STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
And let's stay in the land of milk and honey, because our last word in business takes us to a barnyard venture that is solving to very old problems at once. The first is keeping unwanted plants out of a productive vegetable garden. The second, more existential problem is finding a suitable romantic partner. And the last word is weed dating.
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
Weed dating is the name of an annual event at Earthly Delights Farm in Boise, Idaho, one of the many like it in farm states across the country. Just like speed dating, romantic hopefuls are paired off, and then they rotate, meeting and chatting up new people every few minutes. Here's the difference: Instead of making small talk over appetizers across the table, the singles are put to work - weeding, tending to a shared patch of lettuce or tomatoes or strawberries.
INSKEEP: If all goes well, green thumbs are drawn together. Still, the farm's owner, Casey O'Leary, cannot promise a successful match. I'm not a hookup coach, I'm a farmer, she told the Associated Press. Says she also has to urge daters to please avoid pulling the crops out along with the weeds. Good advice for gardening, and for life.
That's the business news on MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.
MONTAGNE: And I'm Renee Montagne. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
