The Latest News and Updates on What’s Going On in the World
How Close Can a Farmers Market Be to a Train Track?
Check out this farmers market challenged by a train. The market shown in the video is one located at Maeklong (Maekrong) a town near Bangkok. A news photo of the market from 2001 has the following caption: “Thai vegetable market vendors pull back temporary shades and their produce off a railway track to allow a cross-country train to pass through the middle of the town of Maekrong, 60 kilometers west of Bangkok, April 5, 2001. The bustling market, in the middle of the town, has to scramble from the tracks eight times a day as trains pass, a scene repeated in other rural centers and some city slums across Thailand every day.”
And an article about the markets published on the Rex Features website notes that, in spite of regular interruptions by passing trains, the market works very well and only two people have died during the last twenty years. Take a look—it’s incredible! Go to Train and the Market.
Do Eggs from Pastured Hens Have a Greater Nutritional Value?
A study conducted by researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has shown that eggs produced by chickens allowed to forage in pastures are higher in some beneficial nutrients than are eggs laid by caged hens. The research, titled “Vitamins A, E and fatty acid composition of the eggs of caged hens and pastured hens, ” was published online this year in the January issue of “Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems.” The researchers examined how moving pastured hens to forage legumes or mixed grasses influenced hen egg omega-3 fatty acids and concentrations of vitamins A and E. “Compared to eggs of the commercial hens, eggs from pastured hens had twice as much vitamin E and long-chain omega-3 fats, more than double the total omega-3 fatty acids, and less than half the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids,” said lead investigator Heather Karsten, associate professor of crop production ecology.
Grain Exchanges and Commodity Indexes
For all of us food economic-history wonks there is a fascinating article in the July 2010 issue of Harper’s about the history of grain exchanges, commodity indexes, speculation, and how they affect the price of food in America. Find it at “The Food Bubble.”
Roundup Resistant Superweeds March Throughout the U.S.
I’ve now seen two articles in the last week about weeds that are resistant to Roundup from Monsanto. In case you forgot, about 20 years ago Monsanto introduced Roundup Ready seeds and herbicides. Roundup Ready seeds were genetically modified to have an immunity to Roundup, an herbicide. Farmers could then use Roundup on their crops and not destroy valuable food crops. 90 percent of the nation’s soybeans and 70 to 80 percent of our corn and cotton are Roundup Ready crops. Farmers started to see Roundup resistant weeds about 10 years ago, and now they are becoming epidemic. To deal with this emerging problem, other chemical companies such as Dupont, Dow, Bayer, Basf, and Sygenta are working to develop other modified soybean, corn, and cotton seeds that can survive a dousing of older herbicides. In the article “Superweed Outbreak Triggers Arms Race” in the June 4 issue of the Wall Street Journal John Jachetta, a scientist at Dow Chemical’s Dow AgroSciences and President of the Weed Science Society of America was quoted as saying “It will be a very significant opportunity” for chemical companies. “It is a new era.” You really need to read this article.
Social Justice and Local Food
“When you buy from farms that treat their workers fairly, you are helping to limit the cruel conditions for farm workers. And although it’s not always possible to find out, knowing your farm vendor or visiting his or her farm (or Web site) may give you some idea of how the staff is treated. Your food dollar votes for everything it takes to make that food, including the treatment of the people who grow it.” -Amy Cotler, from The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food
Sweet Potatoes Contain Protective Antioxidants
An article in Farmers’ Markets Today reports that caffeoylquinic acids, which are known for their antioxidant activities, were found in measurable amounts in sweet potatoes by ARS scientists. The highest levels of the compounds were found in the layer of tissue just under the skin, intermediate levels were found in the interior of the sweet potato, and the lowest levels were found in the skin. The research was published in the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science.
American Medical Association (AMA) Passes Resolution Supporting Sustainable Food System
In June, the AMA approved a new policy resolution to support practices and policies that promote ecologically sustainable food systems. The resolution also calls on the AMA to educate the health care community and the public about the importance of healthy and ecologically sustainable food systems. To read more about the resolution go to AMA Supports Sustainability
