Michael Pollan on the Farm Bill...

Quoted: If the eaters make themselves heard, we might end up with something that looks less like a farm bill and more like the food bill a poorly fed America so badly needs.

Interesting article on the favorite foods of great philosophers.

Quoted: Epicurus is renowned for his gluttony, as if throughout his life he had done nothing but stuff himself with food and drink. Today we still refer to those who freely pursue the fulfillment of pleasure as ‘epicureans’ or ‘hedonists’ (from the Greek edoné, or ‘pleasure’, and indicates the Epicurean doctrine).

This is an interesting idea. I wonder how well it works.

Quoted: CSA is a unique model of local agriculture whose roots reach back 30 years to Japan where a group of women concerned about the increase in food imports and the corresponding decrease in the farming population initiated a direct growing and purchasing relationship between their group and local farms.

Quoted: As you head to the garden or farmers' market to pick out the most fragrant basil for pesto and the most colorful peppers for roasting, it's good to start thinking about which wines to pour with fresh, seasonal dishes.

This feature shows photos of the food people eat on a daily basis in different parts of the world, including the price of groceries. The family from Chad spends the equivalent of $1.23 while the family from North Carolina spends $341.98. Also interesting to see how packaged and processed foods appear to increase with economic development.

Quoted: What's on family dinner tables in fifteen different homes around the globe? Photographs by Peter Menzel from the book "Hungry Planet"

Impressive story on Alice Waters and Chez Panisse...

Quoted: With her famed Berkeley, Calif., restaurant, Alice Waters helped give rise to a new cuisine based on locally grown, seasonal ingredients. Waters and her biographer discuss what has made the Chez Panisse such an offbeat and memorable place to eat for more than three decades.

I'm looking forward to checking out Chez Panisse after hearing a lot about their work educating kids in nutrition and how food choices affect the environment.

Quoted: The Foundation envisions a nationwide public school curriculum at all levels that includes hands-on experiences in school kitchens, gardens, and lunchrooms. This curriculum will inspire students to choose healthy food and help them understand the impact of their choices on their health, the health of their communities, and the planet.

I've always wondered how cheese was made. This could be fun.

Quoted: The Cheese School of San Francisco is the only institution of its kind in the Bay Area dedicated to helping individuals and groups maximize their enjoyment of cheese and its accompaniments through education and tasting events, both structured and informal.

Excellent podcast of a recent talk by author Michael Pollen and Whole Foods CEO John Mackey. Mackey responds to some of the criticism directed at Whole Foods in The Omnivore's Dilemma.

Quoted: Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, and John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, continue their year-long public conversation about the future of organic food and agricultural sustainability.