2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session 2013 special election arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration international internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology television terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

I think local food is different than other products.  Local food can be fresh food (it doesn't have to be, but it can be).  Food from China (or from any long distance) is generally not fresh - it must be processed in some way to preserve it.  that may mean picking it before it is ripe (less nutritious), or processing it in ways that take away good stuff (micronutrients) or adding bad stuff (synthetic preservatives).

Michael Pollin's writing is an excellent resource on this.

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
view in context

I heard a few comments earlier in the program about "kids don't like it", or they don't "choose" particular items - -  I hate to sound like an old fart, but when I was in grade school in the early '70s, lunch was a serving of every item (including vegetables).  If you finished all on your plate you were then permitted to get extra of what you "liked". 

Kids choices about what they like are influenced by their peers.  They often say they don't like things that they have never tried, and choose to not try them because of peer pressure.  We owe it to them to expand their horizon by eliminating some choices of what they DO NOT put on their plate.  Encourage (force?) them to try everything!

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
view in context

The meal with local chili becomes more expensive because a regulation forces them to add cheese....That is a problem in the regulation, not in buying local.  Protein doesn't exist only in meat and cheese.

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
view in context