Urban farmers vs. NIMBYist vegans, round one

 
BY CHRISTOPHER MIMS
Featured on gristlist: 6 FEB 2012 9:02 AM
 
Urban farmers are raising and slaughtering their own livestock, and a shadowy organization called Neighbors Opposed to Backyard Slaughter is up in arms about it. Writing at Mother Jones, Keira Butler gets the scoop on what’s sure to be the biggest civil war in the Bobo universe since the great “tomatoes in winter: is it OK as long as they’re local?” debate of ’09.

This bunch of NOBS has taken the time to put together a flyer and a website in opposition to urban farming — a tiny subset of farming that looks even more harmless when you consider the awful state of animal welfare in industrial agriculture. Sure, we may be talking about a minuscule number of animals that are being hand-raised in humane living situations, while the vast majority of our meat comes from deplorable conditions … but on the other hand, the NOBS members’ kids might have to think about a chicken getting killed! MAN THE TREBUCHETS.

At Grist we love us some vegetarianism, but it’s clear that the noslaughter.org site was put together by folks who aren’t objecting to where these animals were raised so much as to the fact that they were raised at all. Articles on the site from VegNews go on about “unnecesary suffering” and the like — dog whistles for folks who are morally opposed to eating meat in the first place.

Which is fine! I get it, there’s a moral case to be made for vegetarianism. But if the goal is reducing the quantity of suffering in the universe, this is clearly a case in which, even by the movement’s own goals, the perfect is the enemy of the good.
 
Read the original article here.

Ok. Finally harvested half the honey. It was a multi-staged process that took a week. I am at 25lbs right now. Thats about $125, great! Well, minus the jar I gifted to Mr. Danny Glover, cuz you know, its Danny Glover. Mr. Glover is an excellent conversationalist preferring topics of social change and human rights. In fact, turns out he did an event a while back with Food First. Doesn’t surprise me.
 
What did surprise me was this morning’s news. San Diego, CA has approved an urban agriculture plan for its residents which includes fowl, goats and bees. “Last March, the city received a $50,000 grant to promote healthier living and urban agriculture. On Tuesday, the City Council voted 8-0 to make it easier for residents to grow and sell food, as well as simplify rules for residents to keep chickens, goats and bees.”
 
There is a great summary table of their regulations which makes it much easier to decipher what you can and cannot do.
 
If conservative San Diego is willing to support their community to grow and raise their own food (especially during an economic downturn), I am sure Oakland will as well once the ordinance is proposed.

Many moons ago I read some journals that reported on the work of Robert Lustig. In 2008, his was one of the singular voices out there claiming that the behaviors that lead to obesity are not necessary the onus of the individual. Rather it may be the result of an unhealthy environment. This is especially true in the case of children.

Upon recently reading Weighing In by Julie Guthman, I am reminded again that indeed there are many factors beyond just a persons individual action that have affected the obesity rates in the United States. In fact, she goes so far as to say that the unequal presence of these factors is food injustice. She includes in her thesis a bullet list of what she believes are factors leading to the rise in obesity. A few of which are:

The built environment reflects existing social relationships and political-economic dynamics, including racial and class patterns in size, more than it creates them.

Food is cheap because of deeply rooted geopolitical and political economic interests that have encouraged overproduction and failed to regulate food production for health, safety, and welfare concerns.

Eating behaviors are mediated by a more complex set of social factors than education and access; in any case, it is unlikely that the association of alternative food [organic, local etc] and thinness comes to be through individual diets of alternative foods.

Which brings me to my next point. Celebrity chef, Paula Deen, who is known for her over the top decadent food preparations, including a hamburger in a bun of Krispy Kreme Donuts, has announced that she had Type II Diabetes. I have a sibling who LOVES Paula Deen. We argue about her because I say her recipes are disgusting, look bad, unhealthy and irresponsible. My sibling argues that they taste good and Paula Deen is so fun. I’ve argued that Deen’s husband has heart disease and he doesn’t eat her food (I learned this listening to a radio interview with Deen). Now this. Its not bad enough that she has Type II but she’s kept it secret from the public for two years in order to line up a pharmaceutical sponsor before going public.

I don’t blame Ms. Deen for our national health. However, I do think she has acted irresponsibly. I also think she represents values that have lead to the ill health of a nation, and at the end of the day, 2 + 2 does in fact equal 4.

