GOOD

My friend introduced me to this site which has various interesting articles about pretty much everything under the sun. The section for Food is very interesting. Also, this site is littered with amazing information graphics so be sure to look out for those.

Here are a few articles worth reading and related to what we have been discussing so far:

Here's a debate about people discussing if meat should be eaten or not.
http://www.good.is/post/reasonable-people-disagree-about-meat/

For interesting info graphics, here's one of every fast-food burger in america:
http://www.good.is/post/map-of-every-fast-food-hamburger-in-america/

Also, here's a simple list that shows how each food is using energy:
http://www.good.is/post/a-list-of-foods-by-environmental-impact/

Here's putting food production for Manhatten specifically in a silent film:
http://www.good.is/post/could-manhattan-feed-manhattan/

And in one of the quiz 7 questions on why a salad costs more than a big mac, here's a neat graph that shows you why:
http://www.good.is/post/why-does-a-salad-cost-more-than-a-big-mac/

Enjoy!

-Cleo

Walmart vs. Wholefoods???!

I recently heard that Whole Foods' new competition is Walmart.  This may be seen as a good thing for those who couldn't afford organic food before, but how is this going to effect the organic food industry?  Could this be some start of a shift in food accessibility or just another instance of greenwashing?

The Great Grocery Smackdown

-Amelia

weird food - Japan

Calpis Water, Onomichi, Hiroshima-ken. Try saying "Calpis Water" ten times in rapid succession. Mmm...mmm, nothing can quench a summer thirst like half a litre of chilled bovine urine. Quite wisely, this product is sold overseas as "Calpico Water". This product is similar to Pocari Sweat and Post water.






Lotte Coffee, Japan. A coffee-flavoured chewing gum that leaves your breath coffee-fresh.














Potato Chips, Japan. "Winter's Potato Chips: Creamy Stew Flavour". Every month in Japan, a multitude of new snack foods are born only to tragically die before their best-before dates a few weeks later. This is yet another one of them. While being somewhat creamy, they don't taste anything like the cream stew pictured. It's more like a sour cream and onion chip minus the sour and the onion.

Relief Chocolate, Japan: a Disney branded laxative?

Potato Chips, Japan. "American Burger Flavour". Every month in Japan, a multitude of new snack foods are born only to tragically die before their best-before dates a few weeks later. This is one of the more interesting ones.

Wasabi Choco, Japan. The text on the right reads: "Is it sweet? Is it spicy? A new chocolate sensation!" You've got white chocolate in my Japanese horseradish! You've got Japanese horseradish in my white chocolate!

by Jee Ah Yoon

Workplace Turmoil, Stress And Obesity Linked By Rochester Study

Workplace Turmoil, Stress And Obesity Linked By Rochester Study

"A new study that provides a snapshot of a typical American workplace observed that chronic job stress and lack of physical activity are strongly associated with being overweight or obese..."

Read the full news report HERE

Jee Ah Yoon

doomsday vault

follow the link to watch.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/02/26/norway.seeds/index.html

-Emily

What do Pepsi, the NFL and Truvia (another artificial sweetener disguised as a healthy alternative to sugar) all have in common?

The desire to maintain a positive image and make more money, of course.

http://www.refresheverything.com/

Isn’t it ironic that the multi-million-dollar companies that are most part of the problem like to pretend that they’re part of the solution. This website outlines Pepsi's large social media based "goodwill campaign" from this past SuperBowl.

http://www.nfl.com/partner?partnerType=refresh-project

I also found it interesting that both Pepsi and Coca Cola are using the FDA approved Truvia , an artificial sweetener manufactured from Stevia, the naturally occurring and highly beneficial herb that coincidentally has not been able to receive FDA approval.

http://www.bevreview.com/2009/01/01/coke-pepsi-introduce-drinks-with-stevia-artificial-sweetener/

http://www.ktradionetwork.com/2010/03/10/the-truviastevia-fda-conspiracy/

"Truvia(TM), AKA RebianaŽ is an abbreviation for Rebaudioside A, one of the many sweet-tasting compounds in Stevia. Rebaudioside A has the least bitter after-taste of all compounds in natural Stevia, that’s why the Coca Cola Company, faced with mounting consumer pressure to remove Aspartame from their products got it rushed to FDA approval."

-Bree

COFFEE LUWAK, World's most expensive coffee from Palm Civet Dung!

COFFEE LUWAK, World's most expensive coffee from Palm Civet Dung.

