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newvegascowboy · 2 years ago

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food & agriculture in fallout: extrapolation and speculative worldbuilding

Okay, well. This is going to be an extremely long and data heavy post. Bear with me.

I'm going to go into detail about the crops and available food given to us canonically and textually. I'm going to be drawing some real world parallels between the crops we see in Fallout and what we have here. I'll be pulling relevant data from all the games, but the majority focus on this post is going to be about the east coast and Massachusetts in particular because it gives us the opportunity to participate in the agricultural climate of the wasteland.

Is there a point to this? Not really, but I'm pedantic and I take things too seriously.

my sources will be linked in the text throughout. for those of you who want to read about agricultural and growing zones of the continental united states, please follow me under the cut.

Growing zones and real world agriculture

Shown here are the growing zones of the united states, divided into a temperature map of about 19 different regions. It's fairly intuitive to read -- colder temperatures are north and east, while warmer temperatures are south and west. The majority of the Mojave desert sits between 7a to 9a, a temperature range of about 20 degrees. DC and the nearby section of the southeast coast sits between 7a and 8a. The interactive map linked below will tell you where your growing zone sits.

The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones and further divided into 5-degree F half-zones.

For the moment, we are going to focus on Massachusetts.

Using the temperature above, we can see that the growing zone of Massachusetts is 5a (-20f) at it's very coldest, all the way to 7b, (5f) at it's warmest during winter. Most of what we see in fallout 5 sits in the 6a to 6b zone, which is middle ground during the winter, but cold enough to want to warrant crops that can withstand the frost.

There is a solid 5 month window for planting annual crops, like corn, melons, and gourds like pumpkin. Your perennial crops are limited to fruit trees and possibly grains, depending on the variety and whether or not a perennial variety has been bred.

Cold weather crops include beets, carrots, greens like cabbage, collards, kale, and potatoes. These aren't the types of crops that will survive the winter as much as these are foods that can go in the ground as soon as it is unfrozen enough to be workable. Root vegetables and greens can germinate in soil as cold as 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which provides some leeway with unpredictable frosts and late planting times.

Much of the agricultural landscape of Massachusetts is dependent on the dairy industry, farming cattle, and aquaculture -- fishing and catching shellfish. Those with access to the coasts, fish and shellfish ought to provide protein during lean months.

Why are we talking about this? Well, if we're stepping into the shoes of a subsistence farmer in the fallout universe, we're going to have to take into account climate and ideal planting times for certain crops. It's not wholly important in terms of things like fic writing, unless you happen to be writing about the life and times of wasteland agriculture, in which case, I hope this is helpful! Again, I am pedantic, and this section is to provide a template when considering and discussing other parts of the game and what their specific diet and agricultural landscapes might look like.

Something to keep in mind when thinking about how farms might function in the Mojave, for instance, or if you're doing worldbuilding for a different part of the US.

Crops in the fallout universe

Now that we're familiar with growing zones and why certain crops are planted and when, we're going to apply some speculative worldbuilding to fallout itself. We will be revisiting growing zones when we talk about other climates, but for the moment, we're going to focus on fallout 4.

Now to preface -- I don't think that the food that is given to us in game is wholly representative of the plants or animals that survived the apocalypse. If some managed to mutant and survive, I'm willing to bet others did. I certainly won't deduct any points from anyone who wants to talk about growing cotton, or farming peaches or cherries, and I won't raise any eyebrows if someone includes things like spices into their wasteland cuisine.

In the 210+ years since the bombs fell, I do not think that the majority of the US is a desolate wasteland, but this post is not going to be my beef with the devs about how brown everything is. This beef is about food in particular. However, for sake of ease, I'm mostly just going to focus on the food that is presented to us in game.

There will be some extrapolation and speculation later, but if I do that for everything, then we'll be here all day, and we've all got things to do.

I would also be remiss to mention that agriculture in the US is old. It predates colonialism. The Native Americans cultivated the land long before any European settlers. They practiced a type of crop growing referred to as Three Sisters planting, which utilized corn, pole beans, and squash -- all things that exist in the agricultural landscape of Fallout as we know it.

Corn

I'm not going to say much about corn because there's not a lot to say about it. We all know what corn is. Fallout's corn is visually similar to wild violet, a hybrid corn.

But I am not going to say Fallout's corn is one such variety or another. In the 210 years since the bombs dropped, I imagine corn varietals have been bred and interbred a thousand times, and it is probably it's own unique strain. It's kind of a moot point. Corn is corn. You can do with yellow corn what you can do with wild violet, and whatever special breeds that make up Fallout's corn.

Corn is the third largest plant-based food source in the world. Despite its importance as a major food in many parts of the world, corn is inferior to other cereals in nutritional value. Its protein is of poor quality, and it is deficient in niacin. Diets in which it predominates often result in pellagra (niacin-deficiency disease). Corn is high in dietary fibre and rich in antioxidants.

You can do a shit ton with corn. It's a staple grain. It would not be incongruous with the fallout setting to have settlers making tortillas, cornbread, polenta, grits, tamales, etc. Corn can also be used to make corn whiskey. The husks can be spun into yarn and woven into garments similar to cotton, which I thought was interesting and also solves the problem of where the hell wastelanders are getting their clothes. Corn can be used as livestock feed, especially in the winter when cattle can't graze. While corn is a staple grain of the US, the east coast has minor corn production compared to places like the midwest. Corn is a staple, but it does not consist of the entire diet of your average wastelander.

Carrots

Not going to say much about carrots either. They're carrots. They grow well in colder soil and tend to have a lot of natural sugars. The carrots we're shown in FO4 seem to be a mutated variety different than the "fresh carrot" consumable in FNV, but there's virtually no difference, so I'm not counting it. Make some carrot cake.

Razorgrain

"This species appears to be quite promising. It's a toothy grain that we may be able to grind in order to replace wheat, which is untenable in the Wasteland. We are uncertain how to increase crop yields, which are very unpredictable. Will continue to study."

