kitchenmage

BSP: The Pioneer Woman said, "Bravo!"

Ask anyone who knows me if I am good at PR and they will tell you yes. They won't be wrong, but there is one huge exception: me. I am an abject failure when it comes to promoting myself. Writing a book is one thing, but the author bio can leave me stumped right til the day the book goes to print.I hate it so much that I don't even have an About page. (bad blogger!)

I am trying to change that. Starting now. One step at a time:

1. Pioneer Woman read my cookbook: Picture Yourself Cooking With Your Kids
2. She said very nice.things.
3. I asked if I could quote her. (Okay, this was a bit more traumatic than that, but we'll pretend...)
4.  She said yes. (Eek!)
5. I squealed. Luckily I was in the privacy of my kitchen,
6. This post happened: The Pioneer Woman Reads! (my cookbook)

Phew! That was only a wee bit painful. Do I get a gold star now?

Good news for small farms: No NAIS! (updated)

According to the New York Times, NAIS is dead. Well, this version at least.

Faced with stiff resistance from ranchers and farmers, the Obama administration has decided to scrap a national program intended to help authorities quickly identify and track livestock in the event of an animal disease outbreak.

In abandoning the program, called the National Animal Identification System, officials said they would start over in trying to devise a livestock tracing program that could win widespread support from the industry.

Read the full article here: U.S.D.A. Plans to Drop Program to Trace Livestock

I love that they dropped it because of "stiff resistance" - that means we did it! Since they are already talking about a new version, however, this is no time to let it slide. NoNAIS.org is my go-to site for information so stop by there for updates as they get going on NAIS v.2.

Update

We knew that was too good to last, didn't we? Son of NAIS has been announced. Major differences from the original NAIS are:

• Only apply to animals moved in interstate commerce;
• Be administered by the States and Tribal Nations to provide more flexibility;
• Encourage the use of lower-cost technology; and
• Be implemented transparently through federal regulations and the full rulemaking process.

First steps include a forum with states and tribes so if you want a voice, talk to your officials at that level. Don't know who they are? Go to Project Vote Smart and type your zip code in the search box on the top of the left sidebar to get all the relevant information.

Press release: USDA Announces new Framework for Animal Disease Traceability (h/t to podchef for update)

Alternet Has a New Food Section

Among my regular web haunts, Alternet is pretty high on the list. Visiting today, I noticed they have a new food section: Alternet: Special Coverage: Food

A sampling of current articles:

• Habiba Alcindor writes Dollar Stores: The Last, and Not So Healthy Eating Choice, Before the Food Lines.
• Got Milk? A Disturbing Look at the Dairy Industry by Tara Lohan examines the lives of dairy cows and the ties that bind dairy farms to veal and meat production.
• Martha Rosenberg asks, Why Has the FDA Allowed a Drug Marked 'Not Safe for Use in Humans' to Be Fed to Livestock Right Before Slaughter?

If you, like me, are fascinated by the intersection of food, politics and culture, you might want to pop over and take a look at Alternet: Special Coverage: Food.

What's your favorite food news site? Please share with us in the comments.