Occasional reviews and mentions of new books, films, and other cultural attractions

The New Film: Food Inc.

CBS News Interviews journalist Michael Pollan, along with Food Inc. producer and director, Robert Kenner. Watch CBS Videos Online Tomatoes that don’t taste like a tomato (but hey, they also don’t bruise), cloned animal meats (really?), and a look behind the curtain of food production in America; this film presents a grim view inside our [...]

Guy Watson Talks Globe Artichokes

Guy Watson Talks Globe Artichokes

Guy Watson has been growing artichokes for 20 years; starting with 400, he now has 200,000 on his farm in the UK. The artichoke is a difficult plant to grow, in the US, almost all of them are grown exclusively in California. Here’s a nice piece, courtesy of Riverford1 Here’s some links to information on [...]

The Backyard Homestead-Book Review

The Backyard Homestead-Book Review

Put Your Backyard to Work! It is amazing to me the resources that are now available to those of us who want to do more with our backyards then just have the perfect lawn. The Backyard Homestead, edited by Carleen Madigan is just the primer you need to get started on turning that boring old [...]

The Fight Over the World’s Food Systems

Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System, provides his analysis of recent riots relating to the disastrous rise in global food prices. In this video produced by Democracy Now, Mr. Patel offers his analysis of the recent riots taking place in developing countries most effected by “this [...]

Cape Tribulation: Exotic Fruit Farm

Have you ever wanted to live in a tropical paradise with beautiful secluded beaches, and natural jungle? Would you also be willing to endure 4 1/2 meters (yes, 13-1/2 feet) of average annual rainfall, an occasional typhoon, and green tree frogs nesting in your toilet? Well, Cape Tribulation, population 40, may be just the place [...]