Loud-mouthed liberal feminist. Anarchist knitter. Tequila-drinking artsy-smartsy fat chick. Bluesy folk-rock singer-songwriter. Rebel with too many causes. Quirky eclectic pagan poet. Paradoxical intuitive smartass. Sarcastic brainiac insomniac. You know, for starters.

4.23.2008

Locavore & Food Activism Miscellany.

First, there's this excellent piece from Grist's Tom Philpott, looking at farming infrastructure, how it favors industrial farming over smaller and mid-sized operations. I also really liked his previous column, which addressed the fact that higher food prices probably won't drive people to make better food choices, but to fall deeper into the cheapest (both economically and nutritionally) traps of the industrialized food system.

Speaking of fast food, we move on to farm labor practices, and TrueMajority's call to action in support of Florida tomato pickers. Turns out, they're getting shafted when it comes to wages and working conditions, all so we can get burgers for under a buck - and this is right here in the U.S., not in a sweatshop on the other side of the globe. (More about this here, again from Philpott - I just can't get enough of the guy!)

A big thing that I hear often in discussing food activism is the idea of "should" and the inherent judgment a lot of people feel, either internally or from other people. This brief, ass-kicking essay on the difference between morals and values is illuminating in that context, and I heartily recommend it for anyone worried about being judged for their food choices. (Also, the comments are pretty funny - though heads up for one that's annoyingly fat-phobic, complete with lame donut-based metaphor - 'cause all fatties eat nothing but donuts, doncha know!)

...and to round things up, if you're local to Chicago - don't forget the upcoming Food Activism Class I'll be teaching in May with my awesome friend, Jennifer Byers. We'll be looking at the realities of industrial food - how it affects us in body, in community, and environmentally - and what we can do to try to change that in our individual lives, as well as on a global scale. (Not like it's ambitious or anything.)

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