Take the corporate owned production and distribution of food and put it in the hands of farmer owned cooperativese and put the retail distribution and grocery chains in the hands of consumer owned cooperatives. This is not a new idea, farmer owned cooperatives have been around for decades as has consumer owned food retail stores. Affordable food is a necessity that should be grown and distributed locally wherever and whenever possible and controlled by cooperative boards who have the welfare of the population in mind.
Berkeley California used to have a wonderful cooperatively owned grocery store that was part of a much larger national chain of consumer owned co-ops. They were deeply community involved and hosted Berkeley‘s first recycling center in their parking lot each weekend. Farmer owned grain, elevators, warehousing, and distribution used to play a very large part in America’s agricultural growth and development. Farmer owned co-ops are still a significant force in American agriculture for the small farmer. They likely would not survive at all without them. The largest natural foods produce distributor in the San Francisco area is the “Veritable Vegetable” which is an entirely woman owned and operated cooperative that distributes as far east as New Mexico and Colorado.
When I was in school, the FFA was huge!! Every year at the fair, the FFA students would show their livestock. It was an important part of my community. I don't know if it is still as strong; however, I do know that farmers have simply not had an easy go of it! These monopolistic corporations decided to take that over as well as everything else and look at where we are today. These food monopolies must be broken up and then allow farmers to do what they do best. I don't like the idea of these huge feed lots and such. It isn't good for the consumer or the environment!!
Peggy - When I taught middle school, I was fortunate to have a principal who wanted a school garden. For the next 15 years my students and I ran a 1/3 acre fenced in garden plot. it was wonderful for me and the kids. So much learning can occur in a garden. So much science! So much food went home to families!
I believe every school in america should be required to have a working, productive garden, and it should be part of the the curriculum. In fact, if every homeowner dedicated a small amount of their yard to food production, so much could change for the better. We've lost touch with the natural world. Our kids need that connection, for their physical and mental health.
Paul, I could not agree more!!! I taught at an elementary school and one of the teachers decided to plant a school garden just like you!! It was so amazing to watch our students learn so much about science just by having a garden!!! It is a wonderful experience for students and the looks on their faces when they were able to take home food they had actually grown was priceless!! I agree every school needs to include a garden in their curriculum. I also think that Home Economics should be brought back as it teaches our young people how to manage a home. It is not just for girls - boys need to learn that as well. While I am at it, whatever happened to Driver Education? We would see a lot less catastrophes if young people were required to learn how to drive correctly. Sorry, I'll get off my soap box now, but kudos to you, Paul, for putting that idea back out there for educators to consider!!!
Peggy I agree with you that Home Economics and Drivers Education should be brought back. I also strongly support the idea of school gardens for both education and sharing healthy produce with the local community. Regenerative farming methods can turn dead dirt into rich soil that can produce nutrient rich produce and absorb carbon dioxide from the environment. I advise everyone to view the documentary film called “Kiss the Ground” on Netflix. It’s excellent!
I agree. Home Economics also introduced cooking, nutrition and some basic sewing. Shop gave us the basic skills to make or repair things and an understanding of how things work. These are important practical life skills for everyone.
Drivers ed has been replaced by driving schools- those local, small businesses would balk at that! In my state, they are REQUIRED to get a permit. We also have restricted permits here- no driving with friends, or after midnight- and another adult must be in the car. Teens don’t cause much trouble driving- it’s the adults! I completely agree with you about bringing back Life Skills!
You may like to read Dr.Michael Greger’s books. and check out DrTalks lecture series,as well as Human Optimization. There is a wealth of information out there but also some bad information. Western medicine,even integrative and some functional medicine still want to see a symptom and give a pill, or a supplement without treating the cause. These practices all have their place,, ut we need more. Lifestyle medicine, which medicare has paid for since 2010 is a much needed addition but is offered in a very few places. I know ther is. not a single lifestyle medicine doctor in Illinois. Hopefully every medical center will someday have this available,
I'll look it up. There are a few good ones here and there. I like Dr. Berg - he is on youtube but he recently put more content on rumble and his website.
My niece says (nurse) that medical is excellent at emergencies. THat's when you need a pill ; otherwise, they are pretty terrible at long term care and finding the root of anything.
I hate to say it but I seriously doubt the medical center will do anything. The private equity has taken over many of them and there is too much money involved. Besides, like one executive told me - they will NEVER "cure" cancer - there is no money in it. And, the nurse said, I'd lose my job.
The functional medicine had promise but (at least the ones I've heard about) just practice the same way (a pill) with just mention of diet.
Teresa, that is sad that once again a monopolistic corporation has grabbed up something else!! You know, I was thinking. If you take a group of working-class people and provided them with a problem the US is facing like taking on these corporations or the media's term 'border crisis' and told them to come up with a viable solution, they would provide sane and bipartisan solutions that are workable! The working-class know what the struggles are for us much more than the "Ivy League" politicians who don't have a clue except to put on their make-up for a sound bite that makes no sense!!
Transitioning back to farmer owned cooperatives and consumer owned cooperatives is much more doable than attempting to bust up monopolies. It is just that the government needs to provide low or no interest loans to forming cooperatives and assist them to purchase existing businesses to build their own chains of cooperatively owned businesses. It’s a matter of putting development dollars in the right place, that is in the hands of farmers and grocers that wish to improve our country rather than into the hands of corporate ownership which only wishes to make outrageous profits.
Marc, I like that President Biden is beginning to work on the antitrust issues and hope he continues to do that in his second term. I do agree that farmer owned cooperatives and consumer owned cooperatives are the way to go moving forward. I think everyone should see the film Food Inc. 2. I was very interested in the clip at the end of the Coffee Klatch this morning.
This whole thing about breaking up the corporations seems to be the focus of Elizabeth Warren. No doubt she would be happy to work with a coalition of "ordinary people" on this issue.
