Stevia the Sweet Herb

All About Plants, Herbs

The Guarani Indians of Paraguay and Brazil had been sweetening their bitter beverages with kaa he-he (meaning sweet herb) for centuries before Italian botanist Moises Santiago Bertoni “discovered” the herb in 1887 and recognized it as a previously “unknown” variety of...

The Borage Plant

All About Plants, Herbs

Borago officinalis The Borage plant is an annual with an exquisite, bright blue and star-like flowers which are edible.The Borage flowers have very prominent black anthers that grow from its center. It grows to about 1 to 3 feet tall with multiple branches, hollow...

Whole Foods Store Millburn, New Jersey

Commercial Systems, News

BrightFarm Systems took on the task to design and set up a demo-sized, green urban greenhouse at the new Whole Foods Market store in Millburn, New Jersey. This project highlights a push toward fresh, local food right in city spots. Whole Foods Market holds sustainable...

What Makes Honey Bees Unique Among Pollinators

Beneficial Insects

The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is responsible for approximately 80% of the pollination of fruits, nut, grains, and vegetables in the United States today. Honey bees are not native to North America; they were brought here by European settlers in the colonial days to...

The Gardens of Babylon

History of Hydroponics

Many new devices, ideas and civilizations have emerged because, “Necessity is the mother of invention”. The shortage of water and available arable land for planting crops is not a new issue. Throughout history, archaeological evidence shows us that thousands of cities...