A Book Review by Kathie Arnold
It’s been years since I’ve read any fiction books—the last time was when our kids were young when I would read books aloud to them—and they are both young adults now. I have a hard enough time keeping up with the magazines—mostly dairy, organic, grazing, and current news related—and […]
Where do the nation’s organic farmers fit in our nation’s agricultural landscape? Can we reach a consensus on issues that have bitterly divided some longtime organic activists? How (and where) do we identify the next wave of changes sure to impact the organic production community? Within what context do we begin the next organic conversation?
Growing so large that they are now called factory farms, livestock feedlots are poorly regulated, pose health and ecological dangers and are responsible for deteriorating quality of life in America’s and Europe’s farm regions, according to a series of scientific studies published this week.
Feedlots are contaminating water supplies with pathogens and chemicals, and polluting the air with foul-smelling compounds that can cause respiratory problems, but the health of their neighbors goes largely unmonitored, the reports concluded.
The Cornucopia Institute, the nation’s most aggressive organic farming watchdog, has filed a formal legal complaint with the USDA asking them to investigate allegations of illegal “organic” food distribution by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Cornucopia has documented cases of nonorganic food products being sold as organic in Wal-Mart’s grocery departments.