I've republished the old blog.. we are now.. movementvictorygardner
i feel its time again to write, ive lost all my stock photograph. and the new blogger seems better.. it only took me and hour and a half to switch from my yahoo account to my current gmail account.. now i remember why i stopped writing.. the frustrations of signing in and out,. in and out.. .... in advance i apologize for all the spelling errors. and also forgive me for past ones
avantg.
geep it kreen
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Friday, 6 November 2009
Thursday, 14 May 2009
100 Days Of Obama Agriculture Policy: Everything But The Kitchen Sink
The following is from the Obama Foodorama blog A Daily Diary of The Obama Foodscape, One Bipartisan Byte At A Time
There's a single word for President Obama and Ag policy in the first 100 days: Unprecedented.
It's now fairly obvious that the President is in firm possession of the deep understanding that food and Ag policy is connected to everything, that it's the
critical starting point for every policy discussion. Whether it's green recovery, health care, the economy, the credit markets, homeland security, etc, Ag policy is entangled with and impacts every other area of policy the President is addressing. Obama has surrounded himself with cutting-edge thinkers who are savvy multi-taskers, who also manage to work food and Ag into their platforms, even when their jobs ostensibly have nothing to do with food and Ag policy. A few examples: Steven Chu, the Energy Secretary, has publicly worried that climate change is going to rapidly decimate California Ag and vineyards. Van Jones, the Green Collar advisor for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, has big plans for greenroof food gardens in urban areas, and eventually even the White House (giving new meaning to "small" and "local" farming). Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, who has a long resume in social justice, will be crucial for creating a just food economy, in which we do not rely on migrant or 
slave labor, and even the poorest among us have access to good, nutritious food. We have Kathleen Sebelius, the newly confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services, who still happens to be the governor of Kansas (pictured last night after being confirmed). Just days ago, Governor Sebelius, ethical foodist, made a crucial legislative veto regarding hormone labeling on milk, back in her home state. We have Rahm Emanuel, secret foodist, who's walking around the Hill debating farm subsidies (and carbon credits, for that matter); and his brother Zeke, health policy advisor for the President, who moonlights as a restaurant critic.
And of course there's Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Perhaps the busiest man in the administration next to the President himself, Secretary Vilsack has gone from admitting he didn't know how many people worked for him at USDA, waaaay back on day four of the Obama era, to making rapid changes in how the USDA runs, where the money
goes, and what the agency's focus will be, in accordance with the President's directives. Secretary Vilsack seems to be super smart and creative, and while he'll you that he's not a farmer and doesn't have a farming background, his particular skill set is incredible if we think about the bigger future of agriculture. The USDA has suddenly become the new new energy department--and while this may seem like a disconnect from Ag policy, it's critical for the project of divorcing ourselves from fossil fuels, which is the
only way we'll ever have true changes in the Ag economy, and move toward a more sustainable model...which of course leads to true changes in our environment, and the larger economy. Sec V has long experience with alternative energies, he's a big proponent of Corn Ethanol, a controversial biofuel; and he accompanied the President to Iowa on Earth Day, to promote wind energy. He's making huge changes in infrastructure and promoting the Green Recovery, he's dealing with food labeling and food safety, he traveled to the G8 in Italy to discuss hunger issues. And also like the President and First Lady, Secretary Vilsack has become crucial to children's
health issues, because a huge part of USDA's budget goes toward nutrition programs. Sec V has also planted an organic garden---an unexpected turn of events, and he didn't stop there. The landscaping for the entire six-acre USDA complex on the National Mall will become organic. And everyone's getting in on the gardening thing: the President planted trees on April 21, with former President Bill Clinton and the First Lady, at the Kenilworth Aquatic Garden. And, lest we forget, Sec V also joined the First Lady when she was planting her own Kitchen Garden (in pic). He's donating USDA bees to the White House beehive. Sec V is sort of thrilling these days.
Great Blog
Obama Foodorama
Six Reasons Why Obama Appointing Monsanto's Buddy, Former Iowa Governor Vilsack, for USDA Head Would be a Terrible Idea
Organic Consumers Association, November 12, 2008
1. Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack's support of genetically engineered pharmaceutical crops, especially pharmaceutical corn:
http://www.gene.ch/genet/2002/...
http://www.organicconsumers.or...
2. The biggest biotechnology industry group, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, named Vilsack Governor of the Year. He was also the founder and former chair of the Governor's Biotechnology Partnership.
3. When Vilsack created the Iowa Values Fund, his first poster child of economic development potential was Trans Ova and their pursuit of cloning dairy cows.
4. Vilsack was the origin of the seed pre-emption bill in 2005, which many people here in Iowa fought because it took away local government's possibility of ever having a regulation on seeds- where GE would be grown, having GE-free buffers, banning pharma corn locally, etc. Representative Sandy Greiner, the Republican sponsor of the bill, bragged on the House Floor that Vilsack put her up to it right after his state of the state address.
