Personally, I think you’re especially right on the mark when you say, “Agendas like those of Mr. Hurst, the Farm Bureau and PERC serve only the interests of the large corporations that fund them, not of the farmers whose toil fills their coffers.” Unfortunately small farmers are engaging in a fight with Pollan, HSUS, and organic/sustainable foodies in a way that benefits corporate Big Ag far more than it benefits themselves — but they fail to see or admit it. For example, “Small “Ag” farmers of all sizes and stripes are pushing forward on the social media front against [yellow tail] Australian wine for donating $100,000 to the Humane Society of the United States. Never mind that these farmers are carrying water for Big Beef, Big Poultry, etc. with this tactic — they honestly believe they’re defending their livelihood. Y’all might be interested in a tete-a-tete over at Fair Food Fight regarding the [yellow tail] fight. Ag’s defensiveness and willingness to scrap are thoroughly on display in the comments:

http://www.fairfoodfight.com/blog/el-drag%C3%B3n/big-ag-takes-yellowtail-wine

I’d strongly recommend that SOLE food enthusiasts familiarize themselves with the very personal and passionate arguments that Small Ag is making on behalf of Big Ag because the terrain is changing under our feet. But we also need to look in the mirror and examine our own self-righteousness and condescension at this juncture (myself strongly included). SOLE enthusiasts have a tendency to talk down to anyone who doesn’t know what we know, believe what we believe. After reading Pollan, we tend to assume that we understand ag better than people who’ve farmed their whole lives. But we aren’t just ranting on the fringe anymore. Ag is now paying attention to what we’re saying and I for one see it as an opportunity to ditch our moralizing, accusatory language, deepen the discussion and to actually find small farmer allies on the other side of the fence row who might listen (yes, they ARE out there).

Their industry is changing dramatically. And they know it.

We live rural, work urban, eat game where possible and raise our own poultry.

It will be interesting to watch.

Simplicity loves a villain. I was disheartened to hear audience members at a recent Slow Food screening clap for someone’s side swipe of Walmart. While I’m not a fan of the big box stores or the havoc they wreak on local economies, I tried to make the point, that pragmatically speaking one has to assume that the Walmarts of the world will not go away anytime soon. If that is true, I would rather they sell sustainable seafood than not. Some people are so disconnected with the way the majority of America shops they cannot accept that my position may have merit.

Wishing for an alternate universe where everyone in the world buys only from local CSFs and CSAs is all well and good, but it doesn’t mean we cannot simultaneously make incremental progress in other ways which accept the world as it is today.

I also pointed out that these screenings are attended by people who are already in the choir. What good in terms of social change, does that accomplish? If we were willing to have a more open dialog, we would stand a better chance of engaging middle America in making the kinds of incremental changes you suggest, like the buy local tithing. I like that idea very much.

Upward and onward, eh?

Jacqueline Church
The Leather District Gourmet

As a fledgling grass fed cattle producer, I can identify with both sides of the argument. Where I yours and my opinions disagree is the point where you say “…in fact both want the same thing: healthy food for all”…I believe that industrial agricultural and the “upstream” commercial food processors do not want to produce “healthy food” so much as they want “safe food”. To me, there is a very big difference. AND, I might add, they are more than willing to play “on the razors edge” of safety, leaving almost no margin for error.

For “Them” healthy costs more to produce, whereas, safe has a higher margin of profit.