Helpful Links

If “you are what you eat,” and you’re like most Americans, you’re pretty much a walking cob of corn. U.S. farm policy calls for the government to dole out around $5 billion in subsidies every year to keep the price of corn low. Because it’s so cheap, corn is used in virtually every facet of food production ranging from feeding cattle to producing sweeteners to synthesizing most ingredients you’ll find on the back of processed food packages.

This policy has kept food prices stable since the early 1970’s, but many believe it’s responsible for the fattening of America and has also worked to fatten profits of large agribusinesses like Cargill, Monsanto and ADM. Some believe this has come at the expense of small farmers and the health of American families. Since 1940, the number of U.S. farms has dropped from over 6 million to around 2 million, while the average farm size has more than quadrupled.

Books like Michael Pollan's Omnivore’s Dilemma and Jane Goodall's Harvest for Hope are starting to bring this story to the masses. For many years, there has been a grassroots movement toward organic and locally grown food. In fact, it’s now the fastest growing segment of the food industry.

Organic farming recently got a day in the headlines when First Lady Michelle Obama planted a vegetable garden on the White House lawn with local school children. Underscoring the varied commercial interests at play when it comes to food, Mrs. Obama actually got a letter of complaint from a lobbying group that represents large industrial agriculture businesses. Large agribusiness continues to dominate the U.S. food industry and exert a massive influence on federal and state policy. However, a determined group of consumers and farmers are carving out their own niche. One successful method involves joining Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) systems. CSAs, which are listed on the Local Harvest website, connect farmers with consumers who pay an up-front fee in exchange for a regular delivery of fresh veggies throughout the growing season. An even simpler method to find fresh meats and produce is by going to farmer’s markets (listed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture). The website Eat Well lists restaurants and supermarkets that serve or sell such food. If you own an iPhone, you can also download an application that helps you learn what foods are in season and likely to be grown locally.

There are dozens more resources on the Web, many of which are funny, inspiring, informative and offer a window into a growing movement. Civil Eats serves up in-depth coverage of virtually everything related to the topic of food and farming, including a comprehensive list of other web resources. The recommendations include Change.org’s Sustainable Food blog, The U.S. Food Policy blog, and Obama Foodorama.

So what else can be done to protect health and the environment over corporate profits?

The Organic Consumers Association lists “Action Alerts” related to pending legislation and ways to hold corporations and elected officials accountable. The American Farmland Trust and Food and Water Watch advocate sustainable agriculture for land protection and health purposes. New American Dream works to provide information on how to consume responsibly in order to enhance quality of life. They are beginning a study on the effects of raising cattle for food and the impact it has on the environment. Slow Food International is working “to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.”

Want more information? Check out these websites:

• FarmFoody.org– A social network connecting individuals to farms and gardens.
• FoodPolitics.com – A popular blog maintained by a New York University professor.
• NinaPlankc.com – News updated by a best-selling author.
• AgriFeeds.org – Aggregated news and events on agriculture.
• Ers.USDA.gov/publications –  The Economic Research Service is a primary source of economic information and research in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ERS conducts a research program to inform public and private decision making on economic and policy issues involving food, farming, natural resources and rural development.
• AgroEcology.org – An information resource for developing sustainable food systems emphasizing training, research and application of agro-ecological science to solve real-world problems.
• SAFSF.org – This organization works to connect people and groups with the common interest of sustainable food systems.
• FoodDemocracyNow.org – Visit this site to sign a petition to encourage a sustainable UDSA and its members.