Comments on: Really Good Reading Material

By: Ricardo Rabago

Ricardo Rabago — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 11:58:01 +0000

Hey Barbara thanks for the posting and all the interesting comments!

If interested Organically Speaking a Seattle-base website has released a conversation with Michael Pollan podcast (audio conversation). Interesting tidbits on farmers markets, CSAs, and more!

Some Podcast Show Note Questions:

Q) Why the price difference between conventional food and organic and how do we go about bringing down organic food prices?

Q) How can small local organic farmers remain local in a capitalistic system?

Q) What is the “Food Web” you briefly touch on in your book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals.

http://OrganicallySpeaking.org

All the best,
-Ricardo

Holistic Conversations for a Sustainable World

By: Isis

Isis — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 15:12:24 +0000

I could not agree more with you. Today I heard on the radio that there are more overweight people in the world than underweight. Food for thought indeed.

By: Hadar

Hadar — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 07:22:44 +0000

Absolutely!
On the other hand, getting the delivery box is like getting a big box of surprise toys every week.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 16:37:42 +0000

Sheryl–for now, read the online version!

Hadar–I am very lucky to know my farmers here, too. The CSA we buy from is great–the workers are well-paid, the farmers diversify into new crops all the time, and they just get better and better with their service.

But nothing is as great as seeing them every week at the market, saying hi, and getting smiles and hugs along with the box of vegetables. You cannot beat that, not with all the advertising budget in the world!

By: Hadar

Hadar — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 15:37:38 +0000

It’s an excellent issue. The organic farm article is particularly disturbing. While there’s a limit to the amount of thought one can put into one’s everyday activities, it’s certainly disconcerting that the focus on the health of the food is masking a lack of focus on the health of the people that produce it.

We’re quite fortunate here in Tel Aviv, as we personally know our farmers. The Chubeza farm (http://www.chubeza.com) is about an hour drive from our house, and we’ve been there to visit and help out. The farm is run by some idealistic and enthusiastic folks, who treat the people who work with them fairly and nicely; we were able to meet the workers and talk to them. And, not only can they afford what they eat – the small field yields so much, that they eat a lot of excellent vegetables for free. The field serves about 200 households in the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv areas, including many of my friends (blogging is good advertisement, hurrah!), and we’re all very pleased with our farmers.

Another issue we manage to avoid this way is the debate over the location of food production. In Israel, debates over fields and orchards are a political matter, and many people avoid buying produce which is grown by settlers in the territories; however, these days, many settlers evacuated from the Gaza strip have lost their businesses in the territories, and are seeking employment elsewhere.

I wish everyone on the planet knew who their farmers were. It’s so nice to get a box of produce when you can imagine the genuine – not advertised and made over – smile of your personal farmer, and know he or she have grown your food with love and care for themselves and for you.