When I grew up in Indonesia, I heard the myth about this special coffee that going through natural fermentation inside Palm Civet guts and its result as fine, rare and expensive coffee waste in Civet's dung. Then I found out that it wasn't a myth, though I never have a chance to taste it myself. Related to what we learn in class, I'm not sure why the cost is so expensive, is it because the cost of travel distance or because the limited source of Civet population itself. Overall, it still worth to try this unique taste!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCG31fSAr4M

Kosher Song

LH

The School Lunch Project

A teacher is fed up with school lunches. She has decided to take on a year long project - to eat school lunches like the kids in her school do everyday for the year 2010.

This project is to raise the awareness of how the food children are eating in their schools is affecting their well-being and success in school.

This is her blog that she updates daily. Other than showing what she eats, she also has guest bloggers come on and post what other teachers eat at their own schools.

http://fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com/

I think it's also good to be aware of not just young school kids but even college students' meals and what they have chosen to eat. Many students in our school actually don't know how to cook. Currently the Residential College in the dormitories has set up some cooking classes in their curriculum but that only reaches to a small group of students.

I think a great way to teach people to cook is to have cooking gatherings and start a Jamie Oliver Food Revolution! A Jamie Oliver Food Revolution is where you teach a recipe to someone you know and they have to pass that recipe on to someone else. Like Pay It Forward but there's food involved so you know it'll be good!


- Cleo

The Charcuterie Underground

http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-charcuterie-underground-outlaw-bacon-curers-and-sausage-grinders/Content?oid=1241681

Last year, the Chicago Reader ran this story about "underground" meat which operates outside the eye of the USDA, which prevents independent processors to sell meat as retail unless it is prepared in a licensed commercial facility. With the local food movement growing, E & P Meats have no problem finding a client base - people want meat that is "made by hand".

"It's no longer scary to know what's in your sausage," says Erik [of E&P]. "It's just pork shoulder and about five spices."

Really interesting (and a little drool-worthy) article, which brings up the food safety legislation that independent producers have to deal with, when the regulations are written for industrial production.


- Stephanie

Pig farmer - insider

Hey again!

This week in class we watched about cow/meat farmers, and how meat is processed.
and it reminded me of this episode from This American Life. In their season 1 dvd of This American Life, Ira Glass talks about Pork/pig farming, and how pigs are fed to be eaten. The pigs are without immune systems and can grow exponentially. It's crazy.

Here is a short clip of the show.

I own it on dvd if anyone wants to watch the full episode!


Enjoy!
Jocelyn

book review: Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal

Hey class,

I highly recommend this book, "Food That Harms, Food that Heal"

You can get yourself a used copy on amazon for a penny.
but the knowledge you get from reading this is priceless.

It is a A to Z guide to basic food and health knowledge. It is well organized and has lots of sample case study to help breakdown complicated ideas..butter or margarine: which is better?

It's a fun and easy read!

Click on this link to the amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Foods-That-Harm-Heal-Healthy/dp/0895779129

Jocelyn

Are penguins getting cold?

I was very surprised to come across this article AND picture on http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1256577/One-rare-bird-Black-penguin-suffers-zillion-mutation.html. I was thinking, why? Is he cold? Maybe he will be the warmest of all, or, if its a female, her baby/egg may stay very warm under her coat. I have to admit, I am still a little suspect about the picture- its just so crazy!

np

lettuce persuade you

A current PETA campaign in India, this woman wearing a dress made of lettuce says "Let Veganism Grow on You"

(taken from the BBC News service)


AY

Potato Famines vs. All-You-Can-Eat

Denny's made a big PR slip week in advertising their all-can-eat fries and pancakes offer as in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the end of the Irish Potato Famine.

Given that was an event in which it is estimated some 1 million people died and upwards of two million more left the country, especially for Canada and the US, it is no surprise a large Irish-American Facebook movement is seeking a boycott of the restaurant chain.

This fascinating flash interactive video aimed towards kids takes you through the social, economic, and agricultural context for the famine, including the land rental system that farmers were burdened under.

The odd and ironic contrasts of this Denny's commercial in pointing out too little to eat then and there, and too much to eat here and now is interesting to consider, especially given the complex causes of the famine itself in terms of ecology: initiated by a potato blight (a parasite taking evolutionary advantage over the monocropping of potatoes there), which itself was a part of the emerging modern food system of reliance on fewer crops....
AY

Male Frogs Turning Into Female Frogs

A pesticide weed killer, called Atrazine, which is used in the Midwest for corn fields, can possibly "castrate" male frogs and turn some males into females, according to this CNN article. Its frightening to know that this pesticide is effecting the levels of hormones in frogs enough to turn a male into a female and by doing so, greatly disrupting their ecosystem . Makes you wonder what these pesticides may be doing to us....