Razorgrain is our first unique mutated crop in the fallout setting. It most closely resembles a barley or a rye. Both are a fairly hardy species and can grow all across the continental united states; rye can germinate in cold weather temperatures. It wouldn't be outrageous to assume that razorgrain is similar too or a crossbred variation of both rye and barley. I have decided to base the majority of my research assuming it is a barley variant. Barley is also a major crop on the east coast near the Commonwealth, so that would explain why razorgrain is present in FO4 and not in the other games.

Barley requires a mild winter climate and can grow in growing zones 3-8, so it would be viable in Massachusetts. Barley can be milled into flour and it contains gluten; the gluten content of North American wheat and barley tends to be higher to survive the colder climates, so razorgrain would likely be very glutenous. It is also less susceptible to ergot than rye, but barley can still become infected -- and, I am assuming, razorgrain could as well.

Razorgrain fills the nutritional niche of carbohydrates and can be used to make breads, cakes, pastas, etc. It produces darker breads that have an earthier flavor than milled white flour. There has to be some method of actually milling the grain, though, which is an intensive process that can often be dangerous. Grain can also be used to make malted candy, which is our first option for wastelanders with a sweet tooth. Obviously, razorgrain can also be used to make malt or grain alcohol and is probably the source of all the beer you find littered around the wasteland.

Gourds and melons

Gourds and melons are actually a part of the same family, Cucurbita. The category of 'gourd' covers several different kinds of vegetables, including ornamental fruits that shouldn't be eaten. We aren't going to spend a whole lot of time on this one, simply because canon doesn't tell us that much and there's a lot of wiggle room in terms of interpretation.

FO4's model looks the most similar to a pumpkin, but it could be some other squash varietal from the Cucurbita family, which includes watermelon, honey melon, cucumber, squash, zucchini and pumpkin.

Melons is another pretty broad category. Melons and squash are part of the same family, as mentioned above. If we're going visuals again, the model is likely intended to resemble a watermelon. Watermelons grow best in humid and semi-arid environments between 70 and 8- degrees Fahrenheit. It's not impossible for wastelanders to be growing watermelons, but considering the humidity and frequent rainfall in Massachusetts, the melons would be vulnerable to fungal infections.

There isn't a lot of information on what specifically gourds and melons are in the fallout universe, so you could get away with writing in a pretty wide variety. Personally, I lean a little bit towards melons being a muskmelon variety, like cantaloupe or honeydew. Squash fills in some vitamin requirements for the human diet, and can be canned and stored for winter. It tends to be high in vitamin C and magnesium.

The limit to this one seems to be your imagination. Go crazy.

Mutfruit

This wiki claims that the mutfruit (it has a scientific name apparently, malus maata) is a mutated species of apple and crabapple. There are two different wikis about the mutfruit, both distinct. The first is linked above. The second is linked here -- I got most of my information from this second wiki.

There is a handful of "canon" information we can take from this set of wikis.

Priscilla Penske in Vault 81 is attempting to create foods that have increased resistance to radiation. She mentions the mutfruit would do well, but isn't certain how the hybridization would affect the flavor and texture.[5]

This claim is taken directly from the second wiki, but in comparison, it makes no sense. If the mutfruit tree is a product of mutation, then radiation shouldn't really affect it at all. It's survived and propagated to this point, hasn't it? I am disregarding this claim on the basis of being stupid.

Farmers in at Warwick homestead will comment on the fruit's characteristics, such as tasting sweet and being versatile in recipes.[1][2] The vault dwellers of Vault 81 trade for mutfruit with the outside world, and use it to make special occasion desserts such as pie.[6][7]

If the mutfruit is an apple variant, then it likely has a high sugar content, and it would have to be harvested in the peak of summer or in early fall.

There are fresh apples the be found across the wasteland, implying the existence of apple trees that have been unaffected by the bombs. Personally, I was assuming that the mutfruit was some kind of blackberry, given its appearance as a clustered fruit, or maybe even a type of plum. Regardless, the mutfruit is a fruit, which means that it would preserve well by being jarred or canned, has a high sugar content, and could likely be reduced to form sugar syrups. Like any fruit, it could be used to make alcohol.

Tatos

I want to stop myself from editorializing too much, but goddamn tatos. The crop that makes the least goddamn sense in the fallout universe. The bane of my existence. Let's get into it.

First off, we're given some pretty damning canon facts about tatos:

Tatos are a mutated hybrid of the cross-pollination of the tomato and��potato plants.[1] The new consumable looks like a tomato on the outside, but the inside is brown.[2] Commonly cultivated in the Commonwealth, Appalachia and on the Island, its fruit is easy to grow and can keep one from starving, but their taste is described as "disgusting"[2][3][Non-game 1] and resembling "ketchup-flavored cardboard."[1]

According to some old botany texts we found, this appears to be combination of a now extinct plant called a "potato" and another extinct plant called a "tomato." The outside looks like a tomato, but the inside is brown. Tastes as absolutely disgusting as it looks, but will keep you from starving.

Note: This text was written from the perspective of someone who is unaware that both the tomato and the potato are being cultivated elsewhere. The writer also does not mention any sort of DNA test. However, the potato is also found in the Capital Wasteland, and the writer is a scribe in the Brotherhood of Steel, which originated from that area.

Both potatoes and tomatoes are from the nightshade family. They have the same nutrient requirements, and would compete for resources if planted separately but in the same soil. There is a method for planting them together where you splice a tomato stalk onto a potato root, but this is not the same as cross pollination and will not result in what fallout presents as a tato. What will happen is that the roots will grow potatoes and the fruit of the tomato will branch off the stems.

The potato itself is a stem tuber -- high in starch and calorically dense. A stem tuber is an offshoot of the parent plant that will grow beneath the soil as a type of asexual budding reproduction. We all know what a potato is. The tomato is a berry. It's the ovary of a flowering plant -- again, we all know what a tomato is.

I am going to give Fallout a little bit of grace and not comment on how mind bendingly stupid their description of a tato is. The outer skin is a tomato, but the inside is brown and starchy like the potato? I am not going to comment on how it makes little to no biological sense. The starchy tuber is starchy because it's an energy and nutrient storage device. The tomato is the enlarged ovary of a fruit. Why did those things, which are separately very good, combine into one very terrible thing? I don't know. It doesn't make sense. I don't really want to think about it. But these are the facts as they are given to us in game and I suppose I have to live with that. Obligatory "goddamn you todd howard. a pox on your house."

