Monthly Archives: January 2011

USDA Announces New Dietary Guidelines

Posted on January 31, 2011 by

The USDA has come out with its latest dietary guidelines, something the agency is required to do once every 5 years. The disappointment here is that we’ll have to wait at least another 5 years until we have a meaningful … Continue reading →

Posted in Food Policy, Health Concerns | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Taco Bell Defends Its 88% Beef.

Posted on January 31, 2011 by

I have to admit, I get a kick out of Taco Bell’s latest advertisements. The taco giant took out full-page ads in papers across the country responding to allegations made in a lawsuit that its beef is not “beef.” The … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Concerns, Product Transparency | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

USDA Approves Genetically Modified Alfalfa Without Restriction

Posted on January 28, 2011 by

Yesterday, the USDA approved the use of genetically-modified alfalfa, without restriction. Surprise, surprise, I know.  GM crops get surprisingly little regulation in the U.S., where food producers sell genetically modified products without even disclosing that they’re GM. So why do … Continue reading →

Posted in GMOs | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Why Did Jamie Oliver Show Us a Sugar-Filled School Bus?

Posted on January 25, 2011 by

I haven’t follow British chef Jamie Oliver’s programs here in the U.S. Maybe I should, since they’re aimed at improving our children’s diets through the food we serve in public school cafeterias.  But the one episode I watched of his … Continue reading →

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How Polyculture Can Fight Weeds

Posted on January 24, 2011 by

Organic farmers have to come up with all sorts of ways to keep weeds under control, because the use of Roundup and other common industrial weedkillers are prohibited for them by national regulations. But often, organic farming practices in themselves … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Concerns, Pesticides | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mulch Answers My Childhood Questions

Posted on January 21, 2011 by

As a child, I never understood why my father kept wood chips where he grew rhododendrons. Rhododendrons are a shrub we kept in our backyard because my parents thought they were pretty. And under the rhododendrons, there were always those … Continue reading →

Posted in Fertilizers, Health Concerns, Pesticides | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Why Supplements Can’t Beat the Real Thing

Posted on January 17, 2011 by

Nutritional supplements are hugely popular.  I confess I take several myself. And for many reasons, they make good sense.  Our diets today are not what they used to be.  Refined carbohydrates abound; “refined” meaning “stripped of all nutrients.”  We can … Continue reading →

Posted in Food Policy | 7 Comments

Can You Trust Crops Fertilized with Manure?

Posted on January 13, 2011 by

Let’s talk manure. Manure is a key component in organic farming and does wonders for the soil.  Synthetic fertilizers give plants each year the minimal nutrients they need to grow, but over time does only harm to the soil.  It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Fertilizers, Food Policy, Health Concerns | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Are Organic Grains Slower To Get Soggy?

Posted on January 12, 2011 by

I want to return today to a lighthearted post I left a couple months ago, because I have a lighthearted update, and a question about sogginess and organic food. I posted a product review in November of Ezekiel 4:9, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Growing the Organic Industry, Product Transparency | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Italy Bans the Plastic Bag

Posted on January 10, 2011 by

I wrote back in December that parts of Los Angeles County banned single-use plastic bags.  Customers must now either bring their own shopping bags or else pay 10 cents a piece for paper bags. On new year’s day, a much … Continue reading →

Posted in Food Policy | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments