tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35536229008721618712024-02-19T00:04:27.420-06:00The Double Disappearanceshannon*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14803387494722669911noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3553622900872161871.post-20076385651527434362009-08-25T15:35:00.003-05:002009-08-25T15:41:54.212-05:00Action Call from Farm Aid<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83uZk-e0bCXMFZMittsDI97TM6yZKNKy3YB3sXAvkWfbIt9OxOr5dCAy8rAvY3C74COUU6dMsPblOwc-YG8ZTvhkLz3JYB0Viph0NW-d7hTuW1l2RQvgRclnN3fXJWwEJhJWHJQ0f4Paq/s1600-h/PETITION_PAGE-FACTORY_FARMS.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83uZk-e0bCXMFZMittsDI97TM6yZKNKy3YB3sXAvkWfbIt9OxOr5dCAy8rAvY3C74COUU6dMsPblOwc-YG8ZTvhkLz3JYB0Viph0NW-d7hTuW1l2RQvgRclnN3fXJWwEJhJWHJQ0f4Paq/s400/PETITION_PAGE-FACTORY_FARMS.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374003079037219890" border="0" /></a>"Factory farms pose a real danger to our communities, our natural resources, and the livelihood of hardworking family farmers. A current USDA program is funneling taxpayer money to fund new and bigger factory farm operations that lead to the gross overproduction of hogs and poultry. So much livestock is being churned out that it has caused a long-term depression of producer prices, forcing family farmers out of business.<span class="CT"> <p>The longer the USDA continues this misguided policy, the greater the threat to small farmers who are already being squeezed in this economy. Please fill out the form below to add your name to our letter telling Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to stop using taxpayer money to prop up factory farms."</p><p>-Farm Aid</p><p><a href="http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.5397311/k.1EE1/Stop_the_taxpayer_giveaway_to_Factory_Farms/apps/ka/ct/contactus.asp?c=qlI5IhNVJsE&b=5397311&en=cpLPLQNoF7IGJNPrGcIDJMPqEbJTIZPtHbLLJWNzHkIXKaI">Take Action HERE</a><br /></p></span>shannon*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14803387494722669911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3553622900872161871.post-17174626012414524362009-08-22T21:19:00.047-05:002009-08-23T09:40:07.619-05:00Why would you buy the cow.....When I started to write this post I had one simple goal...well maybe not a <span style="font-style: italic;">simple</span> goal, but ONE goal: to encourage beef eaters to shop with local grass-feeding ranchers in a thoughtful, sustainable way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.sierraclub.org/factoryfarms/faq.asp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJYPe8G6TfvzjVvntBVJw4xlj3bM0bOz-K6YPxf1Kq2fs08DmMTViddz4UnM3dWtOAsu99TyzJ-6g7S8VN5IFheJd6pqKGIJrXDI1nPH42k_U0EIARCg4OuJ1PUf5Cf0fXdxmTQctilujp/s400/27bittman.xlarge1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373163959689680802" border="0" /></a><br />Other issues soon bubbled up as I attempted to write: <span style="font-style: italic;">Why</span> would you even <span style="font-style: italic;">try</span> to find local grass-fed beef? Readers would need to know the difference between corn-fed beef and <a href="http://www.eatwild.com/basics.html">grass-fed beef</a>, an explanation of why we feed corn to cows (<a href="http://thedoubledisappearance.blogspot.com/2009/08/corned-beef.html">below</a>), the definition of <a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/factoryfarms/faq.asp">Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)</a>, the various atrocities of CAFOs, and the scads of <a href="http://www.eatwild.com/farmers.html">social</a>, <a href="http://www.eatwild.com/environment.html">environmental</a>, and <a href="http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm">health</a> benefits of choosing to eat grass-fed beef.<br /><br />Since I'm particularly opposed to our oppressive <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:Monocrop&ei=L6yQSozkLo6EmQeYpsigDA&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title">monocrop</a> of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiCRwMMh9k8">field corn</a>, I felt compelled to <a href="http://thedoubledisappearance.blogspot.com/2009/08/corned-beef.html">address corn feed</a>. I'm going leave the rest of the research to my industrious readers based on the links embedded in the above paragraph. But there are simpler reasons to go local.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzXu31SCOYWMjjC9JWsNVSJQcvkoq2Vmm07R3Lbm9BRtpG5irB3ZT_EE7SuMIVpjjucy36KeV8HPsiJyXgN73Q_pTgcw5431_-Eqe7Fpy1QCJEonmK5Hc3bfpANLcsyqI-jShsUh6IRJX/s1600-h/271520684_c0b71fc318_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 305px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzXu31SCOYWMjjC9JWsNVSJQcvkoq2Vmm07R3Lbm9BRtpG5irB3ZT_EE7SuMIVpjjucy36KeV8HPsiJyXgN73Q_pTgcw5431_-Eqe7Fpy1QCJEonmK5Hc3bfpANLcsyqI-jShsUh6IRJX/s400/271520684_c0b71fc318_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373007362653505554" border="0" /></a>When <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> buy local beef, I have all of the above information in mind, but I have two simple reasons for going local: I like farmers, and I like animals. It makes me feel good to support farmers I've gotten to know at farmers markets and through my work. And I have peace of mind because I know that these farmers treat their livestock humanely. I've seen it with my own eyes, and so can you. When you're buying local, you have the miraculous advantage of being able to visit the farms where your food was <a href="http://www.eatmograssfedbeef.com/">raised</a>, and even <a href="http://www.swissmeats.com/AboutUs.htm">butchered</a>....if you want.