exposes himself to some of the most austere hyper-arid terrain on the planet—the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts along the US/Mexico border—where even the most ancient perennial plants are not tall and thin, but stunted and squat. There, in desert regions that cover more than a third of our continent, mesquite trees have become the staff of life, not just for indigenous cultures, but for myriad creatures, many of which respond to these “nurse plants” in wildly intelligent and symbiotic ways. In this landscape, where Nabhan claims that nearly every surviving being either sticks, stinks, stings, or sings, he finds more lives thriving than you could ever shake a stick at. As he weaves his arid yarns, we suddenly realize that our normal view of the world has been turned on its head: where we once saw scarcity, there is abundance; where we once perceived severity, there is whimsy. Desert cultures that we once assumed lived in “food deserts” are secretly savoring a most delicious world. Drawing on his half-century of immersion in desert ethnobotany, ecology, linguistics, agroforestry, and eco-gastronomy, Nabhan opens up for us a hidden world that we had never glimpsed before. Along the way, he explores the sensuous reality surrounding this most useful and generous tree. Mesquite is a book that will delight mystics and foresters, naturalists and foodies. It combines cutting-edge science with a generous sprinkling of humor and folk wisdom, even including traditional recipes for cooking with mesquite.

Allergy and Cross-Reactivity

Allergy and Cross-Reactivity
Author: Sue C. Killian M.S
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Total Pages: 213
Release: 2017-08-15
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1524599174

This book announces to the reader that allergens are molecules. Thats right. You are not allergic to the entire ragweed plant, the entire dust mite, or the whole cow, just one or more types of allergic molecule within each of those organisms. If you are allergic to a molecule in a dust mite, for example, you might be allergic to shrimp or even tropical fish food. If you are allergic to some pollens, you could also be allergic to nuts, fruits, and some vegetables because they may share those pesky allergenic molecules. Some of these shared allergenic molecules have been identified by scientists, and the reader will benefit by learning where they hide. The readers unexplained reactions could be caused by these cross-reactive molecules. This is a situation where a little bit of knowledge is dangerous because cross-reactivity as it is, often briefly mentioned in magazines, could create fear of foods. Alternatively, knowledge about cross-reactive molecules could uncover these specific allergens. Patients could easily avoid these cross-reactive pollen molecules if they knew they were in their foods, thereby eliminating much suffering from allergy. Why would a patient who tested positive to a pollen eat the same allergens in a food? If they knew about cross-reactivity, they would not. This book explains the allergic response and the many chemicals the body produces in response to an allergic reaction. Allergy is a serious medical condition, and a patient can unintentionally make their allergic reaction much worse by exposure to a similar cross-reactive allergen. Alternatively, in addition to the patients chosen medical treatment, knowing about cross-reactivity can provide the patient with additional self-help.

Red Water, Black Gold

Red Water, Black Gold
Author: Margaret A. Bickers
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
Total Pages: 382
Release: 2014-11-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1625110286

Red Water, Black Gold: The Canadian River in Texas 1920–1999 tells the story of the Canadian River in the Texas Panhandle. It is a tale of grand designs, high hopes, deep holes, politics, fishing, follies, foibles, and environmental change. Although efforts had been made to tap the Canadian River’s waters before 1920, the discovery of oil in the Panhandle gave new urgency to the search for permanent water supplies. Additionally, the spread of groundwater irrigation amid the discovery of the limits of Ogallala Aquifer spurred regional interests to tap the Canadian. But overestimates of the river’s flow and unfamiliarity with the critical role groundwater played in maintaining that flow led to complications and frustrations, culminating in a lawsuit over the location of the banks of a seemingly waterless river. This book is a valuable addition to the water history of Texas and the American West and to the growing body of worldwide regional water histories. Combining traditional historical sources with hydrology, climatology, and geology, Red Water, Black Gold complicates the traditional story of top-down water management as well as telling the thus-far untold story of the Canadian River in Texas.

North American Cornucopia

North American Cornucopia
Author: Ernest Small
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 768
Release: 2013-09-23
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1466585943

Many North American plants have characteristics that are especially promising as candidates for expanding our food supply and generating new economically competitive crops. This book is an informative analysis of the top 100 indigenous food plants of North America, focusing on those species that have achieved commercial success or have substantial market potential. The book's user-friendly format provides concise information on each plant. It examines the geography and ecology, history, economic and social importance, food and industrial uses, and the economic future of each crop.

China Bayles' Book of Days

China Bayles' Book of Days
Author: Susan Wittig Albert
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 404
Release: 2006-10-03
Genre: Gardening
ISBN: 1440627258

A treasury of recipes, crafts, gardening tips, and more from the national bestselling author of the China Bayles series—a great gift for both mystery fans and herb & craft enthusiasts! Readers of the China Bayles mystery novels are familiar with the usefulness and wonder of the many herbs the amateur sleuth sells in her beloved Thyme and Seasons shop. Compiled by national bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert at the request of her fans, China Bayles' Book of Days gathers together tidbits and treasures about plants and reveals ways you can put more green into your daily life. Featuring 365 days of recipes, crafts, gardening tips, remedies, and more, this special volume is a personal calendar of the legends and lore of herbs and also features brand-new essays from the author, clues from China's mysteries, and some special contributions by the irrepressible members of the Myra Merryweather Herb Guild, Pecan Springs's oldest civic organization.

Indigenous Food Sovereignty in the United States

Indigenous Food Sovereignty in the United States
Author: Devon A. Mihesuah
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Total Pages: 387
Release: 2019-08-02
Genre: Cooking
ISBN: 0806165782

“All those interested in Indigenous food systems, sovereignty issues, or environment, and their path toward recovery should read this powerful book.” —Kathie L. Beebe, American Indian Quarterly Centuries of colonization and other factors have disrupted indigenous communities’ ability to control their own food systems. This volume explores the meaning and importance of food sovereignty for Native peoples in the United States, and asks whether and how it might be achieved and sustained. Unprecedented in its focus and scope, this collection addresses nearly every aspect of indigenous food sovereignty, from revitalizing ancestral gardens and traditional ways of hunting, gathering, and seed saving to the difficult realities of racism, treaty abrogation, tribal sociopolitical factionalism, and the entrenched beliefs that processed foods are superior to traditional tribal fare. The contributors include scholar-activists in the fields of ethnobotany, history, anthropology, nutrition, insect ecology, biology, marine environmentalism, and federal Indian law, as well as indigenous seed savers and keepers, cooks, farmers, spearfishers, and community activists. After identifying the challenges involved in revitalizing and maintaining traditional food systems, these writers offer advice and encouragement to those concerned about tribal health, environmental destruction, loss of species habitat, and governmental food control.