Scientific American The Editors Advances in agricultural technology—including, but not limited to, the genetic modification of food crops—have made fields more productive than ever. Farmers grow more crops and feed more people using less land. They are able to use fewer pesticides and to reduce the amount of tilling that leads to erosion. And within… Read more »
‘Seed Freedom is the Answer to Hunger and Malnutrition’
We must resist seed monopolies of corporates, they harm us all, writes biodiversity campaigner Vandana Shiva The Guardian What happens to the seed affects the web of life. When seed is living, regenerative and diverse, it feeds pollinators, soil organisms and animals – including humans. When seed is non-renewable, bred for chemicals, or genetically engineered… Read more »
A Note From Joel Salatin
Polyface Farm Joel Salatin Aug. 18, 2013 Why do we need more farmers? What is the driving force behind USDA policy? In an infuriating epiphany I have yet to metabolize, I found out Wednesday in a private policy-generation meeting with Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McCauliffe. I did and still do consider it a distinct… Read more »
The Great Tomato Debate: A Response To Mark Bittman’s Opinionator
Forbes By Beth Hoffman On Saturday, Mark Bittman of the New York Times wrote an interesting article about a trip he took to the Sacramento Valley to witness large scale tomato production. There he found committed farmers growing tomatoes in a way that tries to ensure the fiscal stability of their farms while also taking… Read more »
National Honeybee Day – Saturday, August 17
By Maryam Henein, Honey Colony While discussing the fourth annual National Honeybee Day, on August. 17, a colleague from the Center for Food Safety informed me that the bees were going to be landing on the front cover of Time Magazine. Did this mean that the bees were officially mainstream now? Was the article going… Read more »
Guest Post – Safety Rules Cloud Beginning Farmers’ Futures
National Young Farmers Coalition Posted by Wes This summer we’ve started taking a closer look at the new food safety laws that are hurtling toward us from the FDA. (Alright, hurtling might be an exaggeration, but the November 16th deadline for comments is coming quick.) The more we read, the more it becomes clear that… Read more »
Open Pollenated: Seeds of Value
Restoration Seeds By Chuck Burr An open pollenated (OP) seed is a seed of value, it can grow a plant true to the plant is was saved from. OP seeds are fertilized naturally by insects, birds, wind or their structure. Many of our seeds are called heirlooms who can trace their linage back before 1951… Read more »
Conflicts of Interest in the Regulation of Food Safety
A Threat to Scientific Integrity JAMA Internal Medicine By Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH Conflicts of interest in medical research, education, and practice are well known to increase the risk of undue influence by corporate sponsors. Because conflicts of interest are so prevalent and troublesome, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) was asked to develop guidelines for… Read more »
Why Sustainable Seafood is More Than a Green List or an Eco-Label
Who Fishes Matters By Pamela Flash It’s August, and go time for local food. The farmers markets and CSA boxes are full to bursting with ripe, seasonal produce – tomatoes of all colors and shapes, zucchini, corn, fragrant basil. And don’t forget striped bass, bluefish, scallops, cod – the list goes on. For years, we’ve been… Read more »
Food for Thought
Happy birthday Wendell Berry
