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  • From: bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] For Michael Pollan's enthusiasts
  • Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:14:25 -0700 (PDT)

Thanks for suggesting reading this (long) article. I had skipped originally
(because of length - computer screen hurts eyes after a while of straight
reading), with the intent of going back - then forgot.

I pulled the quotation below. I agree that de-centralization would benefit
the food production system,, as well as many other functions , in our
country. The greatest 'effeciency' is not necessarily the best
benefit.....bobford

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"A decentralized food system offers a great many other benefits as well. Food
eaten closer to where it is grown will be fresher and require less
processing, making it more nutritious.

Whatever may be lost in efficiency by localizing food production is gained in
resilience: regional food systems can better withstand all kinds of shocks.
When a single factory is grinding 20 million hamburger patties in a week or
washing 25 million servings of salad, a single terrorist armed with a
canister of toxins can, at a stroke, poison millions.

Such a system is equally susceptible to accidental contamination: the bigger
and more global the trade in food, the more vulnerable the system is to
catastrophe. The best way to protect our food system against such threats is
obvious: decentralize it."


--- On Sun, 10/12/08, Jeanne Driese <jeanne13 AT earthlink.net> wrote:

> From: Jeanne Driese <jeanne13 AT earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: [Homestead] For Michael Pollan's enthusiasts
> To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Date: Sunday, October 12, 2008, 5:44 AM
> First off I must admit that I have read all of Pollan's
> books and feel that he is one of the best "tell it like
> it is" writers out there!
>
> It would be great if all on this list read the article all
> the way to the end (it is very long) and then we have a
> discussion about what it has to say. Some of my own thought
> are expressed below.
>
> Just yesterday at the Greeneville Farmers Market much of
> what he talks about could be seen! Of the 40 (not all are
> there every week) or so vendors that participate there are
> only three who are between 25 and 35 years old. A good
> portion are in their 50's but most are retirement age or
> older. Just as an aside our vendors who use organic methods
> are, most of the time, the first to sell out.
>
> While at the market I was talking to the manager about
> getting some of the farmers and gardeners to continue
> supplying the locals with food past the end of the market
> season. Because I have very little space on my hillside and
> almost no sun I get most of my food from the farmers market.
> It is with great pride that I can say that I have not been
> in a grocery store since mid May when the market opened.
>
> The market manager informed me that food security is on the
> top of most of the Greene County organization's lists of
> "things to support". Almost ALL of the things
> that Pollan talks about are being implemented here (Greene
> County) in some way or another.
> In fact I have been invited to give a talk/workshop on
> vericomposting at a local grade school. It is to be a hands
> on workshop with 3rd and 4th graders. :))
>
> Then on the downside I will have to say that this month
> there will be several auctions of farm land, one with 130
> acres, just in the part of Greene County that I live in.
> Greene is the largest county in the state of TN.
> Jeanne
> tnhillwoman
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Lynda
> To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2008 2:38 AM
> Subject: [Homestead] For Michael Pollan's enthusiasts
>
>
> Food for thought, pun intended.
>
> Lynda
>
> http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/10/10-13
>
>
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