MAX FACTS GROWING TIPS, NEWS AND TRIVIA
Organic Farm Takes Root in St. Louis
As dreamed up by James Forbes and a few good friends, Good Life Growing is
a new urban farm in north St. Louis. Located on a plot of land that previously
held a gas station, a cab company hub and an orchard, the farm relies on a
closed-loop aquaponic system that can cut the maturation time of crops in
half. Bluegills kept in large tanks fertilize the plants as water is pumped
into the grow area. Once the table fills up, a siphon breaks, sending
the water back into the fish tank. This form of organic farming
allows plants to be grown indoors, but the business owners have
soil garden beds set up outside as well. “Our goal is to make St.
Louis a better place and we feel that working with blighted and food
desert communities is making a positive impact,” says Philip Hearn,
Good Life Growing co-founder.
(Source: riverfronttimes.com)
Scientists Trace Lycopene Absorption in Humans
Years of research in University of Illinois scientist John Erdman’s laboratory have demonstrated
that lycopene, the bioactive red pigment found in tomatoes, reduces the growth of prostate
tumors in a variety of animal models. Until now, though, John did not have a way to
trace lycopene’s metabolism in the human body. His team has figured out how to grow
tomato plants in a suspension culture system to produce lycopene molecules with a
heavier molecular weight, allowing them to trace lycopene’s absorption, distribution and
metabolism in the bodies of healthy adults. “In the future, we will