Happy New Year!

Come on, be honest. How likely are you to keep your New Year's Resolution(s)? Don't kid yourself - so this year keep it simple. Strive for a small, but worthy change. Something you can actually accomplish. And maybe even help others with.

Like smiling more. Or giving more flowers.

Or eating just a bit better.

I’m striving to eat a bit more plants and a bit less meat. How will that help others?! First I’ll feel great, which will make me much more fun to be around. Second I’ll help control the rampant use of antibiotics, fed to animals of slaughter, contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria everywhere. Big problem. Third I’ll nourish myself on food with a much lower carbon footprint, which might help the planet.

You're welcome :-))

I’m not saying don’t eat meat. I’m a big fan of Michael Pollen, the omnivore with a dilemma. And of Mark Bittman who offers the philosophy of “eat less-meatism”. Both of these incredible intellects simply suggest balancing meat with more plants. I like the idea of using meat as a flavoring, a sort of spice. Though I love plants, I will continue to eat meat. And Simon Fairley even makes quite a good case for eating meat, but also for more humane, ecologically sound farming practices.

There is a lot of controversy about eating meat. And about vegetarianism, veganism, the Paleo diet - you name it. Won’t figure that out overnight. But you gotta admit there’s a lot of junk we’re eating no matter what our diet. Remember, potato chips are vegetarian! Over time even small changes made steadily and consistently can have a huge impact. So keep your resolutions small, but keep them.

Every long journey starts with a single step. I’m taking a small step towards increasing my plant intake, and it's a resolution I can keep. And I thank my lucky stars I'm here to be able take this step.

Stars, Columbus Circle, New York City

Happy New Year.

Grass is Greener

The USDA recalling 143,383,823 pounds of ground beef the other day, was a poignant backdrop for Michael Pollan, touring author lecturing on his new book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” – an excellent analysis of the ‘politics, perils and pleasures of eating’. Much more than just an analysis of the omnivore’s dilemma of ‘what to have for dinner’, this book is a sobering expose of our food supply in America, making many people rethink what they eat.

Pollan exposes our obscene dependence on corn, originally driven by cheap chemical fertilizers made available from re-directed munitions plants after WWII, amplified by greatly improved yield of hybrid seeds, and sustained by farm subsidies put in place by the Nixon administration. What to do with all that corn? Feed it to cattle. Only problem is that cattle didn’t evolve to digest corn, but rather grass. Unfortunately, grazing cattle doesn’t come close to providing the productivity and efficiencies of the modern American cattle feed lot, especially with that overabundance of good cheap corn.

I remember my father, a gentle, peaceful man, describing the pastoral French countryside, and how he slaughtered chickens on the farm where he spent his summers. It seemed a bit discordant to me, but sharpened much more into perspective after this book. Pollan, an avowed omnivore, describes his experience slaughtering chickens, on a farm dedicated to respect for their animals and mercy even in their sacrifice. He considers the true environmental (and ethical) costs of raising beef by means of unmerciful, modern American agribusiness, which are not at all reflected in the low price of beef at market. He also describes far ‘greener’ approach to raising beef on grass, in farms which cycle pastures between beef and chickens – actually leaving the farmland better for the wear.

Most of us omnivores usually look the other way when considering how meat comes to our table. But this recent beef recall underscores the urgent messages in Pollan’s book – there are better ways to use our land, resources and power, and more humane methods for producing healthier food, locally.

By the way, you can get grass-fed beef in a lot of places locally now. Though it is more expensive, it typically has no growth hormones and unnecessary antibiotics, and does not require unnecessary fossil fuel to transport (and warm the plant). Support your local farm!

A must-read, Pollan’s book reveals what most of us do not (and may not want to) know – but really should – about how the great American machine puts food on the table.