This article pretty much echoes my own thoughts about our food supply
and the food products available today.

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012...-personal.html

Love to hear your thoughts on the article.

ImStillMags wrote:
> This article pretty much echoes my own thoughts about our food supply
> and the food products available today.
>
> http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012...-personal.html

I agree completely.

> Love to hear your thoughts on the article.

-S-

On May 22, 9:00*am, ImStillMags > wrote:
> This article pretty much echoes my own thoughts about our food supply
> and the food products available today.
>
> http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012...com-locavore-t...
>
> Love to hear your thoughts on the article.

But one of the goals of GMO was to reduce the amount of pesticide used
by allowing plants to make their own pesticides.

The fundamental flaw of the article is that it ignores that there are
far more hungry mouths to feed than can be filled by a few small-scale
growers. This is like the Titanic's first-class passengers' thinking
there are plenty of lifeboats -- for them. But what of the second- and
third-class passengers? Further, even if all our food came from
smallholders, most people just want to be able to go to the store and
pick up a dozen eggs -- they do not prize knowing the name of the
chicken who laid them. They would see people who do care as freakish,
obsessed with what they put in their mouths.

On Tue, 22 May 2012 09:00:42 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> wrote:

> This article pretty much echoes my own thoughts about our food supply
> and the food products available today.
>
> http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012...-personal.html
>
> Love to hear your thoughts on the article.

My kids are much better than I am about buying organic and local.
Guess I raised them right even if I don't practice what I preach.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On 5/22/2012 11:00 AM, ImStillMags wrote:
> This article pretty much echoes my own thoughts about our food supply
> and the food products available today.
>
> http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012...-personal.html
>
> Love to hear your thoughts on the article.

The "experts" it quotes are alt-med quacks, which automatically makes
their opinions and 'facts' highly questionable. Some of the
information in the article is incorrect ('chemical' fertilizers are
not petroleum-based - the nitrogen is usually extracted from natural
gas, the phosphorus and potash are mined). Another gross assumption it
appears to make is that small farmers = honest farmers. Having worked
in the agribusiness sector for many years servicing primarily small
farmers and market growers, I could tell you stories. Lots and lots of
stories. Some of the little guys are just as likely as the big guys to
incorrectly apply pesticides or even pesticides not labeled for food
crops if they think that's what they need to do to protect their
crops. And they'll smile and tell you there's nothing on those berries
or beans if that's what you want to hear. After all, how will you know
if they're lying?

Finally, locavorism is a hell of a lot easier to do in a mild climate
where a much larger selection of produce can be grown. That's not an
option in much of the world. Those of us who grew up in the days when
produce was mostly seasonal and local know just how limited - and
monotonous - one's diet will under those circumstances. Doesn't
surprise me at all that this article is from a Washington state paper.
Practicing locavorism in Alaska or Arizona gives one far fewer food
options than, say, Washington, California, or Florida.

sf wrote:
> On Tue, 22 May 2012 09:00:42 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> > wrote:
>
>> This article pretty much echoes my own thoughts about our food supply
>> and the food products available today.
>>
>> http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012...-personal.html
>>
>> Love to hear your thoughts on the article.
>
> My kids are much better than I am about buying organic and local.
> Guess I raised them right even if I don't practice what I preach.

I try to buy organic but often it just isn't fresh or affordable!

On Tue, 22 May 2012 14:26:12 -0700, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

>sf wrote:
>> On Tue, 22 May 2012 09:00:42 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> This article pretty much echoes my own thoughts about our food supply
>>> and the food products available today.
>>>
>>> http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012...-personal.html
>>>
>>> Love to hear your thoughts on the article.
>>
>> My kids are much better than I am about buying organic and local.
>> Guess I raised them right even if I don't practice what I preach.
>
>I try to buy organic but often it just isn't fresh or affordable!

It's not even organic, organic is a fraud... so long as there's
precipitation and gravity (shit runs downhill) no farmland is organic.
And technically bacteria is organic, so farmers can irrigate from
wells heavily contaminated with bacteria generated by livestock poo

In article
>,
ImStillMags > wrote:

> This article pretty much echoes my own thoughts about our food supply
> and the food products available today.
>
> http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012...ore-take-perso
> nal.html
>
> Love to hear your thoughts on the article.

