Comments on: Corp Ag PR Training http://ltsaloon.org/archives/5394 A Place to Gather and Talk Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:39:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Ana Grarian http://ltsaloon.org/archives/5394#comment-8433 Ana Grarian Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:20:14 +0000 http://ltsaloon.org/?p=5394#comment-8433 I realize that it is probably only a dream to have a peaceful return to real family farming. More likely something like the disaster Howard Kunstler wrote about in "World Made By Hand". Especially now with the latest ruling from the Supreme Court giving unlimited power to the Corps that own it. I suppose the best reality I can hope for is that enough people will embrace the organic/natural/sustainable bandwagon that there will be better markets for those who choose to grow healthy food in more sustainable ways. And if I can encourage enough folks to try their hand at a small plot (or pots) of homegrown food, or a few chickens, then, if and when the "Long Emergency" happens, a few more will be able to fend for themselves. I have some hope for areas like Buffalo and Chicago(?) that have seen massive exodus of people, so that the city planners are planning urban garden and farm projects to revitalize their cities. If we could reduce the size of cities in general and make them friendly to an interaction with nature, it would be better for the nations psyche. (stay tuned for my next article) I realize that it is probably only a dream to have a peaceful return to real family farming. More likely something like the disaster Howard Kunstler wrote about in “World Made By Hand”. Especially now with the latest ruling from the Supreme Court giving unlimited power to the Corps that own it.
I suppose the best reality I can hope for is that enough people will embrace the organic/natural/sustainable bandwagon that there will be better markets for those who choose to grow healthy food in more sustainable ways.
And if I can encourage enough folks to try their hand at a small plot (or pots) of homegrown food, or a few chickens, then, if and when the “Long Emergency” happens, a few more will be able to fend for themselves.
I have some hope for areas like Buffalo and Chicago(?) that have seen massive exodus of people, so that the city planners are planning urban garden and farm projects to revitalize their cities. If we could reduce the size of cities in general and make them friendly to an interaction with nature, it would be better for the nations psyche. (stay tuned for my next article)

]]> By: RS Janes http://ltsaloon.org/archives/5394#comment-8426 RS Janes Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:21:03 +0000 http://ltsaloon.org/?p=5394#comment-8426 Good piece, Ana, but I'm wondering: Do you see a return to smaller farms managed locally and with respect for the animals and the consumers unless there's a massive economic collapse that puts Big Agra out of buisness? Neither party seems to have any interest in getting rid of such corporate giveaways as the corn subsidy which led to an over-production of the crop and, as a result, the cheap but unhealthy HFCS we have in nearly every American food product. (Just went shopping yesterday -- only one brand, a local company named Gonnella, offered bread rolls without HFCS, and it was damn hard to find them.) Subsidies were originally intended to help family farmers during a crisis, not to line the pockets of Big Agra executives and their shareholders. I don't understand how this can change, unless local groups representing real farmers can come up with enough money to challenge the extravagant corporate donations to politicians. It's possible that consumer pressure could force the big firms to make healthier food products but, as you've documented in many of your articles, that's not the way they usually do business. They'd rather spend the money to have HFCS or any other additive removed from the label so the consumer doesn't know what they're buying. This is the way they -- ahem -- 'roll.' Good piece, Ana, but I’m wondering: Do you see a return to smaller farms managed locally and with respect for the animals and the consumers unless there’s a massive economic collapse that puts Big Agra out of buisness?

Neither party seems to have any interest in getting rid of such corporate giveaways as the corn subsidy which led to an over-production of the crop and, as a result, the cheap but unhealthy HFCS we have in nearly every American food product. (Just went shopping yesterday — only one brand, a local company named Gonnella, offered bread rolls without HFCS, and it was damn hard to find them.)

Subsidies were originally intended to help family farmers during a crisis, not to line the pockets of Big Agra executives and their shareholders. I don’t understand how this can change, unless local groups representing real farmers can come up with enough money to challenge the extravagant corporate donations to politicians.

It’s possible that consumer pressure could force the big firms to make healthier food products but, as you’ve documented in many of your articles, that’s not the way they usually do business. They’d rather spend the money to have HFCS or any other additive removed from the label so the consumer doesn’t know what they’re buying. This is the way they — ahem — ‘roll.’

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