<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for <em>The Nation</em> comes out with its first food issue.]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by Heidi http://www.grist.org/article/edible-media-the-left-gets-hungry/ Wed, 30 Aug 2006 08:44:04 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/edible-media-the-left-gets-hungry/1 Who knew?

Wow—thanks for those great links.  Nation did a great job of rounding up some compelling articles.  I might even have to buy a paper edition, since I couldn't read all of the articles online.  

I found the piece about farm worker health particularly interesting.  While I would like to know what the conditions are like at farms I support, I hate the idea of more produce stickers!

http://groxie.com DIY Environmentalism

]]> Who knew?

Wow—thanks for those great links.  Nation did a great job of rounding up some compelling articles.  I might even have to buy a paper edition, since I couldn't read all of the articles online.  

I found the piece about farm worker health particularly interesting.  While I would like to know what the conditions are like at farms I support, I hate the idea of more produce stickers!

http://groxie.com DIY Environmentalism

]]> Comment #2 by bookerly http://www.grist.org/article/edible-media-the-left-gets-hungry/ Wed, 30 Aug 2006 12:53:31 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/edible-media-the-left-gets-hungry/2 Great Articles


   Thanks Tom.  I don't really consider the Nation as left wing (not for a number of years), but this was a great issue anyway (smile).

   All of the articles were useful and informative.

   And of course, I loved the labor article.  Jim Cochran shows us one way to solve the problem.

   The challenge for all us (not just the farmers) is to design an agricultural and economic system that not only cares for the land, but the people who work it.

   And it's not just up to farmers to do this.  They are part of the middle of the system, not the owners of it.

   The treatment of farm workers (and the working poor) is an American shame.  (Not just organic farmworkers).

   We need to begin, all of us, to care, and then to think, discuss and find better ways.

patrick

   

]]> Great Articles


   Thanks Tom.  I don't really consider the Nation as left wing (not for a number of years), but this was a great issue anyway (smile).

   All of the articles were useful and informative.

   And of course, I loved the labor article.  Jim Cochran shows us one way to solve the problem.

   The challenge for all us (not just the farmers) is to design an agricultural and economic system that not only cares for the land, but the people who work it.

   And it's not just up to farmers to do this.  They are part of the middle of the system, not the owners of it.

   The treatment of farm workers (and the working poor) is an American shame.  (Not just organic farmworkers).

   We need to begin, all of us, to care, and then to think, discuss and find better ways.

patrick

   

]]> Comment #3 by Tom Philpott http://www.grist.org/article/edible-media-the-left-gets-hungry/ Thu, 31 Aug 2006 08:21:58 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/edible-media-the-left-gets-hungry/3 As if on cue...

As for my point about the left tending to be a bit uptight about pleasure, consider this: above-mentioned Liza Featherstone, a great and persistent critic of Wal-Mart with impeccable lefty cred, dared post on the Nation's blog a useful review of fair trade coffees, based on notes from a panel of coffee lovers.  Readers reacted with fury. "The Nation has too much money on its hands," concluded one reader. "What a waste of time and space," thundered another. A third delivered a declaration of mediocrity acceptance: "Newman's Own. It's drinkable. So I drink it." Wow. And if it were really good, would you still drink it?

I think a cup of really good fair-trade coffee might do these folks some good.

]]> As if on cue...

As for my point about the left tending to be a bit uptight about pleasure, consider this: above-mentioned Liza Featherstone, a great and persistent critic of Wal-Mart with impeccable lefty cred, dared post on the Nation's blog a useful review of fair trade coffees, based on notes from a panel of coffee lovers.  Readers reacted with fury. "The Nation has too much money on its hands," concluded one reader. "What a waste of time and space," thundered another. A third delivered a declaration of mediocrity acceptance: "Newman's Own. It's drinkable. So I drink it." Wow. And if it were really good, would you still drink it?

I think a cup of really good fair-trade coffee might do these folks some good.

]]> Comment #4 by bookerly http://www.grist.org/article/edible-media-the-left-gets-hungry/ Thu, 31 Aug 2006 10:49:25 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/edible-media-the-left-gets-hungry/4 No Fair Trade Coffee Here


   Not sure where most of the Chinese coffee comes from (Vietnam is the likely source, unless it is grown here).   And Starbucks doesn't sell beans (at least the ones I've been in, nor do other stores mostly).  Most people don't brew at home, they consider coffee a luxury drink which is drunk at high priced coffee houses.  

   (These are a very lucrative business, $2.50 US for a small cappucino.  You can have an entire meal for less elsewhere!)

    In the states I drank the Thanksgiving Company's  Organic Fair Trade Break the Cuban Boycott Dark French Roast (exact name may vary), which was quite delicious, and if you can find some, drink a cup!

    Here, I mix two powdered caps and one powdered latte to get a cup of something or the other (smile).

    FWIW, a lot of the Nation readers are ex-leftists, which may explain their bitterness!

patrick

]]> No Fair Trade Coffee Here


   Not sure where most of the Chinese coffee comes from (Vietnam is the likely source, unless it is grown here).   And Starbucks doesn't sell beans (at least the ones I've been in, nor do other stores mostly).  Most people don't brew at home, they consider coffee a luxury drink which is drunk at high priced coffee houses.  

   (These are a very lucrative business, $2.50 US for a small cappucino.  You can have an entire meal for less elsewhere!)

    In the states I drank the Thanksgiving Company's  Organic Fair Trade Break the Cuban Boycott Dark French Roast (exact name may vary), which was quite delicious, and if you can find some, drink a cup!

    Here, I mix two powdered caps and one powdered latte to get a cup of something or the other (smile).

    FWIW, a lot of the Nation readers are ex-leftists, which may explain their bitterness!

patrick

]]>