The last thing our feckless FDA and Dept of Agrivulture wants promoted is the education of the food buying public.

Their corporate masters would be displeased.

curmudgeon99, the last thing ANY government wants is an educated population.

Knowledge is power. It is better to keep the masses fat, happy and stupid. Mission Accomplished in the USA.

AND HOW, WTF !!!!!

We can talk all we want to about food, but if we do not realise just how trapped we are by the system and thus find innovative ways to eat better outside of the system all efforts are doomed to fail. The system has it all sown (pun intended) up. Read Raj Patel's blog Stuffed and Starved for some really insightful arguments. Also note that the Victory garden program essentially ended in 1946, when people realised they did not have to grow food.
We food activists have to try and change the paradigm. Though I am often at a loss to think about how and what to change, I am aware enough of the need for change. We are so removed from our connection with the land that we need to address so many different levels. However it is easy to think that one program, eg farmer's markets, CSA, community gardens will be the breakthrough program, the system rapidly closes in behind.
We need more people to get their hands dirty in the soil.
pax
John

Remember that in many states it is illegal for someone to film a slaughterhouse--exactly for the reasons demonstrated by the video.

Gail Eisnitz's book Slaughterhouse exposes all the horrors of the industry and does so in a way that makes Fast Food Nation look like a kiddie book.

Slaughterhouse workers: they work so hard their fingernails fall off.

When they get frustrated on the job they gouge the eyes out of the animals for kicks.

Sometimes they beat their families.

Horses have been known to be stolen off farms and slaughtered for extra meat.

Sometimes slaughterhouse workers arent allowed to take bathroom breaks--guess where they do it?

If you like your meat mixed with human and non human waste--keep eating meat.
And dont think you are spared if you go organic, because the animals go to the same slaughterhouses.

Vegan is the only answer.
Its simple, easy--saves water, widlife, human food.

We need not join the Jains to stop eating.
Who can afford the gas to get to the grocery store much less buy food that is shipped in from anywhere?

To add insult to injury, the price of most of this "food" is rapidly escalating and will continue to do so, thanks to Ben Bernanke continuing to print more money and lower interest rates, thereby continuing US dollar devaluation and fanning the flames of inflation. Alan Greenspan perfected this regressive monetary policy and Bernaknke is institutionalizing it.

Invest in small diverse organic farms.

Farmers markets are great, but in New England in the winter, there's not much available other than potatoes and squash. In this day and age, no one wants to limit their diets this way.

Yes, I agree JaneM, all should be done in good measure, she did mention, "And plant a garden, even if that means potting just one herb on a sunny windowsill." I think we would go a very long way if locals in New England independently took care of their food needs during the half of the year when it is possible. I think we sometimes forget in our ire for all the things that are go terribly in the world today, that changing gradually helps a lot. Rome wasn't built in a day, neither will Eden.
We the people have the potential to ascend to power today. We have communications tools that no person in history ever has had the chance to even imagine. Direct democracy is ripe for use.

Direct Democracy for President, 2008!!!

JaneM, I disagree. Our winter market (Providence RI) has (in addition to potatoes and squash) onions, carrots, apples, shellfish, eggs, cheese, dried beans, and greenhouse-raised salad greens. Added to that my freezer has blueberries, peaches, green beans, etc. from last summer's markets. I do buy supermarket broccoli and occasionally rutabaga, plus raisins, but overall limiting oneself to local & fresh is quite doable. This year I hope to grow kale in my little backyard garden, which will give me greens well into the cold weather. And then when other vegetables and fruits appear, they taste so good.

My freezer also has half a locally raised and slaughtered lamb from a friend's farm. (No, it didn't go to one of the huge mega-slaughterhouses; it was slaughtered and cut up within a few yards of where it was born and raised.)

Even if you don't go 100% fresh-and-local, it makes sense to do more than most of us are accustomed to. And as our tastes change, and as local farmers know there's a year-round market and plant accordingly, demand and supply will come more into balance. At least that's my hope.

search health dangers of HFCS or HFCS causing build UP of uroc acid that east away at all Your joints, rgey call it Atrhitis, I call it Sweet Poison, search in n go thru yer kitchen & stop eating anything with HFCS, sucrcose, fractose, fructose. Or learn to live in extreme pain 24/7 with the choice for pharma meds, heroin or STOPPING the pain forever

> And dont think you are spared if you go organic, because the animals go to the same slaughterhouses.

Not all slaughterhouses are the same though. It's like saying just because you have some bad health reports on some restaurants, all restaurants are equally bad.

Vegan isn't immune to problems. Recall spinach recall? The stuff I grow in my garden isn't totally safe. I've seen my my neighbor's cat eying my garden. I'm hoping it isn't thinking of it as a litter box. Cold water washing didn't make that spinach safe.

The only real solution is not to eat food at all. It's just too darn dangerous. And increasingly expensive.

> Sometimes they beat their families.

Sigh. A woman once confided that her boyfriend threatened to break the arm of a mutual friend of ours. The crime? Talking to her. Not allowed. Her boyfriend was into Aikido. So you know what that means. Men who practice Aikido abuse their wives and girlfriends. It must be true. Because in my experience, it is.

Born in '46 and having lived on a farm part of my childhood, as well as having lived in poor countries and witnessing "how the poor do it," - these allow me to take a step back from our present madness. It is work to find and provide real food for one's diet. It takes time. But it's real, and I'm healthier than 99% of those who don't "behave" this truth.

I enjoyed reading all you guys' comments & was a bit surprised that nobody mentioned the problems of USA's poor.

First the farmers markets in my area refuse food stamps - cash only.
Second, food banks - i have one right at the top of the hill I live on & tho I'm entitled to get a few bags of groceries there & it is so close I refuse to take what they offer. They give out cans of "no brand" tuna, frozen hotdogs that are more than a year past expiration date, huge cans of sweet potatoes, powdered milk, loads of peanut butter, offbrand expired cans of soup, huge boxes of overly refined oatmeal.

