Comments on: Daisy Chains and Milkmaids; An Open Letter to Michael Pollan http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64 Letters from Mariquita Farm Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:55:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Bonnie Primbsch http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2948 Bonnie Primbsch Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:31:52 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2948 Here is a link to a Chronicle article on the Urban-Rural Roundtable--San Francisco attempting to craft a plan to draw more from the surrounding "foodshed" for the ~1 million pounds of food consumed in the city annually. They say, of course, that it won't be cheap--to start. Sounds great, of course. And I'm curious to know how they plan to make locally grown food the affordable norm. Any thoughts on that? http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/30/BA6A14C5S1.DTL Cheers, from yr former restaurant delivery driver, Bonnie Jean Here is a link to a Chronicle article on the Urban-Rural Roundtable–San Francisco attempting to craft a plan to draw more from the surrounding “foodshed” for the ~1 million pounds of food consumed in the city annually. They say, of course, that it won’t be cheap–to start. Sounds great, of course. And I’m curious to know how they plan to make locally grown food the affordable norm. Any thoughts on that?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/30/BA6A14C5S1.DTL

Cheers,
from yr former restaurant delivery driver,
Bonnie Jean

]]> By: Stephen Harrington http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2915 Stephen Harrington Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:15:43 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2915 Hi Andy- Nice piece on Pollan. I have also read much of his stuff. I felt that he was missing something with his letter to the pres. elect. but could not put my finger on it. It is astonishing how far reaching into our culture and politics food really is. I do not think that Pollan has realized, and I don't think anyone can at this point, how many more hands would be needed in the fields if all those John Deere combines in the Midwest didn't have so much corn to pick and instead cows roamed and all kinds of vegetables grew. Many of my relatives farm corn and soy beans there, they also have some of the most amazing vegetable gardens I've ever seen. Many Thanks for your hard work at the keyboard and in the dirt, we love our box of veggies every week! Stephen Harrington Executive Director The Open Space Alliance Hi Andy-

Nice piece on Pollan. I have also read much of his stuff. I felt that he was missing something with his letter to the pres. elect. but could not put my finger on it. It is astonishing how far reaching into our culture and politics food really is. I do not think that Pollan has realized, and I don’t think anyone can at this point, how many more hands would be needed in the fields if all those John Deere combines in the Midwest didn’t have so much corn to pick and instead cows roamed and all kinds of vegetables grew. Many of my relatives farm corn and soy beans there, they also have some of the most amazing vegetable gardens I’ve ever seen.

Many Thanks for your hard work at the keyboard and in the dirt, we love our box of veggies every week!

Stephen Harrington
Executive Director
The Open Space Alliance

]]> By: Bryan - oz4caster http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2906 Bryan - oz4caster Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:28:52 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2906 Andy, you're so right about farm workers so often being forgotten and taken for granted. When I was a child in the late 1950's, I remember the many "braceros" that came to my grandfather's conventional farm in South Texas for harvest of cotton and vegetables. I remember going into the field and picking some cotton and being in awe how much these workers could pick and how fast they could pick it. Now machines do much of the harvesting work. But as a teen, I too worked on my grandfather's farm, hoeing weeds, irrigating fields, putting in fence posts and wire, driving tractors, bailing hay and putting it on a trailer and into a barn. Much of it was hard physical work. I think until people have experienced this kind of work, many of them don't appreciate it. Maybe they should come to the farm and help out :) Andy, you’re so right about farm workers so often being forgotten and taken for granted. When I was a child in the late 1950’s, I remember the many “braceros” that came to my grandfather’s conventional farm in South Texas for harvest of cotton and vegetables. I remember going into the field and picking some cotton and being in awe how much these workers could pick and how fast they could pick it. Now machines do much of the harvesting work. But as a teen, I too worked on my grandfather’s farm, hoeing weeds, irrigating fields, putting in fence posts and wire, driving tractors, bailing hay and putting it on a trailer and into a barn. Much of it was hard physical work. I think until people have experienced this kind of work, many of them don’t appreciate it. Maybe they should come to the farm and help out :)

]]> By: Vincent http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2904 Vincent Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:51:31 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2904 What a great article. Thank you, thank you, thank you! What a great article. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

]]> By: Kari http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2902 Kari Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:13:03 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2902 Thank you so much for writing this excellent piece. I think Michael Pollan might even help you get that into the New York Times. Definately worth a shot. Thank you so much for writing this excellent piece. I think Michael Pollan might even help you get that into the New York Times. Definately worth a shot.

