Homegrown Co-op

Nonprofit David Cuts Down Agribusiness Goliaths Dean Foods, Target Stumble—Being Forced to Correct Deceptive Practices

CORNUCOPIA, Wis. – December 14 – An investigation by the USDA’s National Organic Program has determined that Target Corporation wrongly used the image of a certified organic product when promoting the sale of a conventional product to consumers. The investigation was triggered by a complaint filed by The Cornucopia Institute, a farm policy group and organic watchdog based in Wisconsin.

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Jerry Crawford, an Iowa lawyer and lobbyist with deep ties to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, recently registered as the Washington representative for Monsanto, a biotechnology and agrichemical giant that embodies the “special interests” President Obama planned to drive from the temple of federal government.

The Des Moines Register calls Crawford a “well-connected, high-profile Des Moines lawyer” and “Democratic power broker.”

Examine his record, and you see what the paper means. Crawford was once chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party. He was the Iowa chairman for the presidential campaigns of Michael Dukakis, Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry. In 2008, he was Hillary Clinton’s Midwest campaign chairman.

Of greater significance today, he is also a “longtime Vilsack friend and adviser,” a “Vilsack ally,” a “top Vilsack insider,” and “a guru for and a big friend of Gov. Tom Vilsack,” according to the Register. Read more…

Chicory: a delicious and spicy treat from the garden!

Chicory and White Bean Soup

Ingredients

* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 5 garlic cloves, smashed
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
* approximately 5 cups vegetable broth
* 1 pound chicory, torn into 2-inch pieces
* 16 oz. of white beans, rinsed and drained

Preparation

Cook onions in oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and additional herbs and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Stir in chicory and beans, then simmer, uncovered, until chicory is tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer 2 cups of soup to a blender and purée until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then stir into remaining soup to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.

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The other face of Publix: why Publix continues to purchase tomatoes from growers tainted by last year’s brutal slavery prosecution.

We want Publix to make good on its promise to be, in the words of its mission statement, “involved as responsible citizens in our communities.”

You can protest Publix’s refusal to support tomato growers who today are implementing more ethical farm labor practices by refusing to shop at Publix.

One recent story from the picket line captures the very different narrative behind this other face of Publix. About a week ago, CIW members and local allies organized a protest in Tampa. The picket attracted the attention of many in the Tampa rush hour traffic, including one kindergarten teacher who was so moved that she stopped to join in. As a teacher in nearby Ruskin, she has many students whose parents are farmworkers, and so she sees daily the struggles of farmworker parents to provide for their children. As she walked with the picketers, she talked with members of the CIW delegation and heard their stories. Read more…