Want a quick cultural glimpse of the current vibe in SF Bay Area? Take a peek at the contents of this artsy souvenir vending machine my pal Jessica Nguyen spotted at the Oakland Airport. 

Whoever curated this thing really has their finger on the pulse of the Bay Area. Though, it is a little like playing a game of "Find the precious hipster marketing buzzwords."

I spy (from top to bottom, left to right):

MOO, dog treats made from Five Dot Ranch's grass-fed beef  ($12 plus tax) An eco-friendly embroidered kitchen towel made from hemp depicting the state of California and its state flower: poppies ($24 plus tax) A "super-warm cuffed beanie" by local retail favorite Oaklandish ($18 plus tax) Peanut butter & Jelly granola by San Francisco-based small batch granola brand, Garrett's ($2.75 plus tax) Ready-to-hang wall art made from upcycled 1950s fence wood and a reclaimed California license plate ($15 plus tax)

(And, the winner is... )

A bag of nut-free, soy-free AND gluten-free "100% organic bone broth-infused kale chips" ($6.50 plus tax)

The company behind the this little beauty is called souveNEAR and they've got machines in Kansas City and in San Francisco, as well as in Oakland.  Read the rest

Four parts hemp hurd, one part lime binder, and one part water is all you need to make hempcrete, a durable building material similar to pressboard or adobe. Just fill up the form with hempcrete, tamp it down, and once it's set, you're set! Read the rest

DEA agents descended on Menominee County in Wisconsin last Friday, to destroy what the tribal authorities say was an industrial hemp crop. The DEA says it was “high-grade marijuana,” and they're not apologizing. The chairman of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin says the DEA had no right to the cannabis, and the DEA boasts of seizing some 30,000 plants in all. Read the rest

Oh, deer. Someone has a bad case of the munchies.