Food, Inc.

[Brunty_Farms]

Quote:
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/newsreleases2009/NRcommunitygarden.htm

March 4, 2009

City to create community garden on City Hall lawn

VANCOUVER – Mayor Gregor Robertson announced today that a portion of the City Hall lawn will be converted into a community garden. The idea to grow local food on the grounds of City Hall is the first ‘Quick Start’ recommendation to come from the Greenest City Action Team.

“If we want Vancouver to be a truly sustainable city, City Hall needs to lead the way,” said Mayor Robertson. “By converting part of the City Hall lawn into a community garden, Vancouver is walking the talk when it comes to producing local food.”

Today’s announcement is a symbol of the City’s commitment to develop 2010 community garden plots by 2010, as an Olympic legacy. A portion of the community garden space will be allocated to communal plots where vegetables will be grown for donation to food providers in Vancouver’s inner-city neighbourhoods.

The City will be partnering with SPEC (Society Promoting Environmental Conservation) to develop and design the garden. SPEC runs two demonstration gardens in Vancouver and works with groups who want to start their own community gardens.

“There is a huge demand from people in Vancouver to have the opportunity to grow their own food – there are waiting lists for community gardens across the city,” said Mayor Robertson. “Converting a portion of the under-used City Hall lawn for gardening is something that should have happened a long time ago for a city that likes to talk about being ‘green’.”

The idea to create a community garden at City Hall is the first ‘Quick Start’ recommendation to come from the Greenest City Action Team. The Team, which met for the first time on February 25, is focused on immediate action steps the City can take to improve its environmental performance. Members of the team include Dr. David Suzuki, Former Premier Mike Harcourt, and Vancity CEO Tamara Vrooman.

Thats what I'm talkin' about, right there. Government helping people to live better lives on their own, not simply trying to control them.

That's funny because this movie shows how the government is mandating that farmers in the midwest grow only corn or soybeans. Most farmers can't grow what they want....

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Thats what I'm talkin' about, right there. Government helping people to live better lives on their own, not simply trying to control them.

That's funny because this movie shows how the government is mandating that farmers in the midwest grow only corn or soybeans. Most farmers can't grow what they want....

We farm and the government doesn't tell us what to grow.

 

[Wifezilla]

That depends on whether or not you accept subsidies.

"IF you’ve stood in line at a farmers’ market recently, you know that the local food movement is thriving, to the point that small farmers are having a tough time keeping up with the demand.

But consumers who would like to be able to buy local fruits and vegetables not just at farmers’ markets, but also in the produce aisle of their supermarket, will be dismayed to learn that the federal government works deliberately and forcefully to prevent the local food movement from expanding. And the barriers that the United States Department of Agriculture has put in place will be extended when the farm bill that House and Senate negotiators are working on now goes into effect.

As a small organic vegetable producer in southern Minnesota, I know this because my efforts to expand production to meet regional demand have been severely hampered by the Agriculture Department’s commodity farm program. As I’ve looked into the politics behind those restrictions, I’ve come to understand that this is precisely the outcome that the program’s backers in California and Florida have in mind: they want to snuff out the local competition before it even gets started."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/01/opinion/01hedin.html

 

[Katy]

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We participate in the farm program and we really have no restrictions on what we plant...in fact there are far less restrictions than there use to be.

 

[Buster52]

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This was the first I'd heard of Joel Salatin. Where did you find out about him?

Well, first I read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, and he is featured quite extensively there. Pollan spent quite a bit of time working with the Salatins doing research for his book on sustainable agriculture.

After that, I ordered Joel's Pastured Poutlry Profits, and that is what pushed me over the edge to start a meat chicken system for my family. I even imitated his style of chicken tractor, bought some turkeys, and plan to start a pastured rabbit production system in the fall. He convinced me all of this stuff is doable.

This is one of my favorite blogs, although it doesn't get updated very often now days cause Salatin is working this poor kid's feet off...

http://polyfaceapprentice.blogspot.com/

 

[Buster52]

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What do you grow and which crops do you receive subsidies for?

 

[Katy]

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What do you grow and which crops do you receive subsidies for?

We grow wheat, corn and soybeans and we have a cow herd. You send me your pay stubs and I'll share our financial info with you.....

 

[warmfuzzies]

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What do you grow and which crops do you receive subsidies for?

We grow wheat, corn and soybeans and we have a cow herd. You send me your pay stubs and I'll share our financial info with you.....

I've never heard of that either. All I know is they dont recieve subsidies for alfalfa. What kind of crops are they talking about in the movie?

I dont want to be intrusive, but since they farm, and they know the regulations, probably they know more about it then the movie. Which I havnt seen, but thats just commen sense.

 

[Davaroo]

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Actually, Joel adapted ideas that were around 100 years ago. Id' say he's more of a "re-innovator."

There is a good article on him in the current issue of TMEN, for those who are interested.

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
What do you grow and which crops do you receive subsidies for?

We grow wheat, corn and soybeans and we have a cow herd. You send me your pay stubs and I'll share our financial info with you.....

Sorry, didn't mean to be intrusive. It's just that you say you can grow anything, but there are only certain crops that receive subsidies. The government is therefore supporting certain kinds of crops over others. I don't know if folks are actually forbidden from growing all but certain types of crops, but there certainly are disincentives.

And I believe all the crops you mentioned are eligible for subsidies. I won't ask you if they are because that would be intruding again.