In fact I'm so suspicious of the frozen meats and cans of fish they pass out because even my dogs & cat won't eat them.

Once in awhile they give out a few natural potatoes (3-4). IMO that is the only thing they have to offer that I could accept.

Forgot to mention the cans of applesauce & potatoes & no name spaghetti sauce & lots of macaroni & cheese.

I am overweight by 25 pounds from loading up on potatoes, bread and cereals. Once in awhile I buy a whole chicken to roast but usually end up feeding it to my animal companions.

Can't afford beef & it doesn't taste good anymore anyway. I refuse to eat pork since I've read about those giant hog operations like Smithfield, tho I still get an urge for bacon occasionally. Never cared for lamb, still buy a turkey breast for holidays but at age 60 I'm being converted to a meatless diet.

I don't think it's fair to deprive my pets tho, especially the cat, who I believe needs meat as a carnivore. The dogs need meat too, I don't trust most of the dry food I buy out of necessity but my daughter orders dried venison & buffalo kibble that includes fruits & vegtables and no grain from the internet and their energy level is better & their coats ssem healthier.

what I did and others I know is start to buy local and fresh as much as you can. I lost 10 LBS and didn't do a thing but get away from the HEAT AND EAT foods. The Microwave oven only use right now is it has a clock on the front. I cook 90% of our foods from scratch and if I don't have the time, well the slow cooker works fine with about 10 minutes prep time. I control what salt, etc is put in. The cost of the foods is about the same. This spring a new garden is going in and I know what chemicals if any will be used. Maybe that chicken coop I always wanted. Time for a change in your diet so you can live longer to see how F up the USA will get.

bellthecat,
Don't know what state you are in, but NY has a program for vendors at farmers' markets to take WIC coupons, and they're working on the foodstamp issue. Right now there is a pilot program that uses a wireless machine to run foodstamp deibt cards. However, I heard from a farmers' market manager that it was used only 1 or 2 times last year, and this was in a low income area. It might be a problem of what you alluded to - poor people don't think they get enough value (read = sheer volume) for their money at a farmers' market.

I have been gardening for 35 of my 60 years. We have moved several times but always choose a place to live where we can garden and have learned to maximize our property's productivity. We eat from the garden from sometime in April (usually greens coming back from a Fall planting ... spinach, arugula, some very hearty lettuces, ... and some early mustards) until sometime in mid-winter when the winter-hearty kale gives out. We store enough potatoes, parsnips and carrots for a good bit of the winter too. And, we have traditionally done this in 7-8 raised beds of about 4X12 each. When we can, we keep chickens although we do purchase chicken feed and that is a problem because most feed stores just do a version of Con-Agra. My wife and I cook from scratch. We do meat but not very much and we don't buy already ground meat. In these respects we think of ourselves as just kinda European ... like our parents and grandparents.

BTW ... we also had the traditional pressures of two working parents but this lifestyle was not a burden.

So, when the crunch comes, I am available to be your personal healthy lifestyle coach ... for the same fee that you pay your personal trainer at the fitness center.

At the one of the local organic markets where I live a head of cauliflower costs about $7.. I think that is outrageous. I haven't checked ALL the local organic markets, but from what I saw here I'm almost afraid to go to the other ones. Doesn't growing organic cost less in terms of fertilizers, seeds, etc.? If so why does the end product cost so much?

I would love to go all organic, but I just can't afford it. I am trying my hand at growing some of my own veggies, but that is in pots, one of spinach, one of green onions, and one of chili peppers.. and the output- if they even grow -won't be nearly enough to feed two adults (my household).

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Twister22: Organic does mean no fertilizers, but more of the crop can be lost to pests and it can be more labor-intensive. That said, I agree that $7 is too much (though I think any amount for caul. is too much-I can't stand it).

We are lucky to have affordable farmer's markets in Wisconsin, but unfortunately, there aren't too many operating at this time of year!

And if organic is too expensive, try to find a CSA to feed you during the growing months. The outlay of funds may seem excessive at first, but if you are vigilant about using and eating what you get each week, you'll save in the long run b/c you won't be running to the store for items.

We've always lived where we could have a garden, but urban city dwellers can supplement with pots. They will need to be kept watered and dropping in a little compost every so often will help them grow and produce more. I've not had much luck with potted peppers as they dry out too easily, but we regularly grow salad greens and herbs on a sunny window sill in the winter.

What is a CSA? I'm googling for one in my local area, but I get casting agencies, cyclosporin A, and customs service agencies... hrm..

Edit: Nevermind.. Community Sponsored Agriculture.. found one locally. Thanks folks..they are very reasonable. $43/week for 25-30 lbs of fresh certified organic veggies and fruit.

Conventional agriculture/ agribusiness is highly subsidized whereas small, organic, family-type farms are not. Additionally, the real cost of conventionally-produced food, including pollution from pesticide run-off and soil depletion, are not reflected in the price.

However, buying organic is pretty affordable when you buy local, in-season vegetables, preferable directly from the farmer (at the farmer's market or CSA). Most folks used to shopping at the conventional grocery store have zero idea what's in season when. You can learn a lot by visiting the farmer's market, or even talking with the produce folks at the natural foods store.

I don't mean to be violent or anything, but I'm seriously thinking of taking up hunting, that is if I keep eating meat. I don't much meat at all now, but occasionally. I know someone in Colorado who hunts, and he got an elk one year. This elk fed him and his family for the good part of a year. As far as I see it, he was taking responsibility for the killing of his own food. The thing suburbanites don't want to face. If I am going to eat animals at all, I think I should also do this.