The tato is probably extremely calorically dense. It's specifically mentioned as being easy to grow and it is a better alternative to starving. It's probably grown as a staple crop throughout the planting season. I'm not entirely sure if the tato can produce glycoalkaloids like the potato does (that is, the green sections of the potato that can become poisonous when exposed to light) but if they can, and if stored improperly, it would negatively impact the health of whoever ate them.

I suppose since the taste is so offensive, tatos are better served as a carrier of some other type of food. Fried, mashed, baked -- the purpose of the tato is simply to get calories into your body. Starch can also be turned into alcohol, which I am going to need a lot of after reading the canonical facts of this stupid fucking plant.

Fallout: The Roleplaying Game Rulebook p.158: "A mutated hybrid of the pre-War tomato and potato plants, with the stem and reddish skin of the former and the brownish flesh of the latter. Tatos provide decent nutrition, but taste disgusting. However, they’re relatively easy to grow and thus are a staple of wasteland agriculture and is an ingredient in a variety of recipes."

fucker

"non farmable" crops

You can't cultivate these plants, but again - we're taking what's given to us and interpreting it extremely literally. There is no reason that these crops could not be domesticated and farmed.

Siltbean

Siltbean is likely a type of bushbean, rather than a pole bean. It's squat and low to the ground. Bush beans require little care or attention and you can pick them when you're ready to harvest them. Historically in North America, beans and corn were grown side by side (though those beans were pole beans using the stalks as support). Bush beans require successive plantings since harvests are early.

There's no good allegory for what type of bean this might be. The potato bean (Apios americana) is native to North America and also produces edible tubers, but there's no reason this couldn't be just some other type of bean. No beans that I could find had red/orange pods.

Beans are a good source of both proteins and carbohydrates, and another crop that can store well for the winter.

Tarberry

Tarberry is a little iffy, considering it is farmed by the ghouls at The Slog, but they're the only farm shown capable (or willing?) to farm the berries. Originally, I had assumed that tarberries were a type of mutated cranberry, and I thought the wiki was supporting me in that claim by saying this:

Tarberries are small, dusty orange berries of the tarberry plant. It is a water-grown crop similar to cranberries.

But cranberries themselves are also canon in the world of Fallout. So who knows! There's no canon information presented on the tarberry's characteristics, so it can be treated the same as any other fruit or berry.

Fungus variants

Glowing fungus: Glowing fungus is one of the few real world equivalents we have. It is a Japanese mushroom called Enoki. It is also farmable as shown in FNV at Hell's Motel.

Brain fungus: This is harvestable, but there aren't any "crops" shown as we would consider them. Considering it's benefits as a mentat replacement, then it's likely that there could be a dedicated space for growing it.

Food and Plants mentioned in the text

Potato

Thank god almighty, potatoes are canon in the universe of Fallout. Fresh potatoes are found as consumables in FO3 and FNV but potatoes are also mentioned in the text of FO4:

Mentioned in dialogue -- {Angry} Shut up Jake. If I hear anything out of either of you, you'll both be peeling potatoes for the next year.

I'm taking this as word of god. Potatoes are canon and I don't care what anyone says.

Tomato

Tomatoes are mentioned in the text, but are never actually seen in game. The only hint that this plant survived extinction is this excerpt from the wiki.

Note: As fresh tomatoes and potatoes are seen in the Mojave Wasteland as of 2281, with the potato seen in the Capital Wasteland as of 2277, the claim of either's extinction by 2287 in the Commonwealth Plant Database could be taken to mean local extinction in east coast regions, as opposed to global extinction. This entry may also just be in error.

There's potential for leeway here, but take it as you will!

Fresh apple

We discussed this back up in the mutfruit section of the essay, but the existence of fresh apples implies the existence of non mutated apple trees. They're found in both FO3 and FNV as a consumable item, so the apple tress have either proliferated across the continental united states, or multiple varieties survived the bombs.

Fresh pear

See above. Pears are also naturally high in pectin, which makes them useful for making jams and preserves.

Pinto beans

Pinto beans are a consumable in FNV and is another W in the bean category of the agricultural landscape.

Jalepeno

Look, I'm picking out this one specifically because I need to believe that other spices and peppers exist in the world. Where would we be without her? Nowhere good.

Raw sap

I am going to say that sap collecting is probably where most of the sugars and sweeteners in the wasteland come from. It's relatively easy to tap trees and collect sap, and it only takes a few hours to reduce the sap down into useable syrup.

Wild Blackberry, Lime, Cranberries, as well as Watermelon as being distinct from simply 'melon' are all mentioned in the text. The list of fruits mentioned or found in the games can be found here.

Animal husbandry

Fallout doesn't give us a lot of canonical information on the animal side of farming. The biggest real world agricultural export of Massachusetts is dairy and cattle farming. Chickens are canon in the worldbuilding of fallout as of Far Harbor, but canon feels both restrictive and extremely loose with regards to what animals can be cared for and how.

We aren't going to spend a whole lot of time on this one, only because the information is pretty limited.

Brahmin

There are plenty of brahmin found throughout the landscape of the wasteland. We most commonly see them as either livestock or beasts of burden. Things like milk, cheese, and other dairy products would be common if a farm has access to dairy cows. The investment to raise cows would be enormous for a subsistence farmer. Dairy cows would likely be kept for a number of years, where steers would be raised 12 to 24 months before being slaughtered; they'd likely be grass fed in the summer and corn or grain fed in the winter. Leather and beef would be products, of course, and things like soap and candles can be made from the beef tallow.

Chickens

Chickens are largely easy to keep and care for, producing eggs and necessary proteins. Chickens can provide niacin, filling in the nutritional gap that would be left by a heavy corn based diet. The investment for keeping chickens is lower than raising brahmin, but so is the payoff.