]]> By: Disa Fink http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2901 Disa Fink Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:26:09 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2901 Hi Andy and Julia, This is not in direct reply to your response to Pollan's article, though I did enjoy it, and went on to read his article as well. You are, of course, right, and people should be more aware of where their food comes from and who and what processes are involved in putting that food in their markets. It's a complicated process on many levels, and people and politicians, (especially Republicans for some reason?) tend to favor easy solutions, even if that means ignoring integral parts of the issues. (Don't get me going on the xenophobic parties now gaining influence in Europe!) I trust you've read Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle". I enjoyed reading it, as after 5 years of slaving double time to build up our brewery, we have decided that we NEEED to start growing our own food again. We were pretty much self-sufficent in terms of fruits, vegetables and herbs for slmost 20 years, raising chickens for eggs (and meat), and, occaisionally turkeys and geese. We still grow a bit of lettuce, some tomatoes and herbs, and still have our orchard and berry vines and bushes, but it's just not enough. One of my favorite hobbies is putting food by, and having to buy the raw materials kind of takes the fun out of it! (At least I can still do jellies, jams and chutneys from our fruits!) So, thanks in part to the Ladybug Letter, and the wistfulness it brings me to read about the pleasures and aggrivations of growing food, we're going to plow a patch of land for a vegetable garden, which will go in next Spring, as soon as the ground has that "If I were a seed, I'd like to grow in this" feel. Just to let you know that I really enjoy reading the Ladybug Letter, and I often check out Julia's recipies! Still hope to meet you someday. You and the family are always welcome here! Best regards, Disa Fink Hi Andy and Julia,
This is not in direct reply to your response to Pollan’s article, though I did enjoy it, and went on to read his article as well. You are, of course, right, and people should be more aware of where their food comes from and who and what processes are involved in putting that food in their markets. It’s a complicated process on many levels, and people and politicians, (especially Republicans for some reason?) tend to favor easy solutions, even if that means ignoring integral parts of the issues. (Don’t get me going on the xenophobic parties now gaining influence in Europe!) I trust you’ve read Barbara Kingsolver’s book “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”. I enjoyed reading it, as after 5 years of slaving double time to build up our brewery, we have decided that we NEEED to start growing our own food again. We were pretty much self-sufficent in terms of fruits, vegetables and herbs for slmost 20 years, raising chickens for eggs (and meat), and, occaisionally turkeys and geese. We still grow a bit of lettuce, some tomatoes and herbs, and still have our orchard and berry vines and bushes, but it’s just not enough. One of my favorite hobbies is putting food by, and having to buy the raw materials kind of takes the fun out of it! (At least I can still do jellies, jams and chutneys from our fruits!) So, thanks in part to the Ladybug Letter, and the wistfulness it brings me to read about the pleasures and aggrivations of growing food, we’re going to plow a patch of land for a vegetable garden, which will go in next Spring, as soon as the ground has that “If I were a seed, I’d like to grow in this” feel.

Just to let you know that I really enjoy reading the Ladybug Letter, and I often check out Julia’s recipies! Still hope to meet you someday. You and the family are always welcome here!
Best regards,
Disa Fink

]]> By: Liz Simmons http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2900 Liz Simmons Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:24:00 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2900 This is a great commentary on Pollan's piece. Thank you for writing this. This is a great commentary on Pollan’s piece. Thank you for writing this.

]]> By: Ellen Gill Pastore http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2897 Ellen Gill Pastore Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:52:00 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2897 Andy - kudos to you for that piece. We've never met, but you supply a certain restaurant I know in San Francisco with superb produce. Thank you, thank you for your salute to the farm workers. As you so eloquently point out, they are the ones who enable most of us to have decent food. I would add many restaurant workers to that. There was an NPR piece earlier today in which callers were asked to name potential cabinet members for our next president - hope I'm not jinxing anything here by saying I hope that will be Barack Obama - at any rate, Michael Pollan's name was suggested by someone to be Secretary of Agriculture. Andy: I nominate you for that post. Andy - kudos to you for that piece. We’ve never met, but you supply a certain restaurant I know in San Francisco with superb produce.

Thank you, thank you for your salute to the farm workers. As you so eloquently point out, they are the ones who enable most of us to have decent food. I would add many restaurant workers to that.

There was an NPR piece earlier today in which callers were asked to name potential cabinet members for our next president - hope I’m not jinxing anything here by saying I hope that will be Barack Obama - at any rate, Michael Pollan’s name was suggested by someone to be Secretary of Agriculture. Andy: I nominate you for that post.

]]> By: Hank http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2896 Hank Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:26:04 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2896 Nice piece. I work for one of the 'ag rags' and can tell you there is a deep frustration between those Republican farmers putting McCain signs on their fields and those who want to kick the illegals out. Aggie Republicans have fought a losing battle in California over immigration for years -- the gated-community jerks from SoCal have defeated them. Are the aggies friends of illegals? Not exactly. But they do recognize the need for them, unlike the SoCal crowd. Keep in mind that all Reeps do not think alike. Nice piece. I work for one of the ‘ag rags’ and can tell you there is a deep frustration between those Republican farmers putting McCain signs on their fields and those who want to kick the illegals out. Aggie Republicans have fought a losing battle in California over immigration for years — the gated-community jerks from SoCal have defeated them. Are the aggies friends of illegals? Not exactly. But they do recognize the need for them, unlike the SoCal crowd. Keep in mind that all Reeps do not think alike.

]]> By: Marcus Rector http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2894 Marcus Rector Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:46:01 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=64#comment-2894 Andy -- That's a powerful piece of writing about Michael Pollan's powerful piece of writing. I'm privileged to be on your mailing list and I'm sending this around to folks who are not on your list. Thanks, Marcus Rector Andy –
That’s a powerful piece of writing about Michael Pollan’s powerful piece of writing. I’m privileged to be on your mailing list and I’m sending this around to folks who are not on your list.
Thanks,
Marcus Rector

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