Good Food is Everybody's Business
There’s a whole new universe of marketing and advertising used to target children and adolescents – digital marketing. These are sophisticated online and social media marketing techniques!
Big Food and Big Ag are doing their best to keep their products on the shelves, on the tables, in school lunches, and in the minds of children all the while posturing to offer healthier foods. Big Money is now in the act and the lobbying is hot and heavy. Is it getting too hot in the kitchen? Marion Nestle took a look at the latest direction the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign is going and noted: “Apparently, she has given up on encouraging food companies to make healthier products and stop marketing junk foods to kids.” Ms. Obama announced that she will now focus on getting kids to be more active.
Josh Wolbeck, who is new to the organic farming industry, stands by his herd of cows on his family’s farm outside of Sauk Centre. As of this fall, Wolbeck’s entire farm, including 223 acres of tillable land and 60 dairy cows, is certified organic. Wolbeck hopes the transition will provide a more stable income for him as the market for conventional milk continues to fluctuate.
The Environmental Working Group reviewed 84 popular brands of breakfast cereal and found that Kellogg’s Honey Smacks, nearly 56% sugar by weight, is the worst breakfast cereal for children to eat. A one-cup serving of the brand packs more sugar than a Hostess Twinkie!
Linda O’Brien and her husband, Jim raise barley – lots of barley – for a large national brewer. Now they are exploring new opportunities: transitioning their fields to organic production and offering a value-added product – roasted barley. Linda has launched her product line of roasted barley, RōBarr, in Montana and Spokane Washington. You can buy it online too!
Calling the coffee alternative RōBarr, Linda has launched a new business roasting, bagging, and marketing grains that can be used for a flavorful beverage as a coffee or tea alternative.
Those who farm in northeastern Montana – the northern Great Plains – face very cold winters, very hot summers, and very little rain (11-14 inches annually). Some farmers are finding that organic growing methods are providing a better market, reasonable prices, and more net profit than conventional methods.
For those who are trying to farm in the Palouse region of eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and northwestern Montana, there is only one name for it – Dryland Farming. Annual rainfall levels of 8 to 16 inches mean that farmers have to be good – very good – at moisture management.
Ina Denburg, our Healthy Eating contributor, joined farmers, food justice activists, community gardeners, and others for a “re-localized” food system in a rally organized by Food Democracy Now and the OWS food justice committee.
