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Golden Retriever and baby girl team up to make inspired Mother's Day gift out of blackberries

Berry, berry cute.

sweet mothers day gifts, mother day, mothers day gift ideas, dog and baby photos
Photo credit: Canva

What a sweet and simple idea.

As far as handmade Mother’s Day gifts go, this might be the sweetest idea ever.

To celebrate mom’s first Mother’s Day ever, a newborn named Olivia and her Golden Retriever Lady created a painting using blackberries for “ink.”

A video posted to their TikTok account @ladyandtheblues shows dad grinding up the blackberries in a granite mortar before dipping Olivia’s tiny hand and Lady’s paw into the bowl and pressing them onto paper.

He then embellished the image with hand painted flowers, along with artfully writing Olivia and Lady’s name.

He even dressed the two in perfectly matching purple outfits. Nice one dad.

As for the inspiration behind the blackberry ink, credit apparently belongs to Olivia, who gave dad the idea “when she stained her dress” eating them.

Still, folks in the comments section rightfully praised dad for this amazingly thoughtful and creative gift.

“This is the best and cutest Mother’s day gift,” one viewer wrote.

“The way I would cry,” wrote another.

Watch for yourself. As the caption suggests, it is “berry cute indeed.”

@ladyandtheblues Berry cute, yes🥹🫐? Olivia gave me this idea when she stained her dress eating blackberries🐶💜👶🏻 #babyanddog #mothersdaygift #sisters #dogsofttiktok ♬ Somewhere only we know cover - Sofía

The overwhelmingly positive response to this video show not that simple, yet sentimental gifts can make a huge impact—particularly for new moms who might want a memento of this fresh chapter.

And this idea is so easy to customize. Instead of blackberries, you could use a fruit ink or non toxic pain in mom’s favorite color, or buy jewelry with both baby and pup’s birthstones in it. Even a nicely framed photo is a nice touch.

But please, if you can, arrange matching outfits for the day. Cause how freaking adorable is that?

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Wellness

Feeling burnt out? Doctors are prescribing trips to Sweden

Get ready for the best "sick days" you'll ever have.

Visit Sweden
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It’s no secret that modern life is stressful. Burnout is an epidemic. The World Health Organization boldly stated its dedicated efforts to help people improve their health and well-being through nature.

And thanks to a new initiative, Sweden is stepping up to offer a new holistic remedy: a physician-prescribed visit to Sweden, aka “The Swedish Prescription”.

“We have made great strides in making nature/social/culture prescription a more integral part of public health in the United States– but there is still so much more to be done,” said Dr. Stacy Stryer, Associate Medical Director for Park RxAmerica.“I welcome Sweden’s initiative and hope it will help break down institutional and organizational barriers, ultimately benefiting all patients.”

AdvertisementPatients can escape to Sweden’s pristine environment for true respite. Backed by scientific data and research from Yvonne Forsell, Senior Professor at Karolinska Institutet, healthcare professionals can prescribe Sweden as a destination where patients engage in non-medical treatments and outdoor activities to ease their ailments and offer a fresh reset.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Restore body and mind with the Swedish ritual of alternating ice baths and saunas. Swim, hike or forage through silent forests, lakes, parks and nature reserves – or simply sit in the stillness. Witness the Northern Lights dancing across winter skies, or soak up the calm of the summer midnight sun. In Stockholm, Europe’s clean-air capital, take a deep breath and feel the difference.

Or skip the great outdoors and spend time embracing Sweden’s unique cultural practices. “Our cozy fika tradition [Sweden’s daily pause for coffee and conversation], our “lagom”-balanced lifestyle [the idea of “not too much, not too little”] and our easily accessible nature are a soothing balm for body and mind,” says Susanne Andersson, CEO at Visit Sweden.

Sit back in front of a masterpiece in one of Sweden’s many art museums, or head out to a live music event after browsing concert options on Swedish-founded Spotify. You might catch chart-topping hits from producer Max Martin or discover the country’s thriving metal scene. Call it an early – or late – night, and enjoy restorative sleep in Sweden’s cool night air.

Sweden is the therapeutic destination your health has been craving. Learn more about “The Swedish Prescription” and its benefits for your mental and physical health here.

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14 comfort meals from the 1970s that are still delicious and affordable

Break out the casserole dish.

Image courtesy of Reddit/Slow-moving-sloth

Foods like casseroles were popular during the 1970s.

