Had about 1200 in Hartford. This Palin look-alike was a fun sideshow. Had to get my pic taken with her, couldn't resist. <g> She's a dead ringer - Tina Fey better look out!
sarahpalinimposter.com
She was also at the New Haven Tea Party, where she said a few words from the podium.
newhavenindependent.org
This guy is coming to your neighborhood, more radical than any Tea Party person.
>>Meet the 'Omnivore' farmer
Joel Salatin speaks at the Bell
Museum's "Hungry Planet" exhibit.
By BETH DOOLEY, Special to the Star Tribune
Last update: April 14, 2010 - 1:30 PM
Of all the labels tossed at Joel Salatin --
farmer, movie star and local food hero --
"lunatic" is the one he's most proud of.
"I don't do anything like average farmers,"
boasts the native of Swoope, Va., who calls
himself a "grass farmer."
Catapulted to fame by Michael Pollan's
bestselling book "Omnivore's Dilemma," and
by a lead role in the award-winning film
"Fresh," Salatin and his Polyface Farm have
captured national attention for his
commitment to Earth- and animal-friendly
methods, including rotation grass grazing,
humane treatment of animals and local
processing on a large scale.
Salatin, on a multi-city speaking tour
promoting local artisan-based food as a
viable alternative to the industrial food
system, will be in town Sunday to kick off a
series of Earth Day events with two lectures
at the Bell Museum. We caught up with him by
phone to talk about his upcoming visit.
Q You were in Northfield, Minn., last spring
as the keynote speaker at the annual
Sustainable Farming Association conference.
What do you think of our area? How is our
local food system doing?
A Great! This area is a hotbed of local food.
There's a lot going on. I have an affinity for
the region; it's like ours. It's in the same
growing zone as North Dakota. We northern
farmers have more time on our hands in the
winter to think about things, big things.
Q Are you seeing positive changes here?
A You've got an amazing array of sustainable
farmers and producers. We need 10,000 T
odd Churchills of Thousand Hill's Cattle
Co., more Will Winters of Traditional Foods
Warehouse, and farms like Riverbend,
Featherstone and Gardens of Eagan.
Q What do you see for the future of our food
system?
A I'm not a prophet, but I am an optimist. I'm
seeing a lot of individual interest and
collaborative effort. People are working
together to move the local food system
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forward. But local, sustainable food is still
only about 2 percent of food sales. Yet clean
food, local food, is a viable alternative to
industrial, corporate genetically modified
food.
Q Can this alternative system really produce
the quantity of food we need?
A If we are serious about having real choices,
we need to look at the obstacles that prohibit
clean, local food. We need to deal with the
government regulations, licensing and
insurance requirements that make it
impossible for small farmers and producers
to get their goods to the consumer. We've got
to dispense with farm subsidies and expose
the hidden costs in industrial food.
Right now it's illegal to buy pickles from your
neighbor or milk from the farmer down the
street. Yet humankind has been eating this
way for centuries.
We also need to look at our priorities. Most
people are willing to pay more for quality. We s
pend money on plenty of things we don't
need. Think about designer jeans with holes
in them. Why do we expect to get more for
less when it comes to food?
Q Are you seeing change, though?
A Yes. There's far more availability of high-
quality, locally raised and produced food,
and there's tremendous potential. The
demand is high and the interest is there. It's
really about choice. That's my mantra:
choice. That's why I'm pouring 110 percent
of my energy into raising awareness around
what a sustainable system can look like.
Beth Dooley is a Minneapolis freelance writer
and cooking instructor.
startribune.com |
