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New Delhi, <keyword id="1564214" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-Enforcement-Directorate">The Enforcement Directorate</keyword> (ED) on Wednesday said it has arrested three promoters of the <keyword id="4334121" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="agri-gold-group">Agri Gold Group</keyword> of Companies in a Ponzi Scheme Fraud Case worth ₹6,380 crore. Those arrested have been identified as Avva Venkata Rama Rao, <keyword id="10482453" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="avva-venkata-seshu-narayana-rao">Avva Venkata Seshu Narayana Rao</keyword>, Avva Hema Sundara Vara Prasad, who are the main accused under the sections of the prevention of money laundering act (PMLA). The accused were produced before <keyword id="10482454" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-ed-pmla-court">the ED PMLA Court</keyword>, Hyderabad, which granted them 14-day judicial custody. The ED had filed a case on the basis of multiple FIRs lodged in the Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. The scam was perpetrated by Avva Venkata Rama Rao through Agri Gold Group of Companies. Avva Venkata Rama Rao had earlier worked in the Golden Forest CIS Fraud scheme. The ED claimed that having learnt the tricks of the trade in that scheme, he hatched a well-planned conspiracy and along with his seven brothers and other associates set up more than 150 companies and started collecting deposits from general public with a promise of providing developed plots/farm lands or withdrawal at a high rate of return on maturity/pre-term. It said that thousands of commission agents were engaged to lure people with various schemes for hefty commission and managed to collect ₹6,380 crore from 32,02,628 such investors. In the end, the gullible investors neither got plots nor could recover their deposits. The group collected the deposits illegally from across the country. According to ED officials, the company duped lakhs of investors from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Andaman and Nicobar islands. The ED claimed that the modus operandi involved encouraging the gullible investors to pay the desired deposits either directly or through the agents under the pretext of real estate deal. "These companies did not mention either the actual market value of the land or its location or its boundaries or survey numbers or the permissions required to be obtained for the layouts from the concerned authorities. "They tried to color it as a real estate business, but in reality it was an unregulated unlicensed collective investment scheme," it said. The ED further stated that the Agri Gold Group of Companies did not obtain permission from RBI to collect such deposits. Even SEBI has reported that the business of <keyword id="10482452" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-agri-gold-farm-estates">the Agri Gold Farm Estates</keyword> India Private Limited was nothing but a Collective Investment Scheme and ordered the company to stop taking further deposits and return the money to the depositors. "Instead of complying with the directions of the SEBI in letter and spirit, accused Avva Venkata Rama Rao opened new Companies and started collecting deposits in the names of new companies on the pretext of real estate business with the help of an army of commission agents, thus, turning this into a ponzi scam," the ED said. Although the accused collected deposits from 32 lakh investors, they never developed lands sufficient to give plots to all the investors. Even by their unverified claims, at the end they had only 5.5 lakh plots available with them. "Considering the huge discrepancy in the amount of land available, the group should have used all their resources in identifying, buying and developing more land parcels. Instead, Avva Venkata Rama Rao and his family went on a siphoning spree and illegally diverted the public deposits and invested in myriad verticals and in private companies which were directly owned by their family," the ED said. During probe it was revealed that the accused also set up companies abroad and diverted large amounts of funds to off-shore entities. "Their names also figured in the Paradise Leaks and they had incorporated companies with the help of the infamous Mossack Fonsenca in Cayman Islands," the ED said. Earlier, searches were conducted at the residences of Avva Venkata Rama Rao and other directors including the residences of auditors at Vijayawada and Hyderabad. Various property related documents, cash amount of ₹22 lakh, digital devices and other documents were recovered and seized. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-infosys-wipro-jubilant-foodworks-bajaj-auto-majesco-and-others/articleshow/79909712.cms">Top stocks to watch – Infosys, Wipro, Jubilant FoodWorks, Bajaj Auto, Majesco, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/there-are-one-of-only-17-indian-companies-out-of-500-that-aced-the-du-pont-test/articleshow/79911627.cms">There are one of only 17 Indian companies out of 500 that aced the Du Pont test</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/wipro-buyback-offer-details-and-700-million-metro-ag-deal-drives-share-price/articleshow/79911875.cms">Wipro offers 10% more to buy back shares and signs a $700 million deal with Metro AG – everything that’s driving the IT services stock higher today</a>

Three promoters of Agri Gold Group arrested for Ponzi Scheme Fraud Case worth ₹6,380

