2012 Farm Bill: The USDA is all talk

Take a peek at the USDA's dietary guidelines, and you'll find it suggests eating more plant-based foods and less saturated fat. The only problem? They're all talk.

This chart, courtesy of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, clearly marks how our recent spending history has fared. 63% of food subsidies have supported the meat and dairy industries, while less than 1% have gone to fruits and vegetables, the very foods the USDA claims we should eat more of. Well, they sure aren't making it easy, are they?

Want to make a difference? Tell your elected officials to do something about it before the 2012 Farm Bill is put to a vote.

The Food Matters Project: Cornmeal Chickpea Fritters

The first time I made this dish, I did what I sometimes do and later regret. I read the recipe once, forget about it for a week or two, then tried to make it from memory because I was too lazy to open the cookbook. Maybe you sometimes find yourself in this circumstance, too. Well, let's just say my first attempt was far from memorable.

This time, I took it in a new direction, blending a can of chickpeas with arugula, onion, salt, pepper, an egg, and cornmeal until thick enough to drop into a pan of oil. Paired with an herbed Greek yogurt dip, it made for a delightful supper alongside a fresh green salad.

For the original recipe, visit Lena's blog.

Workers make $2.88 per hour picking grapes

**The Giving Table Book Club is currently reading The American Way of Eating by Tracie McMillan. It's easy to join, simply visit our discussion group over on Goodreads!

When Tracie McMillan picked grapes for a week in California's San Joaquin Valley as research for her book, she made the going rate for some of today's farm workers: $2.88 per hour. After a day's work, she took home a grand total of $26 for 9 hours of labor. Cutting garlic at another farm, she took home $54.40 for 24 hours of work. Minimum wage would have yielded $192.

It's difficult not to consider this while choosing a plastic bin of produce at the grocery store or while driving along California's Interstate 5. With no sick days or safety nets, workers live paycheck to paycheck, in poverty-like conditions. NPR recently reported that most farm workers continue working while sick (which in turns exposes co-workers and consumers to viruses), because they cannot afford to take a day off.

Is accessibility in our local grocery store worth the mental, physical and emotional cost to our nation's farm workers?

5 Kickstarter Food Projects (June)

Yesterday we discussed how you can use Kickstarter to kickstart your personal philanthropy strategy. Here are 5 food projects that need your support this month.

1. Forage Kitchen is the first co-working space for food. More than a shared use kitchen, it will be a home for food makers, and a hub for the Bay Area food community.  A philosophically focused space, where local food producers can start their projects with the support of others going through the same struggles. Last day to give: June 29th

2. Food Cycle: Building Soil with Pedal Power. Food Cycle, a project of Troy Bike Rescue and Collard City Growers, is a bicycle compost delivery project employing neighborhood youth, while diverting household and restaurant food and yard waste back into the ground on our urban farm all by way of the transportation of the future: The bicycle! Food Cycle will create a hyper-local compost network that lays the groundwork for a self-sustaining, scalable enterprise. We need the help of financial backers (you!) for initial investment. Last day to give: June 20th.

3. Freshmobile. We are raising funds to help retrofit the inside of our Freshmobile, a "market" on wheels that will bring healthy food options to underserved neighborhoods in Madison, WI that lie within a "food desert". These neighborhoods usually do not have a healthy food alternatives within easy access. We want to offer people living in these neighborhoods a means to making HEALTHY food choices by bringing this truck/trailer to their neighborhoods. Last day to give: June 24th.

4. Mobile Garden Project. The Mobile Garden Project is uniquely designed to let anyone grow their own food. We will grow gardens in old shopping carts and loan them out to families, classrooms, retirement homes, etc. Each garden will come equipped with the instructions and materials needed to grow food, and recipes with ideas for using the food. By supporting the Mobile Garden Project you're not only supporting this small project and helping us reach more folks in our area, you're also supporting the local community and economy, and organic agriculture. Last day to give: June 29th.

5. The Food Lab at Walker Jones. In the Spring of 2010, Walker Jones built DC's largest school garden.  Since then, the faculty and staff have been able to incorporate the garden into their classes, teaching our kids the importance of growing and eating our own food. Our goal for the Walker Jones Food lab is to make this a full time, real working classroom, because we believe that improving test scores, and doing well in math and english and the sciences goes hand-in-hand with a healthy body. We pride ourselves in not being a “Home Ec” class, because we’re not here to teach the students the basics of baking and cooking. Last day to give: June 16th.

Giving 101: Using Kickstarter to Kickstart your Food Philanthropy

Kickstarter is the world's largest funding platform for creative projects, offering the opportunity to raise funding to launch unique ideas. Projects are only funded if it reaches its goal before the time runs out (relatively one month). This way, projects won't be developed with insufficient budgets, and everyone involved is protected. 

Of course, not all projects on Kickstarter are philanthropic. Someone might want to start a motorcycle magazine or start a quilting business, but many projects do have a social agenda, making it a great way to experiment with our giving.

Many campaigns only require a minimum of $1 to donate. This lets you get your feet wet without jumping into the deep end just yet. Also, gifts are a one time donation. No monthly requirements, no mailing lists, and you're helping someone achieve a dream.

Coming up tomorrow: Kickstarter Food Projects that need your support in the month of June.