<br /><br />A couple of weeks ago, Jeremy Parker of <a href="http://www.eatmograssfedbeef.com/">Missouri Grass Fed Beef</a> near Salem, MO spoke at a dinner for <a href="http://www.slowfoodstl.org/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Slow Food St. Louis</span></a>. On Jeremy's farm they manage 930 acres of gorgeous rolling pasture, and about 100 head of cattle. He and his two brothers work hard building fences and planting red clover hay, timothy, orchard, grass, alfalfa and other pasture so that they can rotate the cattle and crops sustainably.<br /><br />You can find Missouri Grass Fed Beef at <a href="http://www.localharvestgrocery.com/">Local Harvest Grocery</a>, <a href="http://www.baumannsfinemeats.com/">Baumann's Fine Meats</a>, the <a href="http://www.schlafly.com/market.shtml">Maplewood Farmer's Market</a>, <a href="http://tgmarket.org/">Tower Grove Farmer's Market</a>, and a small smattering of restaurants in the St. Louis area. Out of towners can always find excellent local food information in the <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/">Local Harvest Database</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMKhVYs8i4PJpbyYg1HJur7qwSqTTzHJdBPDAxlFEViFCH8XTk4RA7osD_waLer17KWYww_c1zv1TFHNYXf2u-hojrcWTFLjfB71en5WL0wfduWng9pfH8bGDoTGwRZViUaMpIZ3oVqBv/s1600-h/happy+cow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMKhVYs8i4PJpbyYg1HJur7qwSqTTzHJdBPDAxlFEViFCH8XTk4RA7osD_waLer17KWYww_c1zv1TFHNYXf2u-hojrcWTFLjfB71en5WL0wfduWng9pfH8bGDoTGwRZViUaMpIZ3oVqBv/s400/happy+cow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373008142655116338" border="0" /></a>Local livestock faces more challenges than other industries in the home foodshed. Small-scale ranches <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> butchers are having trouble staying in business. Giants like Tyson and Smithfield are dominating the meat market, and they have in-house butchers. The number of small-scale butchers has almost halved since 1992.<br /><br />For farmers like Jeremy, there's another problem. Customers desire prime muscle cuts: rib eyes, strip steaks, porterhouses, t-bones, and filet mignon. With a hundred cattle per season, lets assume he's butchering between 5 and 25 cattle at a time - depending on demand. If he's butchering 5 cattle, that's only a handful of the aforenamed cuts, so what happens to the rest of the meat?<br /><br />Jeremy solves this problem by selling only whole and half animals. If his customer (often a restaurant or small grocer) can't handle at least half an animal, it doesn't make financial sense for him to split it up. Once, as a favor to a local chef, he butchered several animals himself so that he could provide a slew of choice cuts for an event, but he swears he'll never do that again. He would prefer to see a restaurant serve a number of different cuts in one evening the way that they do in parts of Europe and South America.<br /><br />Sadly, many cattle ranchers end up selling these less sought-after cuts at a much lower price, or turn them into processed foods for pennies on the dollar. That setup puts those farmers in a very precarious financial situation ... they're taking a significant loss.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.countryliving.com/recipefinder/plum-spiced-beef-brisket-3144?click=rec_sr"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 313px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXAOISRtxk-UT0Q9L8AdiYOGKCbxgvGN_ZoDxVxeuAh6w7fU44dIbGb2nhQ04syZDRMj6bbLxllYe2WrVxrfO2O3QwjYgyDicBWcF3SCsM19k8uGdSjG9fBV4IIvTB4P2iMbIWYc7ZLiE/s400/brisket-de.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373025004581230066" border="0" /></a>People who live in farm areas are more likely to know what to do with the other cuts. <a href="http://thedoubledisappearance.blogspot.com/2007/12/tri-state-locally-grown-conference.html">My Aunt and Uncle</a> give away parcels like tongue and liver to people they know happen like them. But in the city, it tends to be a different story. According to Shannon Hayes of Sap Bush Hollow farm in upstate New York, "To sustain local agriculture, consumers need to have a basic understanding of how to work with each of the different parts of the animal so they can make meal planning decisions based on what the farmer has in stock, not what the recipe featured in the latest cooking magazine tells us we have to run out and buy." Ms. Hayes has written two cookbooks addressing the issue "<a href="http://www.left-bank.com/search/apachesolr_search/Farmer+and+the+Grill">Farmer and the Grill</a>" and "<a href="http://www.left-bank.com/search/apachesolr_search/Grassfed+Gourmet">Grassfed Gourmet</a>." I plan to break out the <a href="http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/02/20/GR2007022000797.gif">pressure pan</a>, and imagine the possibilities. It always amazes me how eating local or eating heirloom varieties has me trying more <span style="font-style: italic;">new</span> foods than eating in the global food system ever did.<br /><br />While I was working along Ms. Hayes' public education, and my Aunt and Uncle's coop lines of thinking, a colleague had another idea. <a href="http://www.stlbites.com/">Bill Burge</a> is a co-leader of Slow Food St. Louis, and a food critic who has gotten to know a number of socially conscious chefs through his work. Bill's idea is to get restaurants teamed up together so that <a href="http://www.riverfronttimes.com/locations/niche-42162/">Niche</a>, for example, would get all of the prime muscle cuts, while the rest of the beeve could be ground into hamburger meat and sold to a bar or family restaurant that could make things like meatloaf and burgers.