Before Rhea Sanghi joined <keyword id="4164636" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="BLUE-TOKAI">Blue Tokai</keyword> <keyword id="6354798" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="coffee">Coffee</keyword> Roasters as its Community Manager in October 2015, she had never been much of a coffee drinker. Now, coffee is such a deeply-ingrained part of her life that it’s hard for her to imagine how she lived without it, she confesses. In a similar vein, Blue Tokai aims to give India’s coffee drinkers, traditionally used to instant coffee or the likes of Barista and Cafe Coffee Day, a transformative experience with its specialty blends. The idea for Blue Tokai took root in the minds of the co-founders, Matt Chittaranjan and Namrata Asthana, when they moved from Chennai to Delhi in 2012 and found themselves out of options for fresh and accessible specialty coffee. It all started with some farm visits Matt and Namrata visited a number of coffee estates in southern India, mainly in Karnataka, with the end goal of sourcing beans for the domestic retail market. Rhea says that the farmers scoffed at the couple upon hearing this. They said that there wasn’t a market for specialty coffee in India. Before Blue Tokai and other specialty coffee brands came along, these coffee farmers mainly exported their produce. India ranks among the largest producers of coffee in the world, but exports around 70% of its beans to the other countries, most notably Italy and Australia. The high quality blends were exported, while the cheaper, less flavourful beans were meant for instant coffee. Matt and Namrata invested in a roaster and began sourcing the beans directly from the farmers. After roasting the beans, they would sell the roasted beans to customers through online channels. Slowly but surely, the company helped drive a paradigm shift in India’s coffee <keyword id="24504" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="culture">culture</keyword> by introducing people to its single-estate Arabica coffees. “This is how Blue Tokai demonstrated innovation,” Rhea laughs, “by giving people good coffee that didn’t burn their tongues and tasted naturally sweet instead of bitter.” Changing tastes The company wasn’t alone. Blue Tokai started operations as Starbucks was ramping up its presence in India through a joint venture with Tata- an indicator that Indian consumers were ready for change. “In the last few years, specialty coffee has become the go-to choice for a specific kind of Indian,” Rhea says, “the upwardly mobile metro-dwellers who are used to a certain lifestyle. They’re looking to curate their world with good brands and are willing to travel lengths to get their daily dose of caffeine, even though they don’t necessarily have to.” In around five years, Starbucks’ has already reached a 100 outlets in India, buoyed by an aspirational urban middle class that is looking to sip local brews while working at cafes. Apart of raising consumer awareness, Starbucks’ growth has demonstrated that the coffee market is taking off in India, and that there is room for other brands. In addition to Blue Tokai, a number of homegrown coffee brands have sprung up in the last few years - Bangalore’s Flying Squirrel and Third Wave Coffee, Goa’s Sussegado and Mumbai’s The Indian Bean - all of which have looked to plug the market gap with their domestically sourced, specialty blends. Even though they’re all vying for shelf space in retail stores, selling wholesale to restaurants and experimenting with the cafe model, their national reach is made possible through e-commerce. The end result? Indian consumers are spoilt for choice. Blue Tokai’s retail customer base mostly comprises people between the ages of 27 and 35 who are more aware of their choices and what they’re consuming. When asked what sets Blue Tokai’s customers apart from those of big chains, Rhea quips, “Our customers are people who know the difference between good coffee and great coffee.” Rhea joined Blue Tokai just as it was launching its first cafe, which was attached to its roastery in Delhi’s Saiyad Ul Ajaib area. In her first few months, she was privy to the roastery’s escalation to a full-service cafe. “With each day came more customer feedback to act on, more staff to train and more additions to the menu.” She was also charged with leading the company’s social media strategy and building a community through events like brewing classes. “Why the cafe?” I ask Rhea. The idea was to have an espresso bar where prospective customers could taste their coffee before purchasing a particular blend of roasted beans. Blue Tokai was primarily in the business of online sales before launching the cafe. However, Matt and Namrata soon realised that no one in the market was offering good, freshly-brewed coffee for direct purchase. “We started selling cortados, flat whites and pour overs,” Rhea says, “and once that took off, people said that they wanted food options, WiFi and power outlets.” Caffeine-induced growth The company’s growth is impressive.There were around 15 to 20 employees at the company when she joined. There are now 140. I’m talking to Rhea in Blue Tokai’s fifth cafe, at Gurgaon’s Bristol Chowk. They currently have seven outlets, spread across Bombay and Delhi, with an eighth one slated to open in Panjim, Goa by the third week of April. “We never intend to go the franchising route,” Rhea explains, “all our cafes will be owned and operated by us so we can maintain our quality”. Rhea is currently Blue Tokai’s head of marketing and partnerships. Her role covers all three facets of Blue Tokai’s business: the online retail segment, the wholesale segment, which involves supply arrangements with 400 partners such as restaurants, hotels and corporates, and finally, the cafes. She has more than a few things on her plate at the moment. She’s building a team to handle cafe operations and customer service on a zonal basis. She’s working to streamline Blue Tokai’s social media presence. She’s growing the B2B sales program. She’s tying up with partners for a range of events such as India Art Fair, Magnetic Fields and Design ID. She’s onboarding more food partners to strengthen the menu at Blue Tokai’s cafes. She’s also working with smaller food and beverage brands on cross-promotion opportunities and pop-ups. It seems that this emphasis on community has paid off. “We have amazingly loyal customers,” Rhea says. “We try to be as approachable as possible, which helps us get a lot of constructive feedback from customers.” “What else sets Blue Tokai apart?” I ask her. It’s the kind of ingratiating question so common in interviews with company insiders, one that invariably unlocks a number of empty buzzwords and feel-good catchphrases. But Rhea doesn’t disappoint: “We are farm-to-cup in the truest sense.” The company’s purpose, from the very beginning, was to cut out the middleman and give its coffee farmers the credit they deserve. Most coffee chains or distributors buy their coffee through a series of intermediaries and sell their products weeks after the beans have been roasted. Blue Tokai sources the beans from 11 estates, as detailed on its website, roasts them at least a few times a week and sells them directly in cafes or ships them within one or two days. Rhea also alludes to the company’s emphasis on transparency. “Everything we do is very consciously done. All our products go out with a roast date and the details of the estate that it was sourced from. Our roasteries in Bombay and Delhi are open to the public so they get a first-hand insight into the roasting process.” We’re nearing the end of our interview. I ask Rhea about Blue Tokai’s plans for the short-to-medium term. “We want to make our coffee more accessible,” she says, “ the idea is to open more cafes and be in as many places as possible.” In addition to Panjim, the company is considering expanding into other Tier-2 cities. “People in places like Jaipur and Surat drink A LOT of coffee,” Rhea explains. Blue Tokai is also planning to expand its product slate. “We’re looking to sell brewed coffee through retail channels - bottled, cold brew and nitro, mainly. The market for preserved, ready-to-drink coffee has a lot of potential.” Rhea needs to get back to work, her phone has been ringing incessantly over the past hour. I conclude with one last question. “Has your experience at Blue Tokai made you confident about starting your own company one day?” “Yes” she replies almost immediately. She laughs as she gets up. “It’s hard to imagine how it wouldn’t be coffee-related, though.”

“We are farm-to-cup in the truest sense”: How Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters has carved a niche for itself in a niche (but growing) space

<ul><li>Uddhav Thackeray will take oath as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra with support from Sharad Pawar's NCP and the Indian National Congress.</li><li>The three parties differ in their ideologies and therefore have decided to arrive at a 'common minimum programme'.</li><li>Given the state's rural distress, financial aid for farmers cannot be ruled out.</li></ul>A month long political drama has come to an end paving the way for Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray to take oath as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra. This is a historic moment for the Thackeray family, which has been politically significant in the state for decades but never had a member on the hot seat. Thackeray has got to this point with support from Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and the Indian National Congress. All three parties differ in their ideologies and therefore have decided to arrive at a 'common minimum programme' in a bid to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party out of power. Given the state's rural distress, financial aid for farmers cannot be ruled out. "There has been significant political discourse around farm stress in last few weeks. Farm loan waiver can potentially could be the first order of the business of the new government," a Macquarie research report said. 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
 <div type="image" title="Nagpur: NCP President Sharad Pawar interacts with farmers during a visit to Khap..." msid="72272944" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;NCP President Sharad Pawar interacts with farmers during a visit to Khapa village to inspect damaged crops, in Nagpur district of Maharashtra.Photo) (&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>





























