Growers and Grocers

The blogosphere has buzzed with the idea of lab-grown meat for the last year or so, but today Wired offers a more in-depth look at the state of the research, and the problems that scientists wil need to overcome before lab-grown meat becomes a commercially viable product.
Any of you vegetarians want to comment on whether […]

USA Today profiles spray-on flavors, offering a look at some of the 150 squirtable food additives you might find at your local store.
The pump bottles are aimed primarily at dieters who want to add flavor without calories (because herbs and spices are hard to find?), but you’ll soon see candy-flavored sprays to make veggies more […]

As the Farm Bill approaches its renewal date in 2007, numerous groups have started pushing their own vision of what the new bill should say.
One of those strategies would just extend the Farm Bill from 2002. The Center for Rural America thinks this is a bad idea.
Chuck Hassebrook argues that the current Farm Bill’s “bigger […]

Norway has announced plans to build a “Noah’s Ark” for seeds, according to this AP story. The vault, in the remote Svalbard Islands, could keep three million seeds safe in the event of a disaster, which the designers define as nuclear war, environmental collapse, or “accidents, mismanagement and shortsighted budget cuts.”
The seeds will be wrapped […]

The Thomcord grape is emerging from California’s San Joaquin Valley farmer’s markets into wider distribution, according to this news item at the USDA. The new hybrid, a cross between the Thompson and the Concord, offers the deep-black skin of the Concord, a milder version of that grape’s taste, and the seedlessness of the Thompson.
One doesn’t […]

Remember Whole Foods CEO John Mackey’s open letter to Michael Pollan? Michael Pollan has responded with his own open letter that rebuts or discusses key points.
Spotted on eGullet

The Organic Consumers Association summarizes recent developments in the battle against Bovine Growth Hormone.
The biggest news: Companies such as Wal-Mart (America’s largest retailer) and Dean Foods (America’s largest milk processor) have started to hunt for more rBGH-free milk. Monsanto is lowering the price to hold onto its market share, but it’s hard to stop a […]

The American Medical Association wants to urge the government to impose warning labels on over-salted food, according to this item at the Organic Consumers Association. The doctors argue that America eats more than twice as much salt as it should, because salt contributes to high blood pressure and heart problems. They’ve even suggested some graphics: […]

The urban farm in South Central Los Angeles hit the end of its saga today as police and firefighters forcibly evacuated the tenants and their celebrity supporters.
The first national reports of this story sounded like typical government stupidity: Police would be evacuating a group of squatting residents who had started an urban farm that was […]

Trivia question: what is Switzerland’s favorite cheese? Emmenthaler? Gruyère?
Try again. John Tagliabue of the New York Times reports today that mozzarella has become the Swiss cheese of choice. And not only are the Swiss eating it in record quantities, now they even produce this traditional Italian treat.
The article profiles Mr. Hans Bieri and […]