I started shopping, and working, in food co-ops back in 1979, both in Michigan and Texas. I've always been lucky enough to live literally right down the street from GREAT Farmer's Markets, in Michigan and now in Tennessee. In Texas, I was lucky enough to meet Jim Hightower, former Ag. Commissioner in Texas and chief proponent of organic growers. I was an active member of his Texas Populist Alliance, which I learned about working for Texas Citizen Action, whose director was super active with Hightower, and very soon after became a Dem. representative in the Texas legislature and was one of the 11 agitators who left the state rather than having to vote on something the Repugs were trying to push thru (I can't recall what now -- something about fracking, maybe?). Hightower had his hands full trying to deal with the Farm Bureau and other Texas bureaucrats. It's really gratifying trying to be on the progressive good side, though, isn't it?
I think the reasons for the steady increase in food prices can be found in the outside interference by foreign concerns. Take Russia, their influence on the world's oil prices made a barrel of crude jump to nearly $100 per barrel or higher. Then Russia encouraged Saudi Araiba to cut our allotment of oil from that country in half, after President Biden made a special trip to the Middle East to arrange a solution that would help our struggling economy. Our President even fisted pumped the man who arranged the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, in an effort to help our people get past these elevated fossil fuel prices. The excessive costs of logistics companies were forced to absorb just to move goods within this country paved the way for the inflationary prices we face today. President Biden isn't responsible for the high prices this country is being forced to deal with, they are the result of worldwide problems, caused by outside concerns hell bent on world domination.
Unfortunately, this is mostly a home grown "greed" problem, a natural progression, of corporate capitalism. I don't think we have to look further than the corporate board room for conspiracies to wring excessive profits out of food.
Terry--There is a problem associated with rising food prices, once supplier's see the public will pay those elevated prices they keep them there. Even if the reason behind the increase has subsided.
Many contemporary co-op boards Are not made up of people who have experience in retail food operations. Therefore, they must have the wisdom to hire professional managers, and listen to and follow their recommendations. Operating a business such as a large food co-op of the type that was in Berkeley is not an easy proposition. A number of co-ops fail for the very reason that you mentioned. The government could provide advisors professionally trained to help co-ops be successful.
Yes to all! We, The People are not Revenue Units. Capitalism is destroying lives and eroding our Democracy. Personally, I buy no adulterated 'fake' foods'. I am vegetarian and consume no snack 'foods' that are non-nutritive. My parents were born in the 1920's and my mother home cooked all our meals from scratch. At 66, I see this country as one giant business.and they didn’t bring me into the world to to be that.
I am currently traveling on the East Coast and last night I had to stock up on some food for my hotel room. The only natural food store left in the town was Whole Foods and I found the prices to be Outrageous, $12 for a box of gluten-free cereal, and the quality of the salad bar and Hot bar to be disgusting. All of the workers looked very unhappy with their work and had no interest in the food they were stocking. Jeff Bezos has drained the essence out of natural and organic food retailing. I grew up in this town and there used to be three natural food stores owned by individual owners who cared about the food they sold. All three have gone out of business. Stop & Shop is also an aggressive killer of natural food stores. They have a policy of coming into neighborhoods and selling their natural food products at a loss in order to drain the customers away from the neighborhood, natural food stores. When the natural food stores go out of business, stop and shop then raises its prices.
I am fortunate to live in a small town of 10,000 population which has a fabulous consumer owned cooperative natural food store that is so successful that it is in the process of moving into a new building double the size of its current space. The produce comes all the way from veritable vegetable, which is a women’s owned cooperative in San Francisco .
Yes, our Whole Paycheck here is very high-priced as well. I semi-regularly do their customer survey after I've shopped and tell them exactly what I think! They do have a great alkaline water machine where I fill up on drinking water, and they have three food bars that are actually really appealing. What I hate is that Nashville, the seat of both a very large Metro AND state governments, allowed Bezos to open huge offices and distribution centers here, PAYING him to come here, so to speak!
Try to find a Wegmans- it’s worth going out of your way. At least remains family owned, and they work hard at using local sources. Not cheap- but they have what you looking for
This is a website developed by the national co-op grocers, NCG, for their virtual chain of 159 independently operated food co-ops with nearly 230 stores in 39 states.
Yes! Also everyone please check out the documentary “Kiss the Ground” on Netflix. It’s excellent and demonstrates how regenerative farming can turn dead dirt into rich doll that provides nutrients to the produce growing in it and absorbs carbon dioxide from the air.
One of the comments I sent to our AG in Colorado about the Kroger-Alberston's merger was to require substantial funding of cooperatives instead of allowing Kroger to just pick the friendly competitor C&S Warehouse Grocers with just 23 stores.
Obviously has not happened and now the merger is likely to fail.
#EatThePerimeter is the best option for controlling costs. Why pay such high prices for the so called convenience foods; they are unhealthful. How difficult can learning to cook and feed yourself be?
Most of us get along just fine with a few cooking essentials, like a good sharp knife, a few pots and pans and a heating element. Special equipment is a wonderful luxury but isn't necessary for one to have good nutrition.
Most in your area and economic strata. I have clients with only a hot plate- a health meal for a family pretty hard to produce. That’s in Cory Booker’s district- the man knows what he’s talking about!
No, I am not surprised. It is unfortunately true that there are many who cannot take advantage of the concept of shopping the perimeter of any grocery store. But most of us can and should make better food choices for our bodies and our pocketbooks.
These issues must be addressed by our Federal Government to provide a safety net for those who cannot survive without one, and, while of great concern, are not germane to this conversation about rising food costs. Important but different issue. VOTE BLUE.
Let's not forget the existence of an active strain of bird flu. This strain has directly or indirectly caused the deaths of some 131 million birds. Many of which were individuals found within our poultry farms. This epidemic has drastically increased the prices of everything remotely connected to anything that once wore feathers to keep warm. From the prices of eggs to the ridiculous cost of chicken wings, the money people are being forced to shell out for these ordinary food items has skyrocketed in recent months. President Biden has in no way laid the egg that caused this mess. Republican babies are blaming their own mothers for the elevated cost of milk products, they learn young.
Donald, you are correct for the cost of eggs and HPAI being the cause. However, the cost of wings is due to demand from sports fans during March madness and The Super Bowl. Wing prices go down during the summer until Fall football starts. For low cost poultry look at bulk drumsticks and. bone in thighs, excellent meat, at or below the cost of production.