 This has implication for the state's financial health. An estimated ₹50,000 crore farm loan waiver, spread over 2 years, will push the state's fiscal deficit beyond 3%. Fiscal deficit is the amount of money a government spends over and above its earnings and it's advised by law that any government (state or central) should keep the excess spending to less than 3% over its earnings. Maharashtra's budget deficit is already at a four-year high, which means the government has been spending a lot more than it earns. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 While the farm crisis in the state does warrant immediate attention, a farm loan will increase the deficit and reduce the money available for growth projects like building infrastructure. In the last three years, Mumbai has seen an explosion of infrastructure projects which are in various stages of completion. Roads have been dug up across the city causing traffic snarls but people have been hopeful that the temporary pain will make way for easier commute in the future. For instance, 274 kilometres (km) of metro-rail network is under construction. 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
 <div type="image" title="Mumbai: A view of a construction site of a metro train parking shed at Aarey Col..." msid="72272112" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;A view of a construction site of a metro train parking shed at Aarey Colony, Mumbai. The Supreme Court on Monday restrained authorities from cutting any more trees in Mumbai&amp;#39;s Aarey colony for a Metro car shed before further hearing on Oct. 21.Photo)(&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>























































 In the particular case of the metro rail shed construction in the Aarey colony (a rare green cover in the mega city), the incoming coalition will be tested on its will to reverse the decision. The previous government had bulldozed opposition from the citizens to the cutting of about 2,0000 trees for the construction of the shed, while all opposition parties paid nothing more than lip-service to the cause. 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
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 Aside from the metro rail construction in the capital city, there are also other marquee projects like the upcoming airport in Navi Mumbai, the high-speed rail corridor between Mumbai and Nagpur as well as Mumbai and Ahmedabad (in the neighbouring state of Gujarat) that will be in focus. As rivals of BJP, the parties in the incoming coalition have time and again criticised these ambitious projects heralded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the top NCP leadership, the three parties have decided that the money which is to be given by the state government for the Bullet Train will be diverted to the farmer welfare scheme as it is part of the common minimum programme they have agreed on, the IANS reported on Tuesday. 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
 <div type="image" title="Bullet train" msid="72272606" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The upcoming airport in Navi Mumbai, the high-speed rail corridor between Mumbai and Nagpur as well as Mumbai and Ahmedabad (in the neighbouring state of Gujarat) will be in focus as rivals of BJP, the parties in the incoming coalition, have time and again criticised these ambitious projects heralded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>







































 The good news is that the Navi Mumbai airport and the Trans-harbour sea link may not get stalled, according to Macquarie, but the pace of approvals may slowdown delaying the projects. The international financial services firm believes that the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine will be more favourable to the builders in the state and that will be music to the ears for the state's real estate sector that has been in shambles for a while now. It is important that Maharashtra's economy keeps moving at a fast pace because it is the largest contributor to India's GDP (gross domestic product). And already, Maharashtra's contribution to India's GDP is at a multi-year low at 14%. That's a significant setback for the state that is home to the country's financial capital. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/article/maharashtra-state-assembly-elections-2019-debate-veer-savarkar-or-jobs/articleshow/71644079.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">These are the issues the opposition could have capitalised on but didn’t</a>

Here's what to expect from the new government in Maharashtra

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table lead-image-large"><div><div class="image on-image">Rido/Shutterstock</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>To get a closer look at the US economy as it varies by metro area, we considered five measures of economic health.</li><li>We used those measures to establish to ranking of the 30 biggest metro areas in the US.</li><li>Cities such as San Francisco and Seattle have some of the strongest economies; cities like Detroit and Riverside have some of the weakest.</li><li>See the full ranking here.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>In our ranking of the economies of the 30 biggest metro areas in the US, we looked at five measures of economic health.Each measure was rescaled to allow us to compare them to one another. Technically, we calculated <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_score">z-scores</a> for each metro area on each measure, which rescales each variable based on its average and standard deviation.To make the combined ranking, we added together the five indicator z-scores for each metro area to create an overall economic index.Here are the sources for each of our measures. All data is the most recent available at the time of writing:<ul><li>May 2019 unemployment rate: The most recent unemployment rate for the country's metropolitan areas came from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' <a href="https://www.bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm">Local Area Unemployment Statistics</a> program.</li><li>Year-over-year percent job growth rate between May 2018 and May 2019: Non-farm payroll employment figures were from the BLS' <a href="https://www.bls.gov/web/metro/metro_oty_change.htm">State and Metro Area Employment, Hours, and Earnings</a> program.</li><li>Q4 2018 average hourly wage: The BLS' <a href="https://data.bls.gov/cew/apps/table_maker/v4/table_maker.htm#type=3&amp;year=2018&amp;qtr=4&amp;own=0&amp;ind=10&amp;supp=0">Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages</a> program tallied this figure.</li><li>2017 per capita gross domestic product: The Bureau of Economic Analysis releases annual <a href="https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_metro/gdp_metro_newsrelease.htm">figures on GDP for the nation's metropolitan areas</a>, and we combined that with the <a href="https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html">Census Bureau's 2016 population estimates</a> to get a per capita figure.</li><li>2017 GDP growth rate: This also came from the BEA's annual metropolitan area GDP release, linked above.</li></ul><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/50-maps-that-explain-how-america-lives-spends-and-believes-2019-6" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">50 maps that explain how America lives, spends, and believes</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/highest-paying-job-in-every-us-state-2019-2" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">This map shows the highest-paying job in every state (we should've been doctors)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fastest-dying-jobs-in-every-us-state-2019-7" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">From secretaries to substitute teachers, these are the fastest-dying jobs in every US state</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/map-states-with-the-most-fatal-workplace-injuries-2019-7" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Here are the most and least dangerous states to work, from Alaska to Rhode Island</a></li></ul> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/carta-henry-ward-perfecting-pitch-deck-art-of-the-pitch-2019-7">The founder of a $1.7 billion startup walked us through the pitch decks that helped him raise $448 million</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Here's how we ranked the economies of the 30 biggest US metro areas

