Teddy Bear does not believe in caring and sharing when it comes to corn on the cob.
Snickers pretty much feels the same way. (Sorry, no dubstep remix -- yet.)
posted by maudlin
on Nov 28, 2011 -
32 comments
As the days get longer and warmer, and winter turns to spring, Americans of all stripes dream of only one thing: playing some
Cornhole in their backyard.
Previously discussed on the blue, Cornhole has become even
more popular in recent years, with the
American Cornhole Organization (ACO) endeavoring to give away more than
$1,000,000 in prize money in the coming years. Keep training, Cornholers, and one day you could claim the crown as
King of Cornhole (seriously). For inspiration, watch
The Cornhole Song. And if that's enough Cornhole for you, be sure to check out the upcoming scripted mockumentary
"Cornhole: the Movie."
posted by billysumday
on Feb 17, 2009 -
53 comments
I’ve discovered that typically, a farmer who grows the forbidden fruits and vegetables on corn acreage not only has to give up his subsidy for the year on that acreage, he is also penalized the market value of the illicit crop, and runs the risk that those acres will be permanently ineligible for any subsidies in the future. (The penalties apply only to fruits and vegetables — if the farmer decides to grow another commodity crop, or even nothing at all, there’s no problem.)
If you can't stop demand, curtail production.
One farmer's view on the power of commodity crops. [more inside]
posted by Toekneesan
on Mar 1, 2008 -
33 comments
Tonight, G.W. Bush is expected to announce a major energy proposal, including
cutbacks in gas consumption and development of alternative fuels. High on the list is the development and subsidisation of
ethanol, primarily as derived from corn. The utility of corn-based ethanol in meeting energy needs is debatable: its probably weakly
energy positive, but not very good in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. More immediately, the US drive towards corn based ethanol has had major effects on the price of corn, and has caused the otherwise free market leaning Mexican President Felipe Calderon to introduce price controls on
tortillas. Earth Policy Institute's
Lester Brown: "
The competition for grain between the world’s 800 million motorists who want to maintain their mobility and its 2 billion poorest people who are simply trying to survive is emerging as an epic issue.". (This post based on a column by
Barrie McKenna, unfortunately subscriber only.)
posted by bumpkin
on Jan 23, 2007 -
119 comments
A WTO victory came last week for the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) industry. HFCS is that
controversial stuff that seemingly
permeates everything in American consumer foods, from Gatorade to cough drops. Mexico had slapped tariffs on HFCS dumping in 1998 but agreed to revoke them in 2007, a move that will expand HFCS outside what is almost exclusively a U.S. market. The industry is quite firm that HFCS is
safe, but there
are some
naysayers.
posted by rolypolyman
on May 24, 2006 -
45 comments
In a surprise move,
Anheuser-Busch has gone up against some of the biotech firms that would like to grow genetically-modified (GM) rice containing
human DNA. The biotech firm that grows it says that their rice contains synthetic human genes which the company hopes to harvest and refine for use in medicines to fight diarrhea and dehydration.
Anheuser-Busch's concerns are not with the science of biotech, but rather the risk of crop-contamination, as has happened with farmers not only in the
U.S. and
Canada, but
all over the world. The USDA has issued rice-tweakers
Ventria Bioscience and 300 other biopharmers permission to plant various augmented plants around the country since 1995, but Anheuser-Busch is the first large corporation to threaten a boycott - unusual, because
poultry and beef stock (PDF) are
fed this kind of thing every day, and have been
for the past 20 years. I guess the Budweiser brewers just don't want to see '
dead people' in their suds...
On the flip-side of this occurrence, the response of the
anti-stem cell activists has been nothing short of sensory-deprivation. Shouldn't six-packs, cornfields and
Porky be given the same human rights as the unborn?
Also related:
Contaminated: The New Science of Food (quicktime movie)
posted by vhsiv
on Apr 14, 2005 -
31 comments
You are fat because there is too much corn. [NYT, forfeit of first-born son required] I love good old-fashioned materialism, and Michael Pollan (author of
The Botany of Desire) scores one for the team with this article on the economics of corn production. Are we fat because New Deal agricultural policy was overturned in the 70s by Rusty Butz? Now there's a trailing question we can all enjoy.
posted by condour75
on Oct 11, 2003 -
31 comments
Amaizeing! This was mentioned once before
a year ago but I missed out on the fun of the thread. It's that time of year again. This year there's over
one hundred and thirty locations. Since farming alone doesn't bring enough money in for many, I guess tourism & entertainment is a nice sideline for some farmers. Gee whiz! It looks like fun! Any
Texan MeFites interested in a road trip?
posted by ZachsMind
on Sep 5, 2002 -
15 comments
Corn: Planted over patches of American soil totalling twice the size of New York state, corn is our national symbol of agricultural dominance, writes
Botany of Desire author Michael Pollan in the NYTimes. But its proliferation may be to blame for some of the most socially and environmentally damaging
food products of the last 20 years.
Plus, since the market price for corn is $1 less per bushel than its production cost, you're not only paying the price of obesity, malnutrition, and environmental damage, you're paying, well, $1 a bushel in taxpayer-supported government subsidies.
Lunch?
posted by PrinceValium
on Jul 19, 2002 -
27 comments
Get lost in the Maize! To me, Fall means pumpkins, pumpkin pie, turning leaves, and the annual trip to the cornfield maze!
See if the one near you has a haunted maze the few weekends before Halloween. (Advice: Bring a map. It's actually quite challenging, and calling for the Corn Cops to get you out is embarrassing.)
Every year I take a bunch of friends or co-workers to the maze, and to this day, this is my favorite bonding experience. What's your favorite teambuilding experience?
posted by jennak
on Oct 5, 2001 -
17 comments
I wonder how many people
went hungry so this monstrosity could be built? And mom always said to not play with your food....
posted by Arvid
on Nov 27, 2000 -
11 comments
