Food Policy Blog

by Kerry Trueman, from the blog Civil Eats

Remember when Fox pundit Michelle Malkin accused Rachael Ray of being a terrorist sympathizer because she wore a Middle Eastern-ish scarf in a Dunkin' Donuts ad? I'm not sure what was more absurd about that episode: Malkin's unhinged hysteria, or Dunkin' Donuts' profile in cowardice (they yanked the ad.)

But Malkin got one thing right: Rachael Ray is far more radical than I even dared hope. She took Capitol Hill by storm yesterday, armed with some very sharp talking points, and fired them directly at the lawmakers who actually have the power to improve the lousy school lunches we're dis-serving our kids:

"How could you go to any state in the union and say you are not for an extra couple of cents to eradicate hunger, to make our kids healthier, stronger, better focused? It doesn't make any sense that you would even have to have a long conversation about that, to me."

From Obama Foodorama:

A summation of the new President's Report from the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity, and administration officials' response to questions from reporters
At the White House this morning, First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled the President's Report from the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity. Called an "Action Plan" for the Let's Move! campaign, Mrs. Obama cited the Report and its ambitious recommendations as a comprehensive road map for moving forward, and lauded all those who had helped make it a reality. Still, Mrs. Obama noted that her initiative is a work in progress.

"We're going to keep needing to have this conversation," Mrs. Obama said. "Our work has only just begun."

Three months in the making, the 86-page Report has 70 specific recommendations spread over ten additional pages, with 22 pages of end notes. There is one overriding goal: Returning to a childhood obesity rate of 5% by 2030, down from the current level of about 31 percent of children who are identified as overweight, with a little more than 17 percent of these identified as obese. 

for more info http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2010/05/first-lady-michelle-obama-childhood.html

by Sonia Angell, Director, Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control Program, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Concerned about high salt levels in packaged and restaurant food? If so, you’re not alone. Americans now take in about twice the recommended upper limit each day -- and most of the salt we consume is added to our food before we buy it. On April 26, Mayor Bloomberg announced that 16 food companies are joining a national effort to dial back. The National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI) is a public-private partnership aimed at reducing people’s salt intake by 20 percent by 2014. The goal is important because high salt intake raises blood pressure, the leading risk factor for heart attacks and stroke. The NSRI has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives -- and billions of dollars in health care costs -- if the food industry buys in.

Companies that have agreed to meet NSRI targets in at least some product categories include Au Bon Pain, Boar’s Head, Goya, Hain Celestial, Heinz, Kraft, LiDestri, Mars Food, McCain Foods, Red Gold, Starbucks, Subway, Unilever, and Uno Chicago Grill. White Rose, a local New York food distributor, and FreshDirect have also signed on. In addition to New York City, the NSRI partnership includes 28 cities, states and related organizations -- and 18 national health organizations, such as the American Heart Association and American Medical Association. For more information, visit nyc.gov/health/salt.

This post by Elizabeth McVay Greene, from Civil Eats and Provenance, describes her experience at last Saturday's busy and inspiring Bronx Food Summit.

For information on who is appearing at hearings for the 2012 Farm Bill, see this article on Obama Foodorama: http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2010/05/2012-farm-bill-field-hearings-today.html

by Kerry Trueman, on the Eating Liberally blog

Philly high school teacher Wilma Stephenson is what you might call a benevolent bully. Pressure Cooker, a just-out-on-DVD documentary about Stephenson's "culinary boot camp," gets some laughs from her drill sergeant-style tactics.

But there's nothing funny about all the obstacles facing her inner-city students in their efforts to win scholarships to the country's best culinary academies. Having a mentor like Stephenson to goad and guide them gives her kids opportunities that would more likely pass them by were it not for her passion and dedication.

Seeing Pressure Cooker made me fall in love with Wilma Stephenson, and Rachael Ray did, too.

Ray was so impressed by Stephenson's success rate with her students that she enlisted the resources of her non-profit Yum-O! and the Rachael Ray Show to honor Stephenson for her extraordinary devotion to her students.

 From the Slow Food USA blog:

"Food riot??" asked an indignant Eric Holt-Giménez at a talk he gave in New York City on March 5, referring to protests in response to the 2008 food crisis. According to Holt-Giménez, the Executive Director of Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy, "food rebellion" would be more accurate. 

Between 2007 and 2008, approximately 40 food protests occurred around the world. In Mexico, corn prices made tortillas prohibitively expensive for the nation’s poor. In Haiti, soaring food prices led people to the streets, and eventually to overthrow the Prime Minister.

These protests were not spontaneous outbursts fueled by mob-mentality – hence they were not riots. Instead, they were conscious, political acts: rebellions. The agency and intention implied by the word rebellion are essential: they are not just a reaction to food prices, but a protest against a flawed system. It’s the difference between responding to symptoms and curing the sickness.                                    

From Obama Foodorama

Justice...will not prevail unless we defend its cause"
As a small tractor whirred at the bottom of the South Lawn this morning preparing the Kitchen Garden for its Spring planting this afternoon, President Obama was in the Oval Office with some citizens who deal with agriculture on a far larger scale, as he honored legendary farm labor activist Cesar Chavez.

Members of Chavez's family and leaders of the United Farm Workers, which Chavez co-founded in 1966 with Dolores Huerta, looked on as the President signed a proclamation that makes March 31, 2010 "Cesar Chavez Day." It was a quiet event, given that the UFW transformed the lives of millions of migrant workers, and is still needed--and doing critical work--today.

for more: http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2010/03/president-obama-proclaims-march-31-2010.html

The Department of Justice has posted the entire 348-page transcript of the March 12, 2010 public workshop on agriculture & antitrust issues here.