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/science/03/01/pesticide.study.frogs/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn

Radiolab Podcast/ chimps, bonobos!

check out this podcast about communication with one particularly bright primate. I think it ties in nicely with what we are reading and talking about!

http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/2010/02/19/lucy/



-Emily

teen farmers in chicago

The Green Youth Farm in North Lawndale, Chicago is run by the Chicago Botanic Garden established in 2003.

It is a collaboration with the Lake County Forest Preserve District, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, NeighborSpace and Chicago Public Schools.

Students who are 13 to 18 years old learn the aspects of organic farming and its ecosystem by growing their own food.

They grow, eat and sell organic vegetables to the community.

Wait until it gets warm and visit their farmer's market. It starts in July!

miso

Possum Living

an interesting (albeit a bit old) video about cheap livin'. ( the rest of the series is on Youtube, if you care to view them )

you could go to jail for protesting GM foods.

i came across this article, and while i feel it will never get passed, even the thought that they are attempting to stiffen an individuals rights to say no to GM foods and products is quite mind blowing. Plane and simple it is unconstitutional, but all the same it is clear to see the big money interests are at play here.

click here to view that article.

killer citrus disease transported by bugs.

I mentioned this last week in class, and found an article that elaborates further on the issue. I find it absolutely astounding that a tiny creature no larger then an aphid hiding inside a container of curry leaves can possibly take down a citrus industry producing more then a billion dollars a year. see what you think.

julia

click here to view the article

Kentucky Tuna

-----
...that's apparently what they are calling it now! This video clip gives cooking tips and recipes for Asian Carp. Here, as in many places the argument is that if there is a market for eating them, perhaps that will control their populations.

Is it an odd sort of situation where from a biodiversity conversation standpoint ideally these creatures would be unsustainably/overfished!?

AY

Permaculture documentary

Here is a 5 part documentary found on youtube. A British farmer learns about permaculture from other local farmers here. I found it really interesting and inspiring. The basic idea is that the natural state of the land is returned to the farm so in the long run less energy is used in many aspects. Cows graze freely, no need to ship food in, farmers needn't labor so much either. There are many How-to documents online also. It sounds really great, I'd love to learn more. (Nina)

The Lives of Squid (a la "Green Porno")

__-
Last week during our discussion of contested ecology of cod, seals, and fisherman in the North Atlantic one other species made an appearance: the squid. One big question was what their role was in accounting for the dynamics among populations of cod in the ocean...but then the squid-topic elusively swam away from us.

Isabella Rosselini's "Green Porno" series has been exploring the lives of creatures for three seasons now, but this last one has featured a bit of a twist by including the human food ecology context for organisms such as the shrimp, anchovy, and squid in here "Bon Appetit" series.

Check them all out, but the SQUID one is particularly interesting in the context of overfishing, ecology, and energy use on a global scale.

enjoy!

AY

jamie oliver educates kids...

-mdoh

"Got Milk?" (how exactly do we get it...?)

---Major new outlets are paying attention the the questions of food production like never beofre, and especially the conditions under which most of our food is produced on an industrial scale for the sake of lower cost. CBS News has been running a series, and now ABC News is getting into it as well with this exposé on the treatment of dairy cattle at a farm in upstate New York. (the video is somewhat graphic, so be warned)

The growing awareness of the conditions under which our food is produced and the concerns it raises for food safety, animal welfare, and workers rights (different focuses depending on the reporting) is remarkable, and gives all all a lot to think about more carefully.

The image included here is from the Kids Page of the Tongala Dairy Industry's website called "Golden Cow." (Tongala is in Australia). The image does a good job of illustrating the factory nature of much milk production.

The Kids Page incidentally also has a lot of coloring and word find activities if you want to take a break from making art!

AY

Eating our Way to Ecological Conservation? (the Asian Carp)

If you've been paying any attention to the news lately, you've heard of the current panic over the possibility of the invasive Asian Carp infilitrating from the Chicago Shipping Canal into Lake Michigan.

Starting in the Mississippi River, the state of Michigan just sued in federal court to force Illinois to close the canal as a mean to keep the carp out, for fears that once they enter it will completely crash the Great Lakes ecosystem worse than any of invasive in the history the lakes.

