I sometimes get distracted, no surprise here...but I missed President Obama's address to Congress last night...until I realized that I could watch it on CSpan, so I stayed up until past midnight listening. I think it to be important to listen to everything that's available from our new President, to hear his words as they're leaving his mouth...so that the press can't tell me what I heard, as I don't need someone to tell me what I heard if I can hear it for myself. I can't say that I have alot of interest in politics as such, but I do care and want to keep up with those that do, those that have been elected to office, those that have vision, integrity and the competence to accomplish a positive agenda. Let's face it, we do need change, change for the combined good of us all. Obama spoke with a message of hard work but he also gave a message of hope...and where I come from a little hope goes a long way...it makes us want to pick ourselves up and brush ourselves off and become determined to get through the tough times. I am impressed that Obama is listening...listening to and getting advice from those whose expertise, education and experience can guide him and ultimately us through this down swing in the American and world economy.

There are so many issues that haven't been addressed through the last administration, issues that effect us all, one of which I was pleasantly surprised to hear in President Obama's speech concerning my favorite subject...food. I don't profess to know everything or even a whole lot about previous Farm Bills or commodity subsidies; but, I do know that lots of our tax dollars go to subsidize huge agri-businesses (think huge here...not the farm down the road....hundreds of thousands of acres all over America run by megamillion dollar companies like Archer Daniel Midland ADM "the supermarket of the world" as their commercial indicates. This is how it works; Farmers growing corn—the crop most favored by government policies, in this case let's just say the huge agri-business, gets a direct payment based on the past corn acres. They do very well if corn prices go high, and they would be fine if prices went low because another government check would make up much of the difference. This production subsidy policy urges farmers to maximize production of a few preferred crops like corn or soybeans, even at the expense of the environment, instead of a variety of crops that replenish the soil or maintain the integrity of the soil in regards to erosion.

Michael Pollan, the author of several books, one of which is The Omnivore's Dilemma, is the recipient of numerous journalistic awards, including the James Beard Award for best magazine series in 2003 and the Reuters-I.U.C.N. 2000 Global Award for Environmental Journalism. Pollan served for many years as executive editor of Harpers Magazine and is now the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley . He will be the keynote speaker at the 12th Annual Georgia Orgaincs Conference and Trade Show that I will be attending on March 20-21, 2009. In a Georgia Organics interview he was asked what he is the most hopeful about in regards to the new Administration and the new Secretary of Agriculture. His response was, "My hope is that as Obama tackles everything from economic redevelopment to healthcare reform to climate change, there will be a recognition that he needs to deal with the food policy as well. There is not a lot of support, for example, for commodity subsidies in this country. You know, even if you asked farmers, most farmers would like to see them capped, if not radically reformed....So that's what I hope-more visability for the issue (food policy), and I'm hoping both Obamas will contribute to that."

....Bringing me to this point...last night President Obama said that there will be no more commodity subsidies to the big agribusinesses! Now, that got my attention...maybe he is listening...now, if you'll excuse me I've got to get back to reading The Omnivore's Dilemma

I've finally finished reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" a Barbara Kingsolver book about a year of food life, existing almost totally on what she and her family of four could raise on their small Virginia farm. At the end of that year Kingsolver reflects on the meaning of their efforts, "These efforts might just get us past the train-wreck of the daily news, or the anguish of standing behind a child, looking with her at the road ahead, searching out redemption where we can find it: recycling or carpooling or growing a garden or saving a species or something. Small, stepwise changes in personal habits aren't trivial. Ultimately they will, or won't, add up to having been the thing that mattered."

 

I have a small backyard flock of 8 laying hens that, in their zen-like manner, have persuaded me that it's time to follow my heart and my conscience and travel the path to a more sustainable way of life...this Blog will serve as my diary, my blue print and...oh, my thesis!

Thomas Jefferson said it best, "Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independant, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bands....(he then goes on to say...) As long therefore as they can find emploiment in this line, I would not convert them into mariners, artisans, or any thing else. But our citizens will find emploiment in this line till their numbers, and of course their productions, become too great for the demand both internal and foreign."

However, I wonder if Jefferson ever considered that it wouldn't be the cultivators numbers that would exceed the demand but the other way around!