5. Vilsack has a glowing reputation as being a schill for agribusiness biotech giants like Monsanto. Sustainable ag advocated across the country were spreading the word of Vilsack's history as he was attempting to appeal to voters in his presidential bid. An activist from the west coast even made this youtube animation about Vilsack
The airplane in this animation is a referral to the controversy that Vilsack often traveled in Monsanto's jet.
6. Vilsack is an ardent support of corn and soy based biofuels, which use as much or more fossil energy to produce them as they generate, while driving up world food prices and literally starving the poor.
There's a single word for President Obama and Ag policy in the first 100 days: Unprecedented.
It's now fairly obvious that the President is in firm possession of the deep understanding that food and Ag policy is connected to everything, that it's the
critical starting point for every policy discussion. Whether it's green recovery, health care, the economy, the credit markets, homeland security, etc, Ag policy is entangled with and impacts every other area of policy the President is addressing. Obama has surrounded himself with cutting-edge thinkers who are savvy multi-taskers, who also manage to work food and Ag into their platforms, even when their jobs ostensibly have nothing to do with food and Ag policy. A few examples: Steven Chu, the Energy Secretary, has publicly worried that climate change is going to rapidly decimate California Ag and vineyards. Van Jones, the Green Collar advisor for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, has big plans for greenroof food gardens in urban areas, and eventually even the White House (giving new meaning to "small" and "local" farming). Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, who has a long resume in social justice, will be crucial for creating a just food economy, in which we do not rely on migrant or 
slave labor, and even the poorest among us have access to good, nutritious food. We have Kathleen Sebelius, the newly confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services, who still happens to be the governor of Kansas (pictured last night after being confirmed). Just days ago, Governor Sebelius, ethical foodist, made a crucial legislative veto regarding hormone labeling on milk, back in her home state. We have Rahm Emanuel, secret foodist, who's walking around the Hill debating farm subsidies (and carbon credits, for that matter); and his brother Zeke, health policy advisor for the President, who moonlights as a restaurant critic.And of course there's Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Perhaps the busiest man in the administration next to the President himself, Secretary Vilsack has gone from admitting he didn't know how many people worked for him at USDA, waaaay back on day four of the Obama era, to making rapid changes in how the USDA runs, where the money
goes, and what the agency's focus will be, in accordance with the President's directives. Secretary Vilsack seems to be super smart and creative, and while he'll you that he's not a farmer and doesn't have a farming background, his particular skill set is incredible if we think about the bigger future of agriculture. The USDA has suddenly become the new new energy department--and while this may seem like a disconnect from Ag policy, it's critical for the project of divorcing ourselves from fossil fuels, which is the
only way we'll ever have true changes in the Ag economy, and move toward a more sustainable model...which of course leads to true changes in our environment, and the larger economy. Sec V has long experience with alternative energies, he's a big proponent of Corn Ethanol, a controversial biofuel; and he accompanied the President to Iowa on Earth Day, to promote wind energy. He's making huge changes in infrastructure and promoting the Green Recovery, he's dealing with food labeling and food safety, he traveled to the G8 in Italy to discuss hunger issues. And also like the President and First Lady, Secretary Vilsack has become crucial to children's
health issues, because a huge part of USDA's budget goes toward nutrition programs. Sec V has also planted an organic garden---an unexpected turn of events, and he didn't stop there. The landscaping for the entire six-acre USDA complex on the National Mall will become organic. And everyone's getting in on the gardening thing: the President planted trees on April 21, with former President Bill Clinton and the First Lady, at the Kenilworth Aquatic Garden. And, lest we forget, Sec V also joined the First Lady when she was planting her own Kitchen Garden (in pic). He's donating USDA bees to the White House beehive. Sec V is sort of thrilling these days.Great Blog
Obama Foodorama
Six Reasons Why Obama Appointing Monsanto's Buddy, Former Iowa Governor Vilsack, for USDA Head Would be a Terrible Idea
Organic Consumers Association, November 12, 2008
1. Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack's support of genetically engineered pharmaceutical crops, especially pharmaceutical corn:
http://www.gene.ch/genet/2002/...
http://www.organicconsumers.or...
2. The biggest biotechnology industry group, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, named Vilsack Governor of the Year. He was also the founder and former chair of the Governor's Biotechnology Partnership.
3. When Vilsack created the Iowa Values Fund, his first poster child of economic development potential was Trans Ova and their pursuit of cloning dairy cows.
4. Vilsack was the origin of the seed pre-emption bill in 2005, which many people here in Iowa fought because it took away local government's possibility of ever having a regulation on seeds- where GE would be grown, having GE-free buffers, banning pharma corn locally, etc. Representative Sandy Greiner, the Republican sponsor of the bill, bragged on the House Floor that Vilsack put her up to it right after his state of the state address.
5. Vilsack has a glowing reputation as being a schill for agribusiness biotech giants like Monsanto. Sustainable ag advocated across the country were spreading the word of Vilsack's history as he was attempting to appeal to voters in his presidential bid. An activist from the west coast even made this youtube animation about Vilsack
The airplane in this animation is a referral to the controversy that Vilsack often traveled in Monsanto's jet.
