Am I missing something? If so, don't hesitate to send me anything interesting and new. Also, I'd love to hear about what you found or sell at the farmer's market. My e-mail is mmcewen2 @ uiuc.edu

In the News

*= Illinois

Student Nutrition Lacking*
Students at UIUC don't always eat well. Stress and overeating and big problems, but an even bigger problem is the lack of a convenient source for fruits and vegetables.

King Corn Review
A new movie about commodity corn and our "cornified" food system is reviewed in Gristmill.

E.Coli Fears Spark Bagged Salad Recall
More E.Coli in salad...this time it's salad hearts bagged by Dole grown in California, Colorado, and Ohio.

Farmers, Flooding, and Whole Food's Mea Culpa
Samuel Fromartz, author of Organic Inc., posts about the flood devastation in the upper midwest. Organic vegetable farmers were hit particular hard at a time of peak production. Whole Foods initially balked at buying the damaged crops because of concerns about food safety, but is now making an effort to buy out many of the crops and collect donations.

Survey Shows Americans Like Buying Local
According to a poll of 500 Americans conducted by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, people prefer buying local because they believe it's healthier and safer.

How the meat industry thrives, even as costs rise
Pricey corn isn't keeping the US's large meat companies from making a profit.

Farmers burn out on markets
San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Farmers Market has gained lots of new sellers, but competition and the difficulties of transporting produce to the market is driving some farmers away.

Would You Eat Wormy Sweet Corn?
A blog post about a rather suspect study that showed consumers preferred GM crop...but on top of the non-GM corn was a sign that implied that it had worms.

FAO Sounds Alarm on Loss of Livestock Breeds
The FAO is calling on countries to make a commitment to protecting the world's farm animal diversity. This diversity is important for both food safety and culture. At least one livestock breed a month is lost forever. A main culprit is increasing over-reliance on a small number of high-output breeds.

Organic System Mending
Another article from Fromartz about Aurora Organic Dairy, the largest private-label organic milk company in the US. Aurora's practices had been controversial among advocates for organic food, but now the USDA is forcing the dairy to comply with organic regulations-- notably by actually giving cows some grazing time.