Bighorners

Bighorners are mutated bighorn sheep native to the American Southwest.[1] Humans have since domesticated them for their horns, meat, milk, and hides,[2][3]

Granted, bighorners are only seen in FNV, but I don't think there's any reason they couldn't have migrated east. In the text, it says they're kept for meat and milk, but there's no reason that they shouldn't provide a fleece as well. In the colder climate of Massachusetts, they would find value in wool, which can keep its warmth even when wet. They may be sparse across the commonwealth, but that would make wool and fleece all that much more valuable.

Fish

Yeah, I know. Technically we can't fish in Fallout (and depending on the game you play, you might not even know what a fish is). But aquaculture is huge in Boston, and with access to the coasts, it's completely fair to say that fish, shellfish, and hydroponics is a completely viable source of food in the wasteland. We see dead fish washed up on shore all the time, along with whatever the hell those shark things are. There should be fisheries and fishing towns all along the coasts.

New Vegas and Fallout 3

Consulting our growing zone chart, we can see that much of the southwest sits between 7b to 8b. The winters in the southwest are fairly mild, and while you can get seeds in the ground sooner, the majority of the battle is going to be finding a reliable water source.

The farming we see in New Vegas has one distinct notable inclusion: the NCR sharecropper farm.

The sharecroppers are growing a number of crops, including maize, tobacco, pinto beans, and honey mesquite. Corn can handle hot, arid weather, it's just not commercially grown out west. Barley can also handle hot, arid climates, and razorgrain would be suitable for the western front -- maybe we can assume it's made it's way that far west and is being cultivated alongside corn.

Most of the plants we see in FNV aren't the type we would see typically domesticated for agricultural use, but that doesn't mean people haven't adapted to their surroundings. It makes a lot of sense for locals to have domesticated local plants like prickly pear and banana yucca. There are a number of fresh produce items to be found as consumables, alongside local fruits the local fruits.

Heat-loving plants are best suited for summer production in desert climates. The plant families that fit into the heat-loving category are nightshade or Solanaceae (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) and squash or Cucurbitaceae (cucumbers, melons, summer and winter squash). Corn and beans also perform best in hot climates.

Most plants CAN handle the heat and climate of the southwest, the issue is just finding a reliable source of water. Somewhere close to Lake Mead or the banks of the Virgin River would be prime real estate for farming, since irrigation could be accomplished without the use of pumps, like the sharecroppers use.

If we look back at the history of agriculture, it's developed along established waterways in almost every ancient civilization because that's what's easiest. There should be thriving communities surrounding the lakes and rivers in the southwest.

Comparatively, DC was formerly a swamp. It's hot and humid in the summer, though the winters are fairly mild. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that farming practices in the Commonwealth don't differ all that much from farming in the Capital Wasteland -- you could even posit that food from the Capital is of better quality ever since the successful activation of Project Purity. Fresh and unirradiated food was growing there before, so it's entirely likely that even more is growing now. YMMV!

Other consumables

We would be here all damn day if I did research onto every single consumable item available across all three games, so this mostly just because I'm covering my bases.

Look, I'm picking out this one specifically because I need to believe that other spices and peppers exist in the world. Where would we be without her? Nowhere good.

Pre War food

Most shelf-stable foods are safe indefinitely. In fact, canned goods will last for years, as long as the can itself is in good condition (no rust, dents, or swelling). Packaged foods (cereal, pasta, cookies) will be safe past the ‘best by’ date, although they may eventually become stale or develop an off flavor.

The risk with improperly canned good, or damaged canned goods, is botulism. Botulism will straight up kill you. You don't even have to consume that much of it; just a little bit will leave you dead in days. As desperate as I might be for a meal, I'm not going to risk dying because that can of two hundred year old peaches looks really tasty.

If properly sealed and in a dry, ideal environment, I... guess things like cereal and instant food could be okay? But again, with access to fresh grain, sugars, and yes, even potatoes and pasta, why would you want to risk eating InstaMash that's been around since before your great grandmother.

Pre War drinks

Sigh. Okay.

Unless stored extremely, extremely well, most bottled drinks aren't going to last much longer than 9 months. A year, if you're lucky. Exposure to sunlight and improper storage will break down the contents -- the best bottles are brown, then green. Clear glass is the worst because it does nothing to protect the liquid inside.

All the Nuka Cola you find throughout the world is flat, nasty, and will probably make you sick. I don't think that really needs to be pointed out, but there we go. I suppose the soda could probably be reduced to form sugar syrups, but with access to sap syrup and grain malt, I'm not sure why you would be desperate enough to do that.

So what does food look like in Fallout?

If there's one thing I know about humans, it's that humans like to eat. Food is culture, as much as culture and community is built around food. Good food and access to it is paramount to human happiness. All this to say is that food in fallout is whatever you want it to look like.

I can extrapolate and theorize all day long based on what Fallout tells us definitively, but I'm not going to tell you what the culinary landscape in the wasteland looks like. The only point that I will stress is that humans are really, really good at making things appetizing.

The fandom is already so creative when it comes to developing their idea of what food means in the wasteland. It's what's directly inspired me to write up this stupid, long ass post about farming and agriculture.

Obviously this is not a comprehensive list of all the base ingredients you can find in Fallout. I picked the ones I did because of the potential for consistent farming. Wastelanders have had two centuries to develop agricultural practices based around subsistence farming. I am not a subsistence farmer, and I have no idea how wasteland cottagecore would work at the heart of it. Running a farm is extremely labor intensive, and so much of your investment has to be immediately recouped in the form of eating what you harvest.

What a farm is likely to look like will start in the early spring when the ground begins to thaw, and a farmer can plant his cold resistant crops, like green vegetables and razorgrain. Potatos, carrots, and tatos will also weather the spring chill. When it starts to warm up, the more delicate plants like corn, beans, and squash or melons will get planted and tended to.

If your family is lucky enough to have a greenhouse, you can keep crops growing all through the winter and have a surplus for trade and barter, or just to preserve and refill the pantries.

A lot of the investment will have to be immediately recouped. Eggs from the chickens can't be preserved, obviously, but there will be meat from hunted animals, milk from the brahmin, probably an early harvest from the beans and tatos, and whatever else is in the pantry from the previous harvest.

