Tidbits: Local Food Restraint Order, Whole Grains, Activia, and Chinese Food
March 3rd, 2008Conspiracy Theory: Actually, this is real. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has many restrictions in place to prevent the spread of the local food movement by effectively preventing farmers in many areas from growing most fruits and vegetables. Farmers who do grow non-commodity crops on their land lose subsidies on that land (possibly permanently) and sometimes suffer other consequences. Thus, fruits and vegetables must be shipped in from places like California and Florida. From the New York Times.
USDA and Civil Rights: After Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigators interviewed only one USDA employee last week, the agriculture agency forced the investigators out of its headquarters. The agency, which is under investigation for civil rights offenses, claims it has nothing to hide. From the Associated Press.
The Skinny on Grains: You may be eating too much in the way of grains, or you may not be eating enough whole grains, according to an essay from the George Mateljan Foundation. It’s also important to not ignore grains other than wheat, such as barley, quinoa, and corn. From the World’s Healthiest Foods.
Real Costs of Corn Ethanol: Ethanol made from corn isn’t such a great thing after all. Not only can it not compete well with $100-a-barrel oil, its largest producer (Archer Midlands Daniel) often uses coal-burning plants to produce it. From the Gristmill.
Misleading Health Claims: A class-action suit against Dannon, the maker of the Activia yogurt, claims that its highly succesful marketing campaign for the probiotic yogurt is misleading to consumers. Sales of the yogurt have surpassed $100 million domestically in the first year. Dannon announced that it does not plan to back down. From the New York Times.
Dying Dairy Farms: As is the case with many of the farms in rural America, farmers are getting out or going big. In Loudon County, Virginia, suburban mansions are popping up everywhere in the shadows of Washington, D.C. The Potts family farm is one of the last dairy farms left here, and they admit it’s a hard life. From the Washington Post.
Organic Fish: According to the USDA, there’s no such thing. (But, of course, there are certain things you can check for to make sure your fish is good for the environment.) From the World’s Healthiest Foods.
Hunters and Farmers: Hunters are worrying about the effects cutbacks in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in the new version of the Farm Bill could have on wildland. The CRP encourages farmers to retire certain acres for 10 to 15 years around streams and other places. From Argus Leader.
American Chinese Food: It’s not actually Chinese, but it helps us get used to foreignness. That’s why the U.S. has “more Chinese restaurants than McDonald’s, Burger Kings and KFCs combined,” according to the article. From Newsweek.
GM Fruits and Veggies: Did you know that your okra, tomatoes, chilies, and eggplants may be genetically modified? Neither did the folks at the Gristmill, but they found that information buried in a Forbes article. From the Gristmill.
USDA Wants to Use Science: In an upcoming review of its policies, the USDA is seeking graduate students and other highly-qualified individuals to write abstracts of current nutrition research. From the What to Eat blog.
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