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How many Americans think chocolate milk comes from brown cows? |
Seven percent of all American adults believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows, according to a nationally representative online survey commissioned by the Innovation Center of U.S. Dairy. |
If you do the math, that works out to 16.4 million misinformed, milk-drinking people. The equivalent of the population of Pennsylvania (and then some!) does not know that chocolate milk is milk, cocoa and sugar. |
But while the survey has attracted snorts and jeers from some corners — “um, guys, [milk] comes from cows – and not just the brown kind,” snarked Food & Wine — the most surprising thing about this figure may actually be that it isn’t higher. |
For decades, observers in agriculture, nutrition and education have griped that many Americans are basically agriculturally illiterate. They don’t know where food is grown, how it gets to stores — or even, in the case of chocolate milk, what’s in it. |
One Department of Agriculture study, commissioned in the early ’90s, found that nearly 1 in 5 adults did not know that hamburgers are made from beef. Many more lacked familiarity with basic farming facts, like how big U.S. farms typically are and what food animals eat. |
Experts in ag education aren’t convinced that much has changed in the intervening decades. |
Upton and other educators are quick to caution that these conclusions don’t apply across the board. Studies have shown that people who live in agricultural communities tend to know a bit more about where their food comes from, as do people with higher education levels and household incomes. |
But in some populations, confusion about basic food facts can skew pretty high. When one team of researchers interviewed fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders at an urban California high school, they found that more than half of them didn’t know pickles were cucumbers, or that onions and lettuce were plants. Four in 10 did... |
In some ways, this ignorance is perfectly logical. The writer and historian Ann Vileisis has argued that it developed in lockstep with the industrial food system. |
As more Americans moved into cities in the mid-1800s, she writes in the book “Kitchen Literacy,” fewer were involved in food production or processing. That trend was exacerbated by innovations in transportation and manufacturing that made it possible to ship foods in different forms, and over great distances. |
By the time uniformity, hygiene and brand loyalty became modern ideals – the latter frequently encouraged by emerging food companies in well-funded ad campaigns – many Americans couldn’t imagine the origins of the boxed cereals or shrink-wrapped hot dogs in their kitchens. |
Today, many Americans only experience food as an industrial product that doesn’t look much like the original animal or plant: The USDA says orange juice is the most popular “fruit” in America, and processed potatoes – in the form of french fries and chips – rank among the top vegetables. |
The past 20 years have seen the birth of a movement to reverse this gap, with agriculture and nutrition groups working to get ag education back into classrooms. |
Aside from FoodCorps, which worked with slightly more than 100,000 students this year, groups like the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization and the American Farm Bureau Foundation are actively working with K-12 teachers across the country to add nutrition, farm technology and agricultural economics to les... |
For National Dairy Month, which is June, NACO has been featuring a kindergarten-level lesson on dairy. Among its main takeaways: milk — plain, unflavored, boring white milk — comes from cows, not the grocery case. |
Nutritionists and food-system reformers say these basic lessons are critical to raising kids who know how to eat healthfully — an important aid to tackling heart disease and obesity. |
Meanwhile, farm groups argue the lack of basic food knowledge can lead to poor policy decisions. |
Upton, of FoodCorps, said everyone could benefit from a better understanding of agriculture. |
The victim reportedly told police that the couple had confiscated his visa and drivers' license, and threatened to send photos of the unwanted sexual encounter to his wife back in Mexico if he didn't return the next day. |
3. The New Strategy: Fighting BDS with Legislation Attacking Free Speech? |
Note: Apologies for the irregular schedule of Round-Ups in recent weeks (due to winter colds, international visitors, and now an impending snow storm). The Round-Up should return to its regular Friday schedule starting next week. |
(ISRAEL BEST-ALLY-WITH-BENEFITS) HR 938 (and HR 1992): Introduced 3/4/13 by Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and having 351 cosponsors as of this writing, the “United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013.” After languishing in committee for almost a year, on 1/29/14 the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the measure... |
As a reminder, HR 938 was one of the key AIPAC “asks” at the time of the 2013 AIPAC policy conference in Washington, DC (as discussed in the 3/8/13 edition of the Round-Up), and has been on the legislative agenda of AIPAC and various other groups, including NORPAC, since that time (as discussed in the 5/24/13 edition o... |
At the time of its introduction, HR 938 was also referred to Judiciary Committee, which referred the measure to its Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security. It was also referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, which referred the measure to its Subcommittee on Research and Technology. It is n... |
(SEEKING TO OUTLAW BOYCOTTS AGAINST ISRAEL) HR 4009: Introduced 2/6/14 by Roskam (R-IL) and Lipinski (D-IL), the “Protect Academic Freedom Act.” Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. The purpose of this bill, in Roskam’s own words, is to “prevent these campaigns [boycotts against Israel] by pr... |
(ENHANCED EXPORT/RE-EXPORT PRIVILEGES FOR ISRAEL) HR 3961: Introduced 1/29/14 by Grayson (D-FL), “To provide Israel a license exception to the Export Administration Regulations currently made available to 36 other nations.” Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The bill requires the President to direct th... |
(ENHANCED US-ISRAEL ENERGY COOPERATION) HR 3683: Introduced 12/10/13 by Upton (R-MI) and having 7 cosponsors, “To amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to improve United States-Israel energy cooperation, and for other purposes.” On 2/5/14, the bill was reported out of the Committee on Energy and Commer... |
(JEWISH ARTIFACTS FROM IRAQ) S. Res. 333: Introduced 1/16 by Toomey (R-PA) and having 29 cosponsors, “A resolution strongly recommending that the United States renegotiate the return of the Iraqi Jewish Archive to Iraq.” Passed by the Senate 2/6 by Unanimous Consent. Toomey’s press release touting the passage of his bi... |
(IRAN) House Pro-Democracy Letter: On 2/13, Days before talks on a permanent agreement between P5+1 countries and Iran are set to begin in Vienna, 104 Members of the US House of Representatives sent President Obama a bipartisan letter supporting continued diplomatic engagement with Iran. The letter notes that “A bill o... |
(IRAN) Ros-Lehtinen letter to Obama: On 2/12, Rep. Ros-Lehtinen sent a letter to President Obama calling on him to make the full text of the Iran nuclear deal public.” (Ros-Lehtinen press release is here). |
(IRAN) Paul letter to Obama on Iran: On 2/6, Sen. Paul (R-TX) sent a letter to President Obama Regarding Iran Negotiations, following up on questions he had raised during the 2/4 Iran hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. |
(IRAN SANCTIONS) Senate GOP letter to Reid: On 2/4, 42 GOP Senators sent a letter to Senate Majority leader Reid (D-NV) calling on him to permit a vote on the pending Iran sanctions bill, S. 1881. While supporters of the bill have long sought to promote it as a bipartisan measure, the letter to Reid included only Repub... |
(IRAN) Hillary Clinton Letter to Carl Levin: On 1/26, former Senator and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent letter to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) opposing new sanctions against Iran at this time. Her letter was in response to an inquiry sent to her by Senator Levin (both her l... |
(IRAN) Gutierrez letter to House Leaders: On 1/30, Rep. Gutierrez (D-IL) sent a letter to Reps. Pelosi (D-CA) and Boehner (R-OH) calling for a classified briefing for all Members of the House of Representatives on the international agreement aimed at preventing a nuclear armed Iran. |
(OPPOSING BOYCOTT AGAINST ISRAEL) Roskam et al letter to ASA: On 1/17, 134 Members of Congress, led by Reps. Roskam (R-IL), Deutch (D-FL), Collins (R-GA), and Schneider (D-IL), sent a letter to ASA President Curtis Marez opposing ASA’s boycott of Israeli academics and academic institutions. Notably, subsequent legislat... |
As reported in the 1/17/14 edition of the Round-Up, efforts to press ahead with new Iran sanctions were already hitting serious obstacles in both the House and Senate, even before President Obama’s State of the Union address, in which he made a strong case for his Iran policy and vowed to veto any new sanctions legisla... |
In the wake of the SOTU, S. 1881 has hit a wall as the politics around S. 1881 have become openly partisan. As noted in Section 1 (above), on 2/4 forty-two Republican senators sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Reid demanding that he permit a vote on the bill. Sen. Menendez (D-NJ), the lead Democratic cosponsor of... |
At the same time, efforts to press ahead with some kind of tough Iran-focused measure in the House still appear stymied, even as today, more than 100 House members (from both parties) sent a letter to President Obama supporting Iran diplomacy (discussed in Section 1, above). |
In terms of what happens next, rumors continue to flourish on the Hill of a possible Cantor-Hoyer non-binding resolution in the House, and something like that in the Senate, but as yet, nothing has come out. With the AIPAC policy conference fast approaching, it seems certain that AIPAC will want to make sure that its a... |
On 2/6, Roskam introduced HR 4009, which seeks to do just that. The bill is co-sponsored by his fellow Illinois congressman Lipinski (D-IL). Roskam’s press release touting the bill can be found here. In the press release, Roskam notes, “I’m so thankful for the wisdom and leadership of Ambassador Michael Oren, who has h... |
The Free Beacon subsequently published another article, both challenging that report and appearing to challenge AIPAC and the ADL to take a different position. That article also asserts that Oren “helped initiate the measure,” and cites support for the measure from CUFI (Christians United for Israel, the organization l... |
