Cornfeddish: A Q&A with Paul Hitch — an Oklahoma “cattle feeder” whose feedlot operation can handle almost 160,000 animals at any one time (!) — about the rising price of corn, competing with “other proteins,” and whether he considers the little “boomlet” in grassfed beef a threat to his business. CattleNetwork
Secrets and vines: A Napa resident has an op-ed about whether UC Davis and Cornell University are field testing genetically engineered grapes in Napa without telling anyone. We think her concerns are absolutely valid, and the Register’s commenters in response are weirdly, creepily rude. Napa Valley Register
A giant hissing sound: A WashPo editorial recommends that the House Budget Committee should approve no more than the president’s relatively modest increase for the Farm Bill. (Washington Post) The Des Moines Register has more on the Democrats’ struggle to get funding; commenters are fixated on the barest mention of the word taxes.
More evidence of global warming effects: A warmer Earth has already caused reductions in crop yields, concludes a report by researchers from the Carnegie Institution and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Their analysis of climate and yield data found a 3-5% drop in yield for every 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.6 degrees Celsius) increase in average global temperature. (Carnegie Institution press release; see also the scientific article at Environmental Research Letters)
Here’s to Tofurkey!: In Newsweek’s My Turn column, vegan Jenny Andrews writes about living in harmony with her conscientious carnivore of a husband. The Oakland resident does a nice job of demystifying their respective choices for middle America. Newsweek (Via WannaVeg)
Carnivores and choice: In an excerpt from her book “The Secret of Food,” Sallie Tisdale muses whether the appetite for flesh is quintessentially human. Culinate
Buffalo saviors: Time magazine has a short but thoughtful piece about the history of bison in America and how raising them as a food source has helped save them from the brink of extinction. Time
Farming nuts: Slow news-day blog bonus — New York fruit farmer Mike Biltonen dissects the organic vs. local debate and explains why people like him are crazy to farm, and unless more eaters make a real commitment to paying more for their food, the local option will disappear. Will someone please give Mike a column somewhere? Organic Schmorganic
Frozen out: California’s disaster aid has bypassed farmworkers. TomPaine.com
Drop the oats and pass the java, Wilford!: Spanish scientists have confirmed that brewed coffee contains fiber and helps lower cholesterol, much like oatmeal. Scientific American
Salmonella begins at home: An op-ed argues that “rats in restaurants, while distasteful, are more a distraction than a disaster for public health.” New York Times
Coke, soon with actual sugar?: Rising corn prices have caused Coca-Cola to seek alternatives to high fructose corn syrup. Vending Market Watch
Wriggly business: Invasive species of worms are menacing trees and shade plants. Fun fact: Since the USDA lists earthworms as beneficial organisms, using a pesticide to kill them is technically illegal. New York Times
Fit for the Queen: Likely inspired by her son Charles, the queen is looking to hire an organic gardener for Buckingham Palace. Hello
This little light will shine!: The Gray Lady — although we confess we think of the Times more as the Old, Bald, Beige Guy (but affectionately!) — has a strongly worded editorial lauding the House’s overwhelming vote for a package of strong open-government measures. Snap!-worthy: “Overwhelming majorities were registered for the measures despite the White House’s threat of a presidential veto. We say bring it on.” New York Times
Food, Farming, & Food Politics events calendar
Humor:
March 16th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Coke had actual sugar until the mid-1980s, when rising cane sugar costs resulted in an amusing piece of bait-and-switch. They introduced “New Coke” and dropped the original coke. After a few months of complaints, “Classic” Coke was brought out and New Coke was dropped. What was not mentioned was that Classic did not match the ingredients of the original Coke. Friends had left cans of Coke at their cabin in Central Idaho, and we compared the ingredient lists of the old cans and Classic. The old cans had sugar, not HCFS, while Classic had more HCFS (might still have had sugar, I don’t recall).
Given the recent US-Brazil agreement on ethanol produced from sugar, I don’t think that Coke will turn back to sugar anytime soon. I predict that they will find something even worse than HCFS or Splenda to use as a sweetening agent.
As for me, I’m sticking with “healthy” coffee.
March 17th, 2007 at 10:08 am
The link you posted for the organicshmorganic article has one “L” too many on the end and does not work… the correct link is http://organicschmorganic.blogspot.com/2007/03/organic-vs-local-which-is-it.html
March 17th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Thanks Tony (and Jack — see, you’re not alone after all). It’s fixed now.