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)
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
Sometime between the late afternoons of Monday July 19 and Tuesday July 20, an unknown person(s) intentionally sprayed pesticide into the entrances and ventilation holes of the two San Francisco Bee-Cause (SFBC) honey bee colonies at HVF. The same person(s) tried to do the same to a third, smaller colony on site, belonging to Chris Burley.
it goes on:
The killing of the two mature SFBC colonies was complete. The thousands of bees that died immediately or rushed to the entrance for fresh air fell onto the screened bottom board and clogged up the entrance to the hive, making escape impossible for any of the other bees and turning each hive into a gas chamber. Chris Burley's colony sustained a loss of approximately 60-70% of its individuals.
I know, I haven't been around lately. But the kids are out of school, and we are out and about during the day.
I was inspired to write this piece because of a conversation I had with a friend, but also I know that Jill has written extensively about her trip to Cuba. I went in 2002, but haven't shared much outside of family and friends. Enjoy! -Elisa
A quick google search tells us that BP has failed to cap the oil spill that has spread to Florida, and by now, possibly the Caribbean. So many barrels of oil have leaked into the ocean that we are looking at long-term damage to our food supply, ecosystems, and air and water quality.
All of this can make even the least-informed parent fret, which is why I don't make it a habit to google oil spill news. But it has had an impact on the way I, and even my children, think. We have been walking to church -- almost a mile away. We make it a point to drive only when absolutely necessary. As for me, the seafood lover that I am, I have kept my crustacean appetite in check. There is nothing to kill the mood at dinner than the thought of crude-covered shrimp.
I went to elementary school in the Midwest in the early '90s. Every fall, we entered the school gymnasium to get pumped up for our annual fundraiser. This kick-off event was meant to energize us to sell, with lures of all the prizes we could win if we sold the most candy bars, tubs of popcorn, or wrapping paper. The more you sell, the more you'll win random stuff you really don't need. Never did we talk about how what we were selling might impact people or places. Just get the most money, and you too could win a neon-pink kazoo keychain. Woo-hoo!
Fifteen years later, I'm so pleased to be a worker-owner at Equal Exchange, where we offer schools a different kind of fundraising. My co-worker, Virginia Berman, started the Equal Exchange Fundraising Program after getting requests from teachers and parents who wanted an alternative fundraiser. After three years, we've partnered with over 300 groups. And the momentum continues to grow every day.
So, what's special about this fundraiser? Well, for one it offers fairly traded and organic coffee, tea, chocolate, nuts and dried fruit. It's stuff that people already eat and drink, so it doesn't feel wasteful like typical fundraisers. Plus, it's fairly traded, so you can feel good knowing your fundraising dollars support small-scale farmer co-ops and their communities. Additionally, the products are organic. The farmers use sustainable farming methods, without all those nasty pesticides and fertilizers. It's better for them, it's better for you and your kids, and it's better for our earth.
Equal Exchange also developed a Fair Trade and co-op economics curriculum to accompany the Fundraising Program, to teach children that their everyday choices can make a difference in the lives of others. It's free to download on our web site! We really believe that change is on the horizon - and we need the help of future generations to make sure we are supporting farmers internationally, while also making efforts toward greening this planet of ours. All by choosing these yummy foods!
Sounds way better than a neon-pink kazoo keychain, if you ask me.
This past Tuesday, Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois signed the "Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act" into law. This law mandates that state agencies in the state of Illinois will be required to purchase at least 20% of their food from within the state by 2020 and that state-funded institutions, such as schools, have a 10% mandate. Moreover, when purchasing food, these state and state-sponsored agencies will have the power to pay a little more than the lowest bid if the food they are buying is produced locally.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has been doing great work covering the BPA issue, and now they bring us more news as to how our "regulators" regulate -
In one instance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's deputy director sought information from the BPA industry's chief lobbyist to discredit a Japanese study that found it caused miscarriages in workers who were exposed to it. This was before government scientists even had a chance to review the study.
"I'd like to get information together that our chemists could look at to determine if there are problems with that data in advance of possibly reviewing the study," Mitchell Cheeseman, deputy director of the FDA's center for food safety and applied nutrition, said in an e-mail seeking advice from Steven Hentges, executive director of the trade association's BPA group.
Wow. I am speechless here, honestly. I think I'm kinda known for being pretty cynical on these issues, but even I didn't believe something like that was possible...
Bisphenol A is a known endocrine disruptor commonly used in the production of many household items, from baby bottles to plastic food containers to soup cans to dental fillings; and exposure via tap water and house dust is now also thought possible. Many studies have linked long term, low-level BPA exposure to everything from increased risks for obesity by triggering fat-cell activity, to diabetes, heart disease and an increased risk of developing breast cancer later in life from fetal exposure.
The FDA has sent a warning letter to General Mills, telling the company to stop promoting Cheerios as a health food. (For a funny take on the Right Wing blogosphere's outrage (grrrr!) at FDA's "attack" on America cereal, see here.) Meanwhile, Health Canada unfortunately seems to want to make it easier for food manufacturers to be able to market junk as "health food" in their country...
Elementary school students are snacking on (and learning about) healthy local produce in Madison, Wisconsin.
Can't say this is really a surprise - from Grist, Monsanto is now firing off their propaganda on National Petrol, errrrr, National Public Radio. Great article debunking Monsanto's claims, but it's not like the oil companies, ADM and other corporate interests haven't already been scrubbing themselves "clean" in their own greenshowers over the airwaves of NPR for years and years and years...
