For some, food is a means to instant gratification and not much more. But food on a personal level is mostly about health. Garbage in, garbage our, as they say.
Continue readingFood and our health
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Enough food?
Back in the 1970’s, a Department of Agriculture scientist told me that food science was so advanced that there would no longer be a problem raising enough food to feed the world. There was one valley in Peru that could grow enough peas to meet the whole world’s demand. There were optimal climates and conditions for other crops around the world. There was every reason why enough food could be grown as long as people worked together to grow the right food in the right places. He was an idealist.
But it’s not just about agriculture, is it? It’s also about distribution, economics, climate change, and of course, politics.
Now, we’re well into the 21st Century. The latest UN Report (video) on climate change and world food is fair warning that many will die and go hungry because of climate change. Large areas of the world are becoming deserts.
There’s lot that anyone can do to impact world food supplies: supporting sustainable agriculture at home—like in your backyard, getting involved in a climate change movement, helping organizations that provide food for hungry people—at the local food bank or in desertified regions, and so much more.
Add a food-related cause to your personal portfolio of good deeds—or go all-in about food. The planet will appreciate it.
Here at DRB, as we become more aware of the big picture about food, we try to strike a balance between celebrating home cooking, eating well and eating healthy, sustainable agriculture, and the complicated issues that keep so many people from getting the food they need for life. We hope you are getting a balanced diet of information about food and our world.
Teach your children well
Hats off to Jamie Oliver for caring about kids health and better eating. His TED Talk from 2011 is still timely today—unfortunately. People still die prematurely and unnecessarily because of the “standard American diet,” so called. I sense that progress has been made since 2011, but as other news from the food front tells us, there is still a long way to go and mountains to climb everywhere along the food supply chain.
Cook the farm, live the food
Recommended by Alice Waters, this video and the people behind it are just a great encouragement that the revolution in how we think about our food and about cooking is happening and well worth our attention. Enjoy!
Cook the Farm from Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School on Vimeo.
Farms don’t talk, do they?
Chicago’s The Talking Farm is a nonprofit educational venture that teaches and provides experiences in farming for local kids, interns, and us general public types. We attended a TF “Farm Dinner” last evening to check them out and get educated. We came away impressed, edified, and with a new idea about how to help out in the fight against the urban food desert.
On two-and-a-half acres in a close-in Chicago suburb, The Talking Farm grows a wide variety of veggies, herbs, and fruit to bring the realities and benefits of local, sustainable agriculture to us all. Operating since 2006, The Talking Farm is a community-based sustainability gem, producing 6,000+ lbs of organic produce for local restaurants, a CSA, and food-for-the needy programs. Ten percent of output goes to help provision food banks.
The “talking” part of the farm’s work happens when their “farmer-educators” teach about the significance of locally and sustainably-grown food on the environmental, social justice, and health issues facing our communities. They teach how to take a personal part in a more sustainable, ecologically-balanced, and healthy future.
I hope you have a talking farm near you.
Where has all the cooking gone?
“…if it weren’t for the vibrant but dwindling community of bloggers, we’d hardly see actual cooking discussed at all.” So says Mark Bittman in a recent column. The transformation of FoodTV into yet another reality show-driven channel (where people pretend to be living for real) is a disappointment for sure.
Seems like only yesterday that cooking was simple; grocery shopping was simple; getting fat was simple. Now, eating, like everything else, is another learning moment. And a topic for small talk with old friends and new. Where has cooking gone? Mainstream.
Hunger in America?
Ok, it’s time to get serious. Many of us eat too much while other people are starving. This can’t be right. Nobody deserves to starve in the presence of such abundance.
Dad supports the work of Feeding America in raising awareness and getting people involved in helping those who aren’t getting enough food.
Check out this video….
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
I’ve just finished reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan and its sequel, In Defense of Food. It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything so inspiring and, in my opinion, a must-read for anyone who cares about food, cooking, nutrition, or contributing to a better world.
This will come through loud and clear on DRB starting with this post. I’ll talk about our attempts to try container gardening, buy from farmers markets and other whole/clean/local food sources, and cook toward a safer and saner planet.
Looking forward to your feedback and your own experiences.
Dad