I Can't Believe I Bought the Whole Thing, an article in the Washington Post about renewed interest in buying meat in whole animals, sides, or quarters.
In our area, you can get pastured beef at Hastings Farm in Bay Minette. There are other farms within driving distance; find them at Local Harvest (do a 100-mile search) or on the Eating Alabama map.
Via Culinate, a link to New York Times food writer Mark Bittman's latest, Putting Meat Back in Its Place, providing tips on how to eat less meat (as opposed to arguments in favor of). As he points out, many cultures regard meat as a luxury and use it as a "condiment or a treat," where its purpose is primarily to add flavor to a dish rather than be the center of a meal.
At the New York Times Freakonomics blog, Stephen J. Dubner asks: Do We Really Need a Few Billion Locavores? It's a good question, and a persistent one. When you start to think about economies of scale you do begin to wonder whether all that work, and possibly freezer space if you're going that route, makes sense. Nevertheless, I think he's wrong, and on top of that the example he uses (making homemade sherbet) is a poor one. Read through the comments to find many insightful counterarguments. One I find particularly convincing is that it's easier to practice sustainable agriculture on a small, local scale, and since that's better for the environment and our health those benefits should have more weight.
In terms of home gardening, when we lived in the midwest I actually stopped keeping a vegetable garden because there was such a fantastic amount and variety of fresh local produce available at our markets that I felt it didn't pay for me to expend the labor raising my own food. It made more sense to spend money at the market and help support people who were farming professionally, trying to make a living (or supplement their income) at it.
I've changed my tune now for several reasons, including:
What's your perspective on the cost of buying local/growing your own?
At Sustainable Table, a guide to grilling with sustainable ingredients.
So many of the summer vegetables in season now are wonderful when thrown on the grill. I'm in love with sweet, carmelized grilled summer squash. Add some eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes, throw it on a nice roll with cheese and balsamic vinaigrette, and you've got a great veggie sandwich.
At The Ethicurean, some perspective on the finally-passed 2008 Farm Bill. Michael Pollan seems embittered, Debra Eschmeyer stays optimistic and reviews the positive aspects of the bill, and a well-informed commenter provides some additional insight.