All things old are new again—and the same goes for classic recipes.

For those who grew up during the 1970s (that's Baby Boomers and Generation Jones), staple dishes that were served at the dinner table are being rediscovered on Reddit by newer generations looking for filling, comforting, and affordable meals.

According to JSTOR, actress Liza Minelli first coined "comfort food" back in 1970. Minelli told food columnist Johna Blinn, "Comfort food is anything you just yum, yum, yum."

Meals from the 1970s are nostalgic and also budget friendly. Try making one of these comforting recipes from Redditors that will fill you up and not break the bank.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Tuna casserole

"I LITERALLY made a tuna casserole last night & had the leftovers for lunch today." - Disastrous-Soup-5413, RogerClyneIsAGod2

Turkey (or chicken) tetrazzini

"Tetrazzini is a creamy pasta dish with turkey (or chicken) chicken, mushrooms, and cheese." - Disastrous-Soup-5413

Liver and onions

"Liver and onions, mashed potatoes and a green salad made with iceberg lettuce, tomatoes cut in wedges, cucumber slices .. peeled and miracle whip salad dressing." - Kaktusblute

Quiche Lorraine

"A family favorite quiche recipe from the 1970’s. The secret? Half a cup of mayonnaise and an unreasonable quantity of cheese. My mom uses sweet onion instead of green onion, but otherwise made as written:

1/2 c. real mayonnaise
1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1 1/2 c. cubed cooked ham
1 1/2 c. (about 1/2 pound) chopped Swiss cheese
1/3 c. sliced green onion
Dash pepper
1 unbaked 9" pastry shell

Mix together real mayonnaise, milk, eggs and corn starch until smooth. Stir in ham, cheese, onion and pepper. Turn into pastry shell. Bake in 350 degree Fahrenheit oven 35-40 minutes until golden brown on top and knife inserted comes out clean." - banoctopus

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Cheese fondue

"For fondue, you can go in a few different directions. Cubed crusty bread is one of the classic ways to dip into cheese fondue, but you could use fruits, vegetables, chunks of cooked or cured sausages, so long as they will keep their structural integrity." - Bluecat72

Meatloaf and baked potatoes

"A basic meatloaf is ground beef, minced onions, bread crumbs, an egg and a squirt of ketchup for moisture, salt, pepper, garlic powder.. whatever you like. Get your hands in there and squish it all together until thoroughly mixed. Form into a vague loaf shape on a pan and bake at 350 for an hour. Poke a couple potatoes with a fork and cook them in the microwave for 5-7 minutes. Enjoy a meatloaf sandwich with mustard for lunch the next day 😋." - yblame

Pork chops with rice and cream of mushroom soup

"Brown the chops, take them out of the pan, pour in rice, soup and water, stir to combine. Put the pork chops on top. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked. Tossed green salad: iceberg lettuce, chopped scallions, tomatoes, cucumbers, Wishbone Italian Dressing." - hicjacket

Salmon croquettes

"Salmon croquettes were a staple of my childhood. Canned salmon, saltine crackers, and an egg. We called them croquettes but naw, they were shaped into salmon patties." - DazzlingBullfrog9, throwawaytodaycat

Mexican casserole

"Brown ground beef, stir in a can of tomato sauce and 1 sliced green onion. Mix together a cup of sour cream, a cup of cottage cheese and a can of chopped green chilies. In a 9x13 pan, layer crushed tortilla chips, meat, cream mixture and grated Colby-jack or Colby cheese. Repeat layers. Bake until hot and bubbly." - Open-Gazelle1767

Hamburger Stroganoff

"One pound ground beef, 1 package Lipton onion soup mix, 1 can cream of mushroom or chicken soup, sour cream. Brown the ground beef, stir in the can of soup and soup mix. Stir in the sour cream until it looks right...I think it's a half pint, but maybe a whole pint. Serve over rice for the 2 kids who eat rice and egg noodles for the one kid who doesn't." - Open-Gazelle1767

Shake 'N Bake Chicken

"Shake’n Bake chicken or pork chops. 'And I helped!' Preheat oven to 400F. Moisten chicken with water. Place breasts in Shake-n-Bake shaker bag. Shake the bag vigorously to coat the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes if boneless, 45 minutes if it does have bones." - Karin58

