News from the front...

I post often about trends in food. Sooner or later they show up here on the farm. Just a sample of the current chatter:

The last decade's avalanche of information about food, where to get it, what's in it, and how it's made has been mostly a very good thing: the industrialized food system that wallows in corn syrup, hydrogenated soybean oil, and boneless, skinless chicken breasts is finally being recognized as unhealthy for both individuals and society, as well as the very soil. American culture is in the gradual process of rediscovering the pre-industrial food system, and recovering some of the benefits that many other countries have yet to lose: seasonality of fruits and vegetables, the higher quality of meats produced by smaller-scale production, etc. [More]

While mildly voiced, the resonating message of this commentary is less about the conclusions, and more about how deeply embedded the idea that industrial agriculture has let us down as food consumers.

This is bald nonsense. Our agricultural apparatus, while skewed sadly by government intervention simply supplies the consumer what they pay for. Since recently they have shown an attraction to process in addition to price, producers are scrambling to supply that market. Chastising an astoundingly efficient industry for not anticipating the consumer's latest whim is childish.

Agriculture cannot turn on a dime. However, put down a dollar....