Fantastic article from Ken Olsen at High Country News on the intersection of agriculture, business, politics, power and salmon - and what government ultimately needs to do to help restore wild salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest.
I have been buying Vitasoy soymilk in the local Chinese market- a dollar less a quart than the same stuff in the Local Better Supermarket. A few weeks ago, I noticed a quart that was different: not made in USA, not organic.
Green Century Capital Management and As You Sow have released a report, (pdf) "Seeking Safer Packaging", looking at how 20 major publicly-traded food companies are seeking to address public health concerns regarding use of the dangerous industrial chemical bisphenol A in their food packaging. Of the 20 companies they sought out, 14 responded to their survey. The study sought to determine whether the companies currently used BPA in their products, if they were currently studying alternatives to BPA, and if they planned to eventually phase out use of the chemical in their products.
The study included pretty much every major publicly-traded packaged foods manufacturer from what I can tell; however, it did not include small manufacturers or companies like Eden Foods, which currently only uses BPA in cans containing its tomato products.
The report finds that all companies surveyed use BPA, and only one company currently uses a BPA-alternative in some of its canned items. The highest scoring company received a "C" overall, with the number 2 company receiving a "C-" and all others receiving a "D+" or lower. Thirteen of the twenty companies (including the six who refused to respond) received "F"s.
Bronchiolitis obliterans, also known as Popcorn Lung disease, is back in the news amidst a rising number of lawsuits filed by plant workers exposed to fumes from diacetyl, the chemical used to give microwave popcorn its butter-like flavor.
At least 43 workers have filed lawsuits that claim their lungs were damaged by inhaling fumes from the chemical. Some work at a local plant of Givaudan (ZHIV'-uh-dahn) Flavors Corp. of Cincinnati, which supplies the flavoring to food manufacturers. Many others are from a plant in Marion, Ohio, owned by ConAgra Foods, which is based in Omaha, Neb.
Bronchiolitis obliterans is an irreversible condition with no known cure, and extreme cases require lung transplantation.
After news earlier this week (earlier diaries by DarrellNC and AAF) of the latest massive salmonella-related recall, with pistachios being the culprit this time; we now learn that Setton Foods, the processor which shipped the tainted pistachios, has quite a bit in common with our old friends at PCA. Apparently, it ain't just the nuts that give their chocolate extra crunch -
"Last month, New York agricultural authorities discovered nearly two dozen dead cockroaches, rodent droppings and one live cockroach on an ingredient rolling rack inside the Commack plant. It failed its state health inspection.... State inspectors went back for a visit Wednesday to swab the plant and take food samples to be tested for salmonella and other pathogens as part of the pistachio recall,... The test results are pending."
This Commack, New York plant is now the second Setton plant under investigation, along with Setton's Terra Bella, California plant from which the earlier recall was issued. A separate recall of products from the Commack plant will be coming soon -
The Commack company said in a statement last night it plans a voluntary recall soon, related to the pistachios issue. It has engaged at least three outside public relations representatives since news of the California salmonella scare broke.
And the similarities don't end there - these guys are certified organic, too. I wouldn't suggest ordering anything from that page, of course...
Vegan pet food -- and the decision to force one's pet to go vegan -- is suddenly very buzzy. ABC News reports that it's a bit easier for a dog to go vegetarian than it is for a cat, and one person they interviewed said she suspects that "vegan" cats are supplementing their diets by hunting.
What would a vegan do in a situation where their vegan cat was caught with a mouse, or a fly, or whatever it is kitty attempts to dine on? Would you scold it? Or attempt to stop him/her from the action?
Jill Jayne travels the country teaching a program that is part workout video, rock concert and nutrition class. Jill's efforts mitigate the massive efforts of companies who advertise unhealthy eating and inactivity to children. Jill also known as the 'Rockstar Nutritionist' is now on a tour (mostly of the east coast).
This Jump With Jill video shows how well Jill works with kids, as well as how informative her program is.
(Glad to see Dave recognized for his work :) Great diary - promoted by Jill Richardson)
The Washington Post has an article today about Dave Murphy founder of Food Democracy Now, a newly founded, and already powerful, sustainable foods activist group.
But he wants you to know, "in no uncertain terms," that he is not a foodie. Foodies are people who obsess about the perfect apple tart. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But for Murphy, the fight for good food isn't about pleasure or aesthetics; it's about justice and survival.
Is that a fair definition of a foodie? If so, I guess I'm not a foodie.
A new restaurant near the University of Texas at Arlington, which uses locally grown, organic ingredients as much as possible, has a no-set-price policy, and asks customers to discreetly pay (in an envelope) afterwards for what they thought the meal was worth. The idea is based upon an existing Salt Lake City non-profit community kitchen's model. Can it work for a commercial establishment? So far, the restaurant is coming up just short, although it's only two months old and the business itself is always a rough one.
The City of Berkeley, CA may soon transform all of its parks and open spaces into habitats for bees, in an effort to reverse the recent global decline of pollinators.
If you're in Kansas, you can vote for the best food in the state from now until March 31. Unfortunately, restaurants must be at least a decade old in order to be considered, so that rules out Lawrence's Local Burger for at least the next 7 years. I'm sure there's something else worth considering in Lawrence, though...
USDA will update its Plant Hardiness Zone Map later this year, for the first time since 1990, to reflect the climate-change induced shifts of planting zones northward.
Buy an autographed copy of Recipe for America LVL Gear
"Too Big to Fail" T-Shirt
(details)
Support La Vida Locavore
Subscribe for $10/month:
One-Time Gift:
