National Geographic - UK (2022-02)

Hops are crucial for

brewing beer. But in

Washington State’s

Yakima Valley, one

of the world’s largest

hop-growing regions,

reduced snowpack

and shrinking Cascade

Range glaciers gener-

ate less water for hop

farms. Some beer-

makers are looking to

hardier wild varieties

from the Southwest,

and some brewer-

ies are experimenting

with Florida hops.

240x magnification

HOP

LEAF

The anther is the

pollen- bearing part of

a kale flower. Demand

for kale surged after it

was branded a super-

food in the 2010s, but

crops grown on a large

scale, including kale,

can have dire environ-

mental effects. More

food producers are

embracing methods

described as regener-

ative agriculture—such

as reducing tilling and

planting cover crops—

that combat erosion

and return more

carbon to the soil.

240x magnification

KALE

ANTHER

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