About

La Vida Locavore is the blog for anyone whose crazy life includes planting, growing, weeding, fertilizing, raising, picking, harvesting, processing, cooking, baking, making, serving, buying, selling, distributing, transporting, composting, organizing around, lobbying about, writing about, thinking about, talking about, playing with, and eating food!

Notable Diaries

- Recent Congressional Hearings
- 2008 By The Numbers
- The 2007 Ag Census
- Why I Oppose GMOs
- My Visit to Growing Power
- My Trip to a Hog Confinement
- Why We Grow So Much Corn and Soy
- How the Chicken Gets to Your Plate

Politicians To Know

USDA

Senate

Agriculture
Chair: Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
- Max Baucus (D-MT)
- Michael Bennet (D-CO)
- Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
- Bob Casey (D-PA)
- Kent Conrad (D-ND)
- Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
- Tom Harkin (D-IA)
- Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
- Pat Leahy (D-VT)
- Ben Nelson (D-NE)
- Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
- Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
- Thad Cochran (R-MS)
- John Cornyn (R-TX)
- Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
- Mike Johanns (R-NE)
- Dick Lugar (R-IN)
- Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Pat Roberts (R-KS)
- John R. Thune (R-SD)

Appropriations
Chair: Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Ag Sub-Committee
Chair: Herb Kohl (D-WI)
- Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
- Dick Durbin (D-IL)
- Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
- Tom Harkin (D-IA)
- Tim Johnson (D-SD)
- Ben Nelson (D-NE)
- Jack Reed (D-RI)
- Robert Bennett (R-UT)
- Christopher Bond (R-MO)
- Sam Brownback (R-KS)
- Thad Cochran (R-MS)
- Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Arlen Specter (R-PA)

Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions
- Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Senate Hunger Caucus

House

Agriculture
Chair: B Collin Peterson (D-MN)
V. Chair: B Tim Holden (D-PA)
B Joe Baca (D-CA)
- John Boccieri (D-OH)
B* Leonard Boswell (D-IA)
- Bobby Bright (D-AL)
B* Dennis Cardoza (D-CA)
- Travis Childers (D-MS)
B Jim Costa (D-CA)
- Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
- Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA)
B Brad Ellsworth (D-IN)
- Debbie Halvorson (D-IL)
B Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD)
- Steve Kagen (D-WI)
- Larry Kissell (D-NC)
B Frank Kratovil (D-MD)
- Betsy Markey (D-CO)
B Jim Marshall (D-GA)
P Eric Massa (D-NY)
B Mike McIntyre (D-NC)
- Walt Minnick (D-ID)
B Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)
- Mark Schauer (D-MI)
- Kurt Schrader (D-OR)
B David Scott (D-GA)
B Zachary Space (D-OH)
- Timothy Walz (D-MN)
- Frank Lucas (R-OK)
- Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- K. Michael Conaway (R-TX)
- Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE)
- Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
- Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
- Sam Graves (R-MO)
- Timothy Johnson (R-IL)
- Steve King (R-IA)
- Robert Latta (R-OH)
- Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO)
- Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
- Jerry Moran (R-KS)
- Randy Neugebauer (R-TX)
- Phil Roe (R-TN)
- Mike Rogers (R-AL)
- Jean Schmidt (R-OH)
- Adrian Smith (R-NE)
- Glenn Thompson (R-PA)
*=House Organic Caucus member
B=Blue Dog Democrat

Appropriations
Chair: Dave Obey (D-WI)
Ag Sub-Committee
Chair: P Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
- Sanford Bishop (D-GA)
* Allen Boyd (D-FL)
- Lincoln Davis (D-TN)
*P Sam Farr (D-CA)
*P Maurice D. Hinchey (D-NY)
P Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
P Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
- Jack Kingston (R-GA)
- Rodney Alexander (R-LA)
- Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO)
* Tom Latham (R-IA)
*=House Organic Caucus member

P=Congressional Progressive Caucus

Education and Labor
P Chair: George Miller (D-CA)
- Jason Altmire (D-PA)
- Robert Andrews (D-NJ)
- Timothy Bishop (D-NY)
P Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
- Joe Courtney (D-CT)
- Susan Davis (D-CA)
P Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
P Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
P Phil Hare (D-IL)
- Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX)
P Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
- Rush Holt (D-NJ)
- Dale Kildee (D-MI)
P Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
P Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
- Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)
P Donald Payne (D-NJ)
- Jared Polis (D-CO)
- Robert Scott (D-VA)
- Joe Sestak (D-PA)
- Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH)
P John Tierney (D-MA)
- Dina Titus (D-NV)
- Paul Tonko (D-NY)
P Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
- David Wu (D-OR)
- Buck McKeon (R-CA)
- Judy Biggert (R-IL)
- Rob Bishop (R-UT)
- Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- Michael Castle (R-DE)
- Vernon Ehlers (R-MI)
- Luis F Fortuno (R-PR)
- Brett Guthrie (R-KY)
- Peter Hoekstra (R-MI)
- Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA)
- John Kline (R-MN)
- Kenny Marchant (R-TX)
- Tom McClintock (R-CA)
- Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
- Thomas Petri (R-WI)
- Phil Roe (R-TN)
- Todd Russell Platts (R-PA)
- Tom Price (R-GA)
- Mark Souder (R-IN)
- GT Thompson (R-PA)
- Joe Wilson (R-SC)
P=Congressional Progressive Caucus

House Organic Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus

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Pot Luck: Live Twitter Chat with Food Inc Director

by: Jill Richardson

Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 19:00:00 PM PDT

Here's your daily open thread to chat amongst yourselves. This time, I've got news. In two days, Food Inc is hosting a live Twitter chat with the film's director and y'all are invited. Here's the scoop:

Live Twitter Chat with #foodinc director Robert Kenner. This Friday, 6/19, from 10 -11am PST.
Food Inc opened in select markets last week to an overwhelming response. As we prepare to open around the country this Friday (http://tinyurl.com/oh8azb) we want to give fans an opportunity to conduct a live twitter chat (at #foodinc) with the director, Robert Kenner.
It is simple to participate. At 10am PST on Friday 6/19 login to twitter and put #foodinc in the search bar and hit enter. You are now following the conversation. If you have a question, be sure to put the #foodinc tag in it. This way the question will stay on this thread. We expect a large turnout so please be patient while we try to answer as many questions as possible. We appreciate your support in getting our vital message out to the public.
In the meantime, please follow us on twitter: @takepart and @MagnoliaPics and Facebook www.facebook.com/Foodinc

I'll repost this information on Friday at the time of the Twitter chat to remind everyone.

Jill Richardson :: Pot Luck: Live Twitter Chat with Food Inc Director

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Pot Luck: Live Twitter Chat with Food Inc Director | 14 comments

Hello, weather is not so good here in NYC. (4.00 / 4)

by: Eddie C @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 22:16:21 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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Whatscha talkin about?! (4.00 / 5)

we went a whole 2 days without rain for the first time in 3 weeks!! lol!~

Just think of what we are saving on AC bills :)

lovely pics!

by: nycstray @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 22:44:07 PM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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Well that's true (4.00 / 2)

But I wanted some of yesterday's sun.

by: Eddie C @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 23:04:49 PM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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Yeah, I missed most of yesterday's working (4.00 / 3)

but I did get a couple dog walks in :)

I'm in the process of looking for a new, even greener AC, 'cause ya just know somebody's gonna flip a switch and we'll be in a continual heatwave before we know it. . .

by: nycstray @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 23:10:24 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Great pics! (4.00 / 2)

That girl in 2 looks so alone. We should head over and talk to her, make acquaintance. :)

Looks like we took your sun lately, our bad! Check this out - it's been like 78 (or above) and sunny every. friggin. day. here for like the past five weeks. My mother's coming in this weekend for a visit through Sunday, and guess what the weekend looks like?

Yeah - showers Friday (but only in the morning, so our trip out to the Oregon Coast on Friday afternoon is still a go), and then cloudy and 60-ish Saturday and Sunday. She leaves Sunday, and what happens Monday? Yep, it's gonna be back in the upper-70s and sunny every day again next week. Heh...

