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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

What if...

The link below goes to a summary of a December 2011 Scientific American article about how the foods we eat may impact how our bodies, specifically our genes, may function. If true, consider the implications not only of all the hybridizing and genetic engineering, but of my tweet about "acceptable" levels of yucky stuff if not true contaminants in processed foods.

Oh, my, what if we really ARE what we eat?

Link to summary in Scientific American.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Good, clean, fair food

Slow Food began in Italy as a reaction to fast food titans who were "invading" the home of one of the world's greatest food cultures. Carlo Petrini founded the organization decades ago, long before food was trendy or chefs were TV celebrities in the US. Food has always had a high position in older cultures, but in our new, fast-paced, time and novelty obsessed culture of more, more, more and right now, we've lost that respect for food. However it is finally coming to the fore.

In a Thanksgiving email, Slow Food USA urges involvement in a day of awareness on December 10:

Times are difficult. And in these hard moments, I find joy and celebration in the amazing work that you, and countless others, are doing to change the world. In a world where ketchup qualifies as a vegetable, I find hope in the parent who started a school garden to teach first graders where carrots come from. I find inspiration in 13,000 people standing together, by signing a petition, and telling their government that a better economy can be found in a better food system. And I find joy in celebrating our common vision.

For more information about this day of action, click here

Slow Food USA is a movement that provides opportunities to help ensure good, clean, fair food for all. If this is something that you find compelling, check out this organization. There are others out there who are like minded and who are working on behalf of themselves and others. Eating isn't optional.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Being thankful




It's not that easy to do some days. Being thankful takes work. To overcome feelings that come to the front unbidden and override any sense of appreciation at all. It's easier to be angry, jealous, cutting or snide; after all by now we all know that life isn't fair and we can't have everything the way we want it. "But can't I just have 'some' of what I want?" we cry.

Recently I was faced with - yet again - being told about a wonderful idea by someone in a position of relative power/authority/visibility. It was an idea that I'd been trying to promote for years. One that makes ultimate, common, simple sense to me, yet he was talking about it as if it were breakthrough thinking. Yes, it involved food. Local, sustainable food. And the need to change from the type of system that we have now (pretty much at all levels) to one that is less focused on produce/consume than on sustain/renew. We can't have exponential growth on a finite planet. That's truly not rocket science, yet marketed properly, it can seem to be.

So after fuming about the situation for a while and confessing to a friend that clearly I needed an attitude adjustment since apparently my journey on earth was about needing to learn humility, I received some wise words in an email from that friend. She reminded me that she (this may still have male/female overtones) too had experienced this in her work in a large consulting firm she has long-since left behind. The systems we are in and trying so hard to change favor those who market themselves well,  not necessarily those who are smarter, have better ideas, or are more skilled. Maybe the marketers have the ideas, but as often as not, they are simply selling someone else's stuff rather than having developed it themselves. That's when it hit me.

What angers and frustrates me about this situation is the same thing that angers and frustrates me about the food system. When marketers profit simply by slickly selling what others produce and adding no value to it themselves, that is an unnecessary expense. Processed food is like ideas that are repackaged and sold by consultants. The consultants make it look better, make you feel smarter or more loved by buying it or temporarily fix a problem like temporarily slaking hunger with junk food. But there is no there there and like junk food the consultants' projects often unravel, never having reached the potential that was promised.

It occurred to me that I am fortunate to know people who are on the ground working on the Sisyphean task of changing the food system to be one that truly feeds us in sustainable, fair and healthy ways. And to know people who valued their integrity more than a paycheck and walked away from situations in corporate settings that sucked the life out of their souls when they were ignored and others from outside came in and collected huge sums for saying the same thing. I need to remember that I'm not the only one who ever had a good idea and the test is whether someone is working to bring their ideas into the world and make it a better place for everyone, or whether they are just looking for the next big paycheck. I could be wrong, but I think those big paychecks are not sustainable...just like producing  junk food isn't.

These realizations are what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.


Monday, November 21, 2011

An update from Washington

This arrived today on the organic farming list from MSU. Highlighting mine.


Agriculture Appropriations Bill a Disappointment for Family Farmers
WASHINGTON (Nov. 17, 2011) – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement about the passage of H.R. 2112, the “minibus” legislation that includes the agricultural appropriations bill, along with two other appropriations bills and the continuing resolution to keep the federal government running through mid-December: “While NFU appreciates that the Agriculture Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2012 largely maintains overall discretionary funding levels, it is a disappointment for family farmers and ranchers. The bill prevents additional rulemaking for the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration rule that would have addressed the fundamental problem of competition and consolidation in the livestock marketplace. The bill also undercuts the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act by limiting funding for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
“These are two extraordinarily important issues for NFU members. We cannot allow the influence of the consolidated meat processors and Wall Street to trump the interests of family farmers and ranchers. NFU will continue to fight for the restoration of fairness in markets.”
National Farmers Union has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

A fishy story - update

Funny how things happen.