Some worry it is simply inevitable. Others are wondering whether perhaps there fight by a culinary means to intervene, at least in part: eat them!

It's unclear that these fast growing and voracious fish are actually that tasty, but chefs are trying to convince us otherwise, at least on a nutritional basis:

"[It has] 70-percent more Omega-3 than in catfish and tilapia," an animated Parola told an assembled crowd at his booth. "No mercury because it's a filter fish."

Parola was talking about the Asian Carp-- a slimy, boney fish that breeds quickly and is widely considered a pest. Parola's message: Eat the carp. Save the Great Lakes."

hmmm... or "mmmm!" (?)

But seriously - this is no doubt one of the most serious ecological challenges to the U.S. currently; the videos below are "must see"


Asian Carp Invasion (Part 1)

Asian Carp Invasion (Part II)

Eating the Asian Carp?

(p.s. among other things, these things are a jumping menace (!) injuring many people every year)

AY

Eating Spiders in Cambodia

I came across this clip while searching for strange foods. I would say i am willing to eat almost anything and everything, but this i am sorry to say does not make my list. Tapping into my fear of spiders watching it brought out a true sense of horror. With some many things we eat they no longer retain their original form, but here the spiders look exactly the same. I will say what i do love is seeing the moment when even a man from the same culture has no interest in eating this delicacy. It makes me wonder about the lost traditions in food as things such as canned goods, and more processed food sources became the norm pushing out traditions in cambodia's culinary history. What do you think, and would you dare to eat this?

Julia

USDA Ruling

Hi Andy-
The USDA posted its final ruling regarding access to pasture for organic livestock operations.
Apparently it is a major victory for organic consumers, the integrity of the organic label, and the lives of organic livestock (according to Whole Foods).
The ruling and its explanation is on the USDA website.
The statement mentions something about "finish feeding" and I was wondering if anyone knows what that is?
Have a great week!
Christina S.

Grocery Store Wars

While researching nutritional topics on the web, I came across an intriguing video created by Free Range Studios (a division of the Organic Trade Association), depicting the battle between farm fresh food and the rapidly invading unsustainable and pesticide laden "dark side". From Obi Wan Cannoli to Darth Tater you are sure to enjoy your trip to a supermarket far far away (or perhaps not so far far away)...

-Bree

ps: A link to Free Range Films' call for submission to their 7th annual film festival!

http://www.freerangefilm.com/

-------
-----

HFCS Battle

Parks and Recreation - Sweetums

Parks and Recreation is a show by some of the same writers as The Office. This episode involves a snack company who wants to sell their "healthy" snacks in the parks. Some of the characters try to convince the town that the snacks are bad for them because of their high amounts of high fructose corn syrup.

-Etta

rib-bit sushi

Talking to a friend today about the upcoming Chinese New Year, eating chicken feet, eating insects, etc, etc. she pointed me to this video she'd recently seen on the phenomenon of "frog sushi." The consumption of the still-beating frog heart can't help but be a little eyebrow-raising:



AY

A Very Brief Summary of Slow Food

Turning the Tables

I found this article in Good Magazine. It doesn't go very in depth but it gives a nice anecdotal history of the beginning of the Slow Food movement. It has some good statistics in it that relate to the article Andy showed us in class with the images of the fossil fuel consumption of eating meat vs. eating vegetables as well.

Also, here's an interview with the president of Slow Food USA from the same magazine.

-Etta

Cooking Crocs and others Cold-bloodeds

----
In thinking about all those crawling things we might call food, the "cons" most also be consider with the "pros"

In this short report they discuss the risks of reptile eating in the context of the global food system (it isn't just beef, pork, and chicken anymore!):

"Some countries use turtles, crocodiles, snakes and lizards as a source of protein in the human food chain. Frozen imported meat from crocodiles, caimans, iguanas and pythons can be found in the EU"

Maybe not surprisingly, freezing and proper cooking is key.

Here is a link to some reptile recipes, fyi.


AY

for all of you Iron Chef fans

taken from this great food blog:
http://blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2010/01/strange_sauce_the_week_in_nati.php


Michelle Obama appeared on Iron Chef America and challenged contestants to use ingredients from the White House vegetable garden. Mario Batali, known for his hideous orange Crocs, dubbed Michelle's dress "Obamatali Orange."

-Emily

Eating the Six-Legged

--
A promise is a promise, and I swore to the class last semester I'd eat the giant Thai water bugs I bought at my neighborhood grocery (discussed in originally in this post).