6. Vilsack is an ardent support of corn and soy based biofuels, which use as much or more fossil energy to produce them as they generate, while driving up world food prices and literally starving the poor.
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
The Colbert Report interview
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Michael Pollan | ||||
| ||||
Michael Pollan On Vilsack, Agriculture — And Food
Daniel Wolf (Clodhopper) wrote:
As a lifelong American farmer, I listened with keen interest to Renee's interview with Michael Pollan. He talked about his disappointment with Obama's selection of former Iowa Gov. Vilsack as agriculture secretary. He views it as a loss of a golden opportunity to mold the process of producing bountiful, nourishing, and above all affordable food into a form he would be happy with. There was a taste of sour grapes to the interview, perhaps because Mr. Pollan missed his chance to be secretary of food. To appease him, perhaps he could receive a consolation prize. How about an all-expenses-paid trip to Zimbabwe to view first-hand the likely results of his proposed policies. Thursday, December 18, 2008 9:04:56 PM
..................michaelpollan....................
CRUGs
Here goes an article in the DenverPost, Grow section, Walking the talk on turning turf into tomatoes Two urban farm pioneers tell you how. The article starts out like a pitch for Heather Flores book "Food not Lawns" 
(Check previous post). "Book sales are speeding up," she said. "Maybe it's because of the ecological crisis or maybe it's because of the nationwide awakening to taking a wrong turn a few years ago." Fortunately the article stops talking about book sales, and focuses on Nash Kipp from Community roots. I am Glad, Kipp mentions the "mud" factor here, "Gardeners need to be thoughtful and consider the fact that most vegetable gardens aren't beautiful and bountiful all year long. One of the big issues is the aesthetics of a front-yard garden and how to keep the yard in good shape in winter, when it's likely to be muddy". Its a pleasure to see the the garden grow from in these pictures and the video. (Check out the video found in previous post)The second article, Garden takes root in barren yard CRUG borrows land for crops is about a neighbors experience with Kipp and his gang of CRUGs (Community Roots Urban Gardeners)
You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt.
Avantgardner
Community Roots is an innovative Neighborhood Supported Agriculture model in Boulder, Colorado, bringing local food production and distribution into urban settings. This 3 ½ year old urban farming project was created by farmer Kipp Nash, who has successfully converted 13 front and back yards, and church lawns into vegetable gardens for neighbors and CSA shareholders, with surplus for the Boulder Farmer’s Market and food for families in need - while creating increased community connections among neighbors at the same time.
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Cosponsors of HR 875
Sponsor:
Cosponsors [as of 2009-04-18]
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger [D-MD]
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSPEOPLE & SPREAD THE WORD:
** Contact your representatives AND local newspaper: http://www.usalone.net/cgi-bin/oen.cg...
** Another easy way to contact your representatives: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/w...
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSPEOPLE & SPREAD THE WORD:
** Contact your representatives AND local newspaper: http://www.usalone.net/cgi-bin/oen.cg...
** Another easy way to contact your representatives: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/w...
H.R. 875 Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009
I have no doubt that this legislation was heavily influenced by lobbyists from huge food producers. This legislation is so broad based that technically someone with a little backyard garden could get fined and have their property siezed. It will affect anyone who produces food even if they do not sell but only consume it. It will literally put all independent farmers and food producers out of business due to the huge amounts of money it will take to conform to factory farming methods. If people choose to farm without industry standards such as chemical pesticides and fertilizers they will be subject to a vareity of harassment from this completely new agency that has never before existed. That's right, a whole new government agency is being created just to police food, for our own protection of course.
DO NOT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, READ THIS LEGISLATION FOR YOURSELF. The more people who read this legislation the more insight we are going to get and be able to share. Post your observations and insights below. Urge your members to read this legislation and to oppose the passage of this legislation.
Pay special attention to
- Section 3 which is the definitions portion of the bill-read in it's entirety.
- section 103, 206 and 207- read in it's entirety.
Red flags I found and I am sure there are more...........
- Legally binds state agriculture depts to enforcing federal guidelines effectively taking away the states power to do anything other than being food police for the federal dept.
- Effectively criminalizes organic farming but doesn't actually use the word organic.
- Affects anyone growing food even if they are not selling it but consuming it.
- Affects anyone producing meat of any kind including the processing wild game for personal consumption.
- Legislation is so broad based that every aspect of growing or producing food can be made illegal. There are no specifics which is bizarre considering how long the legislation is.
- Section 103 is almost entirely about the administrative aspect of the legislation. It will allow the appointing of officials from the factory farming corporations and lobbyists and classify them as experts and allow them to determine and interpret the legislation. Who do you think they are going to side with?
- Section 206 defines what will be considered a food production facility and what will be enforced up all food production facilities. The wording is so broad based that a backyard gardener could be fined and more.
- Section 207 requires that the state's agriculture dept act as the food police and enforce the federal requirements. This takes away the states power and is in violation of the 10th amendment.
Text of H.R. 875: Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009
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