All of this comes in the context of the debate in New York over similar legislation in the New York Senate, first floated in December 2013. That bill was passed (amended slightly) by the New York State Senate on 1/28/14, and was harshly denounced by the New York Times editorial board in its 2/3 editorial, entitled, “A ... |
Similar efforts at the state level are also underway in Maryland and Illinois. |
NOTE: Americans for Peace Now opposes boycott-divestment-sanctions efforts targeting Israel. We believe such efforts are misguided, misdirected, and counter-productive. However, APN believes that legislation that seeks to combat BDS by undermining academic freedoms and free speech is equally misguided, likely to be cou... |
2/13: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to hold a two-panel hearing entitled, “Syria Spillover: The Growing Threat of Terrorism and Sectarianism in the Middle East” [Note: There is a good chance this will be re-scheduled due to a snow storm…] Panel 1 witnesses are: William Burns, Deputy Secretary of S... |
2/11: A hearing was held in the Senate Armed Services Committee entitled, “Current and Future Worldwide Threats.” Witnesses were James R. Clapper, Director of National Intelligence (testimony) and Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (testimony). Video of the hearing is available here. Cl... |
2/11: A hearing was held in the House Armed Services Committee entitled, “United States Security Policy and Defense Posture in the Middle East.” Witnesses were: Vice Admiral Frank Pandolfe, Director for Strategic Plans and Policy (J-5), The Joint Staff, Department of Defense (statement); Ambassador Anne Patterson, Assi... |
2/11: The House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence held a hearing entitled, “Al Qaeda's Expansion in Egypt: Implications for U.S. Homeland Security.” Witnesses were: Steven A. Cook, Council on Foreign Relations (statement); and Thomas Joscelyn, Foundation for the Defense of ... |
2/4: The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing entitled, “Negotiations on Iran's Nuclear Program.” Panel 1 witnesses were: Wendy Sherman, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (statement), and David S. Cohen, Under Secretary of Treasury for Terrorism and Financing (statement). Panel 2 witnesses ... |
1/29: The Senate Select Intelligence Committee held a hearing entitled “Current and Projected National Security Threats Against the United States.” The witness at the hearing was James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence. His statement, which includes comments on a number of Middle East countries and Iran, is av... |
1/28: The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing, convened jointly by the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, and the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, entitled “Implementation of the Iran Nuclear Deal.” Witnesses were: Mark Wallace, UANI (statement); Gregory Jones, Nonprolif... |
Holding (R-NC) 1/27: Opposing the interim deal with Iran. |
A new restaurant, ‘farm shop’, delicatessen, special afternoon teas and more of a year-round garden experience - these are some of the plans as Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens in Lower Beeding looks ahead to its 2019 opening. |
As the gardens made history yesterday (Thursday June 21) with the planting of the first commercial Pinotage vineyard in the UK the County Times had the chance to find out more about future plans and get a tour of the estate. |
The aim to open this year had to be put on the back burner due to the discovery of a great crested newt in one of the greenhouses, plus awaiting the green light on a vital planning application for a new car park. |
Many visitors to Leonardslee before it shut in 2010 enjoyed the hot and cold food on offer and the idea is to take that to another level. |
No demonstration whatsoever is going to compel Rev. Fr. Prof. Afful-Broni to resign as Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW). In fact, Afenyo-Markin can go to the UK and bus his alumni over there to Ghana to participate in his sponsored demonstrations, the status quo with regards to the cur... |
In addition, Afenyo-Markin and his band of warmongers should know that their declaration of a media war against the Council Chairman of UEW and the VC, are a sheer waste of time and resources. These resources could have been channelled into developmental projects for the advancement of society. Afenyo-Markin claim to b... |
Is busing unemployed youth around the country to participate in useless demonstrations a method of eradicating endemic poverty in society? Afenyo-Markin can only fool himself and his blind followers, for reasonable members of society know that no alumnus of UEW worth his salt, would abandon his job on a working day, ri... |
So Afenyo-Markin has forgotten that the workers of Ghana Water Company Ltd (GWCL) demonstrated against his autocratic and corruption-oriented led Board at GWCL? My question to Afenyo-Markin is, did he resign when the workers of GWCL demonstrated against his macabre and distasteful activities at GWCL? So who does Afenyo... |
Afenyo-Markin, I urge you to come again, for you have failed woefully in your wicked, selfish and thoughtless agenda to undo what Allah has preordained. |
I expect Afenyo-Markin to take his band of unemployed youth parading as UEW alumni to all the remaining 15 Regional Capitals of Ghana, to demonstrate and destroy public property, as they did in Winneba, after today’s demonstration in Cape Coast. The law abiding citizens of Nalerigu, the capital of the North East Region... |
It is not far-fetched to conclude that Afenyo-Markin and his rabble-rousers are shamefully basking in both stupidity and ignorance. |
