Bye-bye, organic coffee, sugar, chocolate?: Sam Fromartz reports on a new ruling by the USDA that dramatically changes how non-U.S. farms are certified organic. Previously, only a small percentage of farms in “grower groups” would be randomly inspected, and the group would then police the remainder’s practices. Writes Fromartz: “The staggered inspection method has been […]

Future of food: Peter Melchett has an excellent op-ed on what England’s bird-flu outbreak means for the future of farming — will it be high-tech, dependent on genetic engineering and biosecurity, or low-tech, meaning organic and local? Guardian (UK)
Overkill: A chillingly sad story about how so-called “disease containment” practices work in the United States, based […]

Farm Bill 101: Tom Philpott plans to analyze the political economy of farming and suggest a socially and environmentally sustainable farm policy. (Someone has to do it, and we’re glad he’s volunteered.) The 2007 Farm Bill will affect everybody who cares about what they eat, and/or about the environment, so if you’re unsure how agricultural […]

Fiber — like armor for your gut: Thought there was nothing new to say about last year’s E. coli outbreaks? Think again. This op-ed says the best defense against the bad bugs starts with your own stomach: eat more fiber, so your gut’s bacteria can fight off invaders. Recommended are onions, leeks, garlic, chicory and […]

Santa Cruz beats Marin: A new study found that California has about four times as many fast food restaurants and convenience stores as healthier alternatives. In Santa Cruz County, the ratio was fewer than two unhealthy options for every healthy one — the highest proportion of healthy food options like grocery stores, farmers markets […]

Rah rah for raw milk: Ignore those people claiming raw milk has cured their asthma — all unpasteurized milk is dirty and dangerous, say FDA and state health officials. But as this article makes clear, the regulators are overlooking a crucial point: how raw milk from industrial, feedlot dairies destined for pasteurization differs from raw […]

We’re trying out a new format for the Digest’s news links, suggested by Dr. Vino. What do you think?
Pharm animals: The latest animals to be genetically engineered to produce medicines for humans are some 500 U.K. chickens, which now lay eggs high in therapeutic proteins. [BBC News]
Brazil beefing up, U.S. style: Brazil’s cattle industry is […]

Grist: Starting today, our favorite irreverent environmental magazine is offering a multi-part crash course on biofuels and whether they’re just fleeting flirtations in our long-term love affair with oil. The initial three pieces include Tom Philpott explaining in his usual concise, precise way how the world became dependent on fossil fuels in the first place; […]

Seattle P-I: Detoxification and elimination diets seem to be all the rage, but they are not necessarily beneficial.
San Francisco Chronicle: A review of “French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes & Pleasure” — the follow-up to the best-selling “French Women Don’t Get Fat” — confirms what has really been starting to sink […]

Well, not really. But Kat James’ The Truth About Beauty: Transform Your Looks and Your Life from the Inside Out is bound to appeal primarily to women.
I consider myself a rather staunch feminist, but one of my greatest pleasures is reading beauty tips and browsing makeup stores. I also love typical Martha Stewart […]

Barry Lopez, noted author of several books that take an intimate look at the planet, ambled into town last week to discuss his latest work, Home Ground. I listened to him speak at Seattle Public Library’s main branch on Tuesday.
The book is a compilation of definitions of terms for landscape and waterscape features in […]

I approach this book with skepticism
There is something off-putting about the first chapter title in Nina Planck’s book: “I Grow Up on Real Food, Lose My Way, and Come Home Again.”
I put down the book and check copies of Twain and Thoreau for an influence, hoping to disguise my aversion to the author’s style […]

Last spring, the Butter Bitch and I received a number of gift cards for Bed, Bath & Beyond. We have been together for thirteen years and have a fairly complete kitchen, plus we got a bunch of gifts when we tied the knot, so we weren’t sure what to buy with the cards. […]

The book Organic, Inc.: Natural Foods and How They Grew by Samuel Fromartz is a timely companion piece to Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. While they both touch on the commercial aspects of Big Organic (using Earthbound Farm and Cascadian as examples), Fromartz focuses much more on the overall organic picture, from its […]

I’ve read the foraging exploits of the other Ethicureans with some jealousy, but our CSA box has kept us too busy to roam the neighborhood for ripening fruit. There are cherry trees 4 blocks west of us, but we haven’t walked past them since the cherry blossoms started decorating the sidewalks and streets with […]