I wouldn’t normally think of doing a news round-up since so many other websites do a great job of that, but I came across a couple of morsels I just couldn’t pass up:
Photo from mes_tiza’s flickr stream
The U.S. Olympic team will be dining on American food during this year’s Games in Beijing. Major sponsors will be Tyson’s, which is shipping around 25,000 lbs of meat to China for this purpose; and Kellogg’s. Apparently, we’re scared of possible contamination in Chinese-produced foods, which, given the stakes, is not surprising. But come on now. We all know there are no weird growth hormones in American food….right?
Photo from Tracy O’s flickr stream
The American Farm Bureau is concerned with possible means-testing in the Farm Bill up for debate in Congress right now. Apparently, $500,000 in adjusted gross income shouldn’t be too much to exclude you from receiving government aid. Again, damn! Why don’t I have my hand out?
Photo from iLoveButter’s flickr stream
Beef magazine is reporting that high fertilizer prices could drive producers to reconsider their pasture management practices. I don’t think it’s good news when American farmers and ranchers face higher production costs, but perhaps there’s a silver lining here somewhere?
I disagree, while I don’t leap for joy when costs increase for the American farmer’s I do see it as a silver lining. Our food supply is so broken, including farming. When I hear things like this (cost increase) I hope that at least some of the affected farmers will ditch conventional farming infavor of organic farming. One can always hope, right?
And for the record – the cows in that picture are organic cows grazing on certified organic pasture which is only fertilized with cow poop. π
Fundamentally, I agree that it would be great if there were some major changes to our food system. And certainly, if ideological agreements won’t win people over, then perhaps the economics of farming will. But unfortunately, that is a complicated equation. And though small-scale organic farms and pastured livestock operations make me feel all warm and fuzzy (and are certainly where I spend most of my money), I don’t want people going broke trying to make a decent living off the land.
Posture says : I absolutely agree with this !
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation π Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Assyrian!!