Some of it will be canned or preserved in the forms of jams or jellies (just remember what I said about botulism). Meat from animals that get hunted can be smoked or otherwise preserved. Grain can be milled into flour or eaten whole and unshelled. Even the corn silk can be woven into clothes for the summer.

There really is no limit to what can be done in the end. While a lot of this information was taken from what we're given in the text, there's no rule that says you have to follow it word for word. If you believe something exists out there, then write it! We're all just making shit up as we go along anyway. If you need permission, then here it is. You can do whatever you want. Make up recipes! Go insane. Follow whatever your little foodie heart desires.

#fallout #kal talks #fallout 4 #fallout new vegas #fnv #fallout 3 #fallout meta #fallout food #fallout headcanons #behold. the agricultural masterpost of my farming headcanons #here she is

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onenicebugperday · 1 year ago

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@considernature submitted: I found this lovely fellow in my garden in Maryland, USA (agricultural zone 7a). He's very pretty, looks almost opalescent. Have you got any ideas as to what they might be?

A cute lil flatid planthopper!

#animals #insects #bugs #submission #true bugs #planthopper #flatid planthopper

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bonefarm · 1 year ago

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I have been trying to find a plant that can go in my West Facing South Oklahoma front garden basically since I moved here. It’s murdered everything. Zone 7a, windy, stormy, hot, cold. We have it all. This fall I’m doing a bush/tree gauntlet. In the running is a Sand Cherry, a chaste tree, three varieties of Abelia, hydrangea, forsythia and a couple of dwarf butterfly bushes.

May the odds be ever in their favor.

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usafphantom2 · 13 days ago

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Flight Test Boss Details How China Threat Is Rapidly Changing Operations At Edwards AFB

The USAF says it’s out of time on China, which has kicked flight testing into overdrive with a focus on harnessing artificial intelligence for a major tactical edge.

Posted on Nov 13, 2024 1:55 PM EST

USAF/Richard Gonzales

“It is an incredible time to be involved in the world of U.S. Air Force flight-test. What we’re doing right now is designed to innovate and accelerate our next generation of capability. We’re modernizing so many of our weapon systems and many new technologies are all going through testing at the same time,” enthused Brig. Gen. Douglas “Beaker” Wickert, commander of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. “Secretary Kendall has been very clear that we are out of time, that our Air Force has never been older or smaller than it is right now, and that the People’s Liberation Army has been specifically designed to defeat us.”

“The investments we’re making right now in modernization and testing for the USAF are designed for success and aimed at changing Chairman Xi’s calculus about pushing back aggressively against the international rules based order. What we are doing here and across USAF flight-testing is extremely consequential.”

The installation at the heart of American military flight-testing for more than 80 years, known today as Edwards AFB, is located in California’s northwestern Mojave desert. This test center has witnessed pioneering advances in aviation since 1942, including a Golden Age in the 1950s that saw an exotic assortment of new military aircraft and X-planes under frantic development in the skies above this sprawling base.

A B-1B Lancer from the Edwards AFB test fleet. Jamie Hunter

Today, Edwards AFB is extremely busy as the resident 412th Test Wing supports multiple efforts to rapidly advance USAF capabilities. Just like on Oct. 14, 1947, when Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager became the first human to exceed the speed of sound, or when William J. “Pete” Knight flew the highly modified X-15A-2 on Oct. 3, 1967, to a top speed of Mach 6.72 (4,520 mph), going faster and higher than any other piloted winged vehicle other than the Space Shuttle, testing at Edwards stands at the bleeding edge of aviation innovation.

Flying operations at Edwards today are complex and diverse and they include ushering in a new era of advanced autonomous uncrewed capabilities that make full use of emerging revolutions in technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), as well as shepherding new aircraft like the B-21 Raider and T-7A Red Hawk into service. The War Zone sat down with Wickert in his office at Edwards for a detailed discussion covering some of the most important subjects that are impacting USAF flight-testing at this crucial time.

USAF test empire

Wickert began his USAF career as an F-16 pilot, and he has been involved in the military flight-test community for the past two decades, with many accolades including being a professor at the Air Force Academy. His role commanding the 412th Test Wing affords him an overarching, top down overview of all USAF testing. “From here, you are afforded a really good vantage point to assess the state of the test world,” said Wickert.

Brig. Gen. Wickert in his office at Edwards AFB. USAF CHLOE BONACCORSI

The 412th Test Wing at Edwards and the 96th Test Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida, both sit under the umbrella of the Air Force Test Center, which is headed up by Maj. Gen. Scott Cain, and is also headquartered at Edwards. “The test community is relatively small, on both the development test side and the partnering operational test side,” Wickert explained.

“We really have to keep our finger on the pulse to understand, with the finite resources that we have, how we facilitate the greatest return on investment, on time, and on our people. As we look at the work we expect to be running here over the next three years, we think we need as many as 1,600 new personnel to work here in our testing ecosystem. In addition to all of that, we need the right type and number of mission control rooms, chase aircraft, and tanker aircraft. We must balance those needs to make sure that we’re moving everything through smoothly, and so when a system under test is not quite ready, we can rapidly reallocate resources where necessary to achieve success.”

A new Boeing T-7A trainer on test at Edwards AFB. USAF Bryce Bennett

While ensuring the correct physical assets are in place to meet demand, there’s also a pressure to evolve flight testing, which is traditionally an extremely laborious process, but essential in procedure to meet safety and capability targets. “We are looking for opportunities to accelerate our testing,” said Wickert. “Our test ecosystem consists of five key things. Firstly, there’s our ground resources, things like wind tunnels and high-speed test tracks, the Joint Simulation Environment [JSE], which is essentially a digital test and training resource.We also have flight resources, things like one-of-a-kind aircraft that are constructed with built-in string gauges and accelerometers to make them highly instrumented aircraft, so you know exactly what the system under test is doing, to include the mission systems. Then we have our instrumental ranges that we are working to tie together. Here we have a western range alliance, that’s the Pacific Test Ranges near Point Mugu, the Nevada Test and Training Range, and the R-2508 complex.”

