Mangoes in Mali: An Essay on Fruit and Friendship
Whenever I eat a mango, no matter where I am or from which country the mango came, I think of Africa. It is still my favorite fruit.
Month: March 2011
The Honey Trail: In Pursuit of Liquid Gold and Vanishing Bees by Grace Pundyk
This unique book not only questions the state of our environment and the impact it is having on bees and honey, it also takes readers on an adventure across Yemeni deserts and Borneo jungles, through the Mississippi Delta and Tasmania’s rainforests, over frozen Siberian snowscapes and ancient Turkish villages all in search of the liquid gold known as honey.
Lawsuit Challenges USDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Alfalfa
Farmers and consumer groups filed a lawsuit against the USDA arguing the recent unrestricted approval of GE “Roundup Ready” alfalfa was unlawful. The suit charges that GE alfalfa threatens the rights of farmers and consumers, as well as significant harm to the environment.
Past but not over: 2011 MOSES Organic Farming Conference, La Crosse WI
The 2011 MOSES Organic Farming Conference was held this year in La Crosse, Wisconsin, February 24-26, 2011. Our contributor, Drue Fergison of Ralph’s Pretty Good …
Tom Stearns, Founder of High Mowing Organic Seeds
Tom Stearns talks about co-marketing, organic farming as a business, scale – small is beautiful, but medium is good too – and collaborating with other small/medium farmers.
Organic Valley Delivers Bonus Cash Distribution
Organic Valley, one of the largest marketing co-operatives in the world, continues to demonstrate that the co-operative model can be extremely successful. In the face of a challenging economy, the co-op exceeded its annual sales growth goal for 2010 and distributed a bonus payment to the farmer-owners.
Can Big Food Be Local Food?
So can local be big? Before I answer that question, it might be a good idea to revisit what we mean by local. Some good food policy advocates (including me) are substituting the term “community-based” for “local” to signify that local food systems are based on relationships rooted in place.
The Compassionate Carnivore by Catherine Friend
Friend approaches her subject from the perspective of a farmer. She participates actively in raising lambs and ducks that eventually wind up on people’s tables, her own included. Given the environmental impact of animal husbandry, many people question if eating meat can be sustainable in this era of global warming.