As the name implies, urban agriculture is the practice of growing and selling food in and around urban areas. An offset of the maker movement, it involves everything from beekeeping to agroforestry. The focus is on food, but anything that promotes green living and a better environment can fall under the “urban agriculture” blanket.

You’ve probably seen or at least heard of a few examples of urban agriculture. Maybe a local park has a community vegetable garden, or an apartment complex has small plots on the roof. Keeping planters on a balcony or windowsill also qualifies as urban agriculture, particularly if they’re growing herbs or vegetables. They don’t even have to be outside- hydroponics can be grown in a limited space, indoors or out, and still count provided it’s in an urban environment.

While many consider urban agriculture to be a modern fad, it’s well-rooted in history. In ancient Persia, semi-desert towns would use aqueducts to route water down from the mountains to support food growth. They even recycled by using waste as fertilizer. Machu Picchu also reused much of its water during the growing process, and vegetable beds were designed to absorb sunlight. The most famous example of historical urban agriculture might be allotment gardens, which popped up throughout Europe during times of famine, particularly the two World Wars.

The motivations behind urban agriculture vary as much as the methods it can manifest as. Some are motivated by a lack of food security. Growing your own food might be risky and difficult at first, but ultimately costs less than going to the store, which is a boon for lower-income families. On the other hand, they could be a result of a sustainable living program, a community project, or even just a few foodies wanting to try something new. Either way, the result is the same- fresh food for those who may not have it otherwise.

While urban agriculture has many benefits and is steadily growing in popularity worldwide, there are a fair number of trade-offs. Space is (naturally) limited in cities, making any real estate a premium. Using untreated wastewater to nurture the plants, as some do, could lead to the spread of waterborne illnesses. The larger the human population, the more insects there are, which are frequent enemies of plants. There are also municipal policies to deal with, like urban tree canopy initiatives. The shade caused by the tree cover prevents the gardens from getting the sunlight it needs to grow.

Still, as more cities and independent populations embrace urban agriculture, quality of life will improve for many. Not just those involved and enjoying the resulting produce- anybody in range will enjoy boons like decreased noise pollution, reduction of ozone, and even soil decontamination. Those directly contributing and feasting on the fruits of their labor may also be getting more nutrients and higher-quality versions of their retail counterparts. It’s good for the economy and for building a sense of community.

If the idea of joining an urban agriculture team or project overwhelms you, don’t worry. You can start small and work on your own or jump right into the deep end. Much like the maker movement, newcomers are welcomed with open arms. It’s all about making your life- and others- better.

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COTTON CANDY

In truth, spun sugar was already a popular dessert, having been around since medieval times. However, in 1897, William J. Morrison worked with candy maker John C. Wharton to co-patent an “electric candy machine” to produce the fluffy confection. The twist? Morrison was the former president of the Tennessee State Dental Association and was a dentist for several years. Now that’s a toothache of irony.

SNAPPLE

If you’ve ever wondered where the name “Snapple” came from, it’s a mashup of “snap” and “apple.” Arnold Greenberg, Leonard Marsh, and Hyman Golden were attempting to market a line of carbonated juice drinks. Unfortunately, when the drinks fermented, the lids would explode off the bottles. The formula was tweaked, but the nickname stuck. Guess it was just snappy enough.

NACHOS

Ignacio Anaya was the head waiter at the Mexican restaurant Victory Club during World War II. One day, a group of women stopped in for a meal, but Anaya couldn’t find the cook. Improvising, he threw together tortilla chips, cheese, and jalapenos. The food was christened the nacho after Anaya’s real-life nickname. A very believable, if cheesy, reasoning.

CHEWING GUM

Speaking of Mexico, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna is most famous for his role during the battle for the Alamo. After he was exiled from Mexico, he tried to raise funds for his return by selling chicle as a substitute for rubber. Father-and-son inventors Thomas and Horatio Adams realized they could make the product chewable, and the bubble for the gum industry was blown.

FLAMIN’ HOT CHEETOS

A janitor at the California Frito-Lay plant, Richard Montanez, brought home some bare Cheetos after a mishap at the factory. He covered them with chili powder, a combination which was a hit among friends and family. His supervisors suggested he speak to the company president. To this day, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are the most popular version of the snack. Flame on, Montanez.

SANDWICHES

You’ve probably heard this story already: John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, was an avid gambler during his free time. During a poker game, he asked a servant to bring him his meat in between two pieces of toast, so he could eat with one hand and play with the other. His friends began ordering the same combo, nicknaming it after Montagu’s title. Clearly the best thing since sliced bread.