I was on LinkedIn after posting that last post here. And what do I find waiting for me in suggested job opportunities? Here it is (highlighting added):


Job Description

Trident currently has an opening for an experienced Regional Food Services Sales Manager responsible for 
broadline food distribution sales.  The position is a work-from-home position located in the Upper Midwest 
(Michigan, Illinois) portion of the United States with frequent (30-40%) travel. 

The position’s key responsibilities include:
  • Manages all food service distributor accounts and contracts within the assigned region. Manages broker network throughout the assigned region.
  • Possesses a multi level, cross functional relationship with all external customer departments (Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations, Purchasing, R&D, Culinary, etc.)
  • Analyzes ongoing business trends to effectively forecast sales volumes and new opportunities.
  • Analyzes and executes timely price changes that meet company profit goals.
  • Effectively interacts within Trident’s support team (R&D, Marketing, Chain Supply Management, Sales, Customer Service, Quality Assurance, etc.)
  • Continuously learns all of Trident’s manufacturing capabilities and processes.
The ideal candidate must have solid food service/distribution accounts experience in the food service industry.  The ideal candidate also must have a strong understanding of business pricing, budgets, forecasts, and financial reports.  

Candidates must be energetic, self-starters, independent workers, and possess a high level of integrity.

Desired Skills & Experience

  • Minimum 3 years experience working in a food services sales dealing with food brokers and calling upon broadline distributors.
  • Four-year degree in Business/Marketing and/or related field, or equivalent relevant experience.  
  • Proficient computer skills, including MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, etc.)
Trident Seafoods is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  EOE/AA M/F/D/V 

Company Description

Come work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.  Trident Seafoods Corporation is the largest privately held seafood company in North America.  Founded in 1973, Trident is a vertically integrated harvester, processor and marketer of seafood from Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and around the world.  Trident owns and operates offshore processing vessels and shore-side plants throughout Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and Minnesota.

Trident Seafoods is an Equal Opportunity Employer. EOE/AA M/F/D/V




Does privately held automatically mean it's 100% owned by a giant? Seems they would say "a division of" or "an affiliate of" or something if so. I need to do more research. Also, being vertically integrated might be a good thing if it means they control the process from beginning to end and are approaching things from a sustainable philosophy. 

A fishy story?





Not long ago I found a frozen salmon patty that I really liked. And according to the box it was wild caught and seemed to be an environmentally acceptable choice. I recall going to the company's website to read about how they processed their fish and being impressed.

Imagine my surprise when reading "The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved" a book about the current underground food movement(s) in the U.S., I stumbled across a couple of sentences in the part about how fish are caught off our coast, shipped to China to be processed and then shipped back here to be sold. I'd known of this horribly wasteful process but they cited my salmon patty maker, Trident, as an example of this. What? Did they change? Is there another Trident? Was their website not fully transparent? Was the author just wrong?

I want to support companies that are doing the right thing - operating sustainably, providing jobs, producing quality products.  So I did what everyone does these days and did a Google search. Imagine my surprise (sadly, not really) when I read:

ConAgra moved into the prepared seafood market in 1981 with the purchase of Singleton Seafood, the largest shrimp processor in the country, and Sea-Alaska Products. In 1987 ConAgra bought Trident Seafoods and O'Donnell-Usen Fisheries, the producer of Taste O' Sea frozen seafood products, thus positioning the company to compete against the leading frozen seafood brands, Mrs. Paul's Kitchens, Gorton's, and Van de Kamp's.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/conagra-foods-inc#ixzz1eGDCwkUg

It seems my little seafood company that could was owned by giant ConAgra. I guess I'll have to be even more diligent when looking at packages and doing my research. I might still buy a giant's products, but I want to know who I'm dealing with as well as what I'm eating.



Thursday, November 17, 2011

Hearing from you

Recently I've heard (in the real world) from people who have tried to make comments to posts here. They said they weren't able to.

First, I'm really sorry. Second, I really don't have a clue what the problem is. However, will try to check some things out behind the curtain here. Please stay tuned. Thanks much....

Friday, November 11, 2011

Worth following

I've added another blog to the list of ones I'm following. Does the writer have a point of view? Absolutely. An axe to grind? Maybe. But he writes clearly and there are some interesting links to sources and even a bit of wry humor to make his medicine about the food supply go down a tad easier.

To check out his Halloween post about processed foods yourself, click here.


Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Humbled and Proud

Today I found that my recent article in Edible Michiana led the Edible Communities newsletter's list of "must read" articles. Wow! What a start to the day. I am so happy for the folks in the story who deserve to succeed. And am taken aback for the recognition. Thank you Edible Communities.

To see their newsletter, click here.