Guess I shouldn't complain, though. I haven't dealt with a Nor'Easter in over 2 years now. :)

"Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization." - Eugene V. Debs

by: JayinPortland @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 23:05:17 PM CDT

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weather's being stubborn in WI (4.00 / 1)

They've been promising thunderstorms all day here in WI, but they never appeared and now it's sunny. I want my thunderstorm! On the other hand, if it stays sunny, I think I will make myself some potato salad for dinner--I can't eat potato salad on cloudy days for some reason. I have some new potatoes, fresh fennel, and scallions from my mom's CSA box. I found this recipe:
http://projects.washingtonpost...

Not sure if I will go the mayo route or just toss it in olive oil with lemon.

by: xjm @ Thu Jun 18, 2009 at 14:59:01 PM CDT

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Lovely photos! (4.00 / 1)

I especially like the 4th one, nice composition.

by: xjm @ Thu Jun 18, 2009 at 14:54:43 PM CDT

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Nightline is doing a story on city chickens (4.00 / 4)

NYC chickens at that! Our CSA coordinator is raising her first this year.

Don't see the story online yet, but you folks in the other time zones can still watch it when it hits yours :)

Tomorrow night they are doing a piece on where our food comes from. I'm guessing it's related to Food Inc, but I missed the first part of the promo.

by: nycstray @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 23:07:21 PM CDT

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I know where I'm gonna be next weekend! (4.00 / 2)

I'll be at Overlook Park in North Portland next weekend, for the 2009 North American Organic Brewers Festival!

In its fifth year, the festival will again feature organic beers from across North America, and Europe. The 2008 event poured over 75 different organic beers, drew about 15,000 attendees and raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Oregon Tilth (a certification body dedicated to organic agriculture), and brought in hundreds of cans of food for the Oregon Food Bank. The NAOBF is proud to add Willamette Riverkeeper, a local non-profit organization, whose sole mission is to protect and restore the Willamette River.

It's also partly a benefit for Oregon Food Bank. Drink great beer, help hungry people. I'm in...

"Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization." - Eugene V. Debs

by: JayinPortland @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 23:10:58 PM CDT

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Have a great time (4.00 / 3)

You know what, you can drink my share too. I already hit my quota.

by: Eddie C @ Thu Jun 18, 2009 at 00:50:51 AM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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I'll try! (4.00 / 2)

I just volunteered today, too - so if I wasn't too late, I should also have a pretty good in-depth photo diary going up here in a couple weeks...

But forget beer - we've got food, sights, farms, mountains, rivers, etc... out here for you if you ever do stop by. Would love to see what kinda photos you could come up with after a walk around my Portland; and then a trip out to the Coast and the Columbia River Gorge, maybe even Multnomah Falls and the deserts of Eastern Oregon...

You gotta see Mount Hood from the top of the trail at Powell Butte! Or better yet, from the base of Hood itself! Heh...

"Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization." - Eugene V. Debs

by: JayinPortland @ Thu Jun 18, 2009 at 01:02:21 AM CDT

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Congrats on the book, Jill. (4.00 / 3)

I haven't visited your blog in a while (no time). In addition to congratulating you on your book (as a professor who must publish to keep current, I can appreciate your marvelous achievement), I wanted to pass this WONDERFUL LINK on to you in case you hadn't seen it previously.

"If a man is as wise as a serpent, he can afford to be as harmless as a dove" Cheyenne

by: Maracatu @ Thu Jun 18, 2009 at 09:42:26 AM CDT

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Salon has an interview up. . . (4.00 / 2)

. . . with Dr. David Kessler, former head of the FDA, about his book, "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite".

It's an interesting read. He's been exploring the way our brains react to various "cues" about food, and how that interacts with our overabundant (salt, fat and sugar-saturated) American food environment, and our chaotic eating habits. He touches briefly on the food industry and their responsibility in all this, though his focus is on educating the public.

by: robespierrette @ Thu Jun 18, 2009 at 09:54:42 AM CDT

by: you @ soon

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I'm on that chat right now (4.00 / 2)

I had to record it - hauling hay during the chat. I'll turn the whole thing into a PDF that people can read when it's over. People are still talking in that room. Food Inc discussion live

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

by: Joanne Rigutto @ Fri Jun 19, 2009 at 14:23:42 PM CDT

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Pot Luck: Live Twitter Chat with Food Inc Director | 14 comments