[lbo-talk] A Farm-to-Cafeteria Movement

Yoshie Furuhashi furuhashi.1 at osu.edu
Thu Aug 25 02:47:02 PDT 2005



> Kelly asked me what I meant by the farmer needing technology. I
> will be racing to a 2:00 class, but he had a small plot of land &
> was barely making it. The scientists did not understand companion
> planting & bug traps. Yet perhaps access to better strains, better
> water management techiniques, better ways to gauge stress on the
> plants, perhaps more intercropping, ...
> --
> Michael Perelman

Small farmers need a social movement that creates a demand for what they produce.

The New York Times claims that there is now a "farm-to-cafeteria" movement: "From the University of Montana to public schools in Tallahassee, Fla., officials at more than 200 universities and 400 school districts are supporting a farm-to-cafeteria movement to build their menus around fresh local ingredients. And students are cheering instead of complaining" (Marian Burros, "Fresh Gets Invited to the Cool Table," <http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/24/dining/ 24school.html>, 24 Aug. 2005).

There are several factors that are helping the farm-to-cafeteria movement grow:

* More and more school administrators, parents, and students have become environmentally conscious.

* Childhood obesity has become a big problem, raising the awareness of the need for healthier and more nutritious foods for schoolchildren: "'Children's obesity issues have highlighted the farm to school program,' said Marion Kalb, director of the national farm to school program for the Community Food Security Coalition. 'It appeals to taste as well as nutrition and how to get kids to change their eating habits'" (Burros, 24 Aug. 2005).

* Oil prices have gone up (and probably will go up even higher before the US economy, the Chinese economy, or both tank): "'This is the perfect time to do it, because fuel costs are so high that distribution companies are interested in the program,' said Kate Adamick, project director for SchoolFood Plus at Food Change, a nonprofit that helps improve schoolchildren's eating habits in New York City: (urros, 24 Aug. 2005).

Yoshie Furuhashi <http://montages.blogspot.com> <http://monthlyreview.org> <http://mrzine.org> * Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: <http://montages.blogspot.com/2005/07/mahmoud- ahmadinejads-face.html>; <http://montages.blogspot.com/2005/07/chvez- congratulates-ahmadinejad.html>; <http://montages.blogspot.com/ 2005/06/iranian-working-class-rejects.html>



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