Fun Facts

Fun fact! Forests contain over 80% of terrestrial biodiversity. Of the 60,000 tree species that exist, only 2,400 of them are actively managed for products and services. Globally, over 700 species are included in tree improvement programs.

Fun fact! Of the 40 domesticated mammalian and bird species, only eight provide more than 95% of the human food supply from livestock.

Fun fact! There are an estimated 160,000 species of fish and aquatic mollusks, crustaceans and plants, of which only 1.1% are currently fished or harvested, and only 0.3% of which are currently farmed.

Fun fact! Shiitake mushrooms can be produced by placing cultured fungus called spawn into holes drilled in fresh cut hardwood. These logs are then incubated under forest shade for about a year before fruiting begins. The most recommended wood for production is the oak genus of the beech family.

Fun fact! High quality macadamia nuts contain at least 72% oil. Because of the oil’s rich, cushiony feel, and high oxidative stability, oil extracted from macadamia nuts is suitable for use in skincare formulations such as heavy creams, soaps, sunscreens, and shampoos.

Fun fact! While the primary market for earthworms is for recreational fishing, there is a growing earthworm market for composting. The two types of earthworms best suited for composting are the redworms Eisenia foetida (commonly known as red wiggler, brandling, or manure worm) and Lumbricus rubellus.

Fun fact! Milkweed provides strong fibers for making cord, rope, and for weaving coarse cloth. Fibers from the stems of milkweed have been identified in prehistoric textiles found in the Pueblo region, and Tewa-speaking people of the Rio Grande still use these fibers to make string and rope. At the Zuni Pueblo, the silky seed fibers are spun on a wooden spindle, made into yarn, and woven into fabric.

Fun Fact! Fava beans are rich in the amino acid L-DOPA; the precursor to the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine.

Fun fact! All parts of the cassava plant contain cyanogenic glucosides, which are toxic. Boiling the leaves, as well as peeling and boiling the cassava root renders it safe to eat.

Fun Fact! Native Americans would make a hot poultice of ground chia to apply to infected areas of the body inside of a cloth or bandage. The Europeans eventually adopted this method, and early California mission fathers claimed that chia made the finest poultice for gunshot wounds.

Fun Fact! About 90% of wild flowering plants, and 75% of the world’s crops depend at least in part on animal pollination. Pollinators include over 20,000 different bee species as well as butterflies, wasps, moths, beetles, birds, bats, and other vertebrates. Unfortunately, 16.5% of vertebrate pollinator species are threatened with extinction globally, and 40% of invertebrate pollinator species – bees and butterflies in particular – are facing extinction.

Fun Fact! Of the almost 400,000 plant species globally, little over 6,000 plant species have been cultivated for food, and only 9 species account for over 66% of all crop production.

Fun Fact! Date palms can reach heights of 75 feet, and most of the work of harvesting dates is done within the crown of the palm. In parts of the U.S., climbing is still a method used to harvest fruit or perform other maintenance. The workers that do this are called “palmeros.”

Fun Fact! One cup of chickpeas offers 29% of the daily value of protein and 49% of the daily value of fiber.

Fun Fact! Besides being 92% water, watermelons are also rich in nutrients. One cup of diced, fresh watermelon offers 21% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin C, 18% of the DV for vitamin A, and significant levels of vitamin B6, lycopene, antioxidants, and amino acids.

Fun Fact! While American and European gooseberries share the common name of “gooseberry” with many other fruits, there are distinct differences. Common fruits that share the name “gooseberry” but do not belong to the same species include: Cape gooseberry, Chinese gooseberry, and Indian gooseberry.

Fun Fact! In the U.S., sesame oil is used as a medical carrier for injected drugs or intravenous drip solutions. This oil is extracted from high-quality seed and is more refined than oil intended for human consumption in food.

Fun fact! Oil derived from ratites, a family of flightless birds that includes emus and ostriches, is used extensively in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries because of the oil’s reputable moisturizing, penetrating, and therapeutic qualities for humans and animals.

Fun Fact! The most commercially produced mushrooms are the Agaricus species. Pennsylvania leads the production of Agaricus mushrooms in the U.S., supplying more than 50% of the nation’s production, with California in second place with 18%.

Fun Fact! An ostrich egg weighs 4 lb., the equivalent of 24 chicken eggs. Some people use ostrich eggshells to carve ornaments or to make containers or decorative jewelry.

Fun Fact! Almond trees are entirely dependent on honeybees for pollination, which has led to an increased need for bees in states like California where almond production is popular.

Fun Fact! In early Egypt, aloe was called the “plant of immortality” and offered as a funeral gift to pharaohs.

Fun Fact! If a raw egg white is cloudy, that could mean the egg is fresh. Raw white becomes cloudy due to carbon dioxide that hasn’t yet escaped through the egg shell. As an egg ages and more carbon dioxide escapes, its egg white becomes clearer.

Fun Fact! Chamomile was used as traditional medicine in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

Fun fact! There are nine known species of echinacea. All species are native to North America.

Fun Fact! An egg takes about 26 hours to form fully in a hen.

Fun fact! Why should you spin an egg to tell whether it is raw or hardboiled? Hardboiled eggs will spin smoothly whereas the liquid in a raw egg makes the raw egg wobble.

Fun fact! Valerian’s medicinal use dates back to early Greece and Rome to treat conditions such as nervousness, trembling, headaches, and heart palpitations.