http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog local, organic & sustainable thoughts of food & farms of the Carolinas Thu, 06 May 2010 16:15:46 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en When I was a poli-sci major back at the University of Missouri, I took some courses on international political economy, and ended up intrigued by the subject of agricultural economic development in Asian countries.  In particular I read a lot of Robert Paarlberg, and at that superficial undergraduate level, his  analysis of the benefits ... http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/?p=219 I am watching the post-Food Inc panel on WUNC-TV tonight, and it is excruciating.  The moderator has missed the central point of the film, and allowed representatives of the big hog and poultry industries to state repeatedly that industry is just responding to the demands of the market.  The reality ... http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/?p=216 After months of work behind the scenes and strong grassroots pressure, we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel in the fight for sensible protections for local food systems in new federal food safety law.  And it’s not a train.  CFSA has been out front on this ... http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/?p=209 CFSA is publishing today a new report, "Hurting NC's Local Food Harvest," that looks at the negative impacts that one-size-fits-all food safety legislation will have on healthy local food in North Carolina. Among our findings:   Fueled by overwhelming consumer demand for healthy, local food, North Carolina has experienced significant growth in small-scale ... http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/?p=195 The Town that Food Savedopens with a brief history of its protagonist town, Hardwick, Vermont, and it's rise and fall since the late 19th century.  Seems Hardwick experienced a 30-year granite-fueled boom that earned it the nickname "Little Chicago" back when courthouses and capitols were erected with solid rock slabs. The boom ... http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/?p=192 So today I began reading The Town that Food Saved by Ben Hewitt, the recently published book that promises to profile the efforts in the small rural town of Hardwick, VT to build economic vitality and food security through local food system development. Hewitt, who first wrote about Hardwick in ... http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/?p=179 This year, our annual SAC will take place at the YWCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, North Carolina. From December 4-6, 2009, this event will include workshops for beginner gardeners to advanced organic growers. Some things to look forwards to:  Workshops on Biochar, Organic Strawberries, Cooking Locally, Organic Weed Control, ... http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/?p=168 [caption id="attachment_136" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Calf at Baldwin Family Farms"][/caption] It's farm season. Baby animals and vegetables are abound on Carolina farms and it's very exciting.  If you haven't picked any berries yet, check out CFSA's local food guide to find some.  There's a lot going on in the food and farming arena these ... http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/?p=135 Today I spent my day of rest in my community garden plot with my kids. My five-year-old daughter loves to claim that she has found the "biggest zucchini ever" each time we go out, which is never something I want to hear. I have a friend who has a theory ... http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/?p=130 Thoughts: We learned that in a week we, being a couple with a toddler, consumed more than 2 cups of honey (we didn't use any other sugar and LOVED the taste of the Little Mountain Apiary Honey: not too sweet and not too thick), about 3/4 cup of salt (for cooking ... http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/?p=131