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
School Lunch Reform Takes Two Steps Forward, and Several Steps Back
Public schools in Portland, Oregon wanted to make an effort to source their lunch products from local, sustainable farmers. But they wanted to know if the more costly local beef was worth it. They asked if would it make a difference to the kids.  To find out, they had Oregon State University conduct a scientific [...]
January 10, 2009
Tags: education, green, Health, subsidies, USDA Posted in: Health, Politics 4 Comments
New Agriculture Secretary a Trick up Obama’s Sleeve?
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Obama wanted to tackle wasteful crop subsidies, so he selected Iowa governor Tom Vilsack? Tom Vilsack is a representative from one of the most heavily subsidized states in the Union, and he wholeheartedly endorses the failed corn ethanol project. Is he just going to give up on corn and other crop subsides just [...]
December 18, 2008
Tags: agriculture, Barack Obama, green, policy, subsidies Posted in: Politics One Comment
Cane Sugar versus Corn Syrup or…Soda Economics and the Farm Bill
Christmas hasn’t even begun yet, and I’m already thinking about Passover (coming as soon as April 8th). Grocery stores start stocking up all all things kosher, which to me means extra tasty Dr. Pepper made with cane sugar instead of the regular corn syrup. Rabbi Levy explains, “Dextrose-base caramel, ordinarily used in both [regular and [...]
November 28, 2008
Tags: agriculture, Health, marketing, pepsi, policy, soda, subsidies Posted in: Health, Politics One Comment
“Obama Goes After Farm Subsidies”. No, not really.
In a speech just concluded (11/25/2008) announcing two more economy appointees — CBO chief Peter Orszag to the Office of Management and Budget and Robert Nabors (House Approp. Comm.) to be his deputy — President-elect Obama gave an example of one piece of wasteful government spending: farm subsidies.
Obama cited a GAO report out yesterday that [...]
November 26, 2008
Tags: agriculture, Barack Obama, farmers, Health, policy, subsidies Posted in: Health, Politics No Comments
Fat from the Flawed Farm Bill…Some Get Checks, Most Get Bigger Waistlines
Walk into the average grocery store and you will find that carrots and broccoli are more expensive per calorie than soda or Twinkies. Have you ever stopped to wonder why this is? How is that carrots with just washing, bagging, and no advertisements are more expensive than the Twinkie’s 39 complex, hard to pronounce ingredients [...]
November 25, 2008
Tags: agriculture, farmers, Health, Michael Pollan, nutrition, obesity, policy, subsidies Posted in: Health, Politics 2 Comments
The Green New Deal? Cap-and-Trade Should Go Hand-in-Hand with Subsidies
Barack Obama held the first news conference for his transition team (featured live on CNN, 11/7/2008). His priorities are to be fixing the economy and creating jobs. During stump speeches and debates he emphasized creating new “green collar” jobs to help combat the failing economy and environmental crises simultaneously. The Economist echoes his proposals– Obama [...]
November 9, 2008
Tags: Barack Obama, energy, green, innovation, policy, subsidies Posted in: Politics No Comments