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Crop One HoldingsCrop One Holdings' vertical farm in Massachusetts.</div></div></div><ul><li>Crop One Holdings, a Silicon Valley food startup, and Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC), one of the world's largest airline catering operators, plan build a 130,000-square-foot vertical farm in Dubai.</li><li>Vertical farms grow crops indoors and year-round without natural sunlight or soil. The facility will be the largest of its kind, and will produce 6,000 pounds of crops daily.</li><li>The greens and herbs will be used for in-flight meals at Dubai International Airport, the world's largest by international passenger traffic.</li></ul>When passengers board their flights at Dubai International Airport, most are served in-flight meals that include salads or greens atop sandwiches. These crops usually come from traditional, outdoor farms in the United Arab Emirates.By 2020, flights taking off from the airport will serve greens and herbs grown from a more high-tech source. Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC), one of the world's largest airline catering operators, and Crop One Holdings, a San Francisco Bay Area food startup, are building a massive vertical farm to supply crops for in-flight meals.EKFC provides catering for Emirates Airlines and all other airlines at Dubai International Airport, which is the world's largest airport by passenger traffic.Located in a Dubai, the 130,000-square-foot indoor farm will produce up to 6,000 pounds of greens and herbs every day. Unlike traditional outdoor farms, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bowery-farms-indoor-farm-grows-365-days-a-year-less-water-2018-2">Crop One grows crops year-round under LEDs</a> (which mimic natural sunlight) located inside climate-controlled rooms, which are each set to optimal temperature and oxygen levels depending on the crop. Instead of soil, greens sprout in nutrient-rich water beds on trays stacked from the floor to the ceiling. Sensors in the trays track how the plants are doing in real time.The two companies will start construction in November 2018, and start delivering crops to Emirates Flight Catering's customers, including 105 airlines and 25 airport lounges, in December 2019. Crop One currently operates a vertical farm in Millis, Massachusetts, and delivers to Boston metro area grocery stores under the <a href="https://freshboxfarms.com/">Fresh Box Farms</a> brand name. The new farm in Dubai will surpass the size of the current world's largest vertical farm, which is operated by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-aerofarms-worlds-largest-vertical-farm-2016-8">AeroFarms.</a> The facility grows greens inside a 69,000-square-foot warehouse in Newark, New Jersey. AeroFarms and other big indoor farming companies mostly sell their products to supermarkets, but Crop One believes greater opportunity may lie within airline partnerships.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Crop One HoldingsA farmer works inside Crop One Holdings' vertical farm in Massachusetts.</div></div></div>According to Sonia Lo, Crop One's CEO, airlines tend to have a more reliable demand than grocers."Airlines are attractive, because they give our farms anchor customers that have a predictable volume and price," she told Business Insider. "Most vertical farmers can't address the food-service market, because they simply can't make money doing so."Lo is referring to the economic challenges that a number of vertical farming companies have faced in the US. (<a href="https://urbanverticalfarmingproject.com/2014/08/08/the-first-vertical-farm-showdown-why-you-need-to-know-whats-happening-in-singapore/">Panasonic</a> and Google have abandoned vertical farming projects, and FarmedHere - once the largest vertical farm in the US - <a href="https://urbanverticalfarmingproject.com/2017/01/19/one-time-largest-vertical-farm-shuts-down/">shut down last year</a>.) Since vertical farms rely on large amounts of electricity from the LEDs, high energy costs can make it harder for them to compete in regions where cheap produce is abundant.While many vertical farming companies depend on venture-capital, the majority of Crop One's funding comes from private equity, Lo said.Crop One could find more success abroad - but only if its new Dubai farm manages to scale as promised, lowering production costs. The company also plans to expand domestically in the US. In coming years, it will launch two farms in the Northeast and one in the Southwest, selling to nearby retailers and food-service customers. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-when-hold-in-your-pee-too-long-2018-6">What happens when you hold in your pee for too long</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Dubai is getting the world's largest vertical farm - and it will grow produce for the world's largest international airport

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Insider Inc.Inside Bowery Farming's warehouse farm in Kearny, New Jersey.</div></div></div><ul><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/amazon">Amazon</a> veteran Brian Donato has joined <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/bowery-farming">Bowery</a>, a vertical farming startup that grows greens indoors without natural sunlight or soil. At Amazon, Donato managed the company's automated fulfillment operations.</li><li>Donato was hired to help Bowery scale up, according to Bloomberg.</li><li>Other vertical farming companies have faced challenges around energy efficiency, venture capital funding, and scalability.</li></ul>Brian Donato - an Amazon veteran who integrated robots into the tech giant's warehouse workforce - is joining Bowery, an indoor farming startup focused on automating the growing process. Donato will lead Bowery's efforts to scale up, Bloomberg's Olivia Zaleski <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-29/an-amazon-veteran-joins-indoor-farming-startup?mc_cid=fbee9d955e&amp;mc_eid=aafe86284f">reports</a>.At Amazon, Donato ran Amazon Home Services, which matches cleaners, plumbers, and more with homeowners. Before that, he managed Amazon's distribution centers (where robots and humans compile orders for delivery), and Amazon Fresh and Pantry food-delivery services.In many ways, Donato's new role will mirror his responsibilities at Amazon. Since Bowery's inception nearly two years ago, the startup has focused heavily on automating most of the growing and harvesting process. Unlike traditional outdoor farms, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bowery-farms-indoor-farm-grows-365-days-a-year-less-water-2018-2">Bowery grows greens under LEDs</a> (which mimic natural sunlight) inside a giant warehouse in Kearny, New Jersey. Instead of soil, crops sprout in nutrient-rich water beds on trays stacked from the floor to the ceiling. Sensors in the trays track how the plants are doing in real time.In June 2017, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bowery-vertical-farm-robots-post-organic-greens-funding-google-2017-6">Bowery raised $20 million</a> in Series A funding, co-led by General Catalyst and GGV Capital ​with participation​ from GV (formerly Google Ventures). Co-founder Irving Fain previously <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bowery-vertical-farm-robots-post-organic-greens-funding-google-2017-6">told</a> Business Insider that the company will use the funding to build more farms (first in the New York metropolitan area and later in other cities across the US), move beyond greens to other crops, and hire more people.Bowery is currently testing over 80 different varieties of greens, including baby kale, mustard greens, and arugula. Out of those 80, Bowery is selling six types at <a href="http://boweryfarming.com/our-produce">select Whole Foods </a>and Foragers stores in the tri-state area. A five-ounce package costs $3.99, which is about the price of most organic greens.Like most vertical farming startups, Bowery has been largely dependent on venture capital to build and operate its farms. Others projects haven't been as successful. <a href="https://urbanverticalfarmingproject.com/2014/08/08/the-first-vertical-farm-showdown-why-you-need-to-know-whats-happening-in-singapore/">Panasonic</a> and Google have abandoned vertical farming projects, and in 2017, FarmedHere - once the largest vertical farm in the US - <a href="https://urbanverticalfarmingproject.com/2017/01/19/one-time-largest-vertical-farm-shuts-down/">shut down</a>.The nearly decade-old indoor farming industry has faced several challenges, especially around energy costs and scalability - making it harder to compete in regions where cheap vegetables are abundant. According to <a href="https://civileats.com/2018/07/02/can-vertical-farms-reap-their-harvest-its-anyones-bet/">a recent analysis</a> from Civil Eats, a 30,000-square-foot vertical farm in metro New York City spends around $216,000 annually for electricity and another $120,000 on HVAC systems. If the industry can manage to expand, find a more energy-efficient alternative to LEDs, and automate more of the human labor, those operational costs may decline.Bowery Farm is now working on its next farm in the New York metropolitan area . In the future, Fain said he hopes to expand internationally. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/celluveyor-conveyor-belt-move-direction-packages-warehouses-factories-2018-6">This conveyor belt can move in any direction</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

