Welcome to the 2012 Summer Season
Global NewsErnest Callenbach (1929-2012) Author of Ecotopia — His final wordsMon 7 May 2012 10:52am Published in 1975, I never heard of or read Ecotopia until a few years ago. It's about 2.5 states that secede to form a nation based on ecological principles. I kept saying to myself, this is no pipedream — this could really work! Anyway, I recommend the book and also Ernest Callenbach's final espistle: Occupy Wall Street stand on farming practices: "They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization. They have profited off the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless animals, and actively hide these practices." Tue 18 Oct 2011 5:02pm The title above is an excerpt from a statement by the Occupy Wall Street general assembly as read by Keith Olberman on October 5. You can listen to it  here or read the full statement below: more here . . .How Industrial Farming 'Destroyed' The Tasty Tomato Wed 5 Oct 2011 8:59am If you bite into a tomato between the months of October and June, chances are that tomato came from Florida. ... But the tomatoes grown in Florida differ dramatically from the red garden varieties you might grow in your backyard. They're bred to be perfectly formed — so that they can make their way across the U.S. and onto your dinner table without cracking or breaking. "For the last 50 or more years, tomato breeders have concentrated essentially on one thing and that is yield — they want plants that yield as many or as much as possible,...They also want those fruits to be able to stand up to being harvested, packed, artificially turned orange [with ethylene gas] and then shipped away and still be holding together in the supermarket a week or 10 days later." more here . . . What is Sustainability? Tue 12 Jul 2011 8:03am more here . . . 1/3rd of food produced globally is lost or wasted according to a new FAO study Wed 1 Jun 2011 7:20am Global food losses and food waste: extent, causes and prevention (pdf file)Executive summary:
What exactly is Genetically Modified Food? Fri 20 May 2011 8:17am more here . . . |  Scarecrows in the field of newly-seeded peas. Local NewsDo-It-Yourself Food Safety: An Interview with NOFA's Julie RawsonTue 1 May 2012 9:07pm Julie Rawson is the executive director (and I think a founder) of the Northeast Organic Farming Assoc. and the Massachusetts organic farming movement. She and Jack and their family have farmed in Central Mass for 30 years. We all should read this and heed what she says. articlemore here . . . Food, Farm, and Sustainability Institute at Hampshire College Fri 17 Feb 2012 11:21pm Announcing the inaugural Food, Farm, and Sustainability Institute at Hampshire College, a six week summer academic program designed for undergraduate students interested in sustainable agriculture and food studies. Overview: From June 4 to July 13, 2012, students, faculty, staff, and alumni will come together as a living and learning community at Hampshire College. Students will gain hands-on work experience with the guidance of the Hampshire College Farm Center staff, learn through inquiry-based projects mentored by faculty with a range of expertise, and acquire ownership of knowledge through independent research projects. The institute will follow food from its origin in the soil, through plant cultivation and animal management, address issues in public health and politics, and end up in the kitchen, breaking bread and assessing the character of the food we produce and eat. There will be numerous opportunities for community building through roundtable dinner discussions with local farmers and food producers, a weekly film series, and field trips to local farms emphasizing environmental and community sustainability. Tuition for the six week program is $3,400, including communal lunch costs (students are responsible for breakfast and dinners as well as all weekend meals). Lodging is an additional $800 for students who wish to reside on campus. Hampshire recommends 8 academic credits for completion of the 6-week program. Students are encouraged to check with their home institutions for credit equivalent. more here . . . Movie & Discussion Friday Feb 17 at 7pm in Concord: Food Fight Tue 14 Feb 2012 10:18am How did it happen that our food today is lower in taste and nutrition, and higher in fat and salt, than it was in 1960? And that in just two generations, American consumers of food have traded under-supply and malnutrition for excess and obesity? Food Fight tells the story. Winner of the prestigious Audience Award from the International Documentary Association, the film features interviews with Michael Pollan, Alice Waters, Marion Nestle, and other chefs, farmers, and politicians who are dedicated to reversing recent trends. Friday, February 17th, 7:00-9:30 PM, Alcott School. Focus on Food Friday Night Film and Discussion Series Meet Commissioner Soares at 7 PM. Bring your questions and ideas for Concord's Food System! “Food Fight” screening is at 7:30 PM & discussion will follow at 8:30 PM with Scott Soares, MA Commissioner of Agricultural Resources J.D. Kemp, CEO of Organic Renaissance FOODEx Our speakers will bring us up to date on initiatives in our Northeast regional food system as well as the impact of the 2012 Farm Bill on farm land conservation, small farms and consumers. more here . . . Movie Jan 27 at 7:30pm in Concord: The Future of Food Tue 24 Jan 2012 7:28am We all eat...but we may not all be aware of just what is on our plate! Don't miss this film and discussion as part of ConcordCAN's initiative to start a public conversation about our food system. Details on public forums for the Concord Food Assessment will follow! Come join us...and bring a friend or neighbor! ConcordCAN, Debra’s Natural Gourmet and Walden Woods present —The Future of Food— Charlotte Vallaeys, Cornucopia Institute, speaker and discussion leader, Friday, January 27, Alcott Auditorium, 7:30 PM, Doors open at 7 pm. There is a revolution happening in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America, a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat. This documentary explores the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled grocery store shelves for the past decade. It also examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multi-national corporations seek to control the world's food system. Go to http://www.thefutureoffood.com for details, and to watch the official trailer. more here . . . sptest0  stearnsfarmcsa.org |
Revision 90. Last edited Mon 16 Apr 2012 4:50pm by NaomiSofer