“There’s also the data. Particularly now as systems are getting more and more complex, we take terabytes of data off of every single test. Finally, there’s the highly educated people that work here. We have the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards, we have almost 1,000 engineers, flight-test engineers, these are a national resource in our test engineering group. This is our test ecosystem and each of those elements are ripe for innovative and creative ways to accelerate our testing, and it’s our responsibility to do that.”

An F-22 and F-35A from the Edwards-based test fleet. USAF Kyle Larson

Evolving USAF testing

USAF leadership is looking at an aggressive timeline with regard to the fielding of new platforms such as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs) amid what the Pentagon calls calls Great Power Competition. Wickert and his team are charged with ensuring the flight-test ecosystem is geared up for efficient means to push such new technologies effectively and efficiently through the rigorous testing that’s needed to field advanced new capabilities.

“Right now we’re at a point as generation AI is coming along and it’s a really exciting time. We’re experimenting with ways to use new tools across the entire test process, from test planning to test execution, from test analysis to test reporting. With investments from the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office [CDAO] we have approved under Control Unclassified Information [CUI] a large language model that resides in the cloud, on a government system, where we can input a test description for an item under test and it will provide us with a Test Hazard Analysis [THA]. It will initially provide 10 points, and we can request another 10, and another 10, etc, in the format that we already use. It’s not a finished product, but it’s about 90% there.”

“When we do our initial test brainstorming, it’s typically a very creative process, but that can take humans a long time to achieve. It’s often about coming up with things that people hadn’t considered. Now, instead of engineers spending hours working on this and creating the administrative forms, the AI program creates all of the points in the correct format, freeing up the engineers to do what humans are really good at – thinking critically about what it all means.”

“So we have an AI tool for THA, and now we’ve expanded it to generate test cards from our test plans that we use in the cockpit and in the mission control rooms. It uses the same large language model but trained on the test card format. So we input the detailed test plan, which includes the method of the test, measures of effectiveness, and we can ask it to generate test cards. Rather than spending a week generating these cards, it takes about two minutes!”

The X-62A takes off from Edwards AFB. Jamie Hunter

Wickert says the Air Force Test Center is also blending its AI tooling into test reporting to enable rapid analysis and “quick look” reports. For example, audio recordings of debriefs are now able to be turned into written reports. “That’s old school debriefs being coupled with the AI tooling to produce a report that includes everything that we talked about in the audio and it produces it in a format that we use,” explained Wickert.

“There’s also the AI that’s under test, when the system under test is the AI, such as the X-62A VISTA [Variable-stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft]. VISTA is a sandbox for testing out different AI agents, in fact I just flew it and we did a BVR [Beyond Visual Range] simulated cruise missile intercept under the AI control, it was amazing. We were 20 miles away from the target and I simply pushed a button to engage the AI agent and then we continued hands off and it flew the entire intercept and saddled up behind the target. That’s an example of AI under test and we use our normal test procedures, safety planning, and risk management all apply to that.”

“There’s also AI assistance to test. In our flight-test control rooms, if we’re doing envelope expansion, flutter, or loads, or handling qualities – in fact we’re about to start high angle-of-attack testing on the Boeing T-7, for example – we have engineers sitting there watching and monitoring from the control room. The broad task in this case is to compare the actual handling against predictions from the models to determine if the model is accurate. We do this as incremental step ups in envelope expansion, and when the reality and the model start to diverge, that’s when we hit pause because we don’t understand the system itself or the model is wrong. An AI assistant in the control room could really help with real-time monitoring of tests and we are looking at this right now. It has a huge impact with respect to digital engineering and digital material management.”

“I was the project test pilot on the Greek Peace Xenia F-16 program. One example of that work was that we had to test a configuration with 600-gallon wing tanks and conformal tanks, which equated to 22,000 pounds of gas on a 20,000-pound airplane, so a highly overloaded F-16. We were diving at 1.2 mach, and we spent four hours trying to hit a specific test point. We never actually managed to hit it. That’s incredibly low test efficiency, but you’re doing it in a very traditional way – here’s a test point, go out and fly the test point, with very tight tolerances. Then you get the results and compare them to the model. Sometimes we do that real time, linked up with the control room, and it can typically take five or 10 minutes for each one. So, there’s typically a long time between test points before the engineer can say that the predictions are still good, you’re cleared to the next test point.”

A heavily-instrumented F-16D returns to Edwards AFB after a mission. Jamie Hunter

“AI in the control room can now do comparison work in real time, with predictive analysis and digital modeling. Instead of having a test card that says you need to fly at six Gs plus or minus 1/10th of a G, at 20,000 feet plus or minus 400 feet pressure altitude, at 0.8 mach plus or minus 0.05, now you can just fly a representative maneuver somewhere around 20,000 feet and make sure you get through 0.8 mach and just do some rollercoaster stuff and a turn. In real time in the control room you’re projecting the continuous data that you’re getting via the aircraft’s telemetry onto a reduced order model, and that’s the product.”

“When Dr Will Roper started trumpeting digital engineering, he was very clear that in the old days we graduated from a model to test. In the new era of digital engineering, we graduate from tests to a validated model. That’s with AI as an assistant, being smarter about how we do tests, with the whole purpose of being able to accelerate because the warfighter is urgently asking for the capability that we are developing.”

Collaborative Combat Aircraft

One of the clearest areas the USAF is looking to accelerate surrounds Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs), a new family of unmanned combat drones that are designed to work in concert with manned fighters and provide a force multiplying, highly autonomous, numerical edge in tactical aerial warfare. The USAF faces an incredibly complex and laborious task when it comes to testing, training with, and fielding CCAs.

“We need to break the problem down, then we need to integrate all the pieces back together, and it has multiple components,” explained Wickert. “There’s the physical challenge of actually getting a CCA to fly. Does it have sufficient thrust? Do we have the right control laws? That’s going to largely be contractor led. Separately, in parallel, we are developing the autonomous agents that will actually be the brains that can take some higher order commands and execute those, at varying levels of autonomy.”

The General Atomics XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station is currently in flight-testing with the manufacturer and the Air Force Research Laboratory. General Atomics

Edwards is planned as the USAF’s home of CCA flight-test, and work is commencing to build a new CCA enclave here. “Once it’s mature and it’s ready for integration, it’ll come up here and it will fly from here. We have to actually connect it with a crewed fighter. Those tests have to happen in open air because there’s so many uncertainties, we will need to prove that it actually works in a real world environment. Then there’s weapon integration, that’ll be a separate effort.”