<br /><br />So...I throw it back to you. What about the restaurant idea? Do you know of cafes, bistros, brasseries, or diners on either end of the spectrum that might want to participate? And what about you? Would you cook cuts of meat that you hadn't attempted before? I'm not necessarily talking about the liver and tongue, but what about <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Barbeque/Detail.aspx"> chuck</a>, <a href="http://steakrecipes.net/barbecue-shoulder-steak-skillet/">shoulder</a> or <a href="http://www.countryliving.com/recipefinder/plum-spiced-beef-brisket-3144?click=rec_sr">brisket</a>? Would you give'em a shot?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5N5z3-a6sgw4-isQQhlj84gKWJtavTchbFk_x7WQQuQAG_Fr80QV5CmvevljpLrCVEOulu2SkHHaVHuWth9-VmS1iBi819P8TZDTY7Bm_YfxPdg9OLpLP_mdsXLcNcm8zJpOMEMOs3Lo1/s1600-h/grassfedbeef.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5N5z3-a6sgw4-isQQhlj84gKWJtavTchbFk_x7WQQuQAG_Fr80QV5CmvevljpLrCVEOulu2SkHHaVHuWth9-VmS1iBi819P8TZDTY7Bm_YfxPdg9OLpLP_mdsXLcNcm8zJpOMEMOs3Lo1/s400/grassfedbeef.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373026069163251794" border="0" /></a>shannon*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14803387494722669911noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3553622900872161871.post-40293492715529463612009-08-22T11:36:00.018-05:002009-08-23T07:26:23.930-05:00Corned Beef<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kBa1uGmMgFYUAxtwpBHzR5Vr2YX_MgndVBhXC8FRvfissHoZbK6qKQ7Ee-_SwSwtUncO7_3CmWn2BYS3kSH_Aw9ViFjJDbc5iEETo64T3hH0xV2VITNq9Uk6ATzqFDD0X3hglIg0QULy/s1600-h/070320_ethanol_vmed_1p.widec.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kBa1uGmMgFYUAxtwpBHzR5Vr2YX_MgndVBhXC8FRvfissHoZbK6qKQ7Ee-_SwSwtUncO7_3CmWn2BYS3kSH_Aw9ViFjJDbc5iEETo64T3hH0xV2VITNq9Uk6ATzqFDD0X3hglIg0QULy/s400/070320_ethanol_vmed_1p.widec.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373134522470707986" border="0" /></a>The people I know are confused about what cows eat. The idea that they might eat grass sounds right, and the idea that they might eat corn <span style="font-style: italic;">also</span> sounds right. The idea that corn is <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> part of a cow's natural diet does <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> sound right to most people. Most cattle in 2009 <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> eat corn, so it's logical to assume that corn is a natural part of their diet.<br /><br />But a modern cow's diet is not about nutrition or evolution. It's about economics.<br /><br />During WWII the U.S. government built 10 new plants to provide nitrogen for bombs. After the war, those plants were converted so that they could produce nitrogen fertilizer. Officials were excited about the productivity the fertilizer would provide, and it flooded the market. At essentially the same time, modern irrigation and modern pesticides hit the agricultural scene. The corn yield tripled <span style="font-style: italic;">immediately</span>, and the price of corn plummeted far below the price of grass.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBExyo_4EWMlcjrGp0hJNpBAfRQW6wP3LfxVAMGFXcae8E4VZWl6yTMyxuP9bkbvYR-3tNp5AdrSQ4S0quRP0Rp4IjTnzXBJfSUYNCGdqNAZMFUXKzAfPBP_mVA5NWE0ensanx16Yrog5/s1600-h/harvest5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBExyo_4EWMlcjrGp0hJNpBAfRQW6wP3LfxVAMGFXcae8E4VZWl6yTMyxuP9bkbvYR-3tNp5AdrSQ4S0quRP0Rp4IjTnzXBJfSUYNCGdqNAZMFUXKzAfPBP_mVA5NWE0ensanx16Yrog5/s400/harvest5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372975316162432322" border="0" /></a><br />Even in our era of ethanol innovation, corn is heavily <a href="http://farm.ewg.org/farm/progdetail.php?fips=00000&progcode=corn">subsidized</a> by the government, keeping the price (<a href="http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?pmid=15471721">superficially</a>) low. And that, my friends, is why most U.S. cattle eat corn.<br /><br />It is true that farmers historically "finished" cattle on corn or other crop surplus to fatten them before slaughter. But a full diet of corn is vastly different. Cattle who feast on only corn after weening are disease-ridden and grow big at unnatural, unhealthy rates. Some industrial cattle farmers further cut the corn feed with foodstuffs such as candy and municipal garbage. By the time of death, the cows' livers are nearly destroyed, and they've been dosed with an overuse of antibiotics - partially to combat an immune system weakened by a synthetic diet.<br /><br />In my next post I'm hoping to explore the various ways to support your local renegade pasture-grazing cattle rancher a.k.a. "livestock superhero."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SrMyJoTnTIx0YikJihII4PCam5726Gpnb_v1_LaBYfnwP3XChEDGztv1t7DmAkx7twfajkM6-WmeNQA6q6bIWiAJmYIFMmZl9ZJBYyJ0t9LknZf0mD8zzdqREl-XtF8r_KomDEbqaeUY/s1600-h/cowlovebypublicenergy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SrMyJoTnTIx0YikJihII4PCam5726Gpnb_v1_LaBYfnwP3XChEDGztv1t7DmAkx7twfajkM6-WmeNQA6q6bIWiAJmYIFMmZl9ZJBYyJ0t9LknZf0mD8zzdqREl-XtF8r_KomDEbqaeUY/s400/cowlovebypublicenergy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372975968057307170" border="0" /></a>shannon*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14803387494722669911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3553622900872161871.post-41227178607978311182009-08-21T14:40:00.000-05:002009-08-21T14:41:05.337-05:00Join HOMEGROWN with me<embed wmode="opaque" src="http://static.ning.com/socialnetworkmain/widgets/index/swf/badge.swf?v=4.9.2%3A25489" flashvars="backgroundColor=0xFFFFFF&textColor=0x2E5F87&config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.homegrown.org%2Fmain%2Fbadge%2FshowPlayerConfig%3F%26size%3Dlarge%26username%3D1k6yp0c3p7bib" width="206" height="242" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" scale="noscale" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed> <br /><small><a href="http://www.homegrown.org">Visit <em>HOMEGROWN.ORG</em></a></small><br />shannon*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14803387494722669911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3553622900872161871.post-60133549824316338582009-08-19T17:35:00.004-05:002009-08-19T17:56:27.931-05:00Zombie Blog<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ms1rLvNScDZBFCXtrGpBPwYujnp5DWIq8C0TsDg2l1FzykHFvsOs8Q6FWF7hQ3IvNcHlpxiD4cpSzXOvJkvdtmRC7qQqEWSr46miahBcA61aN9S1k1hkXDtr3bpxd4-xpN9GnCAQIJRX/s1600-h/Zombie_Garden-31ydq9-d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ms1rLvNScDZBFCXtrGpBPwYujnp5DWIq8C0TsDg2l1FzykHFvsOs8Q6FWF7hQ3IvNcHlpxiD4cpSzXOvJkvdtmRC7qQqEWSr46miahBcA61aN9S1k1hkXDtr3bpxd4-xpN9GnCAQIJRX/s400/Zombie_Garden-31ydq9-d.