News – Politics – Opinion – Podcasts
Popular food chain Steak ‘n Shake is stirring the MAHA pot by switching cooking oils from vegetable to animal, as in tallow. However, the transition away from trans-fats has nothing to do with transgenderism or the Trump transition – it has to do with “real science” and overwhelming customer preferences for healthier dining choices, even … Read more
The 1974 Kissinger Report, kept top secret for at least 15 years, incorporated the claims that a global international collaboration of NGOs and government was required to “secure individual rights.” These two values are at odds – universal control and universal individual liberties. This split-personality disorder must be examined and kept in mind to properly discern … Read more
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it will limit nicotine levels in cigarettes to stem addiction and consequent health problems. The formal FDA rule has not been released, yet the implications of this regulatory shift are dizzyingly myriad. Individual liberties, black market diversion, and the odd contrast between food and cigarette labeling and … Read more
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced new requirements for foods to be labeled as “healthy.” Americans increasingly realize that not everything labeled edible is good for them; in principle, the change is much needed. The problem is that the FDA’s definition of what is healthy, based on many of its past policies, … Read more
Food rights and federalism clash in the MAHA era Legal counsel for Amish food rights activist Amos Miller claimed victory in a recent Pennsylvania decision that permits the feisty farmer to continue selling his raw milk outside of the state but not “within the Commonwealth.” The ruling permits Miller to keep his business afloat to … Read more
This week, Bill and Mike discuss what we are thankful for this Christmas season: holiday meals, family gatherings, & a farmer’s independent spirit.”
The USDA is revising its nutrition guidelines – some say in the wrong direction. Critics of past federal guidelines that favored high carbohydrate diets and were compromised by industrial food producers are closely scrutinizing the new regulations because they advocate “reducing focus on chronic disease risk reduction” and more on “improving the lifespan.” This oxymoronic … Read more
I was reading the latest from a fellow Grok contributor, John Klar, about food. He has a great Substack I both recommend and follow here. The question is whether the USDAs new food guidelines – they are revamping them again – are going to make us fatter and sicker or heathier. It has often been argued that past “food … Read more
The transition of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. from Democrat to Independent to (gasp!) Republican was a popcorn-grabbing sideshow of the 2024 election season — until it became the main event. The defection of Bobby Kennedy to Team Trump was a seismic shift in an already bizarre presidential election, but it also formed a more perfect … Read more
Amy Fewell has become an inspiring resource for existing or wannabe homesteaders around the world. Like me, Amy wasn’t raised homesteading but gravitated toward it for health and well-being. Amy summarizes our podcast chat this way: “Having conversations about uncertain times ahead can often leave us feeling fearful or full of despair, but this conversation … Read more
The USDA is revising its nutrition guidelines. Critics of past federal guidelines, which favored high carbohydrate diets and were compromised by industrial food producers, are closely scrutinizing the new regulations because they advocate “reducing focus on chronic disease risk reduction” and more on “improving the lifespan.” This oxymoronic shift from prevention to cure pervades many … Read more
Speculation is heating up over Donald Trump’s expected nominee to head the USDA. High-profile positions like secretary of state understandably attract the political spotlight, but the MAGA message has blended with MAHA and Team Kennedy. Appointments to health-related agencies are important bellwethers of how much influence Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will bring to bear in … Read more
In this segment, I was asked about how to teach people effectively about food and how to make informed eating and buying choices.
Expected lifespans are plateauing worldwide, suggesting that life-extending advances in medicine, food safety, and plumbing may have gone as far as they can to preserve humanity’s ability to prolong the inevitable. This news dampens techno-mystical fantasies of using science to achieve immortality and slip the surly bonds of death. Yet this is old news for … Read more
Obesity continues to skyrocket in the United States, according to a new CDC report on the prevalence of severe diabetes. The number of women with the condition is increasing at a faster rate than men; women are nearly twice as likely to be severely obese. Extreme obesity has been connected to numerous dangerous health conditions. … Read more
With the national health crisis, food debauchery, and farm exploitation suddenly jumping to headlines via RFK, Jr., numerous people have offered solutions but nothing I’ve seen truly gets to the heart of the problem. Recently RFK, Jr. gave his recipe but in general, it’s yet another request for government intervention in these fields (pun intended). … Read more
There is a certain moral appeal to a system of pricing for consumer goods that incorporates the pollution costs involved in their production. Under such a system, in addition to the commercial “input costs” a producer paid to make a product, a fee for the toxins, water use, soil damage, or other environmental costs would … Read more
Food prices are climbing, but soon will soar — inflation is ensured due to recent massive spending. As Americans are pushed to consume artificial meat as a solution to the alleged environmental impact of cow farts, the government seeks to expand its techno-monitoring, in the name of “health and safety,” by requiring the RFID chipping of all livestock. The argument is … Read more
The Vermont Department of Health is still promoting the CDC’s childhood vaccination schedule, suggesting a COVID-19 shot for children as early as six months. Children were neither at risk nor a vector and effectively immune until we started jabbing them. It says pregnant moms should get one, too, absent comprehensive or accurate and complete informed … Read more
I join many others in excited anticipation of the upcoming Attack on Food and Farmers online symposium. I will be joining many great speakers to educate people about the importance of local, regenerative agriculture. I will be presenting brief seminars on each of the two days, in addition to participating in the closing discussion. My … Read more