In terms of validating how the CCAs will be employed, much of this modeling will be undertaken in the Joint Simulation Environment (JSE). “Once we have good validated models of how the CCA will work, it’s very easy to take those models and put them into the JSE. Every new program now has to be JSE-compatible and must be able to integrate into digital test. The JSE is not a simulator. There are simulators that plug into JSE, there’s domes you can sit and fly, but the JSE is an architecture that’s perfect for prototyping, developing, and working out how you are actually going to employ.”

“The digital test range runs using the JSE. That’s where we will figure out if a single F-22 pilot can control four CCAs, is that the right number, maybe it’s two, maybe it depends on the scenario. I’ve got a task, you’ve got a threat over there, I need the CCA to create a diversion. All of that will be worked out first in the digital test and training range.”

A flight-test engineer engaged in an F-16D test flight. USAF

“I can easily imagine that F-22 and F-35 pilots will routinely train with CCAs, just like they routinely train with an AIM-120 or an AIM-9X missile without ever actually having the missile leave the aircraft. They will live fly and train with them synthetically around them in a live virtual constructive situation, so I can see how that would work with a tablet. The digital test and training range means we can look at all of these different scenarios, perhaps that’s a 2035 scenario, this is the concept of developing the analysis of alternatives. We can experiment and work out if we were to get say 30 of these new platforms, would it change the game?”

High tempo operations

While the synthetic JSE provides valuable modeling, prototyping and training, actually bringing together real aircraft in live fly test events is critical in proving that different capabilities actually work in the real world. Bringing together a wealth of different aircraft and new systems is a complex and costly affair, and therefore a quartet of large force test exercises has been developed.

“We run Orange Flag from Edwards, plus we have Emerald Flag at Eglin in Florida for the long-range kill and communications elements, we have the 53rd Wing’s Black Flag at Nellis AFB, and also Gray Flag for the Navy, that’s run out of Point Mugu. Some programs that are well funded allow us to bring together lots of different nodes and sensors to test the new capability. There are also less well funded projects that might want to join in and have the opportunity to work in a complex scenario like one of the flag exercises. So really it’s a case of we are throwing a party and you’re invited to come, bring all of your latest and greatest stuff and let’s see what works. That includes Army land systems, Navy ships – the full range of advanced systems.”

This B-2A is assigned to the Edwards AFB test fleet. USAF AFTC Aerial Photographer Christian Turner

“We are busier here at Edwards now than we were in the 1980s. We’re testing the USAF’s newest airplane, the B-21, and at the same time testing the B-52 and all of its new upgrades including new engines and new radar. The USAF’s new trainer, the T-7 Redhawk, is also being tested here, and many other things in between. We call Edwards the center of the aerospace testing universe, but it’s actually more than that, because it’s more than just the USAF flight-test here.”

“It’s very easy to motivate folks because right now is a time of consequence. If you want to know what the USAF of 2027 or 2035 or 2042 looks like, just look in the skies over Edwards Air Force Base because the Air Force that’s flying over Edwards is the Air Force that we’re going to go to war with.”

Editor’s note: The sponsor had no editorial involvement in this article.

Contact the author: [email protected]

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lumestari · 3 months ago

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i was tagged by @piastrionpole to answer this so here we go!

LAST SONG

my future - Billie Eilish (Happier Than Ever)

CURRENTLY WATCHING

figure skating! i've been getting into it lately (def not the day before yesterday) so i'm watching last season (23/24)'s senior category in preparation for the grand prix series starting in october

also f1 im always watching f1

i started watching glee and i already finished the first season and started the second. i preferred the first season ngl. has been a while since i watched.

LAST MOVIE

i was watching casino royale last night (in preparation for an upcoming carcar fic). had to turn it off bcs i have a very very very small gore tolerance. srry. what i actually wanted to watch was ocean's eleven.

SWEET/SPICY/SAVOURY

savoury 100%! i love jamón and cheese way too much

RELATIONSHIP STATUS

trying

CURRENT OBSESSION

f1 for sure! figure skating is getting there, tho. i'm also very obsessed with the videogame celeste (trying to grind the golden berries (currently with 7a. bcs it's my favourite. its def not the hardest or anything. i'm going to suffer. it's fine.))

LAST THING I GOOGLED

time zone converter. i was putting the figure skating events in my calendar and they were in central time instead of my time so i had to check.

tagging some of my mutuals in case they want to do this to (sorry if you don't!) @janesurlife @nyoommchili @carcarpodium @kubicola

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sybilius · 11 months ago

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Watching instagram reels as a gardener in zone 7a be like "oh cute they're suggesting planting sweet pea to chase off the January blues :)" [video indicates the seeds need to be planted after last frost] "hahah. Never mind"

#personal #gardening

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rcmclachlan · 2 years ago

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last sentence meme

Tagged by the amazing @ripeteeth. Thanks for thinking of me!

He wanted to stand between zones 7a and 7b, take Dong-sik's hand, and press close to feel the warmth of the morning sunlight in his hair while their pansies woke up around them.

Tagging @nandalorian, @alchemyalice, @saintsideways, @b1uetrees, @rageprufrock, and anyone else who wants to do it

#i continue to push my viola agenda on you all #writing memes #jwds #beyond evil

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parksprout · 4 months ago

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A while ago I saved a dying cactus plant from the side of the road (the bottom frond was rotting so I cut it off and took the top cactus pads!) and went through the process of planting it in a pot at home. Today, I decided to do a bit of research to figure out why it was able to grow in my city (Köppen Climate Cfa / hardiness zone 7a) and learned there's a native cactus species in the area!! I hadn't realized that there were any this far East. It turns out that they're Eastern Prickly Pear cacti or Opuntia humifusa, and I am so very in love with them. Yesterday I checked on their progress and all four pads I planted have started growing roots :) I'm thinking about propagating more at some point and using them as gifts.

