Latest news with #Colorado-based
Scoop
a day ago
- Health
- Scoop
Food Museums Uncover The Culture, Science, And History Behind The Food At The End Of Your Fork
Lack of food literacy has contributed to startling rates of obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, according to the 2023 study 'Nutrition and Food Literacy: Framing the Challenges to Health Communication.' The study also linked nutritional illiteracy to food waste, which creates grave environmental and economic problems. In July 2024, the CDC reported that students in the United States get fewer than eight hours of nutrition education per year, in contrast to the 40–50 hours 'needed to change behavior.' A 2022 study about nutritional education among children in Ethiopia, published in the Italian Journal of Pediatrics, found that 'nutrition education can effectively reduce the magnitude of under-nutrition among preschool children' and 'the nutritional status of preschool-age children was significantly associated with nutrition education intervention.' Food museums are a fun and novel means of improving food literacy and education. Here are some examples of institutions furthering that cause: - The National Food Museum in Washington, D.C., hopes to inspire visitors 'to make better-informed dietary decisions' and invites them to help 'solve some of the world's most pressing [food-related] problems.' - Located in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum 'promotes culinary tourism and educates the public about the food culture of the South,' its website states. - According to its site, the Denver, Colorado-based Museum of Food and Culture envisions 'a community in which food is the bridge between history, cultures, and individual stories.' - South Korea is home to Museum Kimchikan, which was designed to 'display diverse aspects and stories of kimchi, serving as a space to feel, enjoy, and experience kimchi in all its richness.' According to a survey that included nutritionists, kimchi was named 'one of the top 10 superfoods for 2023.' Some museums that are not solely dedicated to food also promote food education. For instance, New York's Tenement Museum offers guided tours that connect food to immigration history. Meanwhile, the University of Mississippi–based Southern Foodways Alliance 'documents, studies, and explores the diverse food cultures of the changing American South,' its website states. The Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) is easily one of the most colorful and engaging establishments of its kind. Dave Arnold, described by NYFoodStory as 'an early player in the modernist food movement (which emphasizes science in contemporary cooking),' founded MOFAD in New York City in 2005. The institution's curatorial director, Catherine M. Piccoli, says Arnold's goal was to create a museum dedicated to food and drink on the scale of the Smithsonian. 'Food is the thing that connects all of us and that we all have in common as humans,' Piccoli states. 'We all have to eat to survive, but food is also cultural. It tells us a lot about ourselves, and it's a joyful and powerful medium for bringing people together to learn and grow.' Food literacy is baked into MOFAD's mission. 'A lot of people think of food literacy in terms of nutrition, cooking, and those sorts of things,' Piccoli says. 'I think food literacy is much broader than that. It's about understanding where food comes from, how it is made, who is making it, and how it's getting to you. It's about understanding different gendered practices and who cooks for you at home versus who cooks for you at a restaurant. That's how we're hoping to educate people around food.' Food justice is another key value for MOFAD. 'A big part of our work is making sure we are centering narratives around food and culture that have often been left out of the narrative,' Piccoli explains. 'Predominantly white, Eurocentric men have historically been writing cookbooks or been lauded as professional chefs. At the heart of our work is the idea of uplifting other stories around food and culture and making sure we're not focused on a dominant narrative or a dominant story. We want people to see themselves reflected in our work.' MOFAD's three main modes of education are exhibitions, public programs, and interactive guided tours. 'For all of our exhibitions and programming, we are working with experts, food scholars, farmers, chefs, and activists in [diverse] communities to help guide the stories we're telling,' Piccoli states. MOFAD's rotating exhibitions run for about a year each. These exhibitions aim to 'uncover people's food history or provide surprising insight into the food industry,' Piccoli says. She recalls that during the MOFAD exhibition African/American: Making the Nation's Table, historian Jessica B. Harris, a guest curator, said, ''I want people to have those aha moments.' I think all of our exhibitions have an element of that. You might have learned about the Chinese Exclusion Act in elementary school and forgotten about it, but when we put together an exhibition on Chinese American cuisine and discussed how Chinese and Chinese American restaurants blossomed in the 20th century during the age of Chinese Exclusion, [participants commented,] 'Oh! I never really put these two things together,' or 'I learned to look at my local Chinese takeout place and the people