I would love to be like the French. From the culture, to the food, to the fashion, they hold a place in many American hearts that fell in love with movies set in France of, well, Americans falling in love. That said- there are few parallels drawn between French diet outcomes that go well. Try the “French Women Don’t Get …
Colorado Farmers and Influential Voices on Food Come to the Table
Now more than ever, Americans rely on one another to learn about hot-button issues and connect with others who share similar social views. For moms, food production is an issue that is constantly top of mind. Jan Kochis, Sondra Pierce, Kristen Schneider, Collen Peppler, Mary Kraft and Sallie Miller set out to build understanding and initiate a conversation with the …
Saving the Earth Also Means Saving the Earthlings
In an opinion piece published in Agri-Pulse today, Marshall Matz, an agriculture and food security specialist of the firm OFW Law, asks each of us to look inward and ask “Famine: Where is the Rage?” Beginning with the lack of outrage and action over the horrific famine looming in Africa, he makes a strong, possibly overdue case, for basing federal …
Breaking News: IARC Creates Carcinogen Confusion
Cancer terrifies all of us. Given the painful memories almost every person has in America, this is completely reasonable. Yet, the precise global agency tasked with assessing cancer risks most probably generates a great deal of unnecessary fear according to a Reuters report released today. Delving into how experts in public health, academia and industry view the findings of the …
Don’t Be Afraid of the Easter Basket: The Sugar Is the Same
Today, Corn Commentary features a guest post from Michigan CommonGround blogger Barbara Siemen. A passionate agvocate who blogs at farmbarbie.com, Barbara shares the insight a once city girl turned farmer has on why moms across the country can feel excited filling Easter baskets. Don’t Be Afraid of the Easter Basket: The Sugar Is the Same By Barbara Siemen Barbara is a …
Love the Earth? Organic May Not Be Your Best Bet
Switching to an all-organic agricultural system in the United States would have serious, negative consequences according to analysis of government reports published in Forbes. With clear documentation of a yield gap between conventional and organic production indicating increased land use would be required to make such a switch, the authors detail why, amongst many other reasons, organic is not the …
Paltrow’s Pretentious Propaganda Heads to the Hill
Gwyneth Paltrow has faced her fair share of criticism for her food theories. From failing the Food Stamp Challenge 2015 to promoting incredibly pricey diets on Goop, she has clearly shown, time and again, that her point of view does not take into account the financial realities faced by average American families. Her status as Hollywood royalty creates an …
Who Said Conventional Production Is Sustainable?
When you look at the facts, conventional agriculture scores higher than organic on sustainability. What system generates these results? The new Responsibly Grown labeling system developed by Whole Foods. According to a multitude of media reports, the system will rank produce on a variety of criteria including water use, pesticide use and sustainability. Then, the data will be used to …
Mutant Monday: Lazy1
Gravitropism is a plant’s response to gravity. It is what makes the roots grow down into the soil, and the shoot grows in the opposite direction. There are several pathways in this response including amyloplasts, whole cell response and hormones. Lazy1 interferes with the plant’s hormone response to gravity. The result is a plant that slouches like a teenager, it …
IFF Takes Chicago Moms to the Lab to Investigate GMOs
Recently, I had the pleasure of joining a group of Chicago-area moms for a tour of a major biotechnology provider’s research center. These women, who came as a part of the Illinois Farm Families program, had voiced concerns about GMOs and wanted the chance to see first-hand what biotech really means for their families. After an incredible afternoon of learning …