November 4, 2009 by Tricia
Do you subscribe to Meatingplace headlines and blog updates? I can’t remember how I came across the site, but I continue to read and get pissed; read, get pissed. It’s my education on inserting bias and “fast, flexible, fully automated sausage production.”
The industry blogs are even more fun, where bloggers like Yvonne Vizzier Thaxton of Poultry Perspectives argue semantics: in her view factory farms and family-owned farms are mutually exclusive. And the mere existence of factory farms is questionable. Oh, and this gem: “Poultry farmers are farmers and by nature these people love the environment otherwise, they could have a career in an office doing much less physically exhausting work.” (from “The message we need to shout,” 9/1/09; I’d link to it, but articles and blogs require a sign-in.)
Yesterday’s Meatingplace headlines were peculiar in that two stories were inconveniently interwoven.

The referenced author is Jonathan Safran Foer, whose new book is titled Eating Animals. He has an erroneously titled opinion piece here. I guess an honest, thorough title wouldn’t be as provocative. Do you think Foer’s critique of animal agriculture will be taken seriously? Is there room for another voice in this discussion?
Posted in Big Food, Blogs, In the News, Meat, Media, Reading and Research, Status Quo | 1 Comment »
November 2, 2009 by Tricia
Here’s a little clip of me using the handy-dandy mandoline to slice a wee potato. The uniform, thin slices vastly improved drying time compared to last year.
Drying the slices takes around 1.5–2 hours at 215˚, depending on the type of cookie sheet and the oven rack placement. It took probably around six hours to turn approximately five pounds of potatoes to one gallon of dehydrated potato slices.




Posted in Experimenting, Preservation | 2 Comments »
November 2, 2009 by Tricia
Posted in Fruit | 2 Comments »
September 7, 2009 by Tricia
Don’t ya just love all this “indoctrination” talk stirred up because—gasp!—the President seeks to directly engage schoolchildren?
Let us focus on some legitimate indoctrination:
“By the year 2000, the Centers for Disease Control estimated that one in five schools participating in the National School Lunch Program had brand-name fast foods in their lunchrooms.”
—School Lunch Politics by Susan Levine
More here.
Posted in Events, Health, Media, Reading and Research, Status Quo | 3 Comments »
August 18, 2009 by Tricia
Is there really a need for words?
Good, because it’s time for bed.


Porter Peach Ice Cream turns a humid August day into a blissful, humid August day.
Posted in Sweets | 4 Comments »
August 10, 2009 by Tricia
There really is an American cuisine: there’s even a book about it. I can’t wait to read The Food of a Younger Land, after Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal, of course.
From the WTF?!? file: “Crops, ponds destroyed in quest for food safety.”
“Integrity of Federal ‘Organic’ Label is Questioned”
Certified organic mock duck? And organic baby formula containing synthetic additives to help brain development, though the additives are produced using a potential neurotoxin.
Oklahoma can’t seek damages in the poultry suit. And apparently our expert witnesses are not acceptable to Judge Frizzell. This isn’t looking good.
A British grocery chain uses out-of-date meat to generate electricity. It’s part of their landfill diversion project, but why is there so much wasted meat in the first place?
A compelling case for regional selective breeding, regional food systems, and the importance of biodiversity:
“A tomato plant that travels 2,000 miles is no different from a tomato that has traveled 2,000 miles to your plate.”
Edited to add:
The National Corn Growers Association CEO Rick Tolman critiques Michael Pollan’s influence and ability to stir the pot and lauds Norman Bourlag, the founder of the Green Revolution (think “better living through chemistry”). Tolman references Bourlag’s editorial, which ignorantly reduces sustainable agriculture to back-breaking manual labor by warm bodies. Bourlag’s answer is “better seed and fertilizers.” Yeah, that seems to be working for India.
Posted in In the News, Reading and Research | Leave a Comment »
August 10, 2009 by Tricia
I thought I was okay with having high cholesterol…until I heard this: “Midlife Cholesterol Linked to Dementia” on NPR.
I’ve had high cholesterol since my early 20s. I just turned 29. I have great “good” cholesterol and blood pressure. Two to three years on a vegetarian diet did nothing to help my “bad” cholesterol. And since I’ve taken an interest in whole foods, I’ve read compelling information on how diet and cholesterol are, at best, loosely related.
I feel really silly arguing with my doctor about whether I really need to keep my cholesterol “under control” with meds. I’m sure I need to try the tried and true method of weight loss. Don’t worry, I’m not going to turn oklavore.com into a diet site. Just some rambling thoughts… I’d like to hear yours.
Posted in Fat, Health, In the News | 4 Comments »
I didn’t have super-high expectations for the raised bed we put in this spring. But, come on! One measly pepper? One wonky cucumber? A handful of beans? I suspect there are several problems:
1. Not enough sun. I underestimated the importance of six hours of direct sun. I love trees, but dang—what’s an enthusiastic newbie gardener to do?! We are moving in less than a week and I will not fudge the full-sun issue at the next garden.
2. Burying the soaker hose does not work well for young plants.
3. The raised bed is on a slight incline so during rains and watering, the melons were inundated with water (and seed likely floated away), while the cucumbers at the top of the bed were thirsty.
4. A two-inch gap has formed between the compost mixture and the frame. What does this mean?
5. I probably didn’t water enough during the mornings of the oppressive heatwave.
6. Something ate most of my pepper plants. I should actually utilize the hoops that were created for bird netting. Duh.
7. The curly tomato stakes worked great until the plant sent out thick shoots after the main lead had already intertwined with the curly stake. I probably need to learn about pruning tomato plants.
My only success has been the Fargo yellow pear tomatoes. They’re good, but no Mexican midget, which was last year’s big hit. The Mexican midgets have a better flavor, too. I am quite disappointed by the ground cherries. I had such good luck with them last year. I guess that’s what it was…luck. I think the volunteers are doing better than the transplants but none of them are producing. I planted them in the same spot, perhaps that was my folly? But, hey, I learned that ground cherries will re-seed, so that’s pretty cool.
I have identified some problems and quandaries in my garden. Head over to Peak Oil Hausfrau for some problem-solving techniques.


Posted in Garden | 6 Comments »