Monthly Archives: April 2012

jobs, jobs, jobs

Posted on April 27, 2012 by admin

Does anything surpass “jobs” in terms of importance in the current environment?  For those following economic policy, there is an odd sense of irony about the current attention. After all, the debate about how much money to inject into the … Continue reading →

Posted in farm bill, food policy, food system, organic food | Leave a comment

sustainable seafood??

Posted on April 24, 2012 by admin

One of the hottest topics in the food world right now is the implementation of Whole Foods Market’s recent decision, nicely timed with Earth Day, to sell only sustainably harvested seafood. Numerous news sources have covered the story: see, for … Continue reading →

Posted in animal welfare, sustainable agriculture, sustainable fishing, whole foods market | 1 Comment

the plants at Snug Harbor are growing!

Posted on April 22, 2012 by admin

Saturday was our last hands-on class at Snug Harbor.  Gus’s demeanor was bordering on frantic, as he was trying to get many small plants and seeds into the ground before the rain fell (which was expected to start during the … Continue reading →

Posted in Snug Harbor Farm, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

teaching children to eat

Posted on April 16, 2012 by admin

The NY Times Motherlode blog has a fascinating posting about French parents and childhood obesity (or more aptly speaking, lack of obesity). The author (a professor at UBC) spends time with her family in both Vancouver and France, and thus … Continue reading →

Posted in food choices, food culture, Food studies | Leave a comment

antibiotics in livestock

Posted on April 12, 2012 by admin

The use of antibiotics in raising livestock has a long history (for a partial description, see ps.fass.org/content/84/4/634.full.pdf).  Antibiotics have multiple uses – treating illness, preventing diseases in crowded animal operations, or as growth promoters. The use of antibiotics in feed … Continue reading →

Posted in animal welfare | Leave a comment

do food miles matter?

Posted on April 11, 2012 by admin

Today’s topic is a response to a comment by Aron, a reader who asked me to explain why I remarked that lower food miles do not necessarily imply that local food has a small environmental impact. One of the standard … Continue reading →

Posted in ecosystems, food miles, organic food, regional food systems, sustainable agriculture | 1 Comment

gardens, greenspace, and rooftop ventures in NYC

Posted on April 8, 2012 by admin

The lack of fresh food in low income neighborhoods, especially in NYC, is well known. Also lacking is green open space, and places to garden (for residents of all income levels). This week’s NY Times mentions community garden endeavors that … Continue reading →

Posted in NYC, urban agriculture | Leave a comment

new report from Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change

Posted on April 7, 2012 by admin

For years, the debate about organic vs conventional agriculture has centered on the “feed the world” debate. The typical argument is that organic farming systems are impractical because there are too many people to feed, and population growth is expected … Continue reading →

Posted in food policy, organic food, sustainable agriculture | Leave a comment

a follow up on certification and fair trade

Posted on April 5, 2012 by admin

The seminal article on consumer behavior and information is Phillip Nelson’s Journal of Political Economy article, Vol. 78, No. 2 (Mar. – Apr., 1970), pp. 311-329, “Information and Consumer Behavior.” He argues that while consumers can easily assess price of … Continue reading →

Posted in fair trade, organic food | Leave a comment

the importance of certification???

Posted on April 3, 2012 by admin

Last night, Clay Gordon spoke in my Food Markets class; the topic was fair trade chocolate. I found his discussion fascinating; his background of fine arts, technology and chocolate provides him with a unique perspective on what I consider a … Continue reading →

Posted in fair trade, international trade, small farms | Leave a comment