New York Times Sunday Review By Jim Robbins ON the first of November, when Mexicans celebrate a holiday called the Day of the Dead, some also celebrate the millions of monarch butterflies that, without fail, fly to the mountainous fir forests of central Mexico on that day. They are believed to be souls of the… Read more »
FDA’s Proposed Produce Rule: A War on Farmers
Food Safety News By Daniel B. Cohen The deadline for comments on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Produce Safety Rule is Nov. 15, 2013. This was probably supposed to be the easiest and most straightforward of the rules to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). It may be that FDA fell into the… Read more »
Peak Soil: Unless We Act Now the Very Ground Beneath Us Will Die
Protecting and improving the health of soil is even more important today than it ever has been, says the Soil Association’s Helen Browning, especially coupled with the challenges that climate change will bring in the future. Forked By Helen Browning As a farmer, my foremost responsibility is to protect and enhance the soil in my… Read more »
Industry’s Secret Plan to Get the Feds to Kill GMO Labeling in Every State
Food Safety News By Michele Simon With the disappointing results now in from I-522, the initiative in Washington state that would have required labeling of genetically engineered food (aka, GMOs), the looming question is, what’s next? At least for the junk-food lobby, that answer in painfully clear: stop this state-level movement at any cost. In last Wednesday’s New… Read more »
Will California Save the Bees?
Huffington Post Paul Tower Last week I sat through a long hearing in the California legislature, all about bee declines. By the end, I was both excited and frustrated. As I noted in my closing comments at the hearing, California can and must take action to address the dramatic declines. This is an important opportunity… Read more »
Busting the “Organic Is Expensive” Myth
The Cost of Organic Food Is Worth It and—Surprise—It’s Not Always Higher By Charlotte Vallaeys “Organic food is too expensive.” It’s a complaint we, as organic farmers and advocates, hear all too often. And we’ve practiced and often repeated our defense of organic food’s higher price tag: it’s worth every extra penny in terms of… Read more »
10 Things to Know About Food on World Food Day
Huffington Post By Lester R. Brown October 16 is World Food Day. It offers the opportunity to strengthen national and international solidarity in the fight to end hunger, malnutrition and poverty. With falling water tables, eroding soils and rising temperatures making it difficult to feed growing populations, control of arable land and water resources is… Read more »
Is Organic Liberal or Conservative? — Yes!
Although some of the conservative think tanks and their agribusiness patrons might want to paint organic food as “elitist” — and even a “socialist” plot — the facts tell a different story. The organic movement is truly non-partisan. By Mark A. Kastel The organic farming movement was initially fueled by a loving collaboration between family… Read more »
How to Bring Farmers Markets to the Urban Poor
Washington Post by Michael Lipsky For almost 20 years, I’ve sold tomatoes, basil, lettuce, kale and other vegetables at the Takoma Park Farmers Market on Sundays during the summer season. It’s one of several markets my wife helped start at the dawn of the farmers market movement. Last month, I spent a day selling for… Read more »
Satish Kumar: The Link Between Soil, Soul and Society
We are losing connection with the soil. Satish Kumar wants us to understand the connection between soil, soul and society and drop ego in favour of eco The Guardian Satish Kumar Many historical movements in the world have three key words that express their spirit. During the French Revolution the words were “liberté, égalité, fraternité”,… Read more »