Dave--There is also the process of replacing the layers which had to be destroyed as a protective measure used to stop the progression of the disease. This process will take vast numbers of young birds out of the food production aspect of poultry farming so egg production can resume its normal activities. This makes the adult birds being butchered for food a rear commodity and priced accordingly.
Donald the layers that are affected by HPAI are table egg layers, who do not produce fertile Eggs for young chicks. Only a couple of young table egg pullet flocks that would become future table egg layers were affected by HPAI. See USDA reports. The table Egg industry keep older table egg laying flocks to partially replace Some of the egg production that would have been produced by these lost future table egg hens.
Meat production(broilers ) are a
different strain of chicken. Only one to two flocks, out of tens of thousands of flocks were lost to HPAI. Thus the effect of HPAI on chicken meat production is extremely low and has not affected the market for chicken meat except for export restrictions . Other industry problems such as low hatch of broiler eggs causing less meat chicks to be rosined and lower livability of meat chickens has affected the market and availability of chicken meat more than HPAI. Chicken meat prices
Are increasing due to demand as beef and pork rose and people
Switch to the lower price meat.
By bulk pack , I am referring to 10 to 20 pound bill bags, or tray pac.
Dave--I understand the funeralized egg thing but when they had to destroy all those birds to replace them the chickens that were producing sterile eggs, that were in clean virus free flocks, were allowed to associate with a group of eager rosters. They did that to expediate the replacement process. That is how the chicken farmer explained it during an interview.
And now bird flu is spreading to cattle ranches. Considering the size of these corporate run ranches and/or feed lots, an infection here could have massive ripple effects through the food chain. When in Texas for the recent eclipse, I learned that many dairy farms and cattle ranches throughout agricultural states are allowing only truly essential people to enter, and some have guards at their gates. Chasing mega profits can result in mega disasters.
I'm becoming more and more disposed to the idea of nationalizing or semi-nationalizing critical/strategic goods and services, while permitting free enterprise for "elective" goods and services, luxury items, toys, and other gewgaws. However, I'll not be holding my breath about any of that coming to pass in the foreseeable future. In the first place, it would >require< a good economist(s) - and I'm no such - to take that idea >seriously< and make serious effort to find a workable approach to that model, then figure out a valid way of implementing it through legislation that doesn't run afoul of the Constitution from the get-go. Then would come the problem of getting people elected that understand the model and the kind of leadership & legislation required to implement it. The bottom line is that such a model can't possibly be implemented through the half-assed МАГАт revolutionary insurrectionism we've witnessed. It must >evolve< over time through rational, well-crafted legislation to achieve clearly defined objectives in developing the model. Of course, the capitalists will resist all the way claiming "it doesn't work!"
Granted. >Of Course< that model doesn't work . . . to accomplish making the rich richer, the poor poorer, and keeping everyone in between struggling to keep their heads above water. >Of Course< that model doesn't work to keep in place the capitalist utopia we are already living in. It's >not supposed to!<
Donald, I do agree with you that part of the reason for the increase in food prices are international and not national. The price of oil is certainly one of the factors. Corporate agriculture is very oil consuming because of the amount of fuel used not just in transportation, but in the production of food through the farm machinery, as well as the use of energy in refrigerating food in distribution houses as well as the cost of transportation. This is why I advocate local production and consumption as much as is possible, understanding that there are not so many places, we can grow food in harsh winters.
I live 90 miles from the Mexican border, but some of the organic produce sold in my town is grown in Mexico by large corporations, then shipped up to San Francisco, and then loaded on trucks and driven all the way back to southern New Mexico. There are ways to avoid this! Even though I live in an altitude with cold, and sometimes snowy winters, we can grow our own greens almost year round, even down to 14°. But our lettuce comes from Mexico! There are better solutions to the high cost of food.
Also, it is known that foreign countries such as Saudi Arabia, are buying up huge parcels of agricultural land in the western United States. They use this land to grow grain and soybeans, which is then shipped to their countries to feed cattle, which is then slaughtered in their countries to provide meat for their population. This practice and pressure on the availability of farmland is also driving up our food prices. We need local control of food, production, and distribution to reverse this trend.
I would both bust up the monopolies and outlaw stock buybacks. While we're at it, why not a law saying that the highest paid person in a company or organization can only be paid a certain percentage of the salary of the lowest paid person?
“The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act would impose tax rate increases on companies with CEO to median worker ratios above 50 to 1. If the CEO did not receive the largest paycheck in the firm, the ratio will be based on the highest-paid employee.”
I worked for a large grocery chain for 19 years. Believe me when I say, shareholder satisfaction is their only goal in these times. They’ve cut hours drastically across the board. Flexibility is their mantra. This means you leave your department to help in another area while your own work piles up. There were all too frequent signs posted on time clocks, saying “NO OVERTIME!”. It always amazed me that it was the customer who suffered from these overbearing, harsh policies. I always felt like just a number. I did love my co-workers ( well, almost all of them), though. We made the best of a less than satisfactory work environment. It was the union that saved us so we did have benefits.
I sometimes shop in a big Kroger-owned market in SW Colorado, and I always look for the old-timers, who are aging out now. There are signs advertising jobs at $16 per hour, but, of course, it doesn't say how many hours you'll get. Recently, Colorado authorized selling wine in grocery stores, and I've read that it has contributed to rising rates of alcoholism and traffic accidents caused by inebriated drivers. My guess is that the two aisles of wine are less difficult to stock than those offering food.
Yes - it’s obvious what is going on in grocery chains - they used to stock the shelves in the early AM before shoppers came in - now the aisles are full of boxes and pallets and sometimes whole shelves are empty. The grocery chains have cut hours and staff and then proudly display NOW HIRING signs everywhere- they only hire PT, wages a teenager could deal with but not a person making a career. The more they consolidate and merge - the higher the prices and less staff. Walmart doesn’t even have food service workers unions in their stores…
thank you for helping to shine a light on the food industry. I would love to see you address the consolidation and corporatization of healthcare. Talk about consolidation, 3 corporations run 94% of drug wholesale market, 4 Insurance companies 48% of the market, 4 control 87% of the Pharmacy Benefit Managers (whatever it is they actually do), and so on. The economist magazine pointed out that these crazy profit margins accrue to the middlemen in the "baffling" US healthcare system. This is just the tip of the situation. All the while providers are being nickel and dimed, these corporations are averaging 1500 M&A yearly, squeezing the consumer (patients), and Providers. Not to mention the entry of private equity into the market and the questionable business practices reminiscent of the corporate raiders of the 1990s. Thanks in advance.