Some locavores take things to an extreme. For a good laugh, watch the
episode of Portlandia where the characters go to the farm to meet the
chicken that's been chosen for their dinner at a yupscale restaurant.
Sadly, there's more truth to that skit than some would like to admit.

Seriously, I have my own set of rules for taking personal responsibility
for food:

Lose the soda--artificially- or high-fructose-corn-syrup-sweetened.
Lose the bottled water, especially the vitamin-enriched stuff.
For certain foods, buy them only in season. Don't expect peaches that
have been flown in from Chile in January to be 1/10 as good as those you
buy from the farm stand in August.
Be picky about where you buy perishable items, particularly ground meat,
fish, and seafood.
Grow or forage what you can, even if it's just a pot of basil or some
wild blackberries. (Unfortunately for me, the city just mowed down the
himalayan blackberry bushes at the end of our street when they
reconstructed the stairway. Luckily, those berries grow like kudzu
hereabouts.)
The most important rule:
LEARN TO COOK AND BAKE, AND UTILIZE THESE SKILLS TO MAKE OVER HALF OF
YOUR LUNCHES AND DINNERS EACH WEEK.

Cindy, preaching to the choir

--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me

Cindy Fuller wrote:
>
>Seriously, I have my own set of rules for taking personal responsibility
>for food:
>
>Be picky about where you buy perishable items, particularly ground meat,

If you're buying preground meat why bother.

spamtrap1888 wrote:
> On May 22, 9:00 am, ImStillMags > wrote:
>> This article pretty much echoes my own thoughts about our food supply
>> and the food products available today.
>>
>> http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012...com-locavore-t...
>>
>> Love to hear your thoughts on the article.
>
> But one of the goals of GMO was to reduce the amount of pesticide used
> by allowing plants to make their own pesticides.

But haven't I read that these plants end up requiring even more
pesticides?
>
> The fundamental flaw of the article is that it ignores that there are
> far more hungry mouths to feed than can be filled by a few small-scale
> growers. This is like the Titanic's first-class passengers' thinking
> there are plenty of lifeboats -- for them. But what of the second- and
> third-class passengers? Further, even if all our food came from
> smallholders, most people just want to be able to go to the store and
> pick up a dozen eggs -- they do not prize knowing the name of the
> chicken who laid them. They would see people who do care as freakish,
> obsessed with what they put in their mouths.



--
Jean B.

On Tue, 22 May 2012 16:23:47 -0500, Hell Toupee >
wrote:

> Finally, locavorism is a hell of a lot easier to do in a mild climate
> where a much larger selection of produce can be grown. That's not an
> option in much of the world. Those of us who grew up in the days when
> produce was mostly seasonal and local know just how limited - and
> monotonous - one's diet will under those circumstances. Doesn't
> surprise me at all that this article is from a Washington state paper.
> Practicing locavorism in Alaska or Arizona gives one far fewer food
> options than, say, Washington, California, or Florida.

You're right about that, but we should if we can. It just makes more
sense. Us people in mild climates should practice eating what's in
season and grown in the USA... although, I must admit that I don't
care when my mid-winter blueberries come from Chile - I'm just glad to
have them for a precious few weeks. I told my husband that the
growing season is so short for them that I'm satisfied with a couple
of weeks twice a year. Now, if they could do that with apricots...