I can't say I was looking forward to this meal per se, but I wasn't too apprehensive either. Being a New England boy, I love shellfish, and so shell-on shrimp, lobsters, and full-bellied clams all taste good to me. How different would this be? So I went with that culinary theme and decided to go with the Deep-Fry option , having it be part of a side dish to my lunch:


















Am I feeling squeamish, or focusing with laser-like attention
on my palate? You be the judge.

I finished it off with garlic and some curry powder sprinkle to accompany my tofu and shiitake mushrooms.

I have to say, it wasn't at all what I was expecting. The texture was crunchy and a bit scaly (I anticipated that), however the flavor was odd ~ it was like an aromatic blend of banana leaves and something else I can't put my finger on - somewhat nutty, almost like a pungent jasmine, and VERY salty. All that said, I can't say that it was tasty, at least not the way I prepared it, the novice that I am.

One thing I marveled at was the meat inside the thorax, clearly these guys fly a fair bit as their flight muscles were bulky and fleshy the way you see in dragonflies, in fact, you can actually make it out by texture distinctively as meat:























I didn't end up eating every last bit, but gave it a good "college try" as they used to say. Some parts were just a little to chitinous to manage....


















For some more entomophagy related posts from the Ecology of Food blog, go here, there, and this one!

A recent post on the a sister SAIC insect blog also highlights some advanced cooking of insects Creole style in New Orleans.


AY

Dan Barber's foie gras parable

Dan Barber's foie gras parable | Video on TED.com

I can watch this video over and over, what a great example of serving natures whims and in return receiving her choicest prizes. The world would do well with more innovative and thoughtful farmers like Eduardo who seek out solutions that work with nature to serve our culinary tastes.

Cheers all- Enjoy!

Savannah Cipriano

thinking outside the fridge

I came across Jihyun Ryou's Save Food from the Fridge project, and thought it was pretty awesome.

Her creative shelves explore the options of letting certain foods benefit from each other.

Read her project blog at: http://www.savefoodfromthefridge.blogspot.com/

Jocelyn Chow

Chickens

For those of you who are not comfortable with blood or animals being killed, I would advise you not to watch the following.

Cleo Ngiam

School lunch as a work of art...

Yes, the "culinary arts" involve the nuances of gustatory taste, but visual sensibilities also come into play, especially for some of the most demanding connoisseurs: children.

Picky as can be, parents know anything to make the food go down smoother is worth it. On the other hand, some just love to "jazz it up." Take for example Kai Wilden, the former graphic designer who tricks out his kid's lunchbox with cartoon motifs (pictured here).

To check out a range of his creations, go see this slideshow. Of course, many people are into these fancy box lunches that derive from the Japanese "bento box" tradition - check out a Flickr stream

of them here.

AY

Ramen-rific

Any of you who have had the luck to travel to Japan may now just how obsessed the country is with ramen, that lovely Chinese noodle bowl dish.

This past week the NY Times had a nice and reeeeeally extensive feature of the ramen chops and culture of Tokyo. Imagine entering a shop....

"From then on there is only one sound — the slurping of noodles. Oh, it’s punctuated by the occasional happy hum of a diner chewing pork or guzzling the fat-flecked broth, or even by the faint chatter of the chef’s radio, but it’s the slurps that take center stage, long and loud and enthusiastic, showing appreciation for the chef’s métier even as they cool the noodles down to edible temperature."

The slideshow is mouth watering.

AY

Bluefin tuna ban? Japanese sushi chefs likely to cry.....

A few months back I posted about the apparent failure for European countries to come to any real agreement on addressing the rapidly dwindling (perhaps to soon extinction) blue fin tuna populations of the Mediterranean.

Fished aggressively and largely for the Japan sushi market (supposedly the destination for 80% of the catch which prizes the fatty belly meat), things looked grim last fall as no one (Italy, France, and Spain included) was willing to put even a temporary ban on fishing these creatures in hopes of letting the population rebound.

Now Prince Albert of Monaco (click to see this dashing fellow) is leading the charge, and apparently with some success with moving toward a ban in the near future, as the New York Times reports. Of course the fishing industry is not happy, not even the US industry since bluefin is also found in the Atlantic:

The United States fishing industry is “strongly opposed” to listing the fish under the endangered species convention, said Rich Ruais, executive director of the American Bluefin Tuna Association, who said the trade ban “would create a huge black market.”

“In fact,” he said, “we believe a listing has the possibility of doing more damage than good.”

Which all begs the question of economics. But also the willingness for the fish industry to actually enforce itself.