Loved the coffee klatch today. I'm going to pass it along to someone in my church who wants to start a group on plant-based diet for health alongside my concerns about ethical consumption. I don't have a lot of money to donate, but I'm sure sending some to Jon Tester and Cory Booker. And of course I'm going to watch the film if I can ever figure out how to interact with my "smart" TV.
A wonderful klatch this morning - thank you all! I love the work that Michael Pollan has been doing for so long now. Here, in this corner of New Hampshire, the local food movement - Buy Local, Be Local - is alive and well. CSA's are everywhere. Many of us put up our own food, as much as possible. I deeply agree with the premise that Michael puts forward early in your discussion: we need small producers, small farms, small communities that are vibrant with young families and committed to sustainable patterns of growth and life. Our planet cannot survive the other model - this is clear. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing the good news about your home town. Have you seen the documentary called “Kiss the Ground” on Netflix? It’s an excellent film that shows how regenerative farming methods can turn dead dirt into rich doll that provides many nutrients to the produce grown in it and also absorbs carbon dioxide from the air. I highly recommend it.
When I co-founded Buyblue.org, our motto was Vote With Your Wallet. Our work was informing readers of the corporations that donated to Republicans and Democrats. Why give your money to a company like WalMart that donates to the GOP when you can shop at Costco, which donates to Democrats?
When I went to the Buyblue.org website, I found myself at what appears to be a foreign gambling site. Don't know what language is being used. What gives?
There is a line in the film clip shown at the end of the klatch that will stay with me. It's when the woman says "...living a life rather than fighting to survive."
Beautiful Job Bob, Heather and Michael! Besides the excellent resources you mention I can only add George Monbiot's book Regenesis. The concentration of Argro business has left us vulnerable to tipping points supply chain failures besides how unhealthy and undemocratic this monopolization is.
Marc Nevas is so insightful with "Take the corporate owned production and distribution of food and put it in the hands of farmer owned cooperatives and put the retail distribution and grocery chains in the hands of consumer owned cooperatives. This is not a new idea, farmer owned cooperatives have been around for decades as has consumer owned food retail stores. Affordable food is a necessity that should be grown and distributed locally wherever and whenever possible and controlled by cooperative boards who have the welfare of the population in mind."
What a great Coffee Klatch this morning!!! I have to admit, I was riveted!! Michael Pollan was so very informative and kept his comments easily understandable by old folks like me! I wish I could have picked two answers in your poll. Corporate monopolies need to be broken up and their price gouging tactics need to be stopped. I was quite happy to hear that we, as consumers, can turn the tide on this monopolistic corporate greed by shopping locally for our food. I do that already and find the cost is so much better than if I bought in a corporate store!! I am definitely going to watch the movie as I enjoyed the clip of part of it. President Biden has started work on the antitrust issues. I found it interesting when Mr. Pollan said something like we had gotten lax in enforcing the antitrust laws. Could that also be said of a lot of other laws as well? I know that when I go to the polls, I will have researched the candidates and will only vote for a candidate who will actually work for me not the richy rich or monopolistic corporations!!! Vote Blue, America!!!
Thank you guys for that coffee klatch. I can just hear folks arguing to not stymie the corporate food system, and then complain about the costs - blame Biden. They may want to stay confused, and go to war, but they will be fighting ghosts - making a mess, and getting no results. We folks need to know not to shop locally, but to buy locally - locally grown food. It's always fun to hear Michael Pollan point of view
What a terrific klatch today! Heard some pretty scary stuff today, but it’s important to hear what’s actually going on. Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know! Thanks for your continued and tireless efforts to keep us informed!
Take the corporate owned production and distribution of food and put it in the hands of farmer owned cooperativese and put the retail distribution and grocery chains in the hands of consumer owned cooperatives. This is not a new idea, farmer owned cooperatives have been around for decades as has consumer owned food retail stores. Affordable food is a necessity that should be grown and distributed locally wherever and whenever possible and controlled by cooperative boards who have the welfare of the population in mind.
Berkeley California used to have a wonderful cooperatively owned grocery store that was part of a much larger national chain of consumer owned co-ops. They were deeply community involved and hosted Berkeley‘s first recycling center in their parking lot each weekend. Farmer owned grain, elevators, warehousing, and distribution used to play a very large part in America’s agricultural growth and development. Farmer owned co-ops are still a significant force in American agriculture for the small farmer. They likely would not survive at all without them. The largest natural foods produce distributor in the San Francisco area is the “Veritable Vegetable” which is an entirely woman owned and operated cooperative that distributes as far east as New Mexico and Colorado.
When I was in school, the FFA was huge!! Every year at the fair, the FFA students would show their livestock. It was an important part of my community. I don't know if it is still as strong; however, I do know that farmers have simply not had an easy go of it! These monopolistic corporations decided to take that over as well as everything else and look at where we are today. These food monopolies must be broken up and then allow farmers to do what they do best. I don't like the idea of these huge feed lots and such. It isn't good for the consumer or the environment!!
Peggy - When I taught middle school, I was fortunate to have a principal who wanted a school garden. For the next 15 years my students and I ran a 1/3 acre fenced in garden plot. it was wonderful for me and the kids. So much learning can occur in a garden. So much science! So much food went home to families!
I believe every school in america should be required to have a working, productive garden, and it should be part of the the curriculum. In fact, if every homeowner dedicated a small amount of their yard to food production, so much could change for the better. We've lost touch with the natural world. Our kids need that connection, for their physical and mental health.