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371810433682583602" border="0" /></a>Can a blog rise from the dead? As my friends in the Princess Bride would say, it's only mostly dead. So I'm going to feed it a chocolate-coated miracle, and see where I get.<br /><br />As a reminder, a double disappearance is when something disappears, and then the memory it ever existed disappears (<a href="http://thedoubledisappearance.blogspot.com/2007/11/double-disappearance.html">see first blog post</a>). There's no one left to ask what happened to it, because no one remembers that there ever <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> such a thing. It's gone. Really gone.<br /><br />This double disappearance blog is dedicated to traditional food systems, and the dying art of many practices related to food production. Which, in recent years, has become the <span style="font-style: italic;">reviving</span> art of many practices related to food production. While the industrial food system still puts many elements of our agricultural heritage in danger of being forgotten, thousands of dedicated people are running to the rescue of traditions like seed saving, salt curing, bee keeping, and soil tending.<br /><br />More generally, this blog is about local food, food traditions, recipes, my family's agricultural history, homesteading ... whatever strikes my fancy. What usually strikes my fancy is food and history, so that works out well.<br /><br />I'm aiming for one post per month. If I don't say it out loud, it may not happen, and next time I'll be referring to a Monty Python quote. You know the one.shannon*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14803387494722669911noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3553622900872161871.post-8215724030132529832007-12-03T09:05:00.000-06:002008-12-10T02:58:32.962-06:00Label Local<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_Lpg9UwqvrazJBXFabQIeHZC6Qa-EumbJRbj43ol1a8gLs9v8jZtDqtk1iJ0CUE9IcxYI10iOB0ncK3fLbUJHfC2TUmiOjqb2lTQX8EYusdlOjN4KKT3EdZokuv0ksnCUT_JMxIvYXUQ/s1600-r/why+eat+local%3F.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgu38I1a6zJMxH6ZM2OotLfofNfttUg5LLVJAyyS0DcfSEIMf9hec3QiKhQTL8z26a50Vllnu2Lz4ZE8gGYIE3MgdwYU5ms0cQsZBxkTynK1qeW0NZjqyyS2WnJoAGFnJN7C6VMUdJQAJ0/s400/why+eat+local%3F.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139933194669831778" border="0" /></a><div> </div>The creation of organic labeling was controversial, and complicated for the USDA to implement. The effect on farmers has been a mixed bag - opening niche markets, but also creating expense, extra work, and a system that sometimes makes farmers feel like show dogs jumping for approval. Furthermore, finding a certifying organization to provide said approval can often be the most challenging part of the process.<br /><div><br />The effect on the average consumer has also been complicated. I didn't know until recently that "100% Organic" was more organic than "Organic" which is more organic than "Made with Organic Ingredients." I just thought they were different marketing strategies or gimmicks.</div><br /><div><div>Still, I think creating local labeling is brilliant, and it would really help me to make smart choices at the market. The local label templates I've seen are more straightforward than the organic model. Of course, that's subject to change after the wringer of organizational bureaucracy, and the gauntlet of capital hill. But some models will avoid these challenges completely.<div><div> </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9ktwOfw8WTG1-vzbMlIk1FvfFpzIlclpM7xmcDNXlz3hME55OjdmMHKgbsDRxx_n9Nuk2vbLsyjIt52xxVfqzy-I4kKD9r-KSetEO1Kv8-28RaVsbIzoO8w00zkRnDhxx7P_mmE0O9w3/s1600-r/new-label-lrg.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139780104855533026" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqyd8_6MFkWoiTCmAzdb6NdtftTeMBBvOzAR9ojvO0zuqMM4zbl4Mn19jy2JEV3D9yarrk74Kkxs1D_NShHnllzer7jwasP_W2vfH5O2Z95bJDRocFli6EzNJhlL78QWi2vhVXDnAgPV_/s400/new-label-lrg.jpg" border="0" height="129" width="189" /></a>For example, the familyfarmed.org label will have the regular Price Look-Up (PLU) number, farm location, farm name, and the familyfarmed.org logo & web address. If the consumer is curious enough to visit the website, they will find the story of the farm where their squash, apple, or strawberry was planted, grown, and harvested.</div><br /><div> </div><div><br />A more universal model has been proposed by the Leopold Center for Sustainability. Their Food Miles Ecolabel would show the number of miles traveled from the farm to the store, source state or country, mode of transport (ex: truck, plane or barge), and categorize the food into one of four environmental impact categories: low, moderate, high, and very high.<br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div> </div><div> <div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8AVTIoWvsXzy4bEnkZWJ6riJ_bqaLnjPwZ8Gkkz8i4ch9G7jZZTQit0KZAj7RcerlJL91CkLntEp4gqx_unx8dUwGfc4IwCgM-ihH8DwcjepHdHBjDIlyD-t1kULZxQ1CGTwdtkNcBy4L/s1600-r/leopold+labels.