Of course the question of what sustainable fishing and sustainable fish eating is at the enter of it all. The site Sustainable Sushi is a nice place to explore some of these issues...

AY

Agave Nectar: Good or Bad?

Hey Andy,
I found an interesting article on agave nectar posted on the Food Renegade blog. Agave has been touted as a "natural, raw, or organic" sweetener, and safe for diabetics because its low on the glycemic index. Apparently it has a higher concentration of fructose than HFCS (high fructose corn syrup)! The post explains how agave is made and a bit about fructose as well.
(Food Renegade- Agave Nectar)
Hope everyone had a great holiday!
Cheers,
Christina.

Sorry, Vegans: Brussels Sprouts Like to Live, Too

An article from the NY Times online, starting off as a musing about ethical eating but getting into some interesting facts about plant defenses. Brings back the food web mapping we did on the tree video.

Article: here.

-WC

Pets worse than SUVs for the environment...?

Border Collie looking "sheepish" about riding shotgun in a gas-guzzling pickup.


In a new book, two scientist claim "yes" - and it comes down to the particulars of the ecology of food and trophic levels. ABC News reports that the new book "Time to Eat the Dog? the Real Guide to Sustainable Living" is causing a stir, but environmentalists like Lester Brown explain:

"Dogs and cats are carnivores so they consume meat, which means they live rather high on the food chains." "Much higher than the typical person in the sense that most of us -- even those who are omnivorous -- eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and cereals and other things."

Of course, being critical of "man's best friend" can cause its own controversy:

"I think the first instinct should be to look at our own diet and not push off the global warming causes to domesticated animals," Pacelle told ABCNews.com. "If this is their primary thesis, it's an example of over magnified concern and we need to look to our own behaviors, not just energy consumption and transportation, but also our diet."

But isn't our diet their diet? We are co-domesticates, after all.

Of course certain nasty and daft habits increase that carbon footprint even more...!


AY

"Oh Lardy!" - NY health ad show us soda

The Department of Health in New York has gone all the way in helping us understand how our daily diet practices contribute to our overall and long-term health. It is one of those things you simply have to watch - a picture is worth a thousand words, after all:



Here is a little NY Times blurb on it

AY

"We have better things to export!"

On a recent trip to Switzerland I cam across this flyer advocating citizens to vote "yes" on a referendum that calls for a ban on Swiss arms exports, which is a significant part of this politically neutral country's economy.

Shaped like a tank, this block of "Swiss cheese" points to the fact that the Swiss have other things they can notably export for income( Although to be fair, they could just sell the cheese to rounds and I'm sure it'd still be popular? ) :)


AY

"Gal Farmers"

The kawaii girls are going to make farming cool again!

"Shiho Fujita, a 24-year-old model, has led a group of kawaii (cute) 'gal farmers' to do their bit to revitalise rural Japan, where many farms have closed as their owners have aged and their children have run off to the cities.

Her biggest problem so far: she didn't like the clothes. "

I guess there's hope after all!
My roommate says that she can do a better job with the clothes. :)

-- georgi p

Hello Food Class!

I couldn't remember if we watched this video or not or I just watched it before myself...lol.

Thought I would post it just in case. This is a very different take on the the Milk issue. Our readings we read mostly said milk was good for us but this guy thinks other wise...Just another opinion. I love milk even if it isn't good for me I don't think I could stop drinking it. This is an interesting video tho.

"MILK IS POISON"

-Melissa

40 year old pound cake!

Food engineering knows no bounds!




ay

New food labeling

A consumer advocacy group is proposing new rules to American food labels (see link):

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/a-makeover-for-food-labels/#more-20721

-Will

Avoid GMOs, the easy way

You Pocket Sized Guidebook to non-GMO products.

An interesting list for any American consumer.

LH

imperial monsanto

what i've come to realize is that any major multi billion dollar company is a sign that SOMETHING is wrong. sure, it's what capitalism strives for, what every company dreams of, creating an empire and reaching a level of power. however, that should not be the main driver for a company, especially a company that engineers the world's food. understood that it did start out as making pesticides and moved on to engineering crops, i think monsanto's corporate identity is more imperial than anything else. it seeks to make monetary profits from their clients as a priority rather than providing the best of service to ensure satisfaction with their clients. and taking something so powerful in an culture such as agriculture and turning it into a major source to gain profit is perverse. however, monsanto's research has certainly opened new doors to many possibilities in genetic modification. however this technology should focus more on environmental impacts and how it affects the overall picture. for instance the creation of super weeds and pesticides. how can these gm products affect the species around it? i feel these questions need to be answered thoroughly before we go on to mass produce them.