Paul, I could not agree more!!! I taught at an elementary school and one of the teachers decided to plant a school garden just like you!! It was so amazing to watch our students learn so much about science just by having a garden!!! It is a wonderful experience for students and the looks on their faces when they were able to take home food they had actually grown was priceless!! I agree every school needs to include a garden in their curriculum. I also think that Home Economics should be brought back as it teaches our young people how to manage a home. It is not just for girls - boys need to learn that as well. While I am at it, whatever happened to Driver Education? We would see a lot less catastrophes if young people were required to learn how to drive correctly. Sorry, I'll get off my soap box now, but kudos to you, Paul, for putting that idea back out there for educators to consider!!!
Peggy I agree with you that Home Economics and Drivers Education should be brought back. I also strongly support the idea of school gardens for both education and sharing healthy produce with the local community. Regenerative farming methods can turn dead dirt into rich soil that can produce nutrient rich produce and absorb carbon dioxide from the environment. I advise everyone to view the documentary film called “Kiss the Ground” on Netflix. It’s excellent!
Thank you, Aria! I will check out this documentary as well as the one mentioned in the Coffee Klatch!
Around 1955-57 in the largest high school in GA, Home Ec.. was a do nothing 'crip' course that folks took to do just that an earn an easy A or B.
I agree. Home Economics also introduced cooking, nutrition and some basic sewing. Shop gave us the basic skills to make or repair things and an understanding of how things work. These are important practical life skills for everyone.
Drivers ed has been replaced by driving schools- those local, small businesses would balk at that! In my state, they are REQUIRED to get a permit. We also have restricted permits here- no driving with friends, or after midnight- and another adult must be in the car. Teens don’t cause much trouble driving- it’s the adults! I completely agree with you about bringing back Life Skills!
In my hometown, we had a different way to handle it. https://www.newwilmingtonproduceauctionandsupply.com/
In antediluvian time, I'd commute to Pittsburgh by bus about 4 days a week. Virtually all my fellow passengers were Amish taking their wares to market. https://www.visitpittsburgh.com/blog/a-guide-to-market-square/
And, Salt Fat Sugar by Michael Moss (not a conspiracy book) won awards for exposing the processed food industry.
We all need to quit the processed foods anyway
Add alcohol, tobacco, and white flour to your list and you have six reasons for the poor health of so many.
You may like to read Dr.Michael Greger’s books. and check out DrTalks lecture series,as well as Human Optimization. There is a wealth of information out there but also some bad information. Western medicine,even integrative and some functional medicine still want to see a symptom and give a pill, or a supplement without treating the cause. These practices all have their place,, ut we need more. Lifestyle medicine, which medicare has paid for since 2010 is a much needed addition but is offered in a very few places. I know ther is. not a single lifestyle medicine doctor in Illinois. Hopefully every medical center will someday have this available,
I'll look it up. There are a few good ones here and there. I like Dr. Berg - he is on youtube but he recently put more content on rumble and his website.
My niece says (nurse) that medical is excellent at emergencies. THat's when you need a pill ; otherwise, they are pretty terrible at long term care and finding the root of anything.
I hate to say it but I seriously doubt the medical center will do anything. The private equity has taken over many of them and there is too much money involved. Besides, like one executive told me - they will NEVER "cure" cancer - there is no money in it. And, the nurse said, I'd lose my job.
The functional medicine had promise but (at least the ones I've heard about) just practice the same way (a pill) with just mention of diet.
Check out Dr. Berg.
Love the market near me- definitely part of my regimen for avoiding the supermarket
Or the animals!
FFA is huge here is Illinois but it is just an instrument of Big Ag. So is the Farm Bureau.
Teresa, that is sad that once again a monopolistic corporation has grabbed up something else!! You know, I was thinking. If you take a group of working-class people and provided them with a problem the US is facing like taking on these corporations or the media's term 'border crisis' and told them to come up with a viable solution, they would provide sane and bipartisan solutions that are workable! The working-class know what the struggles are for us much more than the "Ivy League" politicians who don't have a clue except to put on their make-up for a sound bite that makes no sense!!
Thank you for informing us with these examples. Encouraging and exciting to learn about.
Transitioning back to farmer owned cooperatives and consumer owned cooperatives is much more doable than attempting to bust up monopolies. It is just that the government needs to provide low or no interest loans to forming cooperatives and assist them to purchase existing businesses to build their own chains of cooperatively owned businesses. It’s a matter of putting development dollars in the right place, that is in the hands of farmers and grocers that wish to improve our country rather than into the hands of corporate ownership which only wishes to make outrageous profits.
Marc, I like that President Biden is beginning to work on the antitrust issues and hope he continues to do that in his second term. I do agree that farmer owned cooperatives and consumer owned cooperatives are the way to go moving forward. I think everyone should see the film Food Inc. 2. I was very interested in the clip at the end of the Coffee Klatch this morning.
This whole thing about breaking up the corporations seems to be the focus of Elizabeth Warren. No doubt she would be happy to work with a coalition of "ordinary people" on this issue.
I wish Lizzy was on the ballot now…
I started shopping, and working, in food co-ops back in 1979, both in Michigan and Texas. I've always been lucky enough to live literally right down the street from GREAT Farmer's Markets, in Michigan and now in Tennessee. In Texas, I was lucky enough to meet Jim Hightower, former Ag. Commissioner in Texas and chief proponent of organic growers. I was an active member of his Texas Populist Alliance, which I learned about working for Texas Citizen Action, whose director was super active with Hightower, and very soon after became a Dem. representative in the Texas legislature and was one of the 11 agitators who left the state rather than having to vote on something the Repugs were trying to push thru (I can't recall what now -- something about fracking, maybe?). Hightower had his hands full trying to deal with the Farm Bureau and other Texas bureaucrats. It's really gratifying trying to be on the progressive good side, though, isn't it?
Donald Hodgins
Donald’s Substack
1 hr ago
Donald Hodgins
Donald’s Substack
just now
I think the reasons for the steady increase in food prices can be found in the outside interference by foreign concerns. Take Russia, their influence on the world's oil prices made a barrel of crude jump to nearly $100 per barrel or higher. Then Russia encouraged Saudi Araiba to cut our allotment of oil from that country in half, after President Biden made a special trip to the Middle East to arrange a solution that would help our struggling economy. Our President even fisted pumped the man who arranged the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, in an effort to help our people get past these elevated fossil fuel prices. The excessive costs of logistics companies were forced to absorb just to move goods within this country paved the way for the inflationary prices we face today. President Biden isn't responsible for the high prices this country is being forced to deal with, they are the result of worldwide problems, caused by outside concerns hell bent on world domination.