working there in a different way.'' MOFAD's website describes the museum's exhibition Flavor: The World to Your Brain as 'a sensory journey through our bodies and our world, designed and curated by food scientists and culinary anthropologists.' This exhibition helps '[u]npack what really happens in our heads when we experience the flavors of food, discover the ways flavor companies engineer and design the flavors that we eat almost every day, and learn what natural and artificial flavoring really mean.' Piccoli recalls a moment when a young attendee of the Flavor exhibition 'raised his hand and said, 'This is organic chemistry! I never thought organic chemistry could be used in a food setting.'' MOFAD's programs 'explore other topics within food history, culture, and technology and [enable us to] be of the moment in terms of the conversations and discussions we're having,' Piccoli says. Past programs have included Tasting Dim Sum: Storytime with The ABC Digest, The Intersection of Food and Trans Identity: A Conversation, and Flavor Decoded: Uncovering the Stories Behind Taste. Meanwhile, MOFAD's interactive guided tours for grades K–12 allow students to 'dive a little deeper into the exhibition topic and do some fun hands-on things,' Piccoli explains. 'We find that students engage in that setting much more than just coming and visiting the exhibition on their own.' She adds that while MOFAD is 'not a children's museum, it's important to us that educating kids is part of the work we're doing.' According to Piccoli, MOFAD uses 'food as a lens to talk about lots of different issues. That's part of what I love about food: It's not just about ketchup or something! There's so much more behind that: culture, history, science, technology, labor, and [more]. It's an interesting way to bring people together to think about complex issues in a way that feels joyful and not in a way that feels like you're being talked down to.'
Axios
2 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Detroit brewery defies Michigan beer slump
A Detroit-based craft brewery saw explosive growth last year — but that isn't the norm across the state. Why it matters: The figures indicate that Michigan's well-established beer scene is not exempt from the tough times plaguing the industry nationally. State of play: The state's largest brewer, Short's, which has a production facility up north in Elk Rapids, saw sales dip 6% in 2024 compared to the prior year, our analysis of Brewers Association data shows. Old Nation, maker of the M-43 New England IPA and other beers, also saw a single-digit sales decline, as did Keweenaw, Blackrocks and Birmingham-based Griffin Claw breweries. Yes, but: Detroit's Eastern Market Brewing Co. saw a whopping 59% sales increase, becoming the state's ninth-largest brewer. Zoom in: EMBC's spike in sales follows an aggressive expansion strategy that's played out in recent years. The company's sister brewery, the Ferndale Project, announced a deal this month with Kalamazoo-based distributor Imperial Beverage to sell Ferndale Project beers statewide. EMBC also launched a local pizza venture, Elephant & Co., with locations in Midtown and Royal Oak that serve its beer. What they're saying: Eastern Market Brewing Co. founder Dayne Bartscht told Crain's that the Imperial distribution deal is a silver lining as the industry struggles. "We've always taken pride in our self-distribution model," Bartscht said. "It's helped us grow smart, stay close to our customers, and remain nimble. That approach built the kind of brand strength and market presence that made this opportunity possible." The big picture: Despite some beermakers' declining sales, more breweries opened in-state last year than closed. The Colorado-based Brewers Association counted 21 openings and 17 closings across Michigan.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
FlatironDragados spins out SPC Construction for New York region
This story was originally published on Construction Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Construction Dive newsletter. Broomfield, Colorado-based FlatironDragados recently announced a spinoff of its New York and New Jersey subsidiaries to create a civil construction firm focused on the region. SPC Construction brings together Schiavone Construction, John P. Picone and E.E. Cruz to establish a transportation and water infrastructure firm targeting work on the New York metro region's maze of tunnels, bridges, roadways and water systems, according to a June 18 news release shared with Construction Dive. SPC will operate as a subsidiary of FlatironDragados. Secaucus, New Jersey-based Schiavone has long focused on tunneling, mass transit and subways, bridges and highways, deep foundations, marine work and water treatment plants, according to the release. Meanwhile, Lawrence, New York-based Picone specializes in public works, specifically tunneling, hydraulic works and water infrastructure. Whitestone, New York-based E.E. Cruz rounds out the trio with core capabilities in resiliency protection, deep foundations and geotechnical projects, per the release. 