Why I've Been Crying "Wolff"
I'm happy to admit: I was wrong. I said (based on a Washington Post article) that Charles Stenholm was up for the Secretary of Agriculture job. I was wrong. I also said Sebelius might get it - again,...
View ArticleStuff
All that is left of my brother is his stuff. He came into this world with nothing, accumulated stuff for 23 years, and left with nothing. Now we have his stuff. Ironically, I had planned to give him a...
View ArticleTeacherken's Got It Right!
Teacherken totally nailed it in his diary today. He spoke of the Kristof piece in the NYT that calls for changing the Secretary of Ag to a Secretary of Food. The way Kristof puts it, 35% of Americans...
View ArticleSolar Powered Cows (Action - Deadline Soon)
This will be a brief diary because I've left it to the last minute so it HAS TO be written, and yet - I have no time to write it. But here's the deal. The USDA proposed new organic rules that may have...
View ArticleMy Interview with Michael Pollan and an AMAZING Grassroots Activist Named...
As an Iowan, David Murphy doesn't take campaign promises lightly. Iowa alone may be responsible for Barack Obama's ultimate ascendancy to the White House by giving him a big win in their caucuses, and...
View ArticleTom "I Heart Monsanto" Vilsack, This One's For You
Last June I attended the big biotech annual convention, BIO 2008. I was anti-GMO on principle before I went in but it wasn't one of my bigger issues. During the many presentations I attended, I started...
View ArticleOne Day Left to Save Family Farmers & Organics!
A few months ago (when nobody cared about anything except for the election), the USDA put out some proposed rules for organics. The rules mostly pertained to dairy but there were a few other provisions...
View ArticleMental Health in 2009
As many of you know, I lost my brother recently. One month and twelve days ago, to be more exact. Why, exactly, we don't know. In general, we do know. Mental illness. Specifically, an untreated anxiety...
View Article2008 By The Numbers
I went back and looked at a bunch of numbers from 2008. Unfortunately, the economic numbers are pretty bleak (and still getting worse).U.S. Population: January 2008: 302,785,808 December 2008:...
View ArticleFood News Roundup (...Oops, Did I Say Roundup?)
I love the word Roundup and I hate that Monsanto (who recently announced more than double profits) took it. Anyway, here's what's going on in my little corner of the news...Tyson Worker Dies, Tyson...
View ArticleOne of the Biggest Issues You May Have Never Heard Of
One of my favorite Kossacks, Judith2007, wrote a diary that was largely ignored yesterday. But it should not have been. Judith is a sustainable farmer... to you Michael Pollan fans, Judith is "my" Joel...
View ArticleThe Real Dirt on Rick Berman
Rick Berman, a hired shill for the fast food, alcohol, and tobacco industries (among others), has something new to worry about: BermanExposed.org. The site was put together by CREW, Citizens for...
View ArticleSustainable Agriculture CODE BLUE - Your Help Needed ASAP!
We've already got Tom Vilsack as the head of the USDA, but the Vilsack USDA will also be incredibly influenced by the Deputy Secretary. And I have bad news about that that requires immediate action by...
View ArticleBe Afraid! Be Very Afraid... of Peanut Butter...
A fellow blogger recommended that I cross-post this here, so I will. I've been following the peanut butter recall due to salmonella over on my blog, La Vida Locavore. It's really getting out of hand....
View ArticleMore Flaming Bags of Poo Left by the Bush Admin
Obama's got a lot of cleaning up to do. (Fortunately, you can track his executive orders online.) Bush left him a bunch of flaming bags of poo in the White House. Worse than taking all of the W's off...
View ArticleKiller Peanut Butter... Why It Was Predicted but Not Prevented
I decided to do another peanut butter recall diary because the list of recalled products has grown SIGNIFICANTLY. I promise to continue covering this on my blog as long as the recall keeps growing, so...
View ArticleHunger, the "Food Crisis," and the Stimulus
I've got a pile of emails in my box about the "world food crisis." I've got another pile about the stimulus package. And I've got a great quote from a friend, jgoodman"I can understand someone from...
View ArticleWaPo Speculates: Kossack for Obama Admin Appointment?
No joke here. Bill Marler is a respected blogger, lawyer... and Kossack! Here's what the Washington Post had to say:Two leading candidates have emerged to serve as the Agriculture Department’s...
View ArticlePeanut Butter: Half of Those Sick Are Kids Under 10
Consumers Union posted that half of the 501 people sickened by salmonella in peanut butter are children under age 10. All of the 8 confirmed deaths were in people 59 or older. In light of this, they...
View ArticleThe Myth Of "Republicans Are For Small Government" - Busted!
I get it. I totally get it. Maybe you got it decades ago, but, you see - my political awareness was entirely formed under Republican majority rule. In my life I have enjoyed exactly 10 days of...
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