Unfortunately, this is mostly a home grown "greed" problem, a natural progression, of corporate capitalism. I don't think we have to look further than the corporate board room for conspiracies to wring excessive profits out of food.
Terry--There is a problem associated with rising food prices, once supplier's see the public will pay those elevated prices they keep them there. Even if the reason behind the increase has subsided.
Alas, the Coop went under because of impossible management. The local board meetings were insanity.
Many contemporary co-op boards Are not made up of people who have experience in retail food operations. Therefore, they must have the wisdom to hire professional managers, and listen to and follow their recommendations. Operating a business such as a large food co-op of the type that was in Berkeley is not an easy proposition. A number of co-ops fail for the very reason that you mentioned. The government could provide advisors professionally trained to help co-ops be successful.
Yes to all! We, The People are not Revenue Units. Capitalism is destroying lives and eroding our Democracy. Personally, I buy no adulterated 'fake' foods'. I am vegetarian and consume no snack 'foods' that are non-nutritive. My parents were born in the 1920's and my mother home cooked all our meals from scratch. At 66, I see this country as one giant business.and they didn’t bring me into the world to to be that.
I am currently traveling on the East Coast and last night I had to stock up on some food for my hotel room. The only natural food store left in the town was Whole Foods and I found the prices to be Outrageous, $12 for a box of gluten-free cereal, and the quality of the salad bar and Hot bar to be disgusting. All of the workers looked very unhappy with their work and had no interest in the food they were stocking. Jeff Bezos has drained the essence out of natural and organic food retailing. I grew up in this town and there used to be three natural food stores owned by individual owners who cared about the food they sold. All three have gone out of business. Stop & Shop is also an aggressive killer of natural food stores. They have a policy of coming into neighborhoods and selling their natural food products at a loss in order to drain the customers away from the neighborhood, natural food stores. When the natural food stores go out of business, stop and shop then raises its prices.
I am fortunate to live in a small town of 10,000 population which has a fabulous consumer owned cooperative natural food store that is so successful that it is in the process of moving into a new building double the size of its current space. The produce comes all the way from veritable vegetable, which is a women’s owned cooperative in San Francisco .
Wow -- lucky you!
Yes, our Whole Paycheck here is very high-priced as well. I semi-regularly do their customer survey after I've shopped and tell them exactly what I think! They do have a great alkaline water machine where I fill up on drinking water, and they have three food bars that are actually really appealing. What I hate is that Nashville, the seat of both a very large Metro AND state governments, allowed Bezos to open huge offices and distribution centers here, PAYING him to come here, so to speak!
I hate Amazon. incl Whole Foods.
Thanks very much for sharing this news for the San Francisco Bay Area!
Try to find a Wegmans- it’s worth going out of your way. At least remains family owned, and they work hard at using local sources. Not cheap- but they have what you looking for
Check out the following website to learn more about food co-ops on a large scale.
https://www.grocery.coop/food-coops/what-is-a-co-op
This is a website developed by the national co-op grocers, NCG, for their virtual chain of 159 independently operated food co-ops with nearly 230 stores in 39 states.
Yes! Also everyone please check out the documentary “Kiss the Ground” on Netflix. It’s excellent and demonstrates how regenerative farming can turn dead dirt into rich doll that provides nutrients to the produce growing in it and absorbs carbon dioxide from the air.
I intended to say “rich soil” not doll!
One of the comments I sent to our AG in Colorado about the Kroger-Alberston's merger was to require substantial funding of cooperatives instead of allowing Kroger to just pick the friendly competitor C&S Warehouse Grocers with just 23 stores.
Obviously has not happened and now the merger is likely to fail.
Salt , Fat, Sugar Michael Moss. No, it's not conspiracy.
#EatThePerimeter of the grocery store. Skip over priced processed (bad for you anyway) middle. Price gouging mostly stopped.
If we change our purchasing choices, they will change too.
Will people on here committed to changing their behaviors?
#EatThePerimeter is the best option for controlling costs. Why pay such high prices for the so called convenience foods; they are unhealthful. How difficult can learning to cook and feed yourself be?
Yes, and bring back Home Economics to the classroom so young people can learn how to do healthy cooking.
With appliances, we can steam, air - fire, and bake.
Yes- if you can afford electricity and an appliance.
Most of us get along just fine with a few cooking essentials, like a good sharp knife, a few pots and pans and a heating element. Special equipment is a wonderful luxury but isn't necessary for one to have good nutrition.
Most in your area and economic strata. I have clients with only a hot plate- a health meal for a family pretty hard to produce. That’s in Cory Booker’s district- the man knows what he’s talking about!
True. Even the FBI can't afford the rent anymore.
https://www.npr.org/2024/04/11/1243982287/fbi-agents-housing-costs
Here's another allergy to avoid
https://www.townsendletter.com/e-letter-1g-propylene-glycol-vaping-mrna-allergic-reactions/
lol true that, I know guys who work for them!
For some, entirely not possible: disabled, no kitchen or refrigeration. I do homecare in the tristate area - you’d be surprised
No, I am not surprised. It is unfortunately true that there are many who cannot take advantage of the concept of shopping the perimeter of any grocery store. But most of us can and should make better food choices for our bodies and our pocketbooks.
For poor people in our area- there are no grocery stores! Just small bodegas. Taking a bus grocery shopping does not happen. Especially for seniors.
These issues must be addressed by our Federal Government to provide a safety net for those who cannot survive without one, and, while of great concern, are not germane to this conversation about rising food costs. Important but different issue. VOTE BLUE.
Let's not forget the existence of an active strain of bird flu. This strain has directly or indirectly caused the deaths of some 131 million birds. Many of which were individuals found within our poultry farms. This epidemic has drastically increased the prices of everything remotely connected to anything that once wore feathers to keep warm. From the prices of eggs to the ridiculous cost of chicken wings, the money people are being forced to shell out for these ordinary food items has skyrocketed in recent months. President Biden has in no way laid the egg that caused this mess. Republican babies are blaming their own mothers for the elevated cost of milk products, they learn young.
