MetaFilter posts tagged with food and farming

Messy, Painful, Bloody and Dirty

chrchr — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:32:07 -0800

Critics of modern farming practice have swayed popular opinion in recent years. Now farmers are talking back. Farmer Blake Harris takes critics of farming to task for misrepresenting his trade. Another farmer says it's not so simple.

We Are Peculiar People (Regarding Food)

Askiba — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:47:10 -0800

Getting Real About The High Price of Cheap Food. Why the food we're eating is hurting us, the animals we eat, our world, and what people are trying to do about it.

So much for organic farming?

bitter-girl.com — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:02:51 -0800

No conflict of interest there, no sir. Organic food fans and small farmers alike are saying if HR 875 is passed, it will mean the end of organic farming in the United States. An overstatement? Perhaps, but HR 875 has serious flaws. The bill, introduced by Rosa DeLauro last month (who happens to be married to Stanley Greenburg of Monsanto, the world's largest producer of herbicides, chemical fertilizers and genetically engineered seeds), is here. This isn't the first bill that could damages small farms under the guise of protecting consumers. Remember NAIS? HR 875 isn't getting a lot of press yet except on slightly fringe-y blogs. Two less-panicky responses to the bill here and here.

Farmer in Chief

homunculus — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:15:23 -0800

"Dear Mr. President-Elect, It may surprise you to learn that among the issues that will occupy much of your time in the coming years is one you barely mentioned during the campaign: food." Michael Pollan advises the next president on what he can and should do to remake the way we grow and eat our food. [Via]

Sitting Out Earth Day

netbros — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:23:47 -0800

The new face of hunger -- “World agriculture has entered a new, unsustainable and politically risky period” says the International Food Policy Research Institute. Food riots have erupted in countries all along the equator because of soaring food commodity prices. So, where does the world get more food? If the extra supplies are to come mainly from large farmers in America and Europe, then they may be trapped in a farm subsidy Catch-22. Increase production per acre? We just learned about the myth of GM crops (previously of MeFi). All of this is why some are just sitting out Earth Day.

Monsanto Milk

homunculus — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:00:33 -0800

Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear. "Monsanto already dominates America’s food chain with its genetically modified seeds. Now it has targeted milk production. Just as frightening as the corporation’s tactics–ruthless legal battles against small farmers–is its decades-long history of toxic contamination."

Wheat

Gyan — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 13:33:14 -0800

The Story of Wheat

These chickens are looking for a good home

mullingitover — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 13:40:26 -0800

Who will speak for the chickens?

Mad Cow USA

woil — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 14:28:40 -0800

After reading that beef has been recalled from my local grocery store, I spent some time reading Mad Cow USA a book written back in 1997 but not widely published because of fears of repercussions under the Texas food disparagement act. AlterNet has an article written by one of the book's authors summarizing some of the key points of the book. Some claim that only ground beef is infected, while others claim that's bull. mad-cow.org has a lot of good information on the topic, and it seems the powers that be are going to blame Canada.

ewagoner — Wed, 04 Jul 2001 12:34:46 -0800

While Americans celebrate history by eating (I have two cookouts to attend tonight), take a look at history you can eat. The Garden State Heirloom Seed Society is trying to make sure we don't lose the thousands of varieties of vegetables and fruit developed over the years.

rushmc — Sun, 24 Dec 2000 11:23:07 -0800

Enjoy what may be your last royalty-free Christmas dinner... Opinion solicitation: is either extreme right here? Is there a compromise solution that will satisfy both sides? Where do the rest of us (i.e., the food consumers) fit in to this?

norm — Tue, 19 Sep 2000 08:15:38 -0800

We're overdue for a big disaster. "Two years without a harvest? It would probably bust civilisation. People would survive all right. It really would cut us back, and that is the sort of thing nobody really prepares for. It's not some ecological poison or GM foods or nuclear that is going to get us, it is going to be some perfectly ordinary natural event." Almost enough to make me stock canned goods again.