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Written by Serena Weaver
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Tuesday, 17 March 2009 |
There has been more talk (or, okay, there has been more writing, since hardly anyone talks anymore now that the internet is the master medium) about H.R. 875 in the past few weeks than of any other food-based news. So, in the case that you haven’t heard (or read) of H.R. 875, it is synonymous with the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 and it has been pretty controversial, to say the least. Why? Because, where food is concerned, we all want to be putting good things where our mouth is. Mix in the industrial ag/sustainable farm controversy and the food-born illness reality/paranoia, and you have prime fodder for some concern.
But let’s get to the point: the proposed act would make so that all farms/ranches/what have you are supervised by the proposed Food Safety Administration. By having all food producing entities under the control of such a massive entity, they would all—farms large and small—be subject to the same regulations (ie: payments). And who knows if increasinh inspections will actually make our food safer from the outbreaks that so many Americans have grown to fear? Those are, in my opinion, the two most arguable elements of the plan: the blanketed costs and the potential futility of it all. Click here to read the bill for yourself. Let us know what you think!
-Serena
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Written by Serena Weaver
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Monday, 16 March 2009 |
We’ve all heard about the recent food recalls that have put our country into a craze. Was it widely circulated, though, when there was a pet food recall two years ago? The first I heard of it was while reading through Edible Magazine’s first Blue Ridge issue. Located on the very same page as the region’s newest local meat processing plant is this article on how “Pet Food Goes Local, Too.” Apparently, the 2007 outbreak started getting consumers thinking about the source and make-up of their animal’s supper while creating a whole new market for a new product.
Chow Now, a collection of pet foods that are both local (to Virginia) and natural, is a prime example— organically grown vegetables with lamb that is free from antibiotics and growth hormones constitute its base. Whether you’re thinking that such a product is ridiculous or rad, remember that feeding Fido as well as you feed yourself will at least cut down on the veterinary bills. E-mail Carole King at info at chownowpetfood dot com (spaces removed) to chow, now.
-Serena
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Written by Serena Weaver
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Monday, 16 March 2009 |
 Last month on CommonDreams.org, author Jim Goodman asserted that,
“If we want a healthier diet, and I say this as a livestock producer, we must move to a diet less centered on animal products. Moving away from grain-fattened livestock will reduce corn and soy acreage making more land available for staple food crops, rangeland and forests. We need to explore new ways of local food production; hoop houses, grass-based livestock and seasonal eating. We need to produce good food locally and our government must enact economic reforms that enable everyone to afford that food.”
Goodman said all of this in reference to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s statement that not only should American’s eat more healthfully, the country needs to cure world hunger by producing more food too. Apparently, this is the same sort of statement that the U.S.D.A. has been making for the past fifty years, and to no avail.
Lucky for us, modern times have made for a local food movement that is progressing with or without the government’s involvement. An example from my particular area of residence? The Farm at Red Hill in North Garden, Virginia. This particular find supplies much of the region (and Whole Foods Market as well!) with not only its amazing, fresh produce but also its value-added vegetable-based products. If America had more small, family operated farms like this one, I’m sure that the whole world would be a better place.
-Serena
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Written by Karen Beauford
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Sunday, 15 March 2009 |
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Did you catch Alice Waters on 60 minutes tonight? If not, follow this link to watch it. My favorite quote, from the mayor of San Francisco: "How can you not love Alice Waters?"
-Karen
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Written by Serena Weaver
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Sunday, 15 March 2009 |
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 In spite of all of the helpful guides to eating sustainable seafood, I still often have trouble selecting which type I’d like to eat. At least by shopping at Seafood @ West Main, located in none other than Charlottesville, Virginia’s Main Street Market, I can know that I’m supporting one of our local families by buying there. And of course, the quality of the fresh fish at this stand is of the highest possible without being served straight from the sea. One of my favorite purchases: the sustainably harvested shrimp from out neighboring North Carolina. For a complete list of Seafood @ West Main’s products, click here.
-Serena
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