Donald, you are correct for the cost of eggs and HPAI being the cause. However, the cost of wings is due to demand from sports fans during March madness and The Super Bowl. Wing prices go down during the summer until Fall football starts. For low cost poultry look at bulk drumsticks and. bone in thighs, excellent meat, at or below the cost of production.
Dave--I understand the "wing thing" but where I live chicken drums are $10 a 12 pack, and thighs and boobs are just as bad.
Dave--There is also the process of replacing the layers which had to be destroyed as a protective measure used to stop the progression of the disease. This process will take vast numbers of young birds out of the food production aspect of poultry farming so egg production can resume its normal activities. This makes the adult birds being butchered for food a rear commodity and priced accordingly.
Donald the layers that are affected by HPAI are table egg layers, who do not produce fertile Eggs for young chicks. Only a couple of young table egg pullet flocks that would become future table egg layers were affected by HPAI. See USDA reports. The table Egg industry keep older table egg laying flocks to partially replace Some of the egg production that would have been produced by these lost future table egg hens.
Meat production(broilers ) are a
different strain of chicken. Only one to two flocks, out of tens of thousands of flocks were lost to HPAI. Thus the effect of HPAI on chicken meat production is extremely low and has not affected the market for chicken meat except for export restrictions . Other industry problems such as low hatch of broiler eggs causing less meat chicks to be rosined and lower livability of meat chickens has affected the market and availability of chicken meat more than HPAI. Chicken meat prices
Are increasing due to demand as beef and pork rose and people
Switch to the lower price meat.
By bulk pack , I am referring to 10 to 20 pound bill bags, or tray pac.
Dave--I understand the funeralized egg thing but when they had to destroy all those birds to replace them the chickens that were producing sterile eggs, that were in clean virus free flocks, were allowed to associate with a group of eager rosters. They did that to expediate the replacement process. That is how the chicken farmer explained it during an interview.
Try Butcher Box , best chicken I’ve ever tasted. If you’re paying an arm and a leg/ might as well get the good stuff
Susan--I looked and the stores in my area all carry just Tyson and some Amish brand.
And now bird flu is spreading to cattle ranches. Considering the size of these corporate run ranches and/or feed lots, an infection here could have massive ripple effects through the food chain. When in Texas for the recent eclipse, I learned that many dairy farms and cattle ranches throughout agricultural states are allowing only truly essential people to enter, and some have guards at their gates. Chasing mega profits can result in mega disasters.
MargaretT--Casing mega profits can result in mega disasters when mega fools vote for an idiot.
Yes! 1,000 times Yes!!
I'm becoming more and more disposed to the idea of nationalizing or semi-nationalizing critical/strategic goods and services, while permitting free enterprise for "elective" goods and services, luxury items, toys, and other gewgaws. However, I'll not be holding my breath about any of that coming to pass in the foreseeable future. In the first place, it would >require< a good economist(s) - and I'm no such - to take that idea >seriously< and make serious effort to find a workable approach to that model, then figure out a valid way of implementing it through legislation that doesn't run afoul of the Constitution from the get-go. Then would come the problem of getting people elected that understand the model and the kind of leadership & legislation required to implement it. The bottom line is that such a model can't possibly be implemented through the half-assed МАГАт revolutionary insurrectionism we've witnessed. It must >evolve< over time through rational, well-crafted legislation to achieve clearly defined objectives in developing the model. Of course, the capitalists will resist all the way claiming "it doesn't work!"
Granted. >Of Course< that model doesn't work . . . to accomplish making the rich richer, the poor poorer, and keeping everyone in between struggling to keep their heads above water. >Of Course< that model doesn't work to keep in place the capitalist utopia we are already living in. It's >not supposed to!<
Eat only in-organic food
Donald, I do agree with you that part of the reason for the increase in food prices are international and not national. The price of oil is certainly one of the factors. Corporate agriculture is very oil consuming because of the amount of fuel used not just in transportation, but in the production of food through the farm machinery, as well as the use of energy in refrigerating food in distribution houses as well as the cost of transportation. This is why I advocate local production and consumption as much as is possible, understanding that there are not so many places, we can grow food in harsh winters.
I live 90 miles from the Mexican border, but some of the organic produce sold in my town is grown in Mexico by large corporations, then shipped up to San Francisco, and then loaded on trucks and driven all the way back to southern New Mexico. There are ways to avoid this! Even though I live in an altitude with cold, and sometimes snowy winters, we can grow our own greens almost year round, even down to 14°. But our lettuce comes from Mexico! There are better solutions to the high cost of food.
Also, it is known that foreign countries such as Saudi Arabia, are buying up huge parcels of agricultural land in the western United States. They use this land to grow grain and soybeans, which is then shipped to their countries to feed cattle, which is then slaughtered in their countries to provide meat for their population. This practice and pressure on the availability of farmland is also driving up our food prices. We need local control of food, production, and distribution to reverse this trend.
Well said Marc! I totally agree with you!
I would both bust up the monopolies and outlaw stock buybacks. While we're at it, why not a law saying that the highest paid person in a company or organization can only be paid a certain percentage of the salary of the lowest paid person?
There is a senate bill that addresses that.
“The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act would impose tax rate increases on companies with CEO to median worker ratios above 50 to 1. If the CEO did not receive the largest paycheck in the firm, the ratio will be based on the highest-paid employee.”
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-and-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-combat-corporate-greed-and-end-outrageous-ceo-pay-2/#:~:text=The%20Tax%20Excessive%20CEO%20Pay%20Act%20would%20impose%20tax%20rate,on%20the%20highest%2Dpaid%20employee.
Monopolizing has become our Country’s death spiral.
I worked for a large grocery chain for 19 years. Believe me when I say, shareholder satisfaction is their only goal in these times. They’ve cut hours drastically across the board. Flexibility is their mantra. This means you leave your department to help in another area while your own work piles up. There were all too frequent signs posted on time clocks, saying “NO OVERTIME!”. It always amazed me that it was the customer who suffered from these overbearing, harsh policies. I always felt like just a number. I did love my co-workers ( well, almost all of them), though. We made the best of a less than satisfactory work environment. It was the union that saved us so we did have benefits.
