Damien’s Recent Comments

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Nicely done, Tom. Pushing the pendulum too far in any direction is almost always a sign of a desire to forward a particular point of view instead of a particularly keen interest in finding the truth. Could you have used the denial of stem cell research as an equally effective foil?On Michael Specter's new book 'Denialism' misses its targets posted 1 week ago 43 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  This is inspiring!  Chicago TomatoFest is just getting rolling and we are going to have a focus on canning.  We hope to do lots to spread the word about Slow Food, Heirlooms and the people who grow them. If you come through town in Aug / Sept - keep and eye out for our BLT Festival too!

  Cheers,

  Damien

  On Reveling in the season's tomato bounty, from pasta sauce to easy preserving posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago 16 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Small farms in Kenya

  Over the past few years, I have become a supporter of One Acre Fund, a group that started in Kenya and has now grown to Rwanda.  

  They work with farmers to provide seed and fertilizer through a loan.  By working with women's groups and within communities, loan payback, income growth rates, and decline in child mortality rates have been wonderful.  

  Founder Andrew Youn and I have talked about the fertilizer question and I confess that I am fundamentally uncomfortable with providing (and thus presenting) chemical fertilizers as a saviour.  The fact is that within their customer base, OAF has few people that can afford one goat, much less a stable full that would produce enough poop for compost.  The fertilizers are a place to start when families are otherwise losing children to starvation at a horrific rate.  

  As for the cash crop vs food debate, OAF has focused on cash crops in response to listening to what their farmers want, and they want (and need) cash.  Assuming they have a market (which OAF helps to provide and access), the farmers feel that their best path forward is paved with cash they grow themselves.  

  www.oneacrefund.orgOn Impoverished Africans can't eat their own crops posted 11 months, 1 week ago 18 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Depardieu weighs in

  French actor and vineyard owner offered his take on this subject in an article from Decanter.

  http://www.decanter.com/news/273087.html

  As Tom Cruise teaches, looking to actors for science can be dangerous, but, I would note that as a vineyard owner, Depardieu says "Treatment costs a lot of money. I only use biodynamics in Anjou because I'm poor."

  This to me underlines the more important topic contained herein, the fact that there is great value to be found in wines made from organic and biodynamic grapes.  Our stereotypes about organics equalling expensive are not always justified.  On The dirt on biodynamic and 'authentic' wines posted 11 months, 1 week ago 7 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Sounds like OPEC

  By which I mean of course:

  Organization of Poultry Exploiting Companies

  Forgive the pun, but the monopoly economics sounded too much like big oil to pass up.  On Is Tyson trying to drive its biggest chicken competitor out of business? posted 11 months, 3 weeks ago 4 Responses