This author has authored 102 publications on Modern Ghana. |
The Misplaced Priority Of Cletus Ngaaso! |
The Electricity Company Of Ghana, Friend Or Foe? |
Above, a solar array developed by Clean Energy Collective in Rehoboth, Mass. Below, land at the Shelton transfer station that is being considered for a solar array. |
Michael Licamele scans a tract of land off Horace Avenue in Bridgeport and envisions row after row of solar panels silently producing clean and cheap power for 550 customers. |
Licamele is one of four bidders — including a similar proposal in Shelton — offering to bring community solar power to Connecticut through a Shared Clean Energy Pilot Program authorized by the General Assembly two years ago. |
The bidders are competing to sell six megawatts of electricity to thousands of customers who are not able to place traditional solar panels on their roofs. The selected developers will place hundreds of solar arrays on vacant land across the state. |
But while environmentalists applaud expansion of the emission free source of power, they are disappointed with the scope of the pilot program and the amount of power to be generated. They are pushing to bring community solar to every electric customer. |
“It’s time for Connecticut to step up and provide equal access to solar,” said Sean Garren, Northeast director for Vote Solar, a national advocacy group. |
A request for proposals issued by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection drew nine offers for projects across the state, including the two in Fairfield County. |
Although the proposed projects could produce 16.7 megawatts of solar power, under rules established by the Legislature, only six megawatts will be authorized. |
Community solar power means selling power to multiple customers from a single array of solar panels, usually occupying 10 to 15 acres. Each solar company participating in the pilot have will assemble a group of customers. |
“It’s pretty simple,” said Licamele, managing member of CHIP Fund 6 and owner of the MLS Group, which has been installing solar power at housing authorities and other institutions. |
“They (customers) sign up for the power and pay us $70 a month for an average electric bill and get $90 back from United Illuminating,” Licamele said, pointing out in the end the customer saves $20 a month. |
The return credit is possible because solar power is cheaper than burning fossil fuels and avoids the transmission and distribution fees that make up a large portion of an electric bill. |
A similar proposal in Shelton submitted by U.S. Solar proposes a 7.5 acre solar array within the Shelton Transfer Station off River Road. |
The facility would be capable of producing 1.6 megawatts of power for 200 customers eligible for energy assistance, a review of the bid showed. |
Martin Mobley, an executive with U.S. Solar, which has an office in South Norwalk, declined comment until DEEP makes its choice. |
Other proposed community solar projects are in Groton, Bloomfield, Thompson, Waterbury, Uncasville, Dayville and Montville. |
Solar advocates note that 80 percent of Connecticut households cannot receive solar power directly through rooftop or yard-based panels. |
Garren said community solar solves those problems by generating power at a single location and sending it into the grid for anyone to purchase. |
Developing the pilot proved to be controversial and difficult for lawmakers who, in the face of concerns from electric companies and generators worried about profits, opted for a small first step. |
Massachusetts has opened the entire state to community solar power and some 60 projects are now in the pipeline. |
The General Assembly in 2015 authorized the Connecticut pilot program and in 2016 amended the bill to restrict the scope and scale. An RFP issued last year was canceled after DEEP received bids and a more restrictive call for bids was reissued. |
Some of the changes included restrictions on where arrays can be located, including limits on farmland, historic preservation properties, core forests and areas where endangered or threatened species live. |
DEEP did not respond to requests for comment about the community solar pilot program. |
Coleman said she supports saving forests but questioned why farms willing to host community solar arrays should face restrictions. |
Coleman said the 6 megawatt limit is too restrictive and noted efforts are under way to prod the legislature to implement a state wide community solar program. |
Queensbury, NY - It is with our deepest sorrow that we announce that Christopher John Blackburn our beloved son and brother went to the arms of the Lord on Saturday February 2, 2019 after a long battle with cancer. |
To view the complete obituary please visit sbfuneralhome.com. |
What will you miss most about Christopher J. BlackBurn? |
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — A new clothing store has opened at IUPUI, ensuring students are able to dress for success. |
Paw’s Closet is a new resource on campus that provides free, gently-used, casual and business attire for students. |
The clothing closet, located in Cavanaugh Hall, allows IUPUI students to have access to professional clothing without worry. |
Many of the clothing items were donated by faculty and staff at the IUPUI Regatta as part of a campus-wide clothing drive. |
Cassidy Caudill is a student volunteer at Paw’s Closet and helped get the store up and running. |
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