The Red Scare, Locavore Diss, and Other Food Related News

From "The Red Scare of '08" to a Freaknomics stone-cold locavore diss, food has made plenty of headlines in the last few weeks.
Here are a few for you to chew on:

1. The Red Scare.

Perhaps the piece of news most heavy on everyone's heart (and palate) is the recent discovery of salmonella-tainted tomatoes. Yikes. Who'd a thunk it? But then again, this hasn't been the first time nasty bacterium have landed in our produce. It doesn't seem that long ago that we were shirking away from those bags of spinach after a slew of people wound up sick from Ecoli poisoning. What's funny is that an article I read about the scare mentioned that "homegrown" tomatoes weren't affected. Well, duh! This is a problem affecting commercially grown tomatoes, not homegrown or even locally grown tomatoes (unless you're composting with ripe chicken manure!). This is further evidence of the huge disconnect that exists in the way people think about food. In fact, in an interview yesterday on All Things Considered, David Acheson, the Food and Safety Director for the FDA, highlighted the fact that it was pretty damn hard to trace the source of some of these tomatoes. He mentions that there are many "arms and legs to tomato supply chains" and that "tomatoes are so complicated...we may never get back to the farm if that's where the problem happened." Do you really need another reason to buy local?

Update: Check out this Slate Magazine article.

2. Eat Less Meat.

It's time to trim the fat. My favorite food writer, Mark Bittman, had a nice little piece in the New York Times last Wednesday about cutting back on our meat consumption. In the age of half-a-pound burgers and 20 oz. T-bone steaks, this may seem like a crazy idea, but if you stop and think about it for a second it's not so far-fetched. For one, eating less meat is definitely better for your health. That's what most people already know. But the thing a lot of people don't stop to consider is the toll that commercial meat production has on our environment and resources. In another article about meat published back in January, Bittman offers these statistics:

-30% of the earth's ice-free land is directly or indirectly involved in livestock production

-livestock production generates nearly 1/5 of the world's greenhouse gases (more than transportation emissions)

-2.2 pounds of beef is responsible for the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the average European car every 155 miles, and burns enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for nearly 20 days

-the majority of corn and soy grown in the world feeds cattle, pigs and chickens

-U.S. livestock produces 900 million tons of waste annually

-U.S. agriculture contributes to nearly 3/4 of all water-quality problems in the nation’s rivers and streams

And of course, when you choose to buy meat from local producers who practice sustainable methods, you bypass a lot of these problems. Many local farmers pasture their animals, allowing them to feed on grass, which is what the animals were designed to eat and what their bodies can more easily digest (this is especially true for cattle). On a small-scale farm, animal waste is not as much of an issue, and the waste is often utilized as a fertilizer, eliminating the need for the waste lagoons used in big commercial operations. You have also reduced the amount of energy expended on your food, just by buying it close to your home.

3. What's so bad about being a Locavore?

Steven J. Dubner of the Freakonomics Duo weighs in on the costs and benefits of the Locavore craze. After making a $12 batch of sub-par orange sherbert, the author muses on the myths of homegrown food, and suggests that maybe it isn't necessarily cheaper, better for the environment, or even more delicious. Hmm...I think this guy needs to read our blog.

Comments

[Lil Bill]

"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato. "
Lewis Grizzard

[Rashmi Grace]

Right on Bill.

"There's just two things that money can't buy. That's true love and homegrown tomatoes."
-Guy Clark

[Joy]

Great post, I loved the links!

I'm really proud of you guys' work and enthusiasm!