Ihate to say, but we owe a lot of what we have, culinarily, to starvation.

Humans are like wild animals when it comes to food, in that it is a surprisingly powerful motivator. The prospect of facing hunger can make thieves of good people and has triggered entire rebellions many times throughout human history.

That said, it has also fostered creativity for which we should be grateful.

If you grow fruit trees, this may be of particular interest to you. Many out there have had the unfortunate experience of watching a tree set an enormous crop of fruits, only to see a branch break and fall before they ripen.

Or to watch bad weather put an end to a fruitful year. At least two people I know this year lost their best apple trees, full of green fruit, to windstorms.

At one time in human histo

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