First off what are subsidies for farms? Its money that helps off set losses. It is for both small and large farmers. If both have a loss both are going to get hurt. Subsidies are there to keep all farmers in business. There should not be a preference made between the large millionaire and the tiny farmer down the street. They are both there to feed us. Large and small is simple how much land a farmer has to grow. And it is the larger farms that supply most of our foods.
“The government has paid $1.3 billion in subsidies to people who own “farmland” that is not even used for farming.” How about looking at it this way, the government is paying non-farmers to keep their farm land and not simple selling it off for more roads or buildings or a park.
“If farm subsidies ended, U.S. agriculture would continue to thrive. Farms would adjust, planting different crops and diversifying their sources of income.” Yes but at what cost? Not just to the smaller farmers but to us the consuumers and our wallets.
This is something that needs a lot more reseaching to dig deeper and to know just think its welfare for famers.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
The Diversity of Food
What are some of the other plants that exist that are not consumed regularly that could be used for human food?
If it’s not something we consume regularly that its either not liked over all or on the expensive side. Meaning it’s hard to reproduce. I personally think the mangosteen fruit should be less expensive. It has such great benefits but it’s not cheap. It also is not something that is easy to grow. Something I don’t know a lot about but have looked into it is weeds. Some are safe to eat but don’t taste so hot. Others are tasty. I only my garden this year grew the tasty weeds. I remember eating miner’s lettuce as a kid it. It grew every where but I never saw it in stores. I also like foods that can be used in more then one type of foods. Something that is good for baking, fresh, steamed, etc.
A minimal diet for the human race could be put to a test if one of our main food supplies (wheat, rice, corn) was destroyed. We would have to look quickly to something else that can be easy and quickly to grow.
Having the same three grows grow could lead to less and less nutrition. They are changing the genes of plants all over in hopes of making a better plant but it also can lead to things like hard to reproduce. Take watermelon, every hated those black seeds so they bred them to have softer whiter seeds and now they have a couple of any seeds. Yes it’s great for the people who like watermelon and did not want to take the seeds out but what is really happening to all the watermelons plants? Will I be able to grow a watermelon myself in the next few years?
If it’s not something we consume regularly that its either not liked over all or on the expensive side. Meaning it’s hard to reproduce. I personally think the mangosteen fruit should be less expensive. It has such great benefits but it’s not cheap. It also is not something that is easy to grow. Something I don’t know a lot about but have looked into it is weeds. Some are safe to eat but don’t taste so hot. Others are tasty. I only my garden this year grew the tasty weeds. I remember eating miner’s lettuce as a kid it. It grew every where but I never saw it in stores. I also like foods that can be used in more then one type of foods. Something that is good for baking, fresh, steamed, etc.
A minimal diet for the human race could be put to a test if one of our main food supplies (wheat, rice, corn) was destroyed. We would have to look quickly to something else that can be easy and quickly to grow.
Having the same three grows grow could lead to less and less nutrition. They are changing the genes of plants all over in hopes of making a better plant but it also can lead to things like hard to reproduce. Take watermelon, every hated those black seeds so they bred them to have softer whiter seeds and now they have a couple of any seeds. Yes it’s great for the people who like watermelon and did not want to take the seeds out but what is really happening to all the watermelons plants? Will I be able to grow a watermelon myself in the next few years?
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Worst Mistake
I do not believe going from hunters to farming is the worst mistake. We have benefit greatly from it but there is all so the down side.
Farming has bettered our lives compared to the cavemen long ago it has also add other negative elements to our present day lives. The quality of the food now is less in nutritional value then in the cave days. Our tastes are more tuned to the likes of fat and sugar that is in most of our foods today. If a meal was prepared like the caveman ate I highly doubt most of us would be able to eat much of it.
Now days it has given us a more lax thinking on food. Most of us aren't worried where our next meal is coming from. We don't have to think "well if I head east two miles and then a little south I saw a heard of deer", no we simple walk a few feet to our kitchen and forage for a candy bar that was lost behind the raisin box. We also have the choice of the candy bar or an apple. Back in the cave days it was whatever was around it wasn't "make it your way". The Kalahari Bushman only have to work(hunt) 12 to 19 hours a week. They themselves said why farm when mongongo nuts are easy picking? They don’t have other tie downs that a normal society has. People work over 40 hours a week, dropping off and picking up children at school and childcare, cleaning, preparing the meals. Who knows there might be a few that would trade all that for the simple life of Kalahari Bushmen but most like their comforts.
Hunting and gathering took a lot of time and effort. If a person got hurt while on a hunting trip they would be plum out of luck in the gathering department for a while as well as their family. It was the survival of the fittest and if you weren’t able to hunt you didn’t survive.
By changing how we get our food it has let us develop other skills that also aided in our ability to better our society.
Again it comes down to free choice. The Kalahari Bushmen choose to eat only mongongo nuts I choose to eat Taco Bell. Will the live longer them me? Maybe
Farming has bettered our lives compared to the cavemen long ago it has also add other negative elements to our present day lives. The quality of the food now is less in nutritional value then in the cave days. Our tastes are more tuned to the likes of fat and sugar that is in most of our foods today. If a meal was prepared like the caveman ate I highly doubt most of us would be able to eat much of it.