An executive behind Amazon's massive warehouse fulfillment operation has moved to a vertical farming startup

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Sarah JacobsSquare Roots farmer Josh Aliber inside his shipping container farm in Brooklyn, New York, January 2017.</div></div></div>Farmers from <a href="https://squarerootsgrow.com">Square Roots</a> - <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kimbal-musk-shipping-container-farms-new-york-city-2016-12">a Brooklyn-based urban farming accelerator program</a> co-founded by Kimbal Musk (brother of Elon) - are now delivering their produce to local offices. The farmers are growing greens inside 10 steel shipping container farms. Unlike traditional outdoor farms, these vertical farms grow soil-free crops indoors and under LED lights.While Square Roots mainly sells greens at farmer's markets in New York City, in late February, the accelerator started delivering directly as part of a weekly subscription service for companies in the area, including Vice Media, Kickstarter, and WeWork. According to <a href="http://www.metro.us/new-york/urban-farmers-grow-crops-in-brooklyn-parking-lot/zsJqbt---SKRtZRP8ujl0A/">Metro</a>, subscribers can <a href="https://squarerootsgrow.com/buylocal/">order</a> bags of Square Roots greens online, and the farmers will drop them off. One bag costs $7 per week, and a seven-pack costs $35.The farmers have experimented with a number of business models since their first harvest in January. With the new delivery service, they are hoping to meet consumers where they are, Square Roots' cofounder, Tobias Peggs, tells Business Insider.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Sarah JacobsBags of Square Roots greens.</div></div></div>"What the farmers heard time and time again was that a lot of people in New York wanted local food, and wanted to play their part in the real food revolution - but they only ate at home once or twice per week," he says.In fall 2016, Peggs and Musk launched Square Roots - one of Musk's many food ventures. For over a decade, he has run two restaurant chains, <a href="http://thekitchen.com/founders/kimbal-musk/">The Kitchen and Next Door</a>, which serve dishes made strictly with locally-sourced meat and veggies. In 2011, he started a nonprofit program that has installed "<a href="https://thekitchencommunity.org/photos/">Learning Gardens</a>" in over 300 schools, with the intention of teaching kids about agriculture. Square Roots hopes to expand to 20 cities by 2020. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-video-apple-park-spaceship-campus-april-2017-2">Apple just released this beautiful drone video of its new 'spaceship' campus</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="g4OWR4OTE6fu-m7lIxDDuL3oibVKPSqQ" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

The indoor farming compound founded by Kimbal Musk -Elon's brother - is now delivering greens

