San Antonio Food Policy Initiative

That's What I'm Talkin' About!

Bittman again

We little volunteer bloggers and do-gooders wear ourselves out trying to keep up with what's going on in the sustainable-food world and tell others about it. Once in awhile, someone like Mark Bittman, the New York Times Opinionator on Food, comes along and summarizes a bunch of it. While it is true that in each of the areas he touches on, battles are being fought, sometimes it's good just to stop and appreciate the ground that has been gained.

Whew! I can rest today. Read what he has to say in "Food: Six Things to Feel Good About."

Another good podcast on TPR

Farm Together Now, March 14. Dan Skinner talks to author Daniel Tucker about his book, Farm Together Now: A Portrait of People, Places and Ideas for a New Food Movement. This segment is only about 13 minutes long, and well worth hearing. You'll want to read the book.

 

Agriculture, sustainable or not, in the news

Agro-ecology

Yesterday, there were news releases about a United Nations report saying that "agro-ecology" can feed the world far more reliably than industrial agriculture can.

Today, Mark Bittman, the food writer for the New York Times (who in January gave up his Minimalist column in the Dining section and moved to the opinion pages) spiffed it up for us, adding his perspective. He links to the press release, and the full report.

In places, he seems to lean toward GMO proponents' attempts to warp the sustainable-ag mission (co-existence, "we need to try everything," etc.) Overall, though, the report is pretty strong--we have to build the soil, let small farmers be small, and get away from reliance on petrochemicals in agriculture. Those steps automatically will make agriculture more nature-friendly.

N-P-ARGH

Leaving aside their current troubles with the Congressional majority (and their talent for shooting themselves in the foot), National Public Radio (NPR) has been running reports on agriculture, usually giving Big Ag the last word. Today, in "Agricuture Industry Seeks to Restore Its Image," reporter Frank Morris does a good job of getting various viewpoints in.

Secretary Vilsack admonishes farmers to talk to the cityfolk who will be formulating the next Farm BIll. A publisher talks about how our interest in local food is pushing agriculture onto the best-seller lists. Big Ag spokesman rhapsodizes about farmers. Farmers scoff at Big Ag's concern for "their" image problem.

And true to (NPR) form, the Farm Bureau, often aligned with industrial interests, gets the last word, saying. "Many believe [getting involved] is the best hope they have to keep the agricultural system they've learned to live with from becoming even more hostile to the family farm."

Eric Herm

Eric Herm, the West Texas cotton farmer and author of Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth, would say, "Don't live with that system any more!" The link is to a podcast of an interview on TPR (our local NPR affiliate, and a member station that gets it right). Herm compellingly describes the plight of his fellow farmers, and also explains to us how agriculture has gone so wrong, and how we can all play a part in making it right again.

Conspicuous by its absence: Gardening

Last night I attended the KSTX Town Hall meeting on Obesity and Diabetes, and pronounced it a "wide-ranging discussion." And it was, for its inclusion of the Mayor's and Metro Health's broad initiatives to include the built environment and public safety as contributing factors to these problems in underserved neighborhoods. These are truly essential insights, and the monumental efforts to involve schools, neighborhood associations, and various City departments are impressive.

Where Have All the Gardeners Gone?

I did hear community gardens mentioned once. If there was another reference to people's ability to grow some of their own as a way to access healthy food, I missed it. Of all the ways to get hold of healthy food cheaply, putting a seed into the ground and getting back pounds of produce should be top of mind.

San Antonio, even or especially in these underserved neighborhoods, does have a tradition of growing yard gardens, and this is overlooked in many of our discussions. Many people grow their own salsa ingredients, for example. No doubt, the specter of long rows with too many of one crop, overgrown with weeds, requiring hours of labor that working people don't have, stops many of us from doing much more than that.

However, with small raised beds or container gardens, vegetables can be grown, along with flowers, in less labor intensive and more appealing ways than many of us grew up knowing about. I'm (finally) reading Eric Herm's Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth, and here is what he says to introduce the topic of gardening:

"The easiest long-term solution to ensuring a family or individual's healthy food supply is growing one's own in a personal garden. Many people are intimidated by even thinking of starting a garden. It's not as hard as you'd think, and it requires much less real estate than most imagine. Growing your own food is one of the greatest freedoms most never enjoy."

Walking the Talk

Part of my front yard this winter is a greens garden. This might be the most important, and easiest, part of our diet to grow, and we can do it year-round. My kale, collards, and Chinese cabbage laid down during our several hard freezes, but to my astonishment, they got back up. Not so the chard; it turned to mush, and I had to replant it. With a little planning, I could have used some row cover and saved even that.

You really can do this any time. During the drought of 2009, I grew lettuce all summer long, in a container under a shade tree. Every season is different, and we learn something new.

You don't have to do it all the first year. Start small, adjust, and enjoy! And don't forget, when we talk about access to healthy food, it can come from your own back (or front) yard.

KSTX Town Hall on Obesity and Diabetes

Tonight at The Pearl Studio, I'm listening to the KSTX Town Hall on Obesity and Diabetes. @lepsafood for Twitter feed, using #kstx tag.

Panelists are from Metro Health, UTHSC, and NEISD. Wide-ranging discussion with good questions from the audience.

The San Antonio Food Policy Council was formed to address this issue first of all, and several of us are here to learn about concerns in the community.

The program is being recorded live for future broadcast on Texas Public Radio, 89.1 KSTX.