jasper

So about the GM crops....I have a very hard time with all this. I am generally against the GM crops. Mostly because Monsanto is so shady about their way of doing business. If they laid everything out on the table and were honest with the farmers then I think I could accept these GM crops more. I am also scared of the whole idea that Monsanto is controlling so much already, what does that mean for the future? I don't like when we become so dependent on one company. I feel that distribution IS something the world needs to work on more rather than making all these hormones and GM crops. The Jamaica documentary made me so depressed seeing all those farmers with so much to give and they cant export. Seeing how much better their cows seem to be treated and all the milk going to waste. Their are so many hungry people in the world that they wouldn't care if the veggies didn't meet the size requirement. Just sickening. I think GM crops are more trouble than they are worth. Having to have more irragation and pesticide and causing bug resistance. I don't think we really realize what we are getting into. The scientists and companies know that they can do these GM things and see the good reasons why and see money but I think maybe they get a bit blind from they other side of things the negatives. I am worried about what will happen in the long run if GM crops keep being used. I wonder and worry if we will have mutations and ailments from consuming GM crops for generations. I worry about the dependency on large corporations like Monsanto. 

I think there needs to be more research done on GM crops if they are going to continue but I would like to see better distribution and economic reform in developing countries that could be an active and vital player in the global economy.

-Melissa

That Birdhouse Isn't So Innocent

Scientists believe that bird-feeders put out in home gardens alter the "evolutionary path" of birds. The article talks about "reproductive isolation" - in reference to the birds mating with birds in the same area. The scientists think this is a positive change, it seems.

BBC News: Changing Evolution

- George

Monsanto debate response

In the debate on Friday, many good points were raised, but even the judges couldn't decide because if it was an easy issue there wouldn't be such tension. My biggest worry in the Monsanto debate is the future; this might mean that all of our future food is owned by one company. As an artist, it is hard to say they should not be rewarded by for their progress, but that is way too much control for one company. The most reasonable response would be for the government to buy the patent and then distribute it to privatized companies. If Monsanto was to keep the patent it would be too much domination for a privatized company. I recently saw a commercial in which Monsanto tried to portray themselves as a farmers organization and very pure. Monsanto can mean great things for the future, but first their needs to be much more honesty and work on food regulation. The population is expanding, but there are third world countries that need job production and have accurate climates to do so. If the government would regulate things better than there would be enough food and people would be sustained with jobs and food. I think there needs to be honesty to the people growing the food and on the labels. If Monsanto is so proud of their work creating genetically modified items than what would be the harm in sharing that with the world. Most people have no idea that they are eating genetically modified food, and with food allergies that could be seriously dangerous. If people knew that what most of they consume was modified and that is made food more sustainable and cheaper than they might change their impression of it. I think there is a meeting point for these issues, if people stopped being so greedy alot of these issues could be resolved. I think after watching Life and Debt, my impression changed greatly. On one side you are hearing that these hormones are needed to produce enough milk and on the other you're seeing these Jamaican dairy farmers dump gallons of milk. There needs to be a great deal of reform, and it definetly needs to start with the USA, because of their economic position.
-Gianina

Ghastly! Poisoning the river to rid Asian Carp

I peeked over at my neighbor's RedEye in the El today. A man-made Chicago waterway was poisoned to get rid of the invasive Asian carp species (remember them?).

"The fish has entered the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal — a man-made link between the Mississippi River system and the Great Lakes — and is knocking on the door of Lake Michigan. Once inside a Great Lake, the carp would have free rein in the world's largest freshwater ecosystem, imperiling the native fish of the lakes and a $7 billion fishing and recreation industry."

But so far, all the dead fish (90 tonnes expected) that have floated to the surface of the water have been native carp and shad. The toxin used is a naturally-occurring toxin that prevents fish gills from absorbing oxygen. The dead fish will be collected and dumped in a landfill. I imagine that it must be a horrible sight.

While it seems like a necessary step to remove the Asian carp from the system, I wonder if the disappearance of the other native fish in this canal will have any effects on the ecological system.

More here

-georgi p

Galco's Soda Pop Store

This is a video of John Nese the owner of Galco's Soda Pop Store in LA. This store offers over 500 different sodas and the owner really knows his stuff. I was just thinking about it in relation to the articles we read earlier in the semester about high fructose corn syrup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPbh6Ru7VVM&feature=player_embedded

-Olivia S.

