The 10 best food & drink books of all time (according to the Telegraph)
From Delia’s Complete Cookery Course, Omnivore’s Dilemma – to the The Physiology of Taste, the telegraph selects the most mouth-watering reads…
Michael Pollan: “The White House is afraid of BigAg”
– “The question of whether you can feed the world sustainably needs to be flipped around,” Pollan replies. “The real question is whether you can feed it industrially. What we’re learning about climate change is raising real questions about how long that agricultural model can survive.” He continues, “The power of industrial agriculture comes from this paradigm: you start with a very productive seed that under ideal circumstances can produce higher yields than those species ever could before. It’s really impressive. But for those seeds to do their thing and realize their full potential they need lots of water. They need lots of fertilizer. And they need to be defended against pests really vigilantly. Another way of saying that is: you need to protect the environment in which they grow, which farmers have been able to do. But that system depends on consistency. If all we can count on now is that the climate will be variable, that system becomes very brittle.”
Farming for Improved Ecosystem seen as Economically Feasible
By changing row-crop management practices in economically and environmentally stable ways, US farms could contribute to improved water quality, biological diversity, pest suppression, and soil fertility while helping to stabilize the climate, according to an article in the May issue of BioScience. The article, based on research conducted over 25 years at the Kellogg Biological Station in southwest Michigan, further reports that Midwest farmers, especially those with large farms, appear willing to change their farming practices to provide these ecosystem services in exchange for payments. And a previously published survey showed that citizens are willing to make such payments for environmental services such as cleaner lakes.
UNH pioneers sustainable fish purchasing.
The largest food purchaser in New England, University of New Hampshire Dining is the first campus in America to sign on to the “Slow Fish Principles,” it was the effort of several groups of people and long hours of planning that attracted people to the Sustainable Seafood Dinner at Holloway Commons last Wednesday night.
Under the watchful eye of thought-leader and innovator Jared Auerbach, CEO and Founder at Red’s Best, The event was part of UNH’s 6-week pilot project to bring locally harvested seafood into their dining halls and exposing the students to several seasonally available species that they may not be familiar with.
8 Beers That You Should Stop Drinking Immediately
Many of us choose what we eat very carefully, or at least dedicate our minimum attention to it. But when it comes to drinks, especially alcoholic beverages, we do little to make the best decisions for our health. Here are some harmful ingredients that are commonly found in beer: GMO Corn Syrup, GMO Corn, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Fish Bladder, Propylene Glycol, MSG, GMO Sugars, Caramel Coloring, Insect-Based Dyes, Carrageenan, BPA & more…
EVENT: Wild & Scenic Film Festival – emPOWERment in Portsmouth
Friday, 4/25 in Portsmouth, NH: The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is the largest environmental film festival in North America. This fundraiser for the Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire is a one-night showing of short films that speak to the environmental concerns and celebrations of our planet. This year’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival is themed “emPOWERment” – and what better way to be inspired to act on behalf of our shared world than through an evening of beautiful, engaging films!
The Green Mountain State continues to lead! Vermont Senate passes mandatory GMO food-labeling law.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/16/usa-gmo-lawmaking-idUKL2N0N819I20140416
The Vermont Senate passed a bill on Wednesday that would make the state the first in the United States to enact mandatory labeling of foods made with genetically modified crops.
“We are really excited that Vermont is going to be leading on this,” said Falko Schilling, a spokesman for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, which backed the bill.
The bill, approved 28-2 by the Senate, has already passed the Vermont House of Representatives. It now goes back to the House to see if members will approve changes made by the Senate.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/16/usa-gmo-lawmaking-idUKL2N0N819I20140416
npr: Hybridization – an open source platform for sharing natural seed diversity
Scientists and food activists are launching a campaign to promote seeds that can be freely shared, rather than protected through patents and licenses. They call it the Open Source Seed Initiative.
It’s inspired by the example of open source software, which is freely available for anyone to use but cannot legally be converted into anyone’s proprietary product.
Joe Kloppenburg says turning seeds into private property has contributed to the rise of big seed companies that in turn promote ever-bigger, more specialized farms. “The problem is concentration, and the narrow set of uses to which the technology and the breeding are being put,”
An online conference, The 2014 Food Revolution Summit serves up a star panel of experts & celebrities to provides the truth about GMOs and dangerous chemicals — and how carbs, gluten, fat, and sugar affect your weight, energy, sleep and the planet.
Immerse yourself – your Corporate Skills best utilized in sustainable agriculture
Greener Pastures: Corporate Skills for Sustainable Jobs – by Kristen A. Schmitt
“While I am aware that there is still much to learn, one thing I am certain about is that my professional background and experience have a major place within reprogramming our food system. It will allow me to contribute within the evolving agricultural landscape, compete within the available green job market, and push back against the corporate giants while also creating a sustainable environmentally friendly food system – and I hope that it will persuade more corporate Americans to make the switch, too.”