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitiweGeloHoc24Z4ftDABuhp8dCZWcnqDO8s2_jzhAa15OAF-pBf-d1_tkL06yF_aTLvkFEzH9PPalH_hHJG94L_AoZmT6623ITQXez9L7K2xg4gKkPDrb5erKF6f1QVtRSdgv__Y0s8V/s400/leopold+labels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139926262592616018" border="0" /></a></div> </div> <div><br />These would be extremely helpful labels, but they're complicated, and creating universal implementation would certainly put them through the wringers and gauntlets. As far as I know, the Leopold Center is only referring these labels as a working model of what could be done in the future with more infrastructure - not as a finished product ready for market. They also point out that food miles don't tell the whole story. Some foods consume more energy in their packaging production, or in their storage and preparation than during transport. Personally I can't imagine a label with all of the appropriate information labeled on it. A kumquat labeled with its life cycle analysis would probably resemble a textbook with a fruity center. But for now, any guidance would be appreciated.<br /></div></div></div>shannon*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14803387494722669911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3553622900872161871.post-15862908090823723092007-12-02T17:15:00.000-06:002008-12-10T02:58:34.687-06:00Tri-State Locally Grown Conference<div><div><div><div><span style="font-size:100%;">Quincy, Illinois is far prettier than I rememb</span><span style="font-size:100%;">er from annual vis</span><span style="font-size:100%;">its to see my great grandmother in the nursing home when I was a little gi</span><span style="font-size:100%;">rl. When I drove in from highway 24 I thought I was in New Haven, Connecticut for a moment. The similarity was so striking that I actually felt physically disoriented. But those upmarket blocks fade to a city overrun with train tracks, and what appear to be small mining and re</span><span style="font-size:100%;">fining operations. In my mind these things are still very pretty. Maybe it’s the St. Louis girl in me that find</span><span style="font-size:100%;">s gho</span><span style="font-size:100%;">stly skeletons of the industrial revolution beautiful.<br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139828217079182834" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAGjd_JZvz7HyscVQlBpwCqJSAe0aX1gzx8ci_wn6ZBFHnB5AXhpL9xzkKAUS3mn_KolTt17-9D4NWtjflSuB-YUrqN0mvJWy3NGs2VQex04hL5vtoF4PrWPQNmA3AR_qLMdLjOv4ufsI/s400/LocallyGrownLogo_Fall_small.jpg" border="0" height="173" width="160" /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">The Tri-State Locally Grown conference was held at John Wood Community College. Like</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> other conferences I have attended, the lobby was b</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ustling with exchange of information around educational booths, a couple of vendors, and, thankfully, coffee service.</span> </div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Apple products from Blue Heron Orchard in Canton, Missouri:<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139842399061194290" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHkyllIGZdpvD7YYeL52WoyQXSOTaLd3SOkNvVIWvucNxJ2JiIbuTULYpwD2LXzqvBUiFIDSzaMXSDEeUuoOxLJtbvwm3mRttcdCoVCpr5LVupgPBnJRQPirXH2sveGEQAe5mbMOfl4hN/s400/orchard+goods.jpg" border="0" /></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">I made my rounds, introducing myself to each booth conductor with - I must admit - the selfish underlying motivation that someone out there knows where I can find a paying job in Missouri local food systems. For shame. Okay, that wasn’t the onl</span><span style="font-size:100%;">y re</span><span style="font-size:100%;">aso</span><span style="font-size:100%;">n. I came to the conference to learn. I have a lot to learn – and I started in the right </span><span style="font-size:100%;">place. David from the nonprofit, The Land Connection, told me what programs are in place to establish new small farms, and support existing family farmers through their organization. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">My brief discussion with David about small farmers set the theme for the conference: small-scale farming is about</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Stewardship and Autonomy.<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><em>Bonus!</em>: David also gave me carrot, pumpkin, and endive seeds.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0ccBpZwayvqXjBJhS9LhhFEZecf2uNqXZjhKJqyP7MlZ0w68oXeAMlcZslnrUuCs3rLN23x0AtiDIa9vKpY84NHS80g92onI6EfUvRwK-nav6fyL27SD5neT-llxj5LD4f3i2q21lnRd/s1600-r/seeds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 329px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyV2kQ1jGX28g9lb-rA9m1lh9rJhmEn2px1XwDiQHrH1pGjRR4uymvQwt2tZ8srKjbA79nUpAjO7ZlbYvkFXq1OmG7eDR2LOQIWZitAhAPfqSS6ag-XXJnx7P9eCaaRpGxu-1FbvLHKZYP/s400/seeds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139918823709259330" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"></span> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">The opening speech was by Richard Pirog, Associate Director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. He discussed the impact of local and regional agriculture models on global energy consumption and emissions.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKQKDsh2KWL9uOMT3GizeWJYtP7VQ2PXsW8gKrbPXpzpACNeuoKi2vdwUq1inEzyj1W2bS36-zz4tnBK2XnsDt1rtq2nxofaNWqwbb8uQMqdzdysEuKKsrrUpDFjOovDhBEjfbQqLGL_N/s1600-r/Pirog-Regional+Midsize+Trucks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139519756822951218" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqPj4bm0_AlNfrvCpyenbpdOn3rMoV6NO_FcXHSCg7gO0i-2Z9qu1-4WjMcCvBW4qlc4PAtG5Zo-8k5lTYuNh4xxshukJa1Fw7fmYBfgIZXLAP34onklwsvYIetHsDoYjUTU9Rvz7nNgh/s400/Pirog-Regional+Midsize+Trucks.