Change We Can Stomach: An Op-Ed by Dan Barber

Dan Barber is the chef and co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and is a buyer of Hardwick Beef. In his May 11 Op-Ed piece in the New York Times, Dan argues that as the price of oil increases, small farmers have an easier time competing with industrial agriculture.

He writes, "With the price of oil at more than $120 a barrel (up from less than $30 for most of the last 50 years), small and midsize nonpolluting farms, the ones growing the healthiest and best-tasting food, are gaining a competitive advantage. They aren’t as reliant on oil, because they use fewer large machines and less pesticide and fertilizer."

Read the complete article.

Soil Being Depleted: A Global Crisis

by Ridge Shinn

A May 8 article by the AP's Seth Borenstein discusses the worsening crisis in the world's soil, a critical ingredient if we are to feed the world's population. No matter how good the seeds are for crops, they can't grow in poor soil.

He writes, "Soils around the world are deteriorating with about one-fifth of the world's cropland considered degraded in some manner. The poor quality has cut production by about one-sixth, according to a World Resources Institute study." Unfortunately, the article continues, this topic isn't "sexy" enough to interest governments and charities, and doesn't get the attention it deserves.

Read the complete article here.