Bright Ideas....
City Slicker Farms (California)
Slicker Farms increases food
self-sufficiency in West Oakland by creating organic, sustainable,
high-yield urban farms and back-yard gardens. These spaces provide
healthy, affordable food and improve the environment. We
seek to serve all West Oakland residents, prioritizing people who have
least access. Our farms and gardens demonstrate the viability of a
local food-production system, serve as community spaces, empower
children and adults who want to learn about the connections between
ecology, farming and the urban environment, and give West Oakland
residents tools for self-reliance. City Slicker Farms
`Virtual water measures'
First
there was carbon foot-printing, then food miles, and soon the world's
consumers will be told how much water was used to produce their food.
Scientists say New Zealand exporters have little to fear from what are
known as "virtual water measures", and the low rate of exploitation
could be a competitive advantage over other food producers. Otago
(New Zealand) Daily Times story.
A Food Miles, of a Different Nature
Diversity is what makes us a great
country. And I don't ever want to be a food snob -- I enjoy a hot dog
as much (probably more than) the next guy. But clearly our eating
habits are killing us. So if you are interested in financing a chain of
salad bars along the interstate highway system, I'm your girl. Liz
Neumark article
in the Huffington Post.
Connecting buyers and sellers of locally grown food
Farmers
and other vendors begin by creating a profile page to promote their
produce, as well as listing the quantities and prices of the products
they have to sell. Individual and organizational buyers can then search
for local food sellers and products in their area—searching by address,
ZIP code or via map—and browsing the listings of those near them. Once
they've found something they like, buyers can order food for pick-up at
farmers' markets or farms. A purchase order is automatically generated
and mailed to them for use in picking up the food and paying the
seller. Listing, ordering and bidding on items in Local Dirt is free;
yearly memberships for more sophisticated features—such as wholesale
capabilities—begin at USD 360. Springwise
story.
Food Hub: Cultivating a Local Economy
FoodHub
is designed to be a user-friendly, one-stop-shop for the chef who needs
six dozen artichokes for a menu special, the baker looking for a local
source for flour, or the large institutional food buyer whose
purchasing power could significantly stabilize a family farm. Local
farmers, restaurateurs, and institutional buyers from hospitals,
schools, colleges and grocery stores can check out the website to learn more. Portland,
Oregon
Smart Choices Food Labeling Program, Under Investigation, Is
Voluntarily Suspended
The Smart
Choices food labeling program, under investigation by the Food and Drug
Administration and state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, was
voluntarily suspended Friday after federal regulators said the program
could mislead consumers. Connecticut
Hartford Courant story
White House loads policy initiatives into a few hours of fun at Healthy
Kids Fair
The autumn sunshine was very bright, the
weather unseasonably warm, and there was a party atmosphere at the
White House for Wednesday’s Healthy Kids Fair. First Lady Michelle
Obama kicked off her shoes and hula hooped, Double Dutch jump roped,
and sprinted through an obstacle course on the South Lawn, accompanied
by dozens of visiting school children. Meanwhile, White House Chefs,
and a few high-profile guest chefs, whipped up recipes at a series of
outdoor kitchen stations. That fun side of the Healthy Kids Fair was
reported by mainstream media. But the event couldn’t have been more
serious. Grist
Magazine story.
Why Is There No Fresh Locally Produced Food Served in Our Schools?
The
region last school year (2008-2009) included 29 public school districts
that were part of the national school lunch program. This report
highlights the procurement challenges that school food authorities face
as they seek to purchase healthy fresh local food from farmers in the
region. Iowa and Cedar Valley Region School
Lunch Program brochure.
The Real Price of Cheap Food
Award-winning food journalist Michael
Pollan was invited to speak on October 15 at California Polytechnic
State University in San Luis Obispo but after pressure from a
university donor who is chairman of the Harris Ranch Beef Co., the
university changed his speech to a panel discussion. Transcripts
of panel discussion on AlterNet.
AND if You Have Time for a chuckle: Food fight! Revelers run amok
in tomatoes
Tens of thousands of revelers pelted each
other with ripe tomatoes in a good-natured battle that filled the
streets of a Spanish town with rivers of red pulp. MSNBC
story.
Fixing
our Global Food System: Food Sovereignty and Redistributive Land
Reform. July-August 2009
A brilliant essay from the inimitatable
Peter Rosset on the politics of local food production and land
redistribution in both developing and highly advanced economies, Food Sovereignty and
Redistributive Land Reform is a must read. click here for the PDF.
European
Union Agri-food sector to assess its environmental footprint
An EU
sustainable food chain roundtable launched in May, is seeking to
develop a methodology for assessing the environmental footprint of
individual foods and drinks by 2011. The roundtable brings together
farmers and suppliers, food and drink producers, packaging firms and
consumer organisations to develop environmental assessment
methodologies for products and means for effective consumer
communication, and to report on improvements. According to the EU
Commission, the food and drink sector contributes to some 23% of global
resource use, 18% of greenhouse gas emissions and 31% of acidifying
emissions. EU agriculture puts the highest pressure on environment in
the food chain lifecycle. Visit
this site for more: EurActive.com
(Source: Locavore
News)
Sweden
introduces climate labelling for food
Sweden is developing standards to
help consumers make conscious choices about the impact of their
decisions on global warming. Products with at least 25% greenhouse gas
savings will be marked in each food category, starting with plant
production, dairy and fish products. The label is a joint
initiative by the Federation of Swedish Farmers, two food labelling
organisations and various dairy and meat co-operatives. Visit
these two sites for more: . EurActive.com
Climate labelling
for food website (Source: Locavore News)
LAPTOP
FARMING: Remote
farming: tailor-made, no-fuss vegetable gardens
Italians can reconnect with the
origins of their food. Le Verdure Del Mio Orto ('The Vegetables
from my Garden')—lets anyone build an organic garden right from their
web browser. Users select a garden size based on the number of people
they'd like to feed; 30m2 is sufficient for 1–2 people and costs EUR
850 per year. The virtual gardener can then choose from 40 different
types of vegetables, using a highly intuitive interface that includes
information on expected yields and harvest times. Optional extras
include a photo album of the garden's progress (EUR 49), herb and fruit
beds (EUR 50/75), and even a scarecrow with a picture of the customer's
own face (EUR 39). Once the garden has been designed and fees paid,
planting begins on the farm, which is located between Milan and Turin
in northern Italy. As the organic produce grows, it's picked and
delivered to the customer's door within 24 hours. More details on the Springwise
website. Le Verdure Del Mio Orto website.
Springwise and its network of 8,000 spotters scan the globe for smart
new business ideas, delivering instant inspiration to entrepreneurial
minds. (Source:
Locavore News)
Hellman's Eat
Real, Eat Local Website. Hellmans?
Yes Hellmans! This is a really fantastic website for concrete
actions on sourcing and eating local. http://www.eatrealeatlocal.ca/#/take_action