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Charles Knowles/ShutterstockBoise, Idaho.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Believe it or not, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/idaho">Idaho</a>'s population grew faster than any other state in the country last year.</li><li>Here, author Benjamin Rippey details why he and his wife decided to move from an apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey, to a home in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/californians-priced-out-move-to-idaho-2018-10">Boise, Idaho</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/boise">Boise</a> is cheaper, cleaner, and less crowded than New York City. And gun culture is prevalent.</li></ul> Boise, Idaho. I could scarcely have placed it on a map a year ago. Now I live here.I'm a lifelong <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/east-coast">East Coaster</a>. Having spent much of that in Northern Jersey, I speak quickly and in short sentences. I am mostly always in a hurry. I'm cranky and jaded and unimpressed. How then, as a mid-career, family-planning 30-something did I find myself in Idaho? I'm still processing that myself.For my wife and I, living just outside of Manhattan suited us for a long time. Indeed, I can't say I ever seriously considered anything else. Life was good. We ate well, enjoyed ourselves, made friends and contacts, developed personally and professionally. We had dinner parties and went to shows - comedy, Broadway, et al. We <keyword id="6354692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword>ed a lot - the kind of travel that puts your life and your own place in the world into perspective. But years of city life were taking their toll, leaving us tired and frustrated. We began staying home more often, sequestering ourselves from crowds and incidental expenses. Every thought of leaving the house caused agitation. What fresh nightmares will the traffic gods unleash? $12 for a beer? Wait, did we park in a Monday spot? In short, too many people, with no respite in sight. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-amazon-to-announce-investments-in-ny-virginia-nashville-source-2018-11?r=UK&amp;IR=T">Amazon's HQ2 is coming to NYC</a>, with all the familiar side effects - more people, more traffic, higher cost of living. Cost of living was already a major consideration when we bought our two-bedroom Hoboken apartment in 2012. Overnight, it seemed, we couldn't afford our own town anymore. When we committed to sell the same apartment seven years later, the new owners paid just under a million. A million dollars for 1,000 square feet and street parking. After several years looking for affordability within a familiar tri-state top ten list (Westchester, Maplewood, Red Bank, Stamford) and other locales (Maine, Rhode Island, Catskill, NY), nothing left us confident or inspired.My wife travels for business, with her largest client in Boise, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/idaho">Idaho</a>. After two years of Boise comings and goings, she finally said over dinner, "I love it there. I want you to see it." Boise, for all I knew, might have been a waffle house adjacent to a potato farm. I could not have been more wrong.<h2>The traffic is nonexistent, the air is clean, and the city is uncrowded</h2>It's less than a year since that dinner, and we've been in Boise for a few months. My first impressions? The people are nice. Fall weather is glorious. What passes for "traffic" in Idaho is ... adorable. The air is clean. The streets are clean. The city is uncrowded, but active. Outside of the city, the only real noise is the sound of construction - growing pains from a housing market booming with buyers like us; tired of the expense, the pretense, and the headaches of big city life. Bloomberg recently reported that 29% of those perusing <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-23/boise-and-reno-capitalize-on-the-california-real-estate-exodus">Boise real estate listings</a> on Realtor.com are Californians, where homes cost five times more than those in Idaho's capital.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/californians-priced-out-move-to-idaho-2018-10">Forget Portland and Seattle - people priced out of expensive California cities are buying homes in Idaho for 'Monopoly money'</a>They call it the Treasure Valley, and it's easy to see why. Boise is green - one of its many contradictions. A desert full of trees, supported by the wide and slow-moving Boise River. The river is enveloped by Greenbelt park, the pulse of the city's activity. And Boise is very active - from skiing to jogging to biking to kayaking, there's a sport for all seasons. Boise is a shockingly satisfying place for foodies: farmers' markets on Saturdays, olive hummus, elk steak, Idaho red wine, specialty coffee, and surprisingly great restaurants. The business community is also surprisingly (to me, at least) robust. Boise is open for business, with a buzz of free enterprise and opportunity; new shops, new restaurants, lots of new-ness. Big tech has a presence here - Micron and HP among others - supported by a prominent <a href="http://boisestartupweek.org/">startup ecosystem</a>. With <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2017/estimates-idaho.html">faster population growth than other any state in the country</a> in 2017, according to the US Census Bureau, there's an optimism here that Idaho's ascendance is just beginning.<h2>But I still experience culture shock every day </h2>One thing I was unprepared for? Guns. Literally the first piece of mail that came to our new address was a gun advertisement. They are everywhere. You can bring a loaded pistol into Walmart, and no one bats an eye - no one that is, expect one frightened East Coast couple. And then there's the politics. "Aren't you in Trump country?" friends inquire. The answer is yes and no. Like most cities, Boise is solidly blue: eco-friendly, progressive, understanding of people's differences. But, I'd be lying to say that there isn't a bit of culture shock every day - some small reminder that we live in a deeply red state. Our four-bedroom home in the foothills sits on a small plot land on a tree-lined street and doesn't require two six-figure salaries to support it. All in, it cost us a little over half what we sold our apartment for, and barely one-tenth of what we might have paid for anything remotely comparable in Hoboken. Boise is a proper city, with everything city people are accustomed to - just a bit less of it. A place largely free of suburban sprawl, surrounded by protected wilderness. A city, unlike most others, where 12 miles north you're in the middle of nowhere. I find myself speaking a little slower these days; a little less cranky. Boise is still unfamiliar to me. I don't know the street names. I don't know our neighbors. But what is familiar is a feeling I had growing up in a small New England town: Work doesn't consume you, commutes don't kill you, and status doesn't define you. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-nfl-league-usfl-sued-tweet-three-dollars-2017-9">Trump once won a lawsuit against the NFL - but the result was an embarrassment</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

From 'Joisey' to Boise: Why I left the New York City metro area for Idaho, the fastest-growing state in the US

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Last year, more people moved into than out of the most fire- and flood-prone areas of the US.</li><li>A surge in migration to the Sunbelt has helped exacerbate this trend.</li></ul>Texas and Florida are holding onto their appeal as destinations for transplants. But many movers are trading lower taxes and more affordable homes for a higher exposure to flooding and wildfires.Tens of thousands more people moved into than out of the most flood- and fire-prone areas of the US last year, driven by migration to Texas and Florida, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.redfin.com/news/climate-migration-real-estate-2024/">a new report</a> from the real estate company Redfin.US counties with the highest risk of wildfires saw 63,365 more people move in than out in 2023, Redfin found. This shift was driven mostly by population gains in Texas counties. Counties with a high risk of flooding gained 16,144 new residents last year, driven largely by population increases in Florida, the report found.At the same time, counties least at risk of fires and flooding saw their populations shrink last year. Redfin found that a net 38,401 people moved out of low-fire-risk counties, while 6,892 moved out of low-flood-risk counties.This trend isn't new. In a 2021 report, Redfin <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.redfin.com/news/climate-migration-real-estate-2021/">found</a> that the 50 countries most at risk of extreme heat saw their populations expand by almost 5% between 2016 and 2020. That shift was accelerated by pandemic-era patterns of people fleeing big cities, as Business Insider <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wildfires-drought-climate-change-fleeing-expensive-cities-to-dangerous-places-2023-8">reported last year</a>. The number of people who moved into the most flood- and fire-prone counties in the US more than doubled in 2021 and 2022, Redfin <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://investors.redfin.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/945/redfin-reports-migration-into-americas-most-flood-prone">reported last year</a>.<h2 id="3b16dff6-5d4f-43a4-b4ba-185607ee798d">A lower cost of living in the short term but higher risks long-term</h2>Many movers prioritize housing affordability and other cost-of-living concerns over climate and environmental issues. A surge of people have moved from more expensive coastal cities to lower-cost locales, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/08/moving-south-sun-belt-housing-economy/675010/">particularly in the Sunbelt</a>, farther from large metros and closer to natural amenities. These locations are often more vulnerable to natural disasters."It's human nature to focus on current benefits, like waterfront views or a low cost of living, over costs that could rack up in the long run, like property damage or a decrease in property value," Daryl Fairweather, Redfin's chief economist, said last year. "It's also human nature to discount risks that are tough to measure, like climate change."But migration into flood- and fire-prone areas appears to be slowing somewhat. The number of people who've moved to the most flood-prone counties in the US has fallen significantly since 2022, Redfin found. The Houston metro area, which is particularly susceptible <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/07/10/houston-flooding-hurricane-beryl/">to storms and flooding</a>, has also lost population, even as its real estate prices are lower than surrounding areas. Shorter moves within states also suggest Americans are becoming more sensitive to climate risks, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/08/05/americans-housing-flooding-wildfire-risk-areas/">according to</a> First Street Foundation, a nonprofit that measures climate risks.The increasing frequency of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/17/climate/heatwave-weather-hot.html">extreme weather events</a> is likely influencing movers. Those events are also helping send <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/homeowners-insurance-cost-rising-climate-change/">home insurance premiums</a> through the roof — and even leading some insurers to pull out of entire regions. In California, for example, two major insurers — State Farm and Allstate — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfire-insurance-e31bef0ed7eeddcde096a5b8f2c1768f">announced</a> they would stop accepting new clients in the state.Most Americans don't want to move into riskier areas. The vast majority of house hunters — 57% — say living in "an area where homes are at low risk of a natural or climate disaster such as fire, flood, poor air quality" is a "must have," while 28% say they'd be willing to live in an area at higher risk of natural or climate disasters if it meant finding an affordable home, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.redfin.com/news/homebuying-tradeoffs-safety-survey-2024/">a recent Redfin survey</a>.Lower-income Americans tend to live in areas more vulnerable to extreme weather. In many cities, lower-income and predominantly Black neighborhoods <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/07/black-communities-us-flood-risk-climate/#:~:text=Black%20communities%20in%20the%20United,street%20basis%20across%20the%20US.">are in areas</a> with less tree cover, higher temperatures, and a greater risk of flooding. Black residents of Southeastern states are more likely to live in places impacted by excessive heat, flooding, and hurricanes, an analysis from McKinsey <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/01/us/black-communities-greater-climate-risk-reaj/index.html">found in 2023</a>.A Brookings Institution <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-to-nudge-americans-to-reduce-their-housing-exposure-to-climate-risks/">report</a> last year recommended several ways that policymakers can encourage Americans to seek climate safety. The researchers argued that Congress and the Federal Housing Finance Agency should work with mortgage lenders and property insurers to factor climate risk into their rates, charging homeowners more based on how much risk they're taking on.Often, homebuyers don't know what kinds of climate risks their property faces, so state and local governments could develop rules about what information needs to be disclosed to a potential homebuyer and then impose higher taxes on riskier property."Higher fees in risky areas serve two purposes: they encourage price-sensitive households to choose safer locations, and they also provide local governments with more revenue to upgrade the climate resilience of infrastructure," Jenny Schuetz and Julia Gill of Brookings wrote.Zoning and other land-use regulations, Schuetz and Gill argued, should be reformed to encourage more dense development in safer places and less sprawl into particularly climate-impacted areas. The researchers recommended that local policymakers think more carefully about where to invest in infrastructure — including roads, schools, and water and sewage capacity — in climate-impacted areas to either discourage or encourage people to move to certain areas.