@allrecipes

Where are all the Shake n Bake girlies? 🍗 Today @nicolesperfectbite is showing you how to make this classic bread coating at home—and dare we say better than the original? 👀 #instafood #food #foodie #shakenbake #bake #chicken #breadcrumbs #paprika #garlic #onion #powder #meat #breading #bread #easy #easyrecipe #recipe #quickandeasy #weeknightdinner

Grilled cheese and tomato soup

"Still my favorite thing to eat, but now I make my own tomato bisque, my own bread, and use Gouda or cheddar. Back then Mom made this for Friday lunch: Campbell's tomato soup (made with milk) and the grilled cheese was two slices of five-loaves-for-a-dollar white bread with Velveeta, grilled with Miami Maid margarine in the Revere Ware skillet." - Mindless_Pop_632, mulberryred

Pork sausage and rice

"I grew up in the 70s and my mother made this sausage and rice dish at least once a month. The recipe is from Peg Bracken's I Hate To Cook Book. Crumble 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of pork sausage (hamburger will do, but pork is better) into a skillet and brown it. Pour off the fat. Add:

1 green pepper, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 or 3 celery stalks, chopped
2 c. chicken consommé or bouillon
1 c. raw rice
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt

Put on the lid and let it simmer at lowest possible heat for 1 hour." - officerbirb

Sloppy Joes

"Classic Sloppy Joes. My family had these regularly in the ‘70s." - ThatPtarmiganAgain

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People debate which dog breeds are the 'goofiest' and experts agree they have two traits in common

"My goofy goober will chew on his own ear."

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

French bulldog strikes a pose.

There are some dogs who are undoubtedly stoic. Other dogs are extremely helpful, and simultaneously adorable. But when it comes to the goofy dogs in our lives—some breeds have that title on lock.

Of course, some can (and do) often argue over which breeds are the "goofiest." Some even debate as to what "goofy" or "silly" even means. It's often hard to define, but here's one example. When it's time to go "walkies," my dog sees me putting on my shoes. Every time, he grabs a shoe and runs around the apartment with it until I chase him. There's a whole song that follows called "Where Ya Gonna Go with My Shoe?" As I share this, I'm realizing that perhaps I'm the goofiest one, but he's a close second.

It's those floppy, silly, clumsy, and also purposely funny, canine clowns who are in the running. IHeartDogs.com, a site dedicated to understanding dog breeds, nutrition, and other health needs, compiled their list of goofiest dogs.

goofy, dogs, dog breeds, silly dogs Goofy dancing Giphy Disney

Writer Ivan Rodriguez listed the top ten goofiest breeds, at least according to him, which include:

  • The Bulldog
  • The Boxer
  • Pembroke Welsh Corgi
  • French Bulldog
  • Springer Spaniel
  • Yorkshire Terrier (Yorkie)
  • Labrador Retriever
  • Miniature Bull Terrier
  • Border Collie
  • Siberian Husky

Rodriguez lists different traits for each breed listed. Adjectives like silly, mischievous, and playful often fit the bill. But the traits these dogs seem to have in common? Intelligence and stubbornness. (Perhaps these two characteristics go paw and paw.)

People in the vet world weighed in on the matter. Upworthy spoke with Stacy Cole, a certified vet tech in Wisconsin, whose thoughts on the goofiest breed were quite clear.

"Frenchies are absolute clowns, and if you could put them in human form, they'd be comedians," she said. "They are the most fun and outrageous breed I've ever met. They are nature's antidepressant, as far as I'm concerned."

A close second, she says, are Golden Retrievers: "They're sweet and nutty. They will seek out puddles just to jump into."

Annie Mae-Levy, a professional dog trainer with the online app Woofz, had her own picks.

"In my opinion, the most ‘goofy’ dog has to be the Irish setter!" she said. "These guys are known for having tons of personality and rarely taking life too seriously. They are generally very playful and silly dogs and their faces are full of expression most of the time. In terms of smaller breeds, Boston terriers often seem to have a lot of that silly personality types especially in the home or when playing with other dogs outside!"

Speaking of Golden Retrievers, they get their own thread over on Reddit called "The goofiest dog I've ever had." Many of the commenters include photos of their Goldens in various positions, often with their rear hind sticking up for no apparent reason.

A Redditor who goes by the name abbstractassassin shares their big, nutty dog:

dogs, dog breeds, golden retrievers, goofy, silly A Golden Retriever gives a goofy face for the camera.Photo Credit: Reddit, abbstractassassin

Obviously, it's not all about Goldens (though their "people" might tell you otherwise). On the subreddit r/dogs, someone asks, "Inherently goofy dog breeds?" Boxers are a popular answer, with many excited to share their goofy nature. Again, Goldens and Frenchies are mentioned. But truly, it seems nearly everyone gives their breed a shout-out.