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFymbSSCyn6YMItWBttQmR67eBe-avUw-JA_rm88jKVhyjH89PmWZUP_HEmoZBRglyEkSWD4oqIhY-qHx2iyLHbUAwxW-y8s3z_tzzIvk-hvk9EKznPUmh470nckUYqwvB31wx2U9VtEjQ/s1600-r/Pirog+-+yogurt.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139520066060596546" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhml9un2zoGjhIQ5fCKFrVvLQCTbjPs-UyLJ9MqpeCI2IRdwunN7qpxGIC5to0KX0VrxWBeAKajkf9QQdSREaypcHUo-riX_FeCkXEBvYgSUaoE3gmKm9TNPpwdXbZG3slCXUEuSlCx6-Co/s400/Pirog+-+yogurt.jpg" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;">My favorite thing about Mr. Pirog was that despite hi</span><span style="font-size:100%;">s thorough research in-hand, colleagues at his side, and a confident air, he was humble</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> and open to critique. He acknowledged that data isn’t everything, a</span><span style="font-size:100%;">nd, there are some aspects of farm life that can’t be measured with charts and graphs.<br /><br />For example, studies show that there are fewer emissions when farm food is delivered to customers using a small truck as compared to customers commuting to the farm themselves. However, Mr. Pirog noted that consumers are then unable to s</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ee farm, get to know the farmer, the land, and the process. He left the question as to w</span><span style="font-size:100%;">hether this was worth the carbon tradeoff open-ended, and closed with the M. Scott Peck quote, “Through community lies the salvation of the world.”</span><br /></p><p>My first seminar was with Dr. Mary Hendrickson, Rural Sociology professor at the University of Missouri, Columbia. She discussed benefits of local food systems: community, friends, quality and taste of food, local economy, knowledge, adventure, and variety. But the crux was this: “quality of<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WGbQCs5K2zrAlEcDUQa0todDpAIs9TPpFEJGwlhYU8D3-zBePzQ4GDot92fwBE91WBCzQUOVMXaneRSIEYs2sJUNx3Lzx_e46tEUXf4B2sN2urv3SmTZR8_-8X36e-Mer1Y5wV-I0N86/s1600-r/Dr.+Mary+Hendrickson.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139522127644898690" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; width: 248px; cursor: pointer; height: 246px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitF-9cydh8wPjbItDhFx5bIdXwnXicSxtDqOH1MVw6TW4PB90C2iKM862MSG_Gya4VXzo-oEdROohgruJkVc3xuOlvHy5dFe7Jlt5ZPOQlLqaMuNO3M7_cPhhyFoRu-n640Pq2jz_423i/s400/Dr.+Mary+Hendrickson.jpg" border="0" /></a> livelihoods.” For most small farmers, money alone doesn’t equal a high quality of life. In fact the thing that draws most new farmers into the field is autonomy. That’s not to say they aren’t constrained by seasons, timing, customer demands, and that storm blowing over the horizon; but most alluring to the farmer is the ability to plan his or her day themselves. No one could have trouble understanding this concept.<br /><br />There is enormous social capital gained from engaging in local food systems on the part of consumers, lenders, farmers, and community leaders: healthy, happy, independent people; a growing local economy; an attractive and diverse environment, community vitality, partnerships, trust, equity. A community with high social capital can do anything.<br /></p><p>I sat rapt through my next two seminars. The first was an intensive crash course in challenges and solutions to urban food access; and the second taught me how to build my own refrigeration storage out of brick and a window air conditioning unit. Rock'n! </p><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREXF7LU-3W8qXuiiBtgakZ7bntZAXhFiqniIjty25h3oFZ7pWN40dBkWdy6IQEzPuq_ILbyrkrFD6Kxf9WSyBDdn0TIOfya8qsPaguWJBc8BcDC3O-XTAgWMiCzsVFgDjusOqjSQNVPRq/s1600-r/plenty.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139833242190919170" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YMdCKJ9SyIEOSy70wCJhANUctY5vxMFN3sYupI_rAL6E9GlMB5Ti7uIzaOq41ji4wML3qC9A2T804W2bMRlSC8gZeZuDDKJySqLmQcKt83bWefAja5kq7_4Tj8i5sT2K5ZEE2ZK3hn57/s400/plenty.jpg" border="0" height="275" width="177" /></a>The keynote speakers were Alisa Smith and James Mackinnon, authors of "Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally," one of my favorite recent reads. I had been kicking myself because I left my copy of the book at home, but I was delighted that registration included a new copy, which I was later able to get signed while moderately embarrassing myself talking to Alisa and James about food access in urban areas.</div><br /><div>During his speech, James told a great little story that exemplifies the absurdity of our current food system. He met a carrot farmer from Washington State who could never find his own carrots at the local market. Knowing his carrots were sold in North Carolina, he <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qOTRQegzu5ia_tnJNVzbla3Ndpna5PPJuPvw-SeLhEvPtlxWo4jV7Hm41rI0rwLEFHlx-W1r31uGYLml3MZUyiRZtZUpYMn_63eDMmLpLvpRJ0SgWg0ozTNjMLy-y6_Lry69l-_26k9e/s1600-r/Alyssa+&+James.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139841252304926226" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK61_63RrY8MnYDsNI5WUbRmJMHi5vWk_6p4b2rVaxkpyCffxldeMZbC_f0KiiMrV5GzjhOCwM8_WGDzHgHJ5Ydo4VhSV9_AvEF7hRg19ztcjSHDCle5kTVSaOTqwEGa5uoaPViEeIFKgQ/s400/Alyssa+%26+James.jpg" border="0" height="182" width="221" /></a>made a trip to the area, and found that his product was the only type of carrot sold in that market. On his way home, he came across a North Carolinian carrot farm that he recognized from his own market. So, carrots were traveling from Washington to North Carolina, and simultaneously, carrots were traveling from North Carolina for sale in Washington State. Two trucks passing in the night.