Americans are so desperate for cheaper houses that they're willing to live in flood and wildfire zones

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I'm an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paris-surprising-things-about-living-in-france-from-american">American who moved to Paris</a> 15 years ago, and I've enjoyed living here.</li><li>A few <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/french-beauty-routine-makeup-skin-care-changes-american-in-france">French-inspired lifestyle changes</a> have made the biggest difference in my day to day.</li></ul>Fifteen years ago, I met with love on New York's Prince Street. The stuff of fairy tales? Mais oui! He was a handsome Italian living in Paris.Five months and many visits after our first encounter, I bid farewell to my family, friends, and customs and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/family-moved-from-uk-to-france-have-no-regrets-2024-6">moved to France</a>, welcoming all the curiosities and clichés composing my new life.Thanks to my Polish mother, I had an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-golden-passport-visa-russian-oligarch-dual-citizenship-2022-4">EU passport</a> and an open mind that I credit to my bicultural upbringing. And, looking back after well over a decade of la vie Parisienne, I can say I've adapted well. There have been difficulties along the way. After all, Paris is still one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2023/11/30/ranked-the-worlds-10-most-expensive-cities-to-live-according-to-a-new-report/">most expensive cities to live in</a>. But these five lifestyle changes have allowed me to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/french-fashion-capsule-wardrobe-what-to-buy-2023-12">embrace French culture</a> in the best way — you may want to give them a try wherever you are. <h2 id="e441cad6-baa1-439f-8416-ae566e08873f">Since moving to Paris, taking time for a midday meal has become a welcome practice</h2>Lunch was more of an afterthought during my <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance-money-investing-goals-after-move-to-new-york-2023-12">chaotic life in New York City</a>, where I'd often stare into my computer screen while gulping down a Cobb salad.These days, lunch is an event. Whether I'm attending a fancy work lunch or grabbing a bite with friends, I take time to consider not only the menu but also my company. Sometimes, even a glass of wine is part of the ceremony.On days when I'm pressed for time, I'll dine at home or pick up a fresh baguette and savor every crispy bite from a bench in my neighborhood park.Eating on the run (or in the metro) is a thing of the past. I also allow for a coffee break in the afternoon in which I perch at a café and watch the world go by, even for just a moment.<h2 id="d443285b-1c1b-4b26-bfa3-f14e886f5868">Farm-to-table dining is a way of life in France, both in restaurants and at home</h2><div type="image" title="Kasia Dietz grabbing produce at farmers market in Paris " height="1280" width="960" msid="111267584" hostid="261" sizebytes="238308"></div>Cooking has become a regular ritual, and one that I even enjoy, particularly when my Italian chef takes over.Most of my meals used to be eaten outside of my home, if not ordered in. Now, rather than amassing takeaway menus, I collect cookbooks.With two farmers markets weekly per neighborhood in Paris, I also now think in terms of seasons when it comes to food. Every spring, I look forward to the strawberry harvest. Before moving, I'd never even been aware of all the varieties and flavors of the fruit.There are also many vegetables, like white asparagus and turnips, I once took no notice of that now play a leading role in my kitchen. It feels like quite a contrast to life in New York, where supermarket shelves were fully stocked regardless of what was actually in season.<h2 id="2d34bf5f-12f3-41d7-a942-f9e1fa865df5">Wine has become my drink of choice</h2>From Bordeaux to Burgundy, wine has become my drink of choice in a country reputed for its vineyards.My frequent nights of cocktails followed by late-night fare have been replaced by a glass of wine paired with a healthy dinner. My body thanks me — after all, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/healthiest-alcohol">red wine is a healthier option</a> than sugary mixed drinks.Plus, nothing complements a well-cooked meal like a good vintage. With so many leading bars in my neighborhood (like Little Red Door and Candelaria), I still enjoy a creative libation but much prefer the early evening art of the apéro.<h2 id="3658dae5-bb7b-4241-9c58-b16ca7e075b7">I've become passionate about sustainability in fashion</h2><div type="image" title="Author Kasia Dietz sitting drinking coffee in Paris" height="960" width="1280" msid="111267583" hostid="261" sizebytes="274434"></div>One of the most significant lifestyle changes I've made since moving to Paris is connected to sustainability. Living in the fashion capital and moonlighting as a handbag designer has led me to meet talented fellow designers who produce limited-edition collections in Paris.I've become dedicated to supporting these local artisans by almost entirely shopping for items made here, and vintage clothing and accessories.My new philosophy of collecting instead of consuming allows me to save both time and money by not being tempted by fast fashion and fads. Plus, I buy less but better. To further celebrate local design, I even lead <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kasiadietztours.com/">custom fashion tours</a> to introduce visitors to unique and ethically-minded Parisian brands.<h2 id="3fb0ccca-397d-40df-91d3-33381e474702">Lastly, I've learned how to disconnect from work</h2>As much as I love what I do for work, I understand how important it is to rest and reset.That doesn't mean a month of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/summer-fridays-more-popular-than-ever-2017-6">summer Fridays</a>, as was the practice for many companies in New York. In France (and much of Western Europe), it means taking off all or most of August to soak beneath the Mediterranean sun or retreat to a family home in the countryside.I still do tend to check my emails often — I am a New Yorker, after all — but I embrace the month when Paris rests, and life is lived at a slower and more mindful pace.