Fast Food Meals Get a Gourmet Makeover!

This food blog provides recipes to turn fast food meals into gourmet dishes. Check it out, it's pretty amazing.

http://www.fancyfastfood.com/

-Olivia S.

The GMO Debate - Your point of view?

Ok, so that was a good debate in class! But clearly we didn't have the proper amount of time to discuss it all as we should together, which is a shame the GM food issue is so critical.

So: I want us to continue the conversation over the next two weeks on our blog! How would you address the resolution yourself personally?

I am asking everyone to post their personal reflection on the issue here. In the comment line of this post.

You can come down one side or another, but you can also be undecided or less black and white. Wither way, please say what you are thinking and WHY. What arguments and rationales in the debate do you find most or less compelling? If you are Pro or Anti, what concerns on the other side might be legitimate (but in the end may be of low priority to you or perhaps fixable?)

Or, perhaps the resolution itself is poorly formulated and leads us to oversimplifying conclusions? What is a better way to think about the issue? What questions still remain that need to be answered?

Write to out here thoughtfully and drawing from all the various forms of arguments and evidence we've come across (I'd say a minimum of 150 words). Please sign your name too so we know who's thoughts we are reading!

As a consumer, voter, and cultural producer it is important to have a point of view on GM as it is likely to only between a larger issues in the years to come in our daily lives and globally....

Resolution:
The risks of GM foods outweigh the purported benefits and should not be allowed to be sold and planted.

Meanwhile, feel free to continue posting to blog items of relevant and interest!


AY

the ecology of frogs as food

In the past few years there has been a mysterious and devastating decline in global amphibian populations. Among the major factors, scientists have identified infective fungus ("chytrid') as one. But how has this devastated different populations worldwide at the same time? Some belive it is linked to the food trade in...frog legs.

I $40 million dollar industry, the global movement of their meat might be spreading the pathogenic fungus. If true, it is a fascinating case of how food ecology and animal ecology are interacting in complex ways. Go here for an article.

















AY

That's not your canola!

Related to the question of patenting of seed, enforcement and Monsanto, consider the story of Percy Schmeiser: Sometimes justice prevails?

http://www.percyschmeiser.com/

BACON

Bacon sketch begins around 2:00

LH

Critical Dialogue

So, don't hate me but it was just to good, and here might be the other side of the argument for meat.

RI

The World According to Monsanto

If anyone is looking for more information about Monsanto there is a French documentary called The World According to Monsanto that might be useful.  It can be found in bits and pieces on YouTube and around the internet.  I'm pretty sure Monsanto had it removed from Google Video. Here is the article.

Other documentaries:

The Future of Food

Food, INC.  - trailer

A Silent Forest - a must see documentary about GE trees, featuring Dr. David Suzuki

RoundUp Ready Nation - website

LH

Another Scary Monsanto Video!

Ok this was a suggested video when I was watching the Indian Suicide Farmers videos.

This is really scary! Watch it! This is another anti-Monsanto video with good reason.

The more learn about Monsanto the more I don't want to eat anything.

Watch this:  Monsanto/Fox/Milk 

-Melissa

Tuna fishy...

Tsukuji fish market, Tokyo

With Atlantic tuna population estimated to be at only 15% of its pre-industrial levels and worries are that our favorite fish is reaching the end of its (fishing) line according to a recent report.

The organization that is responsible for protecting this valuable fish stock, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, has apparently wimped out on the best strategy for preserving them: rather than put a temporary ban on the catching of this lovely and tasty fish, ICCAT decided to go the route of lowering catch quotas by 1/3, a measure many say is not only largely unenforcible, but will likely increase illegal fishing of prized catch.


This report dovetails with the class reading on the USDA ruling on Monsanto's new GM soybeans that make omega-3 fatty acids, and which they claim may take pressure off of already overfished species like tuna. But is it the insatiable nutritive lust for omega-3's driving the appetite for big game fish? Seems somewhat of a fishy bit of reasoning considering our growing global love for sushi, and in Japan in particular. Not only has ICCAT been criticized for a while now as supporting unsustainable fishing practices that may drive tuna to extinction.

Indeed, if you go to the world's largest fish market Tsukiji, in Tokyo, the haul is evident. They move over 4 million pounds of seafood a day, and the tuna auction is the biggest there is.

Here is a video I took this last summer of some tuna staying cool in the July heat under smal blocks of dry ice, post-auction, at a smaller retailer at the emarket:




AY