</div><br /><div>James pointed out that while food systems can be complicated; there is a simplicity and transparency to eating locally. Buying locally from small-scale farmers is supporting your local economy, sure, but also supporting other people's dreams of autonomy, and a diverse preserved environment that we can all be proud of. This, I think, is what draws me to the issue. Local food has a significant global impact on the issues of peak oil, climate change, social justice, and human rights, but this issue also has a face. A local face, my farmer's face. And I can talk to my farmer while eating his product. That's so beautiful to me.</div><br /><div align="center">This is Ron. He grows tomatoes.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139841819240609314" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 149px; height: 142px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTTUBkDHQ8vvWT91CWmlmkTB9Bu3VrUiQl-sJgz10ZnVnbzMd0zj4LPNU_NLfdY7bqihwzHCXVROxzuyzDeHCCbn_sqwpvZCJWaX1MqA0eJCFQUptIl6Txv7Yn9PsGFEIkcToMEpRg7OG/s400/Farmer+Ron.jpg" border="0" height="321" width="209" /><br /><br /><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><div><br /></div></span></div></div></div>shannon*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14803387494722669911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3553622900872161871.post-33482754986689773102007-12-01T22:09:00.001-06:002012-12-30T10:52:22.717-06:00Family Farm<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABr7SY27p2acrnX5Me8NuuKTi6DXdV3PPIJdUejQDVezay78eYJH5boiy1NRqIjaTySkt9vLDFd9wrJOcFnWFD32wr9gQfqucG5_wJNe0TPPa2UqLqHQpyFyKgigc-ptJj5gNR9v9NPTV/s1600-r/farm+medly+final.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139413769914987762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpraFjby1bKlOIaSLK-SE9EylStyIQPi9Qjozfkadn5NXa3J21WN2U8X180bpRYgQxObffentseDuW7_kijkWQiluxL547aQDrkhLmf5IfRMflNxYioaF68jB_RypHhcYtYM6kqj-KxtSp/s320/farm+medly+final.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a></div>
When I hit the road and started west (a counter-intuitive choice for an eventual Illinois destination), the sun was still shining in St. Louis. It was only 3:30 p.m. by the time I was fifty miles outside of the city, but the day had already begun its retirement into dusk. The sky was covered in small bubbles of winter clouds that looked like fire trapped against the ceiling of a room – only blue, not orange, of course. I realized that I had entirely missed my chance to take photos of fall’s brilliant colors, but I wasn’t too disappointed. When I was living in San Francisco, one of the things I missed most about the Midwest was the unsettling sight of bare black tree silhouettes against an evening sky.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfwjmKuv8s3585U1RHTtBzblb0Xi506BAkTwt4RwGXsCrTOprzhmHtLdfWUi9UfmppFfBruKJnUFp5VrGSGRyIugej602OjziCdtCPCIiuwQ3YffB-S-4PDeYSINzaT6cLzToEcy4ke2p/s1600-r/trees1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139266001565168642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZcFlE-ERiLvKMMJuA-ZRvChzz1YSDSAWyHuCXGC3U3_sk44HXKdd9Wt2Rq9FSyJQ-cUS-BK7UfG69vNh193tL_HHSIlCnkQh_jGwgpswtCiWe9dk7sa36IyjKVUnkQ4O3CkapArZ7sK9/s320/trees1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 285px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 423px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8SYiO1Iaw0sRwx-1crWk1hIC4N7an1qUrJWOE8QIY3_EvQu5h_bqLHo4qphPmEXCnafPuGhPxwWh1zM6HgzQ55njPfdf7owm8zwatsjnOA77-mKMtOu-3gQTOA3xLnLwde0hNPWaLs-j/s1600-r/tree.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139265572068439026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQfvXrMvAIYxSZEWMN1LbZqmXXw81cMnJ2yqL_K1MlyWbQC0Wb1gzifhASkFXQSDyd3o3Ynkuk0Sv_B0YyM5fG6wD_g-cg93zn4tksPfIryBk3mjxDp2hsr6fVwNt0paW7n9ciWJELS56/s320/tree.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a></div>
I love the three-hour drive from St. Louis to my Uncle’s farm outside of Monroe City, Missouri. I would stay on the farm that night, and then proceed the following morning to the Tri-State (Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa) Locally Grown Conference a few towns away in Quincy, Illinois. The drive to the farm is full of gently rolling farm land, provincial white farmhouses with black trim, grain silos set against colorful skies, and clusters of strong looking black cattle spread across the wilting grass - which is emitting the very last of its subtle sweet fragrance before our first freeze. When St. Charles’ local radio station, The Wood, faded to white noise I knew I was getting close.<br />
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I arrived at the familiar house on a hill to a chorus of my Uncle's three dogs, Ginger, Bobby, and Awesome panting and whimpering outside my car door.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcBZQ81ON0dw_kkqQK0tPj-P48HPKLaN_VVjKrfK-thyphenhyphen3wZ3oq0echdcaRRYipEWX3hQNFjKhSaY3mKdqo-UplKKev_f5l5NZ4BFg11zm7ePZgtvz_pdlxn88TF88hP-izR6_HZ4tslI6/s1600-r/soup+with+border.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139411493582320834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmQ_CMhmGBSCT_QlS0mVBLe1C0xwa5gfsRilqld7V0WwEG0qmw_61qKpSfvnSk_yECw8Qv3gJHIgqPfio2kPMGvWEvNdY4FlDfiun-2e3b5CQgHvA5pngU23aWrsY9hjxodwR4cdSQkQN/s320/soup+with+border.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 296px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 290px;" /></a>Aunt Connie already had piping hot vegetable beef soup, homemade rolls, and ice tea on the table. They’re the only people I know who consistently drink ice tea with every meal throughout the year.<br />
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Uncle Tom told me proudly that the soup I was eating was as local as it gets: tomatoes, peppers, onions, carrots, and celery all from his garden, and the beef was from his own stock. He raises beef for châteaubriand steaks, so it was very yummy.<br />
