A new program at Idaho's largest farmers' market is trying to take the local food theme to a higher level. The program will educate the Capital City Public Market's 10,000 weekly visitors on the sustainable practices of the market's 57 producers.
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The market for ecologically harvested “green” wood is expanding, at least partly because of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design's efforts. But the growth has generated controversy, including investigations by the Federal Trade Commission and Internal Revenue Service. Capital Press reporter Mateusz Perkowski explains some of the issues.
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Victor Davis Hanson posts at NRO's The Corner:
What are progressives thinking when they hear of these trial ballons from the Democratically-controlled congress and administration about taxing health-care benefits, making veterans first draw on their own health-care plans for postbellum injuries or stresses, and, now, regulating farmers' markets in a way that would increase costs and turn them into, well, a sort of Saturday morning DMV experience? I think we can expect some very illiberal ideas coming forth from now on for two good reasons. One, there simply are not enough rich around to squeeze to pay off a $1.7 annual deficit that is fueling a $11 trillion national debt that is growing hourly, and so the voracious federal timberwolf is coming down from the estates of the rich still hungry, and looking for prey anywhere he can find it; and, two, when two liberal creeds collide — like big government and always-growing federal-subsidized bureaucracies versus the little-guy family farmer trying to make a buck outside of the corporate agricultural nexus — the richer and more powerful always win.
The folks at New Seasons Market want to give consumers a change to meet the folks that raise their food. They've done a nice little video to promote a lamb-tasting event they've got going on this weekend.
I stumbled upon it this week on YouTube, which was pretty exciting to see something about agriculture right here on the West Coast in an online video. In this case they are promoting the whole "buy local" philosophy.
I've been toying with the idea of highlighting agriculture related videos here on the Blogriculture site. So I thought, as something of a test drive of that idea, I'd share the New Seasons video with Blogriculture visitors. It's interesting to see how those in and around the ag industry are using the Internet.
New Seasons also has some videos on its YouTube channel to introduce people to farmers and ranchers who grow for their markets.
One of our freelance columnists, Don Curlee, wrote a column that appeared in the Capital Press recently, which attracted the attention of at least one blogger.
The Virtual Farmgirl blog features a post that mentions Don's column. The piece that Don wrote reflects his opinion, so I won't attempt to speak for him or reply for him. But I did find the Virtual Farmgirl post interesting. Everyone from family farmers to "corporate" farmers are facing the reality that consumers are seeking more foods from "organic" or "sustainable" growing practices. And in some cases farmers benefit from getting some sort of certification for their crops because they can sell there crops for a higher price.
However, I can't help but wonder where people think the bulk of our nation's food will come form if, for the sake of argument, all U.S. farms and ranches followed someone's definition of "organic" or "sustainable," which I can only assume means little or no pesticide or herbicide use and little or no chemical fertilizers are used. Won't that mean that overall crop production in the U.S. would drop, as yields fall due to reduced nutrients and more losses to bugs and weeds? Will Americans eat less? Or will we just import more food from foreign countries? And will those countries adopt our "organic" standards?
I also can't help but wonder how many people who want to tell farmers not to use chemicals to help things grow adopt the same standards in their own homes. What do they do when ants or cockroaches or mice or rats invade their homes? Do they call an exterminator? Break out the bug bomb?
The public needs to realize that the "evil" they perceive in agriculture is, in part, created by things like ever-growing hoops farmers have to jump through for so-called environmental protection. It's getting more and more difficult for a small, family operation to grow food and fiber in this country, but the demand for food grows ever larger as the population grows taking over ever-larger pieces of lands that were once farmed. That's what's threatening the sustainability of American agriculture and the family farm.
