food news

Check! Or hopefully three. A new point system, favored by the Institute of Medicine, would use a three check system to rate foods based on nutritional value. A report from the Institute of Medicine states that the group is urging the Food and Drug Administration to adopt this new food labeling technique to show whether the amounts of saturated and trans fats, sodium and added sugars are below certain thresholds, according to MSNBC. The hope behind the system is to help busy shoppers make better choices faster. On the MSNBC Vitals blog, Art Caplan commented, "The food industry is using an ethical argument, claiming consumers don’t want the government telling them what to eat to defend a lack...

The transition from summer to autumn means a mix of hot and cold days, beautiful foliage and a unique opportunity to fight hunger. The change of harvesting seasons means surplus crops, and there are a few tactics currently in use to make sure those crops get to those who need them. Gleaning refers to the collection of crops either from farmers’ fields that have already been mechanically harvested or from fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest, due to low market prices, according to Slow Movement. Food collected during gleaning is commonly distributed to food pantries, school cafeterias or other places with a needy population. The Vermont Foodbank, the state’s largest...

According to WCAX, participants at the annual UVM Extension Dairy Producers Conference on February 24 received some good news about the dairy industry: milk prices are rising and expected to remain high throughout 2011. Although the price increase offers Vermont's dairy farmers some relief, the volatility of dairy prices in recent years gives most farmers reason to proceed cautiously, noting that the market will likely continue fluctuating. Some suggest that the best way to counter this uncertainty is to establish a national dairy supply management system that would monitor milk production, thus preventing farmers from over-producing and driving prices down. More National News Mar. 1: Mark...

New Hampshire organic yogurt company Stonyfield Farm has launched a new initiative to support organic farming- the Stonyfield Organic Farmers Grant-a-Wish Program. Judges from Stonyfield and Organic Valley have chosen six finalists from an original pool of 72 farmers from across the country. Their selection was based on the level of innovation, adherence to organic farming practices and overall environmental impact of the farmers' proposed projects. Consumers can now check out the finalists’ own stories and videos on Stonyfield’s Facebook page and vote for their favorite project. In March, Stonyfield will distribute $31,000 in grant money to the finalists based on voting results. There will...

Plant experts are warning growers to take steps against late blight, the plant disease that can rapidly kill tomato and potato crops and potentially cost farmers millions of dollars in lost produce, pesticides and extra labor. Last year, the unusually early outbreak of the disease affected crops from Florida to New England and spread as far west as North Dakota.  The Associated Press reports that another outbreak is likely this year, and some gardens have already been affected in Florida and Louisiana.  Weather experts in Vermont predict a wet summer, which will provide favorable conditions for blight, which thrives in a cool, damp environment. Late blight is caused by a fungus-like...