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Officially, my Uncle is retired from farming. He now rents his many acres of corn and soy to his neighbors who plant, care for, and harvest the land. Most of his time is spent raising a smallish herd of well-bred cattle, so I was shocked when he told me he had sold all of his cows!</div>
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“Oh no!” I said, “I should have taken more pictures.”<br />
“Yup,” Uncle Tom said, “All that’s left now are the bulls, calves, and heifers.”<br />
“Wait, I’m confused.”<br />
“You know what a heifer is don’t you?”<br />
“A female cow?”<br />
“A female bovine that hasn’t yet had any calves.” Uncle Tom gently corrected me.<br />
To my relief he had only been telling me that he sold his childbearing cows. Whew. I don’t like change.<br />
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The other farming activity my Uncle still pursues is planting wildlife cover for quail and other small animals. Modern intensive row farming has severely damaged the quail population since the 1970s. There is less untouched land, and less diversity on a farm today. It’s very rare that any corner of a modern farm is left untilled, and the rows are planted very closely together compared to how they were before current farm equipment. Furthermore, many areas that were previously left wild on a farm, like edges next to a fence, are now mowed and kept “neat.” I think this has something to do with keeping up with the Jones'. Wildlife cover is meant to offset these trends. It’s land set aside for the specific purpose of providing feeding, nesting, and cover to a targeted population. My Uncle had met with the Missouri Department of Conservation on the day that I arrived - planning his wildlife plots through 2009. He plants millet, trefoil, clover, and shrubs.<br />
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After dinner we talked a bit about my expectations of the Locally Grown conference. Though Uncle Tom wishes there were a future for local food systems, he expressed skepticism that it can be done. He has watched agribusiness and globalization of the market change the attitudes of farmers over the last half-century. Consolidation of small farms, as well as crop consolidation, has completely changed the lifestyle of the farmer. The ones who are still doing it have so many acres that they work from before light until after dark year-round. If they’re not planting or harvesting, they’re hauling and storing. "If a farmer’s not prepared to do that, they’ve probably already left for the towns."<br />
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He also told me that he had thought about taking the tomatoes and popcorn from his garden to the Monroe City or Hannibal farmers markets, but he would have to produce them in such large quantities in order to turn a profit that he couldn’t justify it. But the following day at the conference, the folks from the Chicago based nonprofit, The Land Connection, told me that they knew happy hardworking farmers who were making six figures at the farmers markets, and still managed to have a few months off in the winter. It can be done.<br />
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Coming soon: Part Two – The Conferenceshannon*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14803387494722669911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3553622900872161871.post-44097840475641962122007-11-30T10:40:00.000-06:002008-12-10T02:58:37.106-06:00The Double DisappearanceI heard James Mackinnon, co-author of "The 100 Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating" (or, alternately, "Plenty: One Man, One, Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally") tell a sad story about the Great Lakes. During the book tour for “Plenty,” a Chicago reporter groused to James that because of it’s proximity to seafood, the author’s home of British Columbia must be an easier and more enjoyable place to eat food produced only within a 100-mile radius of one’s home. James conceded the point, not knowing how to respond positively to his Midwestern interviewer, and leaving them both unsatisfied.<br /><br />James then went back to his hotel room, opened the drapes, and looked out upon the Great Lakes. A bit of quick internet research revealed that the Great Lakes once had 32 different<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3wZKECw4XpFNO5RSXJYN8ztj2vUu1yrYKiYDRVMLuNQszcRQv859gSaKroktGBEjtOL7a0l7ADqQHQ7Zd7G47lijwLEs27EHzuBBmpcEO0flTOTlXzDEDOCanmcCk5y5kfpICuMQ8DAx/s1600-r/mercury+fish+GL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3kjVxCr7Z4xL-SL4Tt4z2-O7jURq_knh8S1RRQXwKQrWdvArfjCIY4lE-2_yxy2ZsLqYPLrksd-HeEsEN0geuGnoHDRS8IIrjwQkTg3iiMlFNJ9ajH2Q8Mdxv_TPbO0GEqcYXBaFmjlT/s400/mercury+fish+GL.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139432057885734162" border="0" /></a> species commercially fished from its waters. The reporter's inability to remember or acknowledge the Lakes as a food resource is typical of his contemporaries not just in Chicago, but everywhere. Double Disappearance is when you not only loose the source of something great, but when you also loose the collective cultural knowledge that the great thing ever existed in the first place.<br /><br />This blog is about finding who and what is preventing the double disappearance of our traditional means of food production, as well as valued cultural and community traditions here in the Midwest. It’s also about finding new and creative methods to sustain local food systems – and create greater food access in a city with unique challenges.shannon*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14803387494722669911noreply@blogger.com0