PRETZELS

Because pretzels have been around for centuries, their exact origin is unknown. However, it is widely believed European monks and other members of the clergy are to thank. The design of the pretzel somewhat resembles a child with their arms crossed in prayer. Their German name, brezel, is also thought to be derived from the Latin bracchiola, or “little arms.” No wonder they make such a divine snack. On the other hand…

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

…was not invented in Germany. Indeed, it was created by an American man named Samuel German, an employee of Baker’s Chocolate. Baker’s is famously used in the cake, and the original name of the confection (German’s Chocolate Cake) made the origins more clear. Don’t worry, though- black forest cake is the real deal.

FANTA

During World War II, Coca-Cola stopped syrup shipments to Germany. This left German CEO Max Keith in a predicament. How was he to prepare soft drinks without the top-secret Coke syrup? Mix whatever ingredients he could find- surplus fruit, leftovers from cheese making, etc.- together, sweeten it, and profit. It quickly caught on not for its flavor, but the lack of alternatives. Eventually, Coke added Fanta to its permanent lineup.

SNICKERS

The candy bar itself doesn’t have a particularly fascinating history in its creation. The combination of peanuts, nougat, and chocolate came naturally to the Mars family. The funny part is the name, shared with their favorite family horse. Some versions of the story suggest it was the youngest daughter who made the suggestion, but this is far from confirmed.

The post Funny Invention Stories, Part 1: Food appeared first on Inventionland.

STRING LIGHTS

While they might be a hassle to get untangled, prior to their release, people would decorate their trees with live candles. As you can imagine, this was actually pretty dangerous, so Edward Johnson sought to create a safer alternative. Johnson, the protégé of Thomas Edison, debuted his electric Christmas lights to the public in the late 1800s and the tradition of wrestling with them each year has persisted ever since.

GIFT CARDS

These popular stocking stuffers and gifts from relatives you don’t really speak with first debuted in 1998. Nancy Gensburg and Carol Jacobsohn of Swift Gifts in Illinois combined the magic of modern credit cards with store-specific gift certificates and gift cards were born. They were an instant hit and now most retailers have some version of a gift card.

YULE LOGS

Few people burn actual yule logs anymore. The tradition started as a pagan ritual to celebrate the winter solstice, usually burning pine, birch, oak, or aspen (with each type of wood having a different meaning). The modern equivalent is the yule log cake or “Buche de Noel.”  A chocolate sponge cake is rolled around cream and decorated to look like a traditional yule log. It was first created by a French pastry chef in the late 1880s.

THE DREIDEL

Before becoming the game of choice at Hanukah gatherings, the dreidel started as a top popular in Germany during Christmastime. The Jewish community soon adopted the toy, changing the letters on the top from German to Yiddish. Some stories also suggest that they were used as a cover-up after illegally reading the Torah while hiding from the Seleucids.

CANDY CANES

White sugar candy sticks were popular treats, but in 1670 the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral decided to bend them to look like shepherd’s crooks. They were handed out to children to keep them quiet during services. It wasn’t until the 1900s that the peppermint flavor and iconic red stripes were added, making them the wintertime snack we all know and love.

GREETING CARDS

Surprisingly, Hallmark had nothing to do with the first Christmas card, although they did help popularize them years later. The first card was designed in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole and his friend, artist John Horsley. The inscription was a simple “A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” Believe it or not, the card was actually quite controversial because it included an image of a child being given a glass of wine. But one controversial card didn’t stop this fad. Today, thanks to sites like Shutterfly, many families send out personalize cards with family photos so you can see just how much everyone has grown in the last year.

WRAPPING PAPER

We have Hallmark to thank for wrapping paper, naturally. People traditionally wrapped their presents in fabric or plain papers, but the Kansas City, Missouri Hall Brothers store ran out of the latter one day in 1917. They started offering patterned envelope liners as an alternative. Shoppers loved it and gift wrap hasn’t been the same since. Today, you can find gift wrap decorated with everything from donuts to dinosaurs, and it’s become an art to match the gift wrap with the receiver’s personality.

ARTIFICIAL CHRISTMAS TREES

While going out as a family to pick out the perfect Christmas tree is considered iconic, nowadays many pull the artificial one from the basement. Early artificial trees were made in Germany out of wire covered in green-dyed feathers. In the 1930s, the plastic tree most are familiar with was introduced by Addis, a toilet brush company and the first trees were made out of, you guessed it–toilet brush bristles. We’ve come a long way since then and now you can get trees pre-lit, snow covered and in all colors of the rainbow.

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