#houseplants #plants #cacti #gardening

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bogspotting · 5 months ago

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Bog Climate and Weather

This is relevant to biodiversity—climate informs temperature, weather, and the effects on climate change on local species.

The first resource I rely on for understanding climate is the USDA plant hardiness map—mostly because I do a lot of gardening. This map assigns your region a number and a letter based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature. The number (1-13) designates a zone based in 10-degree increments. That zone is then split into A or B, by 5 degree increments.

The Bog is in zone 7a, meaning our extreme winter low is, on average, between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, the hardiness zones only cover temperature; we have to consider a few other things, like humidity (the Bog is in a place with very high relative humidity) and rain (the Bog sees about 40 inches of rain a year, which is considered average for the United States).

Check out some climate facts for your location here: https://www.climate.gov/news-features/featured-images/new-maps-annual-average-temperature-and-precipitation-us-climate

And find your hardiness zone here: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

High temperature, high humidity, and freezing winters mean a few things: first, those factors inform the kind of life the bog can sustain. Whatever makes its home here has to survive a near-solid freeze (pumps placed in the Bog keep it from freezing solid), has to tolerate high humidity, and has to be able to regulate its temperature well. Those things also contribute to the nutrients available to the Bog. Freezes tend to kill plant matter, and humidity spreads disease and fungal infections easily. Additionally, temperature influences dissolved oxygen levels in the water. The warmer it is, the less oxygen the water can hold.

What this all adds up to is the nifty label “humid subtropical.” Essentially, the Bog is one of many bodies of water in a wet and humid region, and any contaminants in the bog will be washed out by rain fairly quickly. Additionally, in dry periods, the Bog can evaporate, leaving the banks muddy and largely uninhabitable. Plus full of dead critters. Ick.

Other resources:

#biodiversity #nature #science #biology #natural resources

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jontheblogcentric · 6 months ago

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UEFA Euro 2024 Preview Links https://jontheblogcentric.org/2024/06/14/uefa-euro-2024-preview-links/ 🇩🇪🇭🇺🇨🇭🇪🇸🇭🇷🇮🇹🇦🇱🇸🇮🇩🇰🇷🇸🏴🇵🇱🇳🇱🇦🇹🇫🇷🇧🇪🇸🇰🇷🇴🇺🇦🇹🇷🇬🇪🇵🇹🇨🇿

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tictac-area · 8 months ago

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Casio AQ-800E-7A: A Timepiece for the Modern Adventurer

In the world of watches, Casio has always been a name synonymous with innovation, durability, and functionality. One particular timepiece that embodies these qualities is the Casio AQ-800E-7A. Designed for the modern adventurer, this watch offers a range of features that make it a reliable companion for any outdoor pursuit. In this article, we will explore the remarkable qualities of the Casio AQ-800E-7A and why it stands out among its competitors.

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Outdoor Companion with Practical Functions

The Casio AQ-800E-7A is designed to support outdoor enthusiasts with its practical functions. The built-in stopwatch allows you to measure elapsed time with precision, making it ideal for timing workouts, races, or any activity that requires precise timing. The watch also features a countdown timer, enabling you to set reminders for important events or deadlines.

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Conclusion:

In conclusion, the Casio AQ-800E-7A is a timepiece that combines style, durability, and practicality, making it the perfect companion for the modern adventurer. Its robust design, advanced timekeeping features, and practical functions set it apart from other watches in its class. Whether you're exploring the great outdoors or navigating through daily life, the AQ-800E-7A ensures that you stay on time and in style.

With its multifunctional capabilities, water resistance, and enduring design, the Casio AQ-800E-7A is a reliable timepiece that can withstand the demands of any adventure. Embrace the spirit of exploration and equip yourself with this remarkable watch that embodies the essence of Casio's commitment to excellence.

Experience the versatility and reliability of the Casio AQ-800E-7A, available at TicTacArea.com. Discover the perfect blend of functionality and style, and embark on your next adventure with confidence.

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usafphantom2 · 1 year ago

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Sweden now considers sending Gripen fighters to Ukraine

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 09/13/2023 - 12:00 in Military, War Zones

Sweden is currently considering the option of providing JAS39 Gripen fighters to Ukraine as a potential donation.

This was reported by the SVT agency, citing the Swedish radio station Ekot as the source. The government is expected to issue instructions to its armed forces, possibly as early as September 14, 2023, to assess the implications of the transfer of these aircraft.

The main considerations for Sweden include understanding how this transfer can impact its defense capabilities and the schedule for the acquisition of replacement fighters for its air force. The government is particularly interested in assessing the effects on Sweden's defense capabilities and the speed at which new Gripen fighters can be acquired.

The Swedish Armed Forces are expected to present their assessment in November, after which the government will make a decision on the potential transfer of fighters to Ukraine.

Although Ukrainian pilots allegedly tested Swedish JAS39 Gripen fighters in August, Swedish authorities previously declared that there were no plans to transfer these jets to Ukraine. However, the Swedish opposition called for such a transfer on the condition that Ukraine join NATO.

Magdalena Andersson emphasized the strategic importance of strengthening Ukraine's air defense to prevent Russian advances, stating that a JAS39 Gripen fighter could be a valuable resource for Ukraine.

However, the Swedish Social Democratic Party urged the government to carry out an in-depth analysis of the impact on Sweden's defense, the necessary training for Ukrainian pilots and the logistics involved in the delivery of the aircraft.

Currently, the Swedish Air Force operates 94 Gripen aircraft, including 70 of version C and 24 of version D. Sweden ordered a total of 204 aircraft, 98 currently in use by the Swedish Air Force, 32 used and dismantled, 28 leased to the Czech Republic and Hungary, 12 sold to Thailand, 4 used as a flying laboratory and 4 lost in accidents. In addition, 2 aircraft were preserved in museums.

To keep about 30 aircraft deactivated, the A/B version will serve as a platform for upgrading to the E/F version. Sweden intends to maintain a fleet of 60 E version aircraft in its air force.

Tags: Military AviationFlygvapnet - Swedish Air ForceJAS39 GripenWar Zones - Russia/Ukraine

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Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Daytona Airshow and FIDAE. He has work published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work throughout the world of aviation.