Some of the most adorable comments include:

"English Mastiffs are doofuses."

"Bull Terriers are hilarious dogs. The only breed that could conceivably be a spokesperson for a brand of beer."

When it came to Malamutes, this Redditor shares, "Digs holes that resemble something a Hobbit lives in? Eat everything that’s not 7’ off the floor? Howl like a demented banshee because, why not? I have had exactly ONE Malamute puppy. She about broke me. Only adults and seniors now!"

beagles, dogs, silly dog breeds, goofy, snoopy Beagle puppies snoop around. Giphy Aww Puppies GIF

And then of course, there's the Beagle. From experience, I can tell you these are the silliest billies on Earth. Will they eat a roll of toilet paper when you're not looking? Of course. Will they dig holes and drop your keys in the dirt? Sometimes. They are the most fascinating creatures made up of pure love and mischief that I've ever had the pleasure to know. And yes—both intelligent and stubborn. (They may not always SEEM intelligent, but they are.)

Whatever the breed, or the level of goofiness, our dogs are little bright lights in this world.

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Economics expert pinpoints the exact moment in 2012 when 'America went to hell'

Geography was more important than we thought.

via Canva/Photos

An angry man in front of the American flag.

America has never been a perfect place, but since the Civil War, it has been one where most people bought into the idea of the country and supported the institutions that keep it running. People may disagree on politics and culture, but when America was threatened, whether it was 9/11 or World War II, people came together to fight for the country they love, even though the reasons may have differed.

However, it’d be naive to say that sentiment is still as strong as it once was. Since The Great Recession, many people have felt that the vibes are off in America, and polls and research back those feelings. Right around 2012, when smartphones became ubiquitous, there was a considerable rise in the number of people who felt that America was on the wrong track and that racism and sexism were considerably worse than they were just a year before. There was also a big spike in mental illness.

So what happened in 2012? Did the world suddenly become drastically worse overnight, or had our perceptions been changed?

woman, dispair, smartphone, bad news, woman in kitchen, upset woman A woman is upset looking at her smartphone.via Canva/Photos

Why does it feel like America is on the decline?

Other developed countries have experienced similar vibe shifts since 2012, but it has hit America the hardest. Economics blogger Noah Smith explains why this feeling of malaise has hit America so hard, and he illustrates it perfectly in a viral Substack piece called “Social media destroyed one of America's key advantages.” Smith is an American blogger and commentator on economics and current events and former assistant professor of behavioral finance at Stony Brook University.

In his Substack post, Smith postulates that the technological change hit America the hardest because it punctured our geographical buffers. “A hippie in Oakland and a redneck in the suburbs of Houston both fundamentally felt that they were part of the same unified nation; that nation looked very different to people in each place,” Smith writes. “Californians thought America was California, and Texans thought America was Texas, and this generally allowed America to function.”

Why did America fundamentally change in 2012?

Here’s an excerpt from Smith’s piece. Please check out the entire piece on the Noahpinion Substack.

Like some kind of forcible hive mind out of science fiction, social media suddenly threw every American in one small room with every other American. Decades of hard work spent running away from each other and creating our ideologically fragmented patchwork of geographies went up in smoke overnight, as geography suddenly ceased to mediate the everyday discussion of politics and culture.

The sudden collapse of geographic sorting in political discussion threw all Americans in the same room with each other — and like the characters in Sartre’s No Exit, they discovered that “Hell is other people.” Conservatives suddenly discovered that a lot of Americans despise Christianity or resent White people over the legacy of discrimination. Liberals suddenly remembered that a lot of their countrymen frown on their lifestyles. Every progressive college kid got to see every piece of right-wing fake news that their grandparents were sharing on Facebook (whereas before, these would have been quietly confined to chain emails). Every conservative in a small town got to see Twitter activists denouncing White people. And so on.


protests, american protest, protest sign, demonstration, mass gathering A group of people protesting in the street.via Ted Eytan/Flickr

It may sound cynical to believe that America was a better place when people were less likely to talk to people with a different worldview. But, given how things have gone in the past 15 years, it’s fair to say that putting every American in a proverbial ring to fight it out just makes everyone feel under attack... and the fight never ends.