Beautiful, dangerous, diverse, creative, broke, talented, hopeful, cutting edge…these are some of the words that come to mind when I think of Oakland. Perhaps these very qualities bring about the tension needed to be innovative and productive.

I opened the New York Times this past Sunday to see that of 45 places suggested to see in 2012, Oakland was number five. We are alongside Tokyo, Japan, Dakhla, Morocco, Moganshan, China, London (!) to name a few. And why are we listed? Because of our food and music scene. Oakland has some of the worlds most sophisticated restaurants. Add to this our bold food entrepreneurs and urban agriculturalists generating new industry and then come visit this complex city!

We are not a perfect city (whose is?). We continue to have entire districts devoid of appropriate food access. However, these are achievements accomplished during a time of severe economic constraint. It is something indeed.

Wow. I am finding it hard to keep up with the flurry of articles about projects and initiatives that are generating a new food landscape. Here are a few to catch up on over a cup of hot coco.

Oakland City Council approved a pilot project that will allow mobile food vendors to offer their creative concoctions in more areas around the city. In fact, we can look forward to a new year of food events through Oakland where caravans of food trucks (and bikes!) will huddle up to new areas, kind of like a lonchera flash mob. It will be fun to stay up to date and catch these hip events! Read more.

Now imagine if you will, a pod of mobile food vendors located adjacent to an Oakland urban farm abuzz with community members. If you need any inspiration as to what this could look like, read about this very thing unfolding in Brooklyn.

Wondering if this is pie in the sky thinking? Don’t think you can make this happen in your city? Well consider the District of Columbia’s “Food Production and Urban Gardens Program Act of 1986.” Read more about it here.

As usual, lots of exciting things going on in the wide world. In fact, for those of that believe in change, it does look like there is about to be some. Read a recent article about race politics and inequity…inequity, that words that keeps coming up. While the entire article is worth a read, I most liked the passage,

“The reason so many Americans are talking about inequality, is because we intend to actually drastically reduce or eliminate it. I am not opposed to working hard. But I am opposed to participating in an economy in which people like [Gene] Marks A) unilaterally set the rules and B) stack the deck against my community and pretend that the real problem is our “ignorance” of opportunities.”

That said, I am drawn to people and groups working to restructure our economic framework. Rock star attorneys, Janelle Orsi and Jenny Kassan, are doing just that. In fact, check out their article on Policies for a Shareable City: Food Sharing. Be prepared to be inspired.

“I’ll begin to sing of what keeps the wheat fields happy ….” Excellent post on the East Bay Urban Agriculture Alliance site, check it out (clickety click)!

I did a talk a while back at Shaping SF. I presented with Ruby Blume of Institute of Urban Homesteading and Melinda Stone of the fun blog, How to Homestead. These are neat ladies, doing neat things! Worth the listen to gain inspiration and find out how to get involved in the changing landscape of food.

You can listen to the audio by clicking here and selecting October 26th 2011 on Urban Homesteading.

The Turner Environmental Law Clinic at the Emory University School of Law, in partnership with Georgia Organics, have released one of the most comprehensive looks at urban agriculture policy in the U.S. The study provides a look at urban agriculture policies implemented by many of Sustain Lane’s top ranking sustainable cities. Download the report here.

In some of my dabbling into pop culture, I keep up with the show Top Chef. I love the creativity and competition. The new season launched and I am compelled by the fact that its in Dipak’s home state, the big T (that would be “Texas” folks). I was thrilled by the opening competition that featured none other than rabbit! I am also thrilled by their Mexicano contestant Chuy Valencia!! What up dude?! He grew up in Sonoma amidst his family growing and raising their own food. He talks about it fondly when interviewed. Naturally this is a language I understand so I fawn over his stories (as I am doing right now).

Already in the competition he has whipped up some inspired dishes, such as an adobo-rubbed rabbit in cashew pipian with grilled zucchini, topped with cilantro and cotija.

Adobo Seasoned Rattlesnake with Pasilla Balsamic BBQ Sauce.

Braised Goat Birria, Cabbage, Red Peanut Salsa, and Handmade Queso Fresco.

Needless to say, I am looking forward to observing what else he cooks up.