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A few years ago, I read an article that changed how I think about bourbon. It wasnt about distilling or aging. It was about bread. Bread Is Broken by Ferris Jabr explores how modern industrial farming stripped grains of their flavor and nutritional value in exchange for higher yield, longer shelf life, and cost efficiency. As I read, I kept wondering if flavor has been lost in wheat; what does that mean for the wheat in our whisky? So, I called Dr. David Van Sanford, a wheat breeder at the University of Kentucky, to ask if anyone had studied how farming practices impact flavor. He paused and said, Youre the first person whos ever asked me that. That one question, nearly a decade ago, reenergized our pursuit of flavor. In that time, we expanded our farm operations, benchmarked our sustainability efforts, and doubled down on new regenerative processes: no-till farming, cover cropping, and crop rotation, which we knew would create healthier soil and therefore better flavor in our bourbon, and launched Star Hill Farm Whisky. As we approach Climate Week in New York City, where regenerative agriculture is gaining attention, I want to share three lessons Ive learned over the past 10 years that continue to guide our work. 1. Cultivate an infinite mindset When new leaders join our team, I often hand them a copy of Simon Sineks The Infinite Game. What really struck me about Sineks book is the idea that an infinite mindset isnt about winning in the traditional sense; its about ensuring the game continues. For me, that means stewardship over short-term gains: How do we leave the land, our bourbon, our culture, and our industry stronger than we found it? That perspective has shaped the way I lead, and it directly connects to regenerative agriculture, which is all about investing in farmland to become more nutrient-dense, flavorful, and resilient for the future. Bourbon is, after all, an agricultural product. If we want bourbon to have a future every bit as rich as its past, we have to be thinking about the long game. Increasingly, distillers are. 2. Dont go at it alone When our team unlocked the deep connection between soil health and flavor, we knew we couldnt do this alone so we sought out scientists, farmers, researchers, and thinkers like Gabe Brown, whose work on regenerative systems helped shape our approach. We quickly found our tribe. Weve built a lasting partnership with Regenified and its CEO, Salar Shemirani, working alongside their team to recognize and certify farmers, ranchers, and communities for their dedication to biodiversity, soil health, water quality, and ecosystem resilience. To amplify their work and the work of Gabe Browns Understanding Ag, we launched the Makers Mark Regenerative Alliance this year, which provides education and technical support to build healthy farm ecosystemsbeginning in the greater Kentucky, New York, and London areas. Weve already begun onboarding (and continue to invite) farms, bars, and restaurants to adopt regenerative practices in their sourcing, operations, and menu storytelling. You can nominate a farm or restaurant that is already practicing regenerative agriculture to join our alliance and help amplify their work. 3. Be uncompromising about what matters When my grandparents, Margie and Bill Samuels Sr., founded Makers Mark, they chose outlying land in Loretto, Ky, because of its natural water source and proximity to growers. They challenged convention to create a balanced handmade spirit rooted in the land. Now more than ever, people want the products they enjoy and brands they buy to have a higher purpose, be transparent, and authentic to who they are. For us, that translates to an unreasonable commitment to quality made with respect for the land. And its encouraging to see distilleries adopting practices that go beyond business as usual, pursuing certifications like B Corp and Regenified and collaborating through initiatives like the Estate Whiskey Alliance (EWA). As a founding member of the EWA, were working alongside whiskey producers, farmers, academic institutions, and suppliers who believe transparency and traceability in ingredient sourcing and production methods are essential for both business and consumers. In just one year, EWA has nearly tripled its membership, certified its first products, and funded groundbreaking research. These are all important steps toward making regenerative farming the expectation rather than the exception. For businesses ready to take similar steps, B Corp offers a clear framework and pathway to embed social and environmental responsibility into the heart of operations. Getting involved begins by completing the B Impact Assessment to measure your current impact and chart a course toward certification. Like joining the EWA, its an opportunity to be part of a broader movement where collective action accelerates change. These efforts demonstrate that the industry can create a more resilient and sustainable future for bourbon, agriculture, and future generations. So, what does bourbon have to do with the future of farming? More than you might think. Rob Samuels is managing director and 8th-generation whisky maker at Star Hill Farm.