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Tue, 22 May 2012 16:53:05 -0700, Cindy Fuller
> wrote:

> Some locavores take things to an extreme. For a good laugh, watch the
> episode of Portlandia where the characters go to the farm to meet the
> chicken that's been chosen for their dinner at a yupscale restaurant.
> Sadly, there's more truth to that skit than some would like to admit.
>
> Seriously, I have my own set of rules for taking personal responsibility
> for food:
>
> Lose the soda--artificially- or high-fructose-corn-syrup-sweetened.
> Lose the bottled water, especially the vitamin-enriched stuff.
> For certain foods, buy them only in season. Don't expect peaches that
> have been flown in from Chile in January to be 1/10 as good as those you
> buy from the farm stand in August.
> Be picky about where you buy perishable items, particularly ground meat,
> fish, and seafood.
> Grow or forage what you can, even if it's just a pot of basil or some
> wild blackberries. (Unfortunately for me, the city just mowed down the
> himalayan blackberry bushes at the end of our street when they
> reconstructed the stairway. Luckily, those berries grow like kudzu
> hereabouts.)
> The most important rule:
> LEARN TO COOK AND BAKE, AND UTILIZE THESE SKILLS TO MAKE OVER HALF OF
> YOUR LUNCHES AND DINNERS EACH WEEK.
>
> Cindy, preaching to the choir

Amen, sistah!

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

sf wrote:

> > Finally, locavorism is a hell of a lot easier to do in a mild climate
> > where a much larger selection of produce can be grown. That's not an
> > option in much of the world.

> You're right about that, but we should if we can.

The Toupee is right. The first step has to be taken by the retailers
or the farmers. One of those actors has to drive the process. And it
is a process, you know. Every piece of fresh food in retail markets is
handled at least three times. Retailers won't buy in until they know
the cost structure, and farmers won't take a gamble unless they can
expect a reasonable return.

Put another way, if you went to the market and local produce cost 50%
more than trucked-in produce, which would you buy?

On Tue, 22 May 2012 16:23:47 -0500, Hell Toupee >

> Finally, locavorism is a hell of a lot easier to do in a mild climate
> where a much larger selection of produce can be grown. That's not an
> option in much of the world.

Actually, most people have the option -- some would say the
responsibility -- to relocate to an area where their needs can be met
with less resource use.

This means relocating to urban areas and relocating out of cold-climate
ares.


Steve

On Wed, 23 May 2012 16:27:19 +0000 (UTC),
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> On Tue, 22 May 2012 16:23:47 -0500, Hell Toupee >
>
> > Finally, locavorism is a hell of a lot easier to do in a mild climate
> > where a much larger selection of produce can be grown. That's not an
> > option in much of the world.
>
> Actually, most people have the option -- some would say the
> responsibility -- to relocate to an area where their needs can be met
> with less resource use.
>
> This means relocating to urban areas and relocating out of cold-climate
> ares.

Steve... please think about what you're saying. Are you saying that
urban areas should be even more impacted and compacted by human
population? Is that what you mean? I am not in favor of urban
sprawl, but building up (in double digit floor numbers) doesn't appeal
to me either.


--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

sf > wrote:

>(Steve Pope) wrote:

>> Actually, most people have the option -- some would say the
>> responsibility -- to relocate to an area where their needs can be met
>> with less resource use.
>>
>> This means relocating to urban areas and relocating out of cold-climate
>> ares.

>Steve... please think about what you're saying. Are you saying that
>urban areas should be even more impacted and compacted by human
>population? Is that what you mean?

Yes that's exactly what I mean, and it is exactly what almost
any environmentalist would agree with.

>I am not in favor of urban
>sprawl, but building up (in double digit floor numbers) doesn't appeal
>to me either.

For a given sized population you cannot contain sprawl
without increasing housing density within cities.

Steve

In article >,
Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:

> Cindy Fuller wrote:
> >
> >Seriously, I have my own set of rules for taking personal responsibility
> >for food:
> >
> >Be picky about where you buy perishable items, particularly ground meat,
>
> If you're buying preground meat why bother.

We buy our ground meat from a store that grinds its own. No pink slime
or meat glue.

--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me

On Fri, 25 May 2012 15:14:11 -0700, Cindy Fuller
> wrote:

>In article >,
> Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
>
>> Cindy Fuller wrote:
>> >
>> >Seriously, I have my own set of rules for taking personal responsibility
>> >for food:
>> >
>> >Be picky about where you buy perishable items, particularly ground meat,
>>
>> If you're buying preground meat why bother.
>
>We buy our ground meat from a store that grinds its own.

Most stores grind meat... but unless you actually grind your own
everything else is mystery meat.