I sometimes shop in a big Kroger-owned market in SW Colorado, and I always look for the old-timers, who are aging out now. There are signs advertising jobs at $16 per hour, but, of course, it doesn't say how many hours you'll get. Recently, Colorado authorized selling wine in grocery stores, and I've read that it has contributed to rising rates of alcoholism and traffic accidents caused by inebriated drivers. My guess is that the two aisles of wine are less difficult to stock than those offering food.
Yes - it’s obvious what is going on in grocery chains - they used to stock the shelves in the early AM before shoppers came in - now the aisles are full of boxes and pallets and sometimes whole shelves are empty. The grocery chains have cut hours and staff and then proudly display NOW HIRING signs everywhere- they only hire PT, wages a teenager could deal with but not a person making a career. The more they consolidate and merge - the higher the prices and less staff. Walmart doesn’t even have food service workers unions in their stores…
I like how WF does it now- no massive restocking- they bring out small amounts and restock as needed. No obstacles to fall over in the aisles
My ex was a manager chef for Wegmans, every Thursday he checked everyone’s time card and adjusted their hours - no OT. And no shrink either lol
thank you for helping to shine a light on the food industry. I would love to see you address the consolidation and corporatization of healthcare. Talk about consolidation, 3 corporations run 94% of drug wholesale market, 4 Insurance companies 48% of the market, 4 control 87% of the Pharmacy Benefit Managers (whatever it is they actually do), and so on. The economist magazine pointed out that these crazy profit margins accrue to the middlemen in the "baffling" US healthcare system. This is just the tip of the situation. All the while providers are being nickel and dimed, these corporations are averaging 1500 M&A yearly, squeezing the consumer (patients), and Providers. Not to mention the entry of private equity into the market and the questionable business practices reminiscent of the corporate raiders of the 1990s. Thanks in advance.
Other. You get all of the above if you elect more Democrats. To do that, expand the base. Register Democrats - save Democracy.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Loved the coffee klatch today. I'm going to pass it along to someone in my church who wants to start a group on plant-based diet for health alongside my concerns about ethical consumption. I don't have a lot of money to donate, but I'm sure sending some to Jon Tester and Cory Booker. And of course I'm going to watch the film if I can ever figure out how to interact with my "smart" TV.
A wonderful klatch this morning - thank you all! I love the work that Michael Pollan has been doing for so long now. Here, in this corner of New Hampshire, the local food movement - Buy Local, Be Local - is alive and well. CSA's are everywhere. Many of us put up our own food, as much as possible. I deeply agree with the premise that Michael puts forward early in your discussion: we need small producers, small farms, small communities that are vibrant with young families and committed to sustainable patterns of growth and life. Our planet cannot survive the other model - this is clear. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing the good news about your home town. Have you seen the documentary called “Kiss the Ground” on Netflix? It’s an excellent film that shows how regenerative farming methods can turn dead dirt into rich doll that provides many nutrients to the produce grown in it and also absorbs carbon dioxide from the air. I highly recommend it.
I mean “rich soil” not doll!
Thanks, Aria - Regenerative farming is very exciting. The good word is spreading fast!
When I co-founded Buyblue.org, our motto was Vote With Your Wallet. Our work was informing readers of the corporations that donated to Republicans and Democrats. Why give your money to a company like WalMart that donates to the GOP when you can shop at Costco, which donates to Democrats?
When I went to the Buyblue.org website, I found myself at what appears to be a foreign gambling site. Don't know what language is being used. What gives?
Buyblue disbanded years ago, unfortunately.
Too bad we can't say the same about Walmart, the killer of so many small businesses!
Currently, there are apps that can tell you whether you're shopping red or blue.
http://buypartisan.com/
https://apps.apple.com/us/developer/goods-unite-us-inc/id1295147057
https://progressiveshopper.com/
There is a line in the film clip shown at the end of the klatch that will stay with me. It's when the woman says "...living a life rather than fighting to survive."
I very much appreciated watching this interview. Great information and a wonderful way to start my Saturday.
Beautiful Job Bob, Heather and Michael! Besides the excellent resources you mention I can only add George Monbiot's book Regenesis. The concentration of Argro business has left us vulnerable to tipping points supply chain failures besides how unhealthy and undemocratic this monopolization is.
Marc Nevas is so insightful with "Take the corporate owned production and distribution of food and put it in the hands of farmer owned cooperatives and put the retail distribution and grocery chains in the hands of consumer owned cooperatives. This is not a new idea, farmer owned cooperatives have been around for decades as has consumer owned food retail stores. Affordable food is a necessity that should be grown and distributed locally wherever and whenever possible and controlled by cooperative boards who have the welfare of the population in mind."
I completely agree with you!
What a great Coffee Klatch this morning!!! I have to admit, I was riveted!! Michael Pollan was so very informative and kept his comments easily understandable by old folks like me! I wish I could have picked two answers in your poll. Corporate monopolies need to be broken up and their price gouging tactics need to be stopped. I was quite happy to hear that we, as consumers, can turn the tide on this monopolistic corporate greed by shopping locally for our food. I do that already and find the cost is so much better than if I bought in a corporate store!! I am definitely going to watch the movie as I enjoyed the clip of part of it. President Biden has started work on the antitrust issues. I found it interesting when Mr. Pollan said something like we had gotten lax in enforcing the antitrust laws. Could that also be said of a lot of other laws as well? I know that when I go to the polls, I will have researched the candidates and will only vote for a candidate who will actually work for me not the richy rich or monopolistic corporations!!! Vote Blue, America!!!
OMG!! That was an inspired conversation… thanks you guys!
Thank you guys for that coffee klatch. I can just hear folks arguing to not stymie the corporate food system, and then complain about the costs - blame Biden. They may want to stay confused, and go to war, but they will be fighting ghosts - making a mess, and getting no results. We folks need to know not to shop locally, but to buy locally - locally grown food. It's always fun to hear Michael Pollan point of view
What a terrific klatch today! Heard some pretty scary stuff today, but it’s important to hear what’s actually going on. Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know! Thanks for your continued and tireless efforts to keep us informed!