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March 1st, 2012
Did you know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture helped nearly 900,000 seniors and 2.15 million WIC (Women, Infants & Children nutrition program) recipients to access fresh fruits and vegetables directly from local farmers at farmers’ markets in 2010? Read More
February 7th, 2012
I can see the new Monsanto ad from my office window in downtown Washington, DC this morning. It must have gone up overnight, on a bus shelter facing K Street NW. Below a close-up of rough, work-worn hands, a plaid shirtsleeve, and an ear of corn, the copy reads:
In the hands of farmers, better seeds can help meet the needs of our rapidly growing population, while protecting the Earth’s natural resources.
If only Monsanto were actually delivering those feel-good benefits. Read More
January 11th, 2012
Snow is in my local forecast for this weekend, but that won’t stop me from visiting a farmers market. And apparently I’m not alone. Read More
November 21st, 2011
Much has been made of last week’s Congressional action blocking new school lunch nutrition rules proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But while Congress may call pizza a vegetable, schools across the country are finding innovative ways to provide the real thing. Read More
November 14th, 2011
A recent report from the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) provides new evidence of the importance of local foods systems. Despite its unfortunate title, Direct and Intermediated Marketing of Local Foods in the United States (yawn) actually comes to a startling conclusion—local foods have become a $4.8 billion-a-year industry. Read More
October 24th, 2011
I work on food policy, and I’m nearly always thinking about my next meal. So for me, pretty much every day is food day.
But today, October 24, is capital-letter Food Day, the first annual day set aside for all of us to reflect on what we’re eating and where it comes from, and to commit to creating a healthier, more sustainable food system. Read More
October 14th, 2011
I’m a small-time urban gardener. I have bigger dreams, but I make do with a collection of containers on my postage stamp of a patio, and a border of perennials, shrubs, and small trees. This month, I’m harvesting the last Sungold tomatoes and a late flush of jalapeño peppers…and wishing I’d gotten my act together to start some fall greens to take their place.
I’m also beginning to think about tucking in the perennial beds with a protective, weed-suppressing, winter blanket of compost and mulch.
And more and more, I’m realizing that I’m part of a huge gardening movement. Read More
September 27th, 2011
Reuters’ Carey Gillam’s recent excellent analysis of the Roundup-resistant weed problem makes points that my colleagues at UCS have been arguing for a long time.
Overuse of any herbicide—such as we have seen with the widespread adoption of Monsanto’s genetically engineered Roundup-resistant crops—leads inevitably to the development of resistance. Read More
September 20th, 2011
Last weekend I took my mother, visiting the East Coast from California, on her first-ever jaunt to New York City. We had a ball, wandering the urban canyons, taking in a Tony-winning Broadway show, shopping at the fabulous Union Square Greenmarket, and of course, eating ourselves silly. Read More
August 31st, 2011
They say the first step to recovery from addiction is admitting you have a problem. So here goes:
My name is Karen, and I buy too many vegetables out-of-doors.
© 2013
