Sarah Elton has an interesting piece over at The Atlantic about how a chicken's life actually changes the way the bird eventually tastes when we eat it:

It wasn't until recently that I tasted chicken for what it truly is: a delicate meat that has a sense of terroir, not unlike wine or olives or chocolate. The meat on your plate reflects the bird's life--its breed, what it was fed, how it lived, even the way it was loved (or not) by the farmer. Raising a good chicken, I've learned, is an art.

Check out the article for more ...

There are so many new films out about the ecological and social impacts of our food system, it's hard to keep up! In case you've missed any, here's a selected list (and please add your own suggestions via the comments):

• Locavore
• Food, Inc.
• Fresh
• King Corn
• The Future of Food

Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, was recently interviewed by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now. In addition to the bit of advice above, he talks about the recent swine flu outbreak and industrial agriculture.

The New York Times has an interesting article, "Food storage as Grandma knew it," about how more and more people are returning to older methods of food storage.

During the recent Fall Color Tour in the Three Rivers area, Rob and I and a friend from Chicago stopped by the brandy house at Corey Lake Orchard/Hubbard's. The guy in the brandy house said they basically had their unpasteurized cider operation shut down this year because of a new crackdown (related to e-coli outbreaks in spinach, etc., no doubt). They got a long laundry-list of to-dos, which they completed, and then they got another long list at the next inspection. He said basically what they're asking is for Hubbard's to build a whole new building with all new stainless steel equipment. The orchard only produces 2,500-3,000 gallons of cider a year, so it would take a looooong time to pay for those improvements, plus the owner is 78 years old. At this point, he doesn't anticipate tackling cider again. The inspector also wanted the guy we talked to to attend a school to get certified for cider production, but he's been producing cider for 7 years and learned from someone who's been making it for 20 years. The orchard itself has been producing it for 50. In the brandy house was a whole pallet of empty plastic jugs just sitting there, still in the plastic packaging--a sad monument to a disappearing trade, not because demand is down, but because regulations have gotten out of control. I don't know if this is at all related to the hiatus of Spirit Springs, another local orchard, or not. Is there any way to advocate for small cider producers? Is there anyone doing research into the epidemic and possible solutions? Tom Springer's readings of his new book glorifying the experience of unpasteurized cider were at Hubbard's, so I'm sure he's aware of the problems. It's sad when the issues of industrialized agriculture start to unfairly (and irrationally) affect small family operations.

As part of the application process, the applicant was required to provide an antidegradation demonstration to show how the potential lowering of water quality is necessary to support important social and economic development in the area.

The DEQ's permit denial is based on rebuttals provided by Leonidas Township, local residents and other organizations to the statements contained in that antidegradation demonstration, which showed that neither the social or economic benefits listed in the antidegradation demonstration would benefit the local community.

One of the assertions in the antidegradation demonstration is that the CAFO will create jobs as a benefit; however, figures provided during the public comment period showed that any jobs provided by the CAFO will lower the median wage level in the township and replace higher paying jobs and family income at smaller farms. Another benefit given is that the CAFO will provide a long-term stable market for local crops and will help preserve rural character, open spaces, and wildlife habitat. This was also disputed by the public comments which demonstrated that hauling the large amount of manure over the township's roads will damage the rural character, and that the presence of the CAFO would result in a decline in property values and be detrimental to the sustainable tourism market in the area.

A few weeks ago, NPR's Weekend America reported an interesting story about the SAME (So All May Eat) Cafe in Denver, Colorado. The cafe uses high quality ingredients and asks customers to pay what they can for their meals.

Citing rising fuel costs, Wal-Mart is beginning to source fruits and vegetables from more local sources. While it's good to see the world's largest retailer doing the right thing, it would be better if the decision weren't driven solely by profit margin motivation.