Category:
E-Commerce
Reports Wednesday that Apple has held talks with Intel about a possible strategic investment sent shockwaves through the stock market. Intel shares shot up. Apple, the reports said, had begun the talksinitiated by Inteleven before the Trump administration made its controversial announcement that it would buy an $8.9 billion share in the chipmaker. The governments move had the effect of attracting more investment in Intel, however. U.S.-based Nvidia said it would invest $5 billion and Japans Softbank said it would invest $2 billion. Intel is a special case. The storied U.S. chipmaker has fallen on hard times after missing the chance to supply the chips of the mobile revolution. Now its far behind in having the technology to design and/or manufacture best-in-class chips that are good at training and running AI models. The de facto alternative to a U.S. fabricator of AI chips, meanwhile, is TSMC. At the moment, the AI Revolution depends on advanced chips (most of them Nvidia designs) that are manufactured almost exclusively by TSMC, which is based in Taiwan, a small island 81 miles from mainland China, the U.S.s fierce rival in AI global dominance. The U.S. is in a big hurry to find ways to de-risk that geopolitical situation. Washington has worked with TSMC to build advanced fabrication facilities on U.S. soil, and the company is now in the process of spending $65 billion on building three giant factories in Arizona. But the chipmaker has found that setting up fabs in the U.S. is far slower than in Taiwan. Thats thanks to a challenging regulatory and administrative environment, a thorny struggle to acquire permits, and big cost overruns. The company said in January that most of its chip manufacturing would remain in Taiwan, especially for the most advanced chips. Its one thing to work with TSMC to build fabrication facilities on U.S. soil, but its even better to help a U.S. company become a viable second-source option. And Intel, it seems, is Americas best hope for that. But it will require lots of money and expertise. And the company with that expertise is TSMC. In January, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick even approached TSMC to take over Intels chip foundry (fabrication) business, which would be divorced from Intels chip design business. Those overtures apparently didnt bear fruit. Apple and Intel have a rocky history With an Apple investment in Intel, it now seems more possible that Apple (and Nvidia) would try to work closely with Intel to bring its fabrication game up to speed. Both of those companies have lots of expertise designing chips, and both have deep relationships with TSMC, which fabricates the designs. Apple has a history with Intel. The company used Intel processors inside its MacBooks from 2006 through 2020, but discontinued the partnership after disappointment with the performance of the processors. Apple also bought Intel modem chips for the iPhone for a time, but again struggled to work with Intel to get the performance it wanted. Apple bought Intels modem chip business in 2019, which gave it a foundation for designing its own modems. It put the first custom modem system-on-a-chip, called C1, into the iPhone 17 this year. Apple and Intel have very different corporate cultures, and have struggled to work well together in the past. During the work on the Intel modem, Intel engineers said that Apple wanted first priority for its projects, demanded to dictate all modem specifications, and insisted on tight timelines with little tolerance for error. Apple found Intels culture to be slower and less agile than its own. But a lot has happened at both companies since then. Markets have changed. Intel is far weaker, and Apple is, arguably, somewhat slower in its innovation. And the two companies would be working together for a greater cause than just partnering on phone or laptop components. Theyd be central players in helping the U.S. keep pace with China in AI and defusing a potentially dangerous geopolitical situation with regard to TSMC.
Category:
E-Commerce
Along the White Houses West Wing Colonnade, portraits of every U.S. president since George Washington hang side-by-side in gilded frames. Every president, that is, except Joe Biden, whose visage has been swapped for an image of an autopen. The new portrait display was unveiled on September 24, when the White House posted images of the updated West Wing to X. The post included a header image zoomed in on Bidens spot in the lineup, which shows a black-and-white image of an autopen signing the words Joseph R Biden Jr. Its in reference to a controversy, ignited earlier this year by members of the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, who claimed that Bidens team signed several important documents with an autopen due to the former Presidents alleged cognitive decline. Throughout his second term, President Trump has repeatedly used art inside the White House to meticulously edit his personal image, trading in convention to airbrush his own legacy in real time. However, this seems to be the first time that the President has moved beyond primping his own portraits to actively disparaging his political adversaries through his home decor. Why has Bidens portrait been replaced with an autopen? Trumps choice to replace Bidens portrait with an image of an autopen is likely a move intended to insult his predecessor on an international stage. The image refers to a controversy that cropped up back in March. At the time, Trump declared via social media that some of Bidens presidential pardons, including members of the January 6 Committee, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and members of Bidens family beyond his son Hunter, were void because they were signed by an autopen device. The accusation came despite the fact that autopens, which are robotic devices used to duplicate signatures, have been used in the White House since Harry Truman. Trump himself likely used an autopen during his first term. A Republican committee, led by U.S. Representative James Comer, is currently investigating the idea that the autopen was used as a cover-up for Bidens cognitive decline. Regardless of what the committee may find, the concept of a current President using the very walls of the White House as a canvas to target a former President is essentially unheard of. For Trump, though, it’s reflective of a broader pattern. Why this represents a concerning escalation Immediately after taking office in January, Trump foreshadowed how he planned to rebrand his image during his second term through the reveal of his official portrait. Trump chose to scrap all previous conventions around presidential portraiturelike genial expressions and down-to-earth posinginstead choosing to model his headshot after his mugshot. Since then, the President has embarked on a months-long campaign to adopt a sterner, darker personal brand that aligns with his desired image of control. In February, reporters spotted a framed image of a New York Post magazine spotlighting Trumps mugshot posted just outside the Oval Office. That same month, his administration took down a minimalist portrait of former president Barack Obama in the East Room for a pop-art painting of President Trump raising his fist after the assassination attempt last year on the campaign trail. In April, a portrait of Trumps face featuring a superimposed American flag appeared between a portrait of Hillary Clinton and Nancy Reagan. In May, a painting of Trump edited together with Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan showed up in the West Wing. And in August, deputy assistant to the President Sebastian Gorka took to X to share another new painting of Trump walking through a line of American flags with his coat billowing behind him, alongside the caption: One of the new @WhiteHouse paintings of President @realDonaldTrump. More to come. Outside of art, Trump is also making several more permanent changes to the White House itself. Currently, the President is in the process of redesigning the White Houses Rose Garden in the image of his Mar-a-Lago resort and imposing his opulent, Rococo-inspired design aesthetic on a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom. In a move that almost feels closer to parody than reality, the Trump administration also recently announced plans to convert the White Houses South Lawn into a UFC arena for a 2026 match. All of these aesthetic decisions point back to Trumps general attitude around the White House: that it is less a historical site, and more a stage for his own personal endswhether that means molding the building to his narrow view of good architecture, or using its decor to squeeze in a last jab at Biden.
Category:
E-Commerce
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