Center for a Livable Future

USDA Gets Fresh with SNAP Dollars: Funding for EBT at Farmers’ Markets

Christine Grillo — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:44:17 +0000

This $4 million grant demonstrates a commitment to public health on the part of USDA, and the sidestepping maneuver, which will keep the momentum going despite legislative slowdowns (i.e., Farm Bill politics), further shows that USDA understands the importance of making fresh foods available to all citizens, while supporting U.S. farmers.

The Big, Fat, Hungry Salmon Industry

Christine Grillo — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:41 +0000

Aquaculture seemed like a viable solution to overfishing—we would simply farm the fish, and not mess with the ecosystems. But salmon farmers have to feed the salmon they’re raising, and salmon is a hungry master.

Grocery Store Shrimp Contains Drug Resistant Bacteria

Dave Love — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:00:16 +0000

Farmed shrimp joins the list of animal proteins - pork, turkey, ground beef, and chicken - that contain drug-resistant bacteria.

SNAP and the Farm Bill Budget Visualizer

Vanessa Hoffman — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:13:49 +0000

Programs supported by the Farm Bill vary dramatically in size and scope from the $73 billion budgeted for SNAP to $5 million for Community Food Projects which aim to fight food insecurity through self-sufficiency and strengthening local food systems.

Ditching Meat One Day a Week: What, Exactly, Is the Reduced Risk of Mortality?

Allison Cappelaere, MSPH, RD — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:02:12 +0000

Not only did the Harvard researchers find that eating red meat was associated with an increased risk of death from all causes, but they also found a dose-response relationship with the risk of death increasing as the amount of meat consumed increased. Kind of scary, if you ask me; but the good news is that the researchers were able to quantify how replacing one serving a day of red meat with other foods can reduce the risk of death by between 10 and 14 percent.

Senators, let’s tie “soil insurance” to crop insurance

Leo Horrigan, MHS — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:14:06 +0000

The farm bill version that came out of the Senate Agriculture Committee on Thursday does not attach compliance to crop insurance, as no committee members offered such an amendment. However, with farm bill battles now shifting to the full Senate, there is still hope that an amendment could attach conservation compliance to crop insurance.

Sustainable Food Systems for the 1 Percent

Jared Margulies, MS — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:52:02 +0000

Let me begin by saying I would love a mobile chicken coop in my backyard. In fact, I plan to build one this summer, hopefully for less than 100 dollars. I’m lucky enough that with an afternoon of work and a trip or three to the hardware store, I think I can accomplish this. But [...]

Colbert Talks Chicken Feed

Patti Truant — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:20:57 +0000

Last week, Stephen Colbert used his signature blend of mock-outrage and wit on a topic very familiar to those of us here at the CLF. In a segment called “Thought For Food,” Colbert commented on news reports that cited a recently published CLF study that found antibiotics (some of which have been banned for use [...]

Food Deserts Are Complex and Real

Amanda Behrens — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:16:30 +0000

Transportation is key when talking about food deserts—we feel strongly that if 40 percent (or more) of a community’s households live more than one-quarter of a mile from a supermarket and don’t have access to a vehicle, that community is a food desert.

A Winona LaDuke Reader

Christine Grillo — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:22:31 +0000

An environmentalist, farmer, activist, writer, and advocate for native communities and ways of life, Winona LaDuke is an Anishinaabe force of nature, and one to be reckoned with.