The problem with the Like button

Another development around the same time that many believe negatively affected the country was the development of the Like button on Facebook. The button made its debut in 2009, and it, along with the share button, which came in 2010, incentivized people to create content that their audience agreed with, creating echo chambers. The buttons also incentivized people to make outrage-provoking posts and create fake stories to go viral and increase advertising revenue.

maga, trump supporters, trump flags, trump rally, american flags Trump supporters at a rally.via Elvert Barnes/Flickr

The positive takeaway from Smith’s geographical sorting theory is that, quite possibly, many people’s perceptions about life in Amerca are wrong because we’re seeing it through the distorted, funhouse mirror of social media that shows us every bad deed in a country of 330 million people and amplifies the voices of the unscroupulous. By pinpointing the moment that America “went to hell,” as author Jonathan Haidt says, we also have a roadmap to get back to when people had greater faith in America’s institutions and people.

This article originally appeared in June.

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Man embarks on journey to learn about women's health. He's horrified and calling for change.

“Why aren’t y’all being studied?!”

Photo credit: Canva

Man takes journey into women's health, is instantly horrified.

Men discovering all that women go through physically and hormonally can be a fun ride. It's a journey that generally starts with the denial that things are bad in the world of women's health, then quickly transitions into shock. The men who publicize their parlay into women's health generally don't share much after the first couple of mind-boggling discoveries. But one man has been documenting new-to-him discoveries about women's health for weeks.

Women's health is a topic that many people, including women themselves, do not fully understand. This isn't for a lack of trying on the part of women, but due to the lack of interest in scientific research regarding women's health. Science is still a male-dominated field, which means that oftentimes the struggles that women have faced for generations are overlooked. There's even a book called Invisible Women (2019), about how male-centric research has left women out of the loop of safety in multiple areas.

Women's health; health; medical gaslighting; women's health research; health research; man learns women's health Woman at the doctor's office. Photo credit: Canva

The medical gaslighting that seems to happen around the concerns women bring to their doctors is pervasive if you're inclined to believe women's lived experience. Thankfully, in more recent years, researchers, medical doctors, and some men have been taking women's health much more seriously. Researchers have been making groundbreaking discoveries in the research of female-bodied individuals.

René Jay recently embarked on a journey of his own to learn more about women's health issues. He uploads a video every time he learns something new so he can share with his audience his utter shock and dismay. It's been something that some women have started looking forward to, even offering up areas he should explore.

In his first video posted to Instagram, he is already feeling frustrated. "I feel like women should be madder," he says. "Bro, how are y'all even remotely accepting this, but then you're like, wait, they're not accepting it. This is why every woman I've ever met she talks about her own health, she immediately gets angry, and I've been like, 'Why are you getting so angry?' Now I get it, because you go to the doctor, and the doctor is so consistently condescending about your health."

Jay continues in the video, sharing how doctors will simply act as if they have no idea how to answer or help with seemingly simple concerns. This initial video shares what he's learned in the first 48 hours, but his journey continues in subsequent videos. By hour 72, the curious man learns about the tenaculum, a medical device used to hold the cervix during gynecological procedures. He is shocked by the thought of women only being offered Tylenol considering the level of pain inflicted during the use of the device.

On day 10, Jay expresses frustration with the medical system on behalf of women. "I'm trying to figure out why in the hell, every single time a woman goes to a doctor, she's told that she has to lose weight. But it doesn't really make sense to me because I've been trying to figure out, like okay, logically, what if the weight gain is the symptom? And I'm like, really having trouble figuring that out." He shares that he's truly baffled by how doctors seemingly ignore serious concerns while only offering birth control or weight loss as a solution without thorough investigation.

By day 21, the man seems to be reaching his limit for the medical nonsense women can face. After looking up what a cervical biopsy is and how it's done, his frustration is clear, "It's day 21, I just looked up what a cervical biopsy is. Y'all need more drugs. Listen, who do I need to fight, who do I need to write, because that? Y'all need more drugs for that."

Women's health; health; medical gaslighting; women's health research; health research; man learns women's health Woman at the gynecologist.Photo credit: Canva

He shares that he understands the importance of a cervical biopsy; he's simply objecting to the lack of pain medication provided. Jay animatedly demands that women should be provided pain management before during and after the experience. He also notes that the "pinch" doctors claim women will feel during the procedure is much more than a pinch.

