Far bill Subsidy Myths

This was quite an interesting distillation of farm bill subsidies. Having a guide like this for the political debates would also be helpful!

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Myths From the Mainstream Media
About U.S. Farm Policy
Excerpted with permission from the Institute for Agriculture
and Trade Policy.

The complete list of the top 10 myths
is available at tinyurl.com/farmpolicy.
1. Myth: Rich farmers get all the money from the Farm Bill.
Reality: Sixty-eight percent of the Farm Bill goes to nutrition
programs. Eleven percent goes to farm commodity programs.
And eight percent goes to conservation programs.
2. Myth: Farmers don’t need government support. They’re
getting rich off rising food prices.
Reality: Farmers receive less than 20 cents of the food dollar.
Costs of production have skyrocketed. Since 2002, farm
expenses have increased 45 percent.
3. Myth: Rich farmers benefit most from the Farm Bill.
Reality: Big agribusiness companies like Monsanto, Cargill
and Archer Daniels Midland are the big winners. They reap
the bounty, while farmers do the work and take the risk.
4. Myth: Only rich farmers receive subsidies.
Reality: Middle and small scale family farmers also receive
subsidies—and in some ways are more reliant on them to
survive when times get tough.
5. Myth: If we eliminated subsidies, the market would level the
playing field for family farmers.
Reality: Without ensuring a fair price, family farmers would
more easily succumb to market volatility.

Picture: Mine. Soybeans in Blairsberg, Iowa.

A Sort of Edible Treasure Map

A partnership of awesome local food policy/ag related organizations:
The University of Minnesota’s Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Land Stewardship Project, and the Minnesota Project
are coming together to create totally new concept: “Mapping Minnesota’s Local Foods Infrastructure.”

Using GIS, a graduate student will create "an interactive map of Minnesota’s local foods infrastructure. Maps will include entities such as: fruit, vegetable, dairy, meat, poultry farmers, artisan food producers, as well as restaurants, retailers, hospitals, schools, food distributors, and processors that sell local foods."

I'm excited to see what this will look like-- and will people use it? Their aim is that "This project responds to the expressed need for baseline data on existing local foods infrastructure by local, regional, and state policy makers, economic development agencies, and planners. Researchers and non-profits can use the maps to guide further initiatives and projects in areas such as food distribution and processing, and to address inequities in healthy food availability. Farmers, restaurants, retailers, distributors, and processors will have a tool to determine potential local food supply or demand in an area." That would be awesome to see happen.

Aware (or just thinking too much?)

Working at the U of M, there is a lot of bureaucracy. With an "Office of Service and Continuous Improvement," you don't wonder as much about tuition hikes... But hopefully there is progress somewhere in the mix. I gleaned this truth from an article where people reflected on the benefits of a leadership class.

"I now better understand how I can help students align their real selves--that is, their actions and behaviors--with their ideal selves, or their values and goals," says Stacy Crawford, assistant academic adviser for the School of Fine Arts.

It boggles my mind that there is such a disconnect between who we are and we want to be. But I see it in myself! There might even be a third aspect-- who we perceive ourselves to be, which is different than who we are and who we want to be.

The training aimed to make people more self-aware, so they can then help others become more self aware-- and hopefully in being self aware, our real selves will become more like our ideal selves.

Building Green

Move over vinegar and baking soda volcanoes-- there's a new use for 2-liter soda bottles! It's a green house. This is just about the coolest idea do-it-yourself pop bottle idea I've ever seen. And it would look pretty snappy in the back yard.



Photo from Blue Rock Station

poet-try

Try might be the key word. But here are some words I wrote for my best friend. I want to, and hope to, share more.


All that was broken in the first garden, He redeems.

Assured and
Comforted by confession
After a dark night in the garden

Still with hesitation,
Regrets.
But let there be no doubts--
He who has comforted
Will comfort
He who has led
Will lead.

Assured and
Comforted by solace
After grace spoken in the garden

Still, with hope
And still with hope--
Is the moment
The gate latches
We depart.

Investing intelligently in science for development

My Alumni CFANS' Magazine published an article by Becky Byers. In it Professor Phil Pardey recommends more strategic investment in agriculture. YES! Things have slowed down dramatically from the 60's and the Green Revolution.

He and colleagues have created an interactive database for agriculture in developing countries called HarvestChoice Project. What an awesome resource to find out about crops and growing conditions in the developing world!

Consumption and Creation

An advertisement for an upcoming talk grabbed my attention because it had two of my favorite, most used words (at least 5x a day?)-- sustainable agriculture. Here is an excerpt from the blurb on Michael Braungart's talk "Cradle to Cradle and a Sustainable Agriculture":

Michael Braungart, author of "Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things," states "When we focus on the 'efficient' use of materials and resources, we are burying our heads in the sand. I argue that we need a conscientious approach to design, so that everything we take from nature either goes back to nature (in a biological cycle) or is up-cycled into further products (the technical cycle). There is no such thing as 'waste' in this picture - only resources which we can redeploy forever. The human consumption becomes good for the planet." Braungart's talk will apply these principles to agriculture and the "production of food."

Many thoughts came from this blurb! It is good to be reminded of the concept of cradle to cradle (looking at the entire life cycle of something). For one, it makes sense because while "waste" goes out of sight-- therefore out of mind-- it doesn't actually leave. It still exists in some form. Braungart argues that there is not such thing as waste. Thinking through this is kind mind blowing, and calls for a systemic change in the way we view (and live) our lives. (i.e. my trash that my garbage man takes and burns or puts in a land fill-- why am I producing any? what about clothing that I give away-- why am I do that? How can I make choices so that nothing IS thrown out or given away?)

Secondly the idea of "Human consumption becomes good for the planet" is also mind blowing from an environmental perspective (mainly because so much of what we hear and study relates to pollution and destruction and harmful modification of the environment!) Although humanly it is normal to think of things in terms of good and bad, God said "let humans have dominion over ....all" (Genesis 1:26-27). Therefore if God instituted this dominion, this rule, this stewardship, this care... it is for a PURPOSE.

Consumption is inherent in this dominion, and therefore it is good. But all aspects of our lives, it is tainted. Sin has tainted consumption and dominion over creation, so that "all of creation groans...waiting for the revealing of the Sons of God" (Romans 8).

We groan, and creation groans, because of the sickness and suffering and injustice and war and death of this present age! In the present age we have a sense that things are not as the "should" be. When we consume, there is waste. When we dominate, there is destruction. (This is so negative and hopeless-- and it is without Christ! Praise God for Christ who will restore all things! I eagerly await the day when this will not be so.)

But for now, I want to work toward restoring the God-given mandate to rule and steward and care for creation through loving Christ and my neighbors. One such way will be to take away the idea of "waste" and think holistically AND Biblically about consumption.