In this posting from Grist, Tom Philpott highlights a national issue that is being confronted in New York:

When you’ve been in the trenches writing about a problem for a while, it’s good to see it finally getting traction in media and policy circles. That’s why I was thrilled to see Sunday’s New York Times piece on how a shortage of infrastructure is hampering the growth of local and regional food production.

If you want more happy cows, agitate for more slaughterhouses and dairy facilities. When I helped start Maverick Farms in 2004—and immediately started trying to source local meat and dairy for our farm dinners—it quickly became evident that the infrastructure needed to create an accessible, efficient, and profitable alternative food system in our area simply didn’t exist.

The rest of the article is at http://www.grist.org/article/2010-03-29-agriculture-infrastructure-market-failure/

 Below is a description of the operation.  You can check out their blog here.

BOSWYCK FARMS, a hydroponic farm located in Bushwick Brooklyn, was founded in 2008 by Lee Mandell. It began with the idea of bringing fresh food to the surrounding community. Over the past two years, Boswyck Farms has grown, expanding our vision of food production to include educational programs and workshops as well as a consultation service for hydroponic systems.

Hydroponic gardens and farms have a very long history, dating back to the Hanging Gardens of ancient Babylon. The reason we choose to grow hydroponically is simple. This method of farming is sustainable, economical and perhaps most importantly, practical. Small and compact, our systems are the perfect choice for people living in urban areas where space is at a premium. Our hydroponic and aeroponic systems are designed to be space-efficient, taking up a minimal amount of room while producing a sizable amount of food. Fruits and vegetables can be grown year-round, reducing the amount of money spent on produce. Our systems are easily assembled in a small area of any room, office space or classroom. They can also be used in greenhouses and outdoors. As sustainability is Boswyck Farms’  motto, we build our systems using as much recycled materials as possible.

for more http://www.boswyckfarms.org/about

by Parke Wilde from the U.S. Food Policy blog

You have probably already been enjoying the Fed Up With Lunch blog, a photographic journal of a year of school meals. If you think school lunch should be better, a lot depends on Child Nutrition Reauthorization in Congress this Spring. Here is a sampling of blog and new media coverage.

Tom Philpott at Grist:

From Borough President Stringer's Office:

In response to an increasing global interest in food sustainability, and to the lack of all-inclusive, tangible, local governmental initiatives in the field, Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer has released “FoodNYC: A Blueprint for a Sustainable Food System.” The first of its kind, it serves as the most comprehensive effort to unify and reform New York City’s policies regarding the production, distribution, consumption, and disposal of food. See more at http://www.mbpo.org/blog_details.asp?id=359#359

by Erin McCarthy, cross-posted from the Green Fork blog.

From Derek Denkla at The Greenest

Last week, I attended the first Evenings with Agriculture 2.0, a networking event billed as a “gathering for the entrepreneurs, investors, food producers, and experts working to catalyze—and capitalize on—the transition to a more sustainable agricultural and food system.”

“Evenings with Agriculture 2.0″ is a project of NewSeed Advisors. Founded in 2009 by investment banker Janine Yorio, NewSeed Advisors provides consulting to alternative and sustainable agriculture companies concerning raising capital and strategic partnerships.

According to Yorio “NewSeed aims to catalyze the growth of sustainable agriculture by connecting investors with entrepreneurs poised to have a game-changing effect on the current agricultural system.”

The FDA has announced the appointment of Michael R. Taylor as Deputy Commissioner for Foods.

His post was created along with a new FDA Office of Foods last year.

Earlier this week, USDA Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack appointed 25 new members to the Fruit and Vegetable Advisory Committee for a two-year term -- including FOUR New Yorkers! Considering that several counties in NY State were declared disaster areas by the USDA this past fall due to heavy rains and the state's ag supply chain is severely broken this is uber good news for local farmers and eaters and everyone in between in the channels of distribution.

I decided to research the newly appointed NYers, and was pleased to dig up the following:

- Robert Nolan, Deer Run Farms, Brookhaven, Suffolk Country, Long Island (Lighthearted Locavore territory) - Nolan operates a small, 30-acre family farm that grows specialty lettuces, chicory, and escarole. He is also the former president of the LI Farm Bureau and 4th generation farmer. For many years, Nolan has been involved with educating Long Island children on where their food comes from.

-Brent Roggie, National Grape Co-op Association (think Welch's Foods, Inc. makers of grape juice and jams), the town of Westfield in Chautaugua Country. There's not much info on Roggie on the internet, but I'm happy to share the importance of the grape co-op to New York. Welch's is a top 100 food processor in the US and concord grapes are considered a "superfood" for their antioxidant power. NY State is considered the (concord) grape belt of the US - read more about juicy, purple concords from my Nov. 2008 post.

Looking for a way to concisely explain the link between food and climate change to your friends who didn't make it to Just Food, BP Stringer and NYU's Food and Climate Summit?  Check out this article by Jacquie Berger and Nadia Johnson of Just Food for five simple tips on reducing your own foodprint.

Friday, December 18, 2009

From The Lighthearted Locavore by Lexi Van de Walle

If you've been following New York City food politics, you know that food advocates have been working hard to legalize beekeeping in the five boroughs and dreaming about honey flavors such as Central Park, Hell's Kitchen, and Flatbush Avenue.

Yesterday, the health department took a step towards overturning code that claims honey bees are wild animals (along with tigers and ferrets) by agreeing, preliminarily, to permit hives on rooftops and in backyard and community gardens. A second vote will be needed in March 2010 (which should include some kind of licensing requirement).  for more

In this posting from the blog of the Food Bank for NYC, recent Princeton graduate Paul Hernandez looks back at the past incarnation of food stamps, and promotes The Food Bank’s Food Stamp Outreach Program, which makes the more efficient modern process even easier.