In every video uploaded, Jay either finds himself horrified or angry. But he's not just learning about modern day women's health, he's learning about the history as well, including that the chainsaw was invented to cut through women's pelvises during childbirth. According to How Stuff Works, the method was called a symphysiotomy and was only used when the baby wasn't able to descend out of the birth canal naturally. While a literal chainsaw like we're used to seeing today wasn't the tool used, it was a smaller hand cranked version, and it sparked the idea for the bigger one that cuts down trees.

Jay is continuing his journey into women's health, determined to learn as much as he can while calling for more research. Women have become the biggest champions of his self education with one woman saying, "I want you to know this video series makes me so happy, and also I’m learning things I didn’t know about my own body."

Women's health; health; medical gaslighting; women's health research; health research; man learns women's health Women's health.Photo credit: Canva

Another woman writes, "Absolutely love you for learning and becoming knowledgeable about women’s health and health issues."

"As someone who has had both a cervical biopsy and a LEEP procedure I'm so sorry that you are going to be educated in this way. I am thrilled that you're taking the time to educate yourself but yeah this one's a rough one," someone else shares.

One person is enjoying the journey, writing, "I absolutely LOVE your videos! Watching you learn and seeing your reactions gives me a moment of happiness in this crazy world we live in. Thank you for sharing your journey with us all!!!"

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100 years ago, people were eating things that most of us will never taste. So what happened?

Um ... where did all the seeds go?

Public Domain

Kids enjoying lunch in Morgantown, West Virginia

Back in 1905, a book called "The Apples of New York" was published by the New York State Department of Agriculture. It featured hundreds of apple varieties of all shapes, colors, and sizes, including Thomas Jefferson's personal favorite, the Esopus Spitzenburg.

That was 120 years ago, when commercial apple orchards were still pretty rare and when even in the biggest of those orchards, everything was done by hand.

1905, image of an apple orchard in OregonPublic Domain

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But why is that apple book such a big deal? The book is significant because most of the apples listed in it have all but disappeared in the past century. DISAPPEARED. In fact, we used to have thousands of apple varieties, but most of those have largely vanished due to industrial agriculture. Now, many varieties are only found tucked away in agricultural research centers and preservationist orchards.

Fact: Today, the 15 most popular apple varieties account for 90% of all apple sales in the U.S. The most commonly sold apple? Red delicious.

2025 looks so different

The fate of all those apple varieties is not uncommon. "In the last century, nearly 75% of our agricultural crops have disappeared. They're simply gone. Today, farmers primarily grow 12 crops. And of these, we mainly eat potatoes, rice, corn, and wheat."

agriculture history, crop diversity, Esopus Spitzenburg, The Apples of New York, seed saving, seed swaps, industrial agriculture, sustainable farming, food heritage, agricultural biodiversity, endangered crops, food security, apple varieties, seed rights The apples we eat today are a small fraction of what used to be available.Photo credit: Canva

So what gives? Why the huge shift? In part, the shift has a lot to do with seed regulation. Back in the day, farmers would save seeds from year to year and share them with friends and neighbors. But nowadays, most seed production is controlled by big companies — and those companies patent their seeds, prohibiting things like seed saving or sharing.

So what do we do now?

Not all hope is lost (yay!). It may be an uphill battle, but there are lots of small farmers working to preserve the freedom to freely share and use seeds. People store thousands of seeds from all around the world in buildings called seed banks, and trade with other farmers at seed swaps.

"They're preserving culture and biodiversity, one seed, one plant, and one person at a time." How 'bout them apples? (No, really, I bet those antique apples they're swappin' are ridiculously tasty.)

To check out the full story from The Lexicon of Sustainability, watch the video below:

In the years since...

Since we first covered this story, there have been some changes in the world of Apples. Nationally, Red Delicious is no longer the top seller; Gala has held the No. 1 spot in recent seasons (about 17% of U.S. production in 2024–25), with Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp and Fuji rounding out the leaders. Newer darlings like Cosmic Crisp continue to climb—especially in Washington, the country’s largest producing state—where it’s now among the top five grown.

Meanwhile, the hunt for “lost” apples has accelerated. The Lost Apple Project and partner sleuths keep turning up forgotten cultivars across the Inland Northwest and beyond, publishing a 2025 master list of rediscovered varieties and inviting the public to help track down more. It’s a small but hopeful countercurrent to the last century’s big consolidation.

This article originally appeared last year.

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