'The synergies among these three organizations enables a simplified structure that will ensure a consistent approach to operations, client success and risk management by SPC Construction,' said Javier Sevilla, FlatironDragados CEO, in the release. The news comes less than a year after the combination that created FlatironDragados itself, when Europe-based parents Hochtief and ACS Group announced they were rolling up the companies to create a North America-based infrastructure juggernaut. The company is composed of Flatiron, Dragados USA and Dragados Canada, with operations in 24 U.S. states and eight Canadian provinces. SPC Construction will be led by Managing Director Jesus Diez, who has served as executive vice president, affiliates, for Dragados USA. E.E. Cruz President Joe Sheehan will assume the role of chief operating officer. Neil Wegman, John P. Picone's president and chief financial officer, will serve as SPC's CFO. The deal, financial terms of which were not disclosed, is targeted for completion by the end of the second quarter, according to a separate release from Hochtief. The topic of redundancies or layoffs due to the combination was not addressed in the release. Sevilla said 'the integration will result in economies of scale and be value accretive for the shareholders of FlatironDragados.' This story has been updated to indicate that SPC will operate as a subsidiary of FlatironDragados. Recommended Reading DPR Construction taps Mark Whitson as president Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Iraq Business
3 days ago
- Business
- Iraq Business
US Firm Wins $118m Iraq Defense Contract
By John Lee. Colorado-based Vectrus Systems LLC [V2X] has been awarded a $118,020,690 cost-plus-fixed-fee undefinitized contract action, for base support services in support of the Iraq F-16 program. This contract provides for base operating support, base life support, and security services. Work will be performed at Martyr BG Ali Flaih Air Base (formerly Balad Air Base), Iraq, and is expected to be completed by 30th November, 2026. According to a statement from the US Department of Defense: "This contract was a sole source acquisition as requested in a Letter of Request and agreed to in a Letter of Offer and Acceptance. FMS funds in the amount of $57,830,138 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8630-25-C-B017)." (Source: US Dept of Defense)
Axios
3 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Judge blocks Colorado governor from forcing some staff to aid ICE subpoena
A Denver judge on Wednesday granted a preliminary injunction blocking Colorado Gov. Jared Polis from ordering certain state employees to comply with an ICE subpoena for personal information about undocumented children and their sponsors. The big picture: The ruling delivers a legal setback to Polis and a win for whistleblower Scott Moss, a top labor official in the governor's administration, who sued to block the disclosures. Yes, but: The preliminary injunction applies only to Moss and the staff he oversees. It doesn't stop Polis from ordering compliance from other state employees with access to the same records. What they're saying: Denver District Judge A. Bruce Jones called the ICE subpoena "overly broad," noted that it wasn't issued by a court, and suggested it may serve purposes beyond what's stated, including to help with deportation efforts. But the judge kept his ruling narrow: "I don't have the information about what other division chiefs think" about complying with the subpoena, he said Wednesday. "Therefore I'm not comfortable going beyond what I've done here." Between the lines: Wednesday's ruling reignites scrutiny over the Democratic governor's decision to override state legislation he signed into law — which limits state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement in non-criminal matters. Catch up quick: ICE's administrative subpoena, issued in April, sought names, home addresses, wages and more for 35 Colorado-based sponsors of unaccompanied immigrant children. The purpose, it claimed, was ensuring minors released to sponsors were safe. Polis initially resisted complying but reversed course weeks later, ordering staff to turn over documents or risk "immediate discipline or termination," court records allege. State of play: Moss, along with the two labor unions and nonprofit that joined the lawsuit, argued Polis' order violated Colorado law prohibiting state employees from sharing noncitizens' personally identifiable information to federal immigration authorities. Polis' lawyers argued the subpoena related to a criminal investigation into possible child trafficking and whether the children were properly cared for, not to immigration enforcement. They also maintain there has been no threat to Moss' employment. Reality check: The subpoena reviewed by Axios Denver makes no mention of any open criminal investigation, but instead references "conducting investigative activities" to address general risks of trafficking or exploitation. Notably, a checkbox on the subpoena that would formally classify the request as involving child exploitation crimes was left blank. "Am I going to believe you or my own lying eyes?" the judge told Polis' attorney on Monday, per Colorado Newsline. "When I read [the subpoena], it doesn't say it's for the purpose of a criminal investigation. This is posited as a welfare check." By the numbers: At least 407 unaccompanied minors who entered the U.S. illegally and were detained by immigration authorities have been placed with sponsors in Colorado between October 2024 and May 2025, the Colorado Sun reports from federal data.