Now days it has given us a more lax thinking on food. Most of us aren't worried where our next meal is coming from. We don't have to think "well if I head east two miles and then a little south I saw a heard of deer", no we simple walk a few feet to our kitchen and forage for a candy bar that was lost behind the raisin box. We also have the choice of the candy bar or an apple. Back in the cave days it was whatever was around it wasn't "make it your way". The Kalahari Bushman only have to work(hunt) 12 to 19 hours a week. They themselves said why farm when mongongo nuts are easy picking? They don’t have other tie downs that a normal society has. People work over 40 hours a week, dropping off and picking up children at school and childcare, cleaning, preparing the meals. Who knows there might be a few that would trade all that for the simple life of Kalahari Bushmen but most like their comforts.
Hunting and gathering took a lot of time and effort. If a person got hurt while on a hunting trip they would be plum out of luck in the gathering department for a while as well as their family. It was the survival of the fittest and if you weren’t able to hunt you didn’t survive.
By changing how we get our food it has let us develop other skills that also aided in our ability to better our society.
Again it comes down to free choice. The Kalahari Bushmen choose to eat only mongongo nuts I choose to eat Taco Bell. Will the live longer them me? Maybe
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
inequities in food
Unfairness is in the eye of the beholder. I think its unfair that Mr.X gets to eat truffles and foie Gras at fancy pants restaurants. I can only afford a bean and cheese burrito.
So this article is saying that the fat Americans aren't able to know when enough is enough concerning food. We eat until we make ourselves sick and die. Free choice is a big deal that some people are trying to take away. I don't mind scientists researching (always check the research) foods and saying this is good this is bad. In the end it is my choice to eat the twinkle and not the carrot. Do I know the twinkle is going to add nothing but negative aspects to my body? Yes. But its my choice. I do my own research with classes to better understand the right ways to eat.
Its funny that potatoes are the "it" vegetable. School lunches are what the FDA looks at and says Wooo children in the U.S. are eating really bad and we are providing the food quick what can we change? Potatoes.
Because the majority likes potatoes (a starch people) and to boost charts, records, statistics everywhere (cough school lunches) they became veggies no matter how they are cooked. Don't get me started on katsup.
Then the article has the flip side of the coin, "children", "Sudan", "War-Torn", and unthinkable food such as "high-calorie biscuits and sugar water". This is suppose to make people think and do, what? Those are called buzz words. They are used in the drive by media to stir up things. Its too hard to say yes pay for high-calorie biscuits and sugar water ( I don't care if you are starving this is a horrid pick of nutrition). More information is needed for this article to work. I need statistics. I need the science behind why there isn't a good source of food (war is not a good reason). I need how the data is collected, proof, what other opinions were on the table? Was not Sudan one of the countries that turned down corn to plant because it was genetically engineered. Thanks to PETA jumping in to say its horrid because it had animal protein added (not true).
Types and quantities of food is different all over the world. Is it unfair I can't eat truffles and foie Gras? Nope, I don't eat over priced mushrooms(too cheap) or the liver of a goose (meat). I don't find it unfair Mr.X gets to dine on this. It is his choice whether or not its "good" for him is also his choice.
So this article is saying that the fat Americans aren't able to know when enough is enough concerning food. We eat until we make ourselves sick and die. Free choice is a big deal that some people are trying to take away. I don't mind scientists researching (always check the research) foods and saying this is good this is bad. In the end it is my choice to eat the twinkle and not the carrot. Do I know the twinkle is going to add nothing but negative aspects to my body? Yes. But its my choice. I do my own research with classes to better understand the right ways to eat.
Its funny that potatoes are the "it" vegetable. School lunches are what the FDA looks at and says Wooo children in the U.S. are eating really bad and we are providing the food quick what can we change? Potatoes.
Because the majority likes potatoes (a starch people) and to boost charts, records, statistics everywhere (cough school lunches) they became veggies no matter how they are cooked. Don't get me started on katsup.
Then the article has the flip side of the coin, "children", "Sudan", "War-Torn", and unthinkable food such as "high-calorie biscuits and sugar water". This is suppose to make people think and do, what? Those are called buzz words. They are used in the drive by media to stir up things. Its too hard to say yes pay for high-calorie biscuits and sugar water ( I don't care if you are starving this is a horrid pick of nutrition). More information is needed for this article to work. I need statistics. I need the science behind why there isn't a good source of food (war is not a good reason). I need how the data is collected, proof, what other opinions were on the table? Was not Sudan one of the countries that turned down corn to plant because it was genetically engineered. Thanks to PETA jumping in to say its horrid because it had animal protein added (not true).
Types and quantities of food is different all over the world. Is it unfair I can't eat truffles and foie Gras? Nope, I don't eat over priced mushrooms(too cheap) or the liver of a goose (meat). I don't find it unfair Mr.X gets to dine on this. It is his choice whether or not its "good" for him is also his choice.
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