Dairy Farms Contaminate Water And Get Away With It
According to the EPA, agricultural runoff is single largest polluter of the nation’s rivers and streams. However, thanks to years of paltry EPA authority and the lax legislation imposed during the Bush administration, their hands are pretty much tied when it comes to stopping it. There are laws in place that have big [...]
September 21, 2009
Tags: agriculture, Barack Obama, change, cows, farmers, green, Health, moms, policy, USDA Posted in: Health, Politics 
One Comment
Lab-Grown Meat, The Future Is Soon
Flipping to the resources page of the New Harvest website, a non-profit whose mission is to promote and advance meat substitutes, you find twice as many popular articles on the subject of lab-grown meat as there are technical articles on it. Test-tube meat, in vitro meat, cultured meat or whatever name you call it may [...]
July 20, 2009
Tags: agriculture, bacon, Barack Obama, change, cows, farmers, food event, green, greenhouse gases, innovation Posted in: Fun Food Facts, Science & Technology No Comments
Big Organic Versus Small Organic
To many naturalists, hippies, granolas, etc., big organic is a big oxymoron. For them the ideal, sustainable farming model remains the small, organic farmer, like Polyface Farm (which was featured in Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma). For others, big organic is simply the most pragmatic, efficient way of promoting the organic process. It’s the best [...]
April 7, 2009
Tags: agriculture, farmers, FDA, green, marketing, USDA Posted in: Health 2 Comments
Yes, We Can: The Obamas To Plant White House Vegetable Garden
The “Eat the View” campaign, thousands of concerned citizens, and notable figures in contemporary food movements (Alice Waters, Michael Pollan…) helped make the dream of an edible landscape on the White House lawn a reality. Today, 23 fifth graders from a local elementary school, which has had its own garden since 2001, will help [...]
March 20, 2009
Tags: Barack Obama, change, farmers, food event, green, heroes Posted in: Health, Politics One Comment
True Cost of Beef Flowchart
Reading Omnivore’s Dilemma, one realizes that something is missing. Something that could tie many of Pollan’s points into something greater…Something one could understand at a glance…What the book needs is pictures!  More specifically: flowcharts!  Pollan discusses the hidden costs of cheap beef creation via factory farming. While the paragraphs he devotes to the topic [...]
February 26, 2009
Tags: agriculture, cows, farmers, food, green, greenhouse gases, Michael Pollan, subsidies Posted in: Health, Science & Technology 8 Comments
Vilsack Understands!
See, I told you to be optimistic about Vilsack.
The scientists, the foodies, and the economists have all been chanting, “Death to corn subsidies! Â Death to corn subsidies!” forever. Â And, now someone who has explicit authority to take subsidies to the guillotine has said, more or less explicitly, he is looking to axe them:
Vilsack called on [...]
February 17, 2009
Tags: agriculture, farmers, green, heroes, nutrition, policy, subsidies, USDA Posted in: Politics 5 Comments
A White House Garden, Part II: Cuba Shows US The Way?
Although it wouldn’t be an efficient way to feed the first family and guests, a White House garden would remain a potent symbolic gesture of progressive, green action. Â It would demonstrate the seriousness of our new president’s perspective on greenhouse gases and global warming. Â A modern White House garden would invoke an image of [...]
February 3, 2009
Tags: Barack Obama, energy, farmers, global warming, green, greenhouse gases Posted in: Politics One Comment
A Garden On The White House Lawn, Definitely A Shovel-Ready Program
At a time when every carbon footprint is being measured and accounted for, the White House Administration need only look out the many windows of their mansion to see their own big contribution to global warming. Â Encompassing about 18 acres, the White House grounds are manicured with more precision than the most posh country club [...]
February 2, 2009
Tags: Barack Obama, carbon footprint, farmers, green, greenhouse gases, Michael Pollan, USDA Posted in: Fun Food Facts, Politics 2 Comments
Vilsack Lays Out Menu For Change In The Agriculture Department
Vilsack Lists His Priorities as Agricultural Secretary: Â A Play-by-Play Analysis
The text is taken from the USDA’s own news release (link):
“In keeping with President Obama’s recent pledge to make government more transparent, inclusive, and collaborative, I would like to pursue an extended comment period so that more farmers and other individuals can participate in this rulemaking [...]
January 27, 2009
Tags: agriculture, Barack Obama, change, farmers, green, policy, USDA Posted in: Politics 2 Comments
Food Activists, Sepcial Interest Groups Need to Hold Their Horses
Don’t Stampede Obama for Not Keeping His Promises Just Yet
Barack Obama alluded to Michael Pollan’s letter to the next “Farmer-in-Chief” during his interview with Joe Klein. Â He recognized that our agricultural methods and the way we eat are at the crux of our nation’s health, energy crisis, and security (link). Â Thus, foodies and sustainable food [...]
January 26, 2009
Tags: Barack Obama, change, farmers, green, policy Posted in: Politics No Comments
