St. Paul Pioneer Press: A Minnesota organic farm has won a settlement in which Minnesota Pipe Line Company will reroute their proposed pipeline to avoid 100 acres of organic farm. The agreement sets a further precedent for organic farms, in that the company has agreed to take measures to protect wildlife habitats and organic soils from chemical contamination.
The Soil Association: The Soil Association is sponsoring a fortnight of organic events throughout the United Kingdom. If you’ve wondered why you should go organic, look at the 10 reasons listed at their Why Organic project.
Marin Independent Journal: The Novato and San Rafael school districts in Northern California are replacing traditional Sloppy Joes with organic lunches and trying to get kids to eat a healthy diet. [Man of La Muncha admits: I can’t believe I ever liked school Sloppy Joes.]
The Nation: The Nation interviews Ann Cooper, director of nutrition services for the Berkeley Unified School District. Although the interview does not mention that kids rejected organic foods under the earlier program, which was pulled in 2002 (see the MIJ article above), Cooper does tout the districts change from 95% processed foods to 95% made from scratch.
Cornell University: In New York, which feeds the largest number of children of any school district in the United States, Cornell University is working to bring farmers and schools together to provide fresh, local food to school children. There’s no word how this program affects low-income areas of New York, which have higher food costs and little or no access to fresh produce as reported in How Harlem Eats in The Nation (full subscription required for the full article, or check your newsstands).
Food, Farming, & Food Politics events calendar
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