Monthly Archives: June 2012

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/the-triumph-of-the-family-farm/8998/ We buried my grandfather last spring. He had died in his sleep in his own bed at 95, so, as funerals go, it wasn’t a grim occasion. But it was a historic one for our small rural community. My great-grandparents were early settlers, arriving in 1913 and farming the land throughout their lives. My grandfather continued that tradition, and …

Last week, I had the great pleasure of participating in a discussion panel at the Food Dialogues, a program presented at UCLA by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, which was established to try to make a major contribution to the ongoing national discussion about food. We live in an extraordinary time with regard to the number of media stories …

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/06/26/world/europe/26reuters-wine-plague.html A wine plague spread by lice destroyed vines in France in the 19th century but a small area in the Pyrenees, which contains plants up to 200 years old, was spared and is being classified as a national heritage monument. Like other national treasures such as the Palace of Versailles and Notre Dame cathedral, the vines in the Ardour …

http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDAOC-44ad97 WASHINGTON, June 14, 2012 — Today, USDA released the annual report, Expenditures on Children by Families, finding that a middle-income family with a child born in 2011 can expect to spend about $234,900 ($295,560 if projected inflation costs are factored in*) for food, shelter, and other necessities to raise that child over the next 17 years. This represents a …

I am making my first-ever visit to Shanghai, China and I’m very impressed with the quality and reputation of California grown food products here. I’m joining 27 California food companies as part of a trade mission supported by the California State Trade Export Program and facilitated by the Fresno Center for International Trade Development. This mission is truly bringing a …