I'm an American who's lived in Paris for 15 years. Taking these 5 notes from the French has really improved my life. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Archaeologists are excavating a 2000-year-old network of tunnels in Israel.</li><li>The labyrinth, found in Huqoq, was used by Jews in revolt against the Roman Empire.</li></ul>Archeologists in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/underground-hideout-nearly-2000-years-ago-unearthed-israel-2024-04-03/">Israel have uncovered a huge labyrinth</a> used by Jewish rebels to hide from the Roman legions, Reuters reports.The underground refuge in northern Israel was dug nearly 2,000 years ago during a revolt against the Roman Empire. While the complex was first discovered decades ago, it is now being properly excavated.The archeological discovery echoes some of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict issues.The ancient Jewish labyrinth, consisting of narrow tunnels and caves designed to shelter entire families, was found in Huqoq in Galilee.In a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aljazeera.com/program/newsfeed/2024/4/4/underground-tunnels-found-in-israel-from-jewish-revolt-against-romans#:~:text=Archaeologists%20have%20uncovered%20a%20vast,Empire's%20occupation%202%2C000%20years%20ago.">video by Al Jazeera</a>, Uri Berger of the Israel Antiquities Authority said the network was dug "for families to hide while the Romans were here, because they feared for their lives, for their children.""We were amazed to see how big this complex is," said Berger.Under Roman occupation, Jewish rebels attempted two ill-fated revolts.Professor Yinon Shivtiel of the Zefat Academic College, who is one of the excavation's directors, said the findings indicate that the caves were "clearly in use" during the First Revolt, which took place from 66- 74 AD, and the Bar-Kochba Rebellion in 132-136 AD.Eighty-three hiding complexes have been discovered, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2024-03-18/ty-article/israeli-archaeologists-reveal-huge-ancient-hiding-complex-in-the-galilee/0000018e-50d3-dca4-ad8e-f4fffdc10000">Haaretz reports</a>."In all of them, we found pottery that testifies to the presence of Jews during the revolts against the Romans," Shivtiel told the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/ancient-jewish-revolt-era-safe-rooms-revealed-in-the-galilee/">Times of Israel</a>.<h2>The tunnels of the rebel Jews weren't used for combat</h2><div type="image" title="Members of Al-Quds Brigades, an armed wing of Islamic Jihad Movement, keep guard at tunnels on Gaza-Israeli border against a possible attack by Israeli forces in Gaza City, Gaza on March 30, 2023." height="1667" width="2500" msid="109093171" hostid="261" sizebytes="266344"></div>While the tunnels being excavated in present-day Huqoq confirm the Jewish ancestral relationship with ancient Israel, they are close to land that includes the former village called Yaquq, once <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.zochrot.org/villages/village_details/49205/en?Yaquq">home to over 200 hundred Palestinian Arabs</a> who farmed wheat, barley, olives, goats, and honey.Yaquq was depopulated in the Israeli War of Independence, an event Palestinians call the Nakba, which means "catastrophe" in Arabic and refers to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.un.org/unispal/about-the-nakba/#:~:text=The%20Nakba%2C%20which%20means%20%E2%80%9Ccatastrophe,ethnic%20and%20multi%2Dcultural%20society.">mass displacement and dispossession of more than half the Palestinian population</a> from the territory established as the Israeli state in 1948.Meanwhile, today's fighters in Gaza have also gone subterranean to avoid a more powerful enemy.About 112 miles away from Huqoq, an elaborate network of tunnels used by Hamas, believed to be 350-450 miles long, have been constructed beneath the Gaza enclave.Referred to as the <a target="_blank" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/28/middleeast/hamas-tunnels-gaza-intl/index.html">"Gaza metro" </a>by the Israel Defense Force (IDF), the labyrinth is used by Hamas and other militants to house weapons and supplies, imprison hostages kidnapped in Israel, and take cover and move around Gaza hidden from Israeli attacks.<a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/israel-struggles-to-destroy-hamass-gaza-tunnel-network-fb641122">The IDF has destroyed 20%-40% of the underground network</a> during its six-month invasion of Gaza that was launched after October 7, say reports.But Shivtiel <a target="_blank" href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/ancient-jewish-revolt-era-safe-rooms-revealed-in-the-galilee/">told The Times of Israel</a> that there is a "big difference" between the Hamas tunnels and the hiding complexes of the Jewish resistance of the Roman period — "it's impossible to compare," as the Jewish tunnels and cavities were not used for combat, he said."If you go into them, they are just like underground mamadim," he said, referring to the contemporary Hebrew word for "safe rooms."Safe rooms are now commonplace in modern-day Israel after years of rocket attacks fired by militants from Gaza and Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon.Reut Aisenberg, a resident of Tel Aviv, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-inside-safe-room-bomb-shelter-israel-war-palestine-gaza-2023-10">told Business Insider</a> that "almost everyone" has a safe room in Israel.<a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tunnel-warfare-evolution-history-military-tactic-2023-11">Tunnel warfare</a> has been used since the 9th century BC, first constructed by the ancient Middle Eastern empire of the Assyrians.Business Insider contacted Yinon Shivtiel and the Israel Antiquities Authority for comment.

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