Here's a little different approach: Farmers are victims of Big Ag too. I'm starting to think we need to be conscious that the Farm Bureau intentionally frames their propaganda as environmentalists v. farmers so that the attention is diverted from the true culprits -- the multinational corporations who have succeeded in monopolizing our food system from seed to grocery store. Farmers and environmentalists need to understand that ultimately they are on the same side and we have the fight of our lives to take back our food system and our democracy. Saving the environment and respecting our commons are beneficiaries. Donna On Aug 24, 2013, at 5:06 PM, Cindy Hildebrand <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > There was a lot of conventional-ag-is-wonderful information at the Fair this year and I saw it in a number of locations. I noticed that the farmer on one poster who was described as doing a very good job of protecting soil and water seemed to be using only no-till and buffer strips. > > Not that those methods aren't a significant improvement over doing nothing. But unless a lot more farmers start using multiple more-effective methods like cover crops, wetlands, and within-field prairie strips, we're going to see a Gulf dead zone the size of Alaska. Not to mention that we'll see soil erosion start to impact Iowa yields on some soils within three decades (that's what I recently heard from one soil expert). > > And per below, there's the issue of how much the general public knows about what to ask. I doubt if the farmers who have volunteered to answer questions will be asked, for example, "Is the corn and soybean seed you plant treated with neonicotinoids?" > > Cindy > > Cindy Hildebrand > [log in to unmask] > Ames, IA 50010 > > “Wherever there are birds, there is hope.” (Mehmet Murat ildan) > > In a message dated 8/24/2013 4:45:31 P.M. Central Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: > Here's some agri-biz propaganda for your enjoyment. I got this because I tried to guess the number of Lego blocks in their display at the Fair. My guess was about 37,000 too low. About an hour later, I got violently ill after eating Fair food. (You watch them corn dogs! Or could it have been the cream-filled Bismark?) > > Any criticism of Iowa agriculture is an attack on the sanctity of family farms, at least that's what we--as good consumers--are supposed to believe. > > Thanks, Jane, for the news about the new deputy ag secretary from Monsanto. > Tom > > In a message dated 8/23/2013 1:44:50 P.M. Central Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: > Having problems viewing this email? View it in a browser. > > > August 23, 2013 > > > > Happiness is.... > > > > Wow, what an Iowa State Fair! All of us involved with the Iowa Food & Family Project had a blast celebrating food, family and farming and enjoyed the chance to greet you at our “Get Connected to Farming” exhibit in the Varied Industries Building (that’s right… the one with the thousands upon thousands of LEGO® bricks!). > > Now, the real fun begins and it includes you! In addition to revealing the number of bricks used to create the exhibit (your guesses ranged from 500 to 9 million!), we’re ready to award prizes and we hope you're one of them! And read on for the chance to win a football feast prize package (complete with tickets to the Kansas vs. Iowa State football game Nov. 23) or your very own fall farm harvest tour! > > > A whole lotta' LEGO® bricks! > > > > Our center exhibit was created by Sean Kenney of New York, a LEGO® Certified Professional. It took nearly 300 hours to design and assemble and weighed almost 250 pounds! Total number of LEGO bricks used in the exhibit (drum roll, please!)… 38,719! – a number nearly equal to the population of Cedar Falls, Iowa! > > > Free groceries and pizza -- how awesome! > > > > So how many LEGO bricks did you guess? OK, so maybe 1.2 million was just a tad high. Others came just a little bit closer. In fact, our grand prize winner came within six! > > Karla Velasquez of Aurora, IL, received $500 in groceries courtesy of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association for her winning guess of 38,725. Placing second with a guess of 38,752 was Brian Wardenburg of Williamsburg, while first runner-up with a guess of 38,765 was Beau Christiansen of Ames. Both are winners of Casey’s Pizza-for-a-Year courtesy of Casey’s General Store. > > Martina Wolf of Des Moines was chosen randomly from the Iowa FFP’s more than 3,000 Facebook fans and also won $500 in groceries. > > > More prize winners > > > > Throughout the fair, “celebrities” joined us for LEGO brick build contests including Gov. Branstad, WHO-TV’s Erin Kiernan and Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich. Many youth were also invited to join them for these spirited events! Two of our youth participants were randomly selected and will receive a LEGO Combine Harvester! We'll soon announce those winners, as well as our daily SUBWAY party platter recipients at iowafoodandfamily.com so be watching -- one could be you (and just in time for the start of another college football campaign!). > > Also, visitors to our exhibit donated nearly $2,000 to the Iowa Food Bank Association. Many completed the donor “bricks” that were displayed throughout the exhibit area and were eligible to win a special gift. Denise Bubeck of Grimes received five cases of fresh pork loin courtesy of Iowa Select Farms. Bubeck will enjoy one case of fresh pork while the remaining four will be donated to a community food pantry of her choice. > > > Hungry for more? > > > > There’s a growing interest in food. That’s because you care about what you eat. Or perhaps you’re curious about how and where the food you enjoy is grown or the families who grow it. Or maybe you have an interest in farming having grown up on a farm or because you have extended family who farm. Or perhaps you have a fascination with how food makes its way from where its grown to your kitchen table or favorite supermarket or restaurant. > > Whatever the reason, we welcome your interest and we encourage your comments and questions. Come along with us as we explore Iowa and showcase the families who grow, prepare and serve the food we need and love! It’s easy as 1-2-3: > > 1. Go to iowafoodandfamily.com! Try some of the awesome recipes we feature, “Join the Journey” as “Iowa Girl Eats” Kristin Porter discovers Iowa’s rich farming heritage and the families who grow great food (and chime in with your questions and comments) and be amazed at the progress and dedication of Iowa’s farmers! > 2. Follow along with us on Facebook or hop aboard Twitter and be treated to stunning images of farm and rural life, stories about farm families, answers to frequently-asked-questions about what farmers do and the opportunity to win great prizes! > 3. Register to receive our monthly online newsletter featuring timely food news, recipes, farm facts and be the first to know about our upcoming events and activities inspired by families for families! > > > Ready for some football? > > > > Visit us on Facebook. Like us, have some fun, learn more about our Iowa and agriculture and participate in contests! Soon you’ll have the opportunity to win your very own fall farm harvest tour and a football feast prize package complete with tickets to the Nov. 23 Kansas vs. Iowa State football game at Jack Trice Stadium! > > > Join the journey with Iowa Girl Eats! > > > > "Iowa Girl Eats" Kristin Porter is going on a journey to an Iowa pig farm this fall. Did you know that Iowa farmers raise more pigs than in any other state and that some of the great pork they provide can be enjoyed at Costco, Fareway and your neighborhood Applebees? Just so you know, local food is everywhere! Join the journey today and discover all kinds of cool things about your food and the people who grow it! > > > Introducing... the Iowa Food & Family Project > > > > The Iowa Food & Family Project believes the more we know about food and farming, the more we grow as families and communities! We’re: > > • Dedicated to uniting Iowans in conversations about food, family and farming and a celebration of our rural and urban communities! We bring farming to life by sponsoring fun activities that provide you an opportunity to tour farms and meet Iowa’s farm families. We also showcase the tremendous variety of farms and tell the stories of the families who make them work! > • Proud to serve as presenting sponsor of the Iowa Games and supporter of Live Healthy Iowa (above is a photo of the fun we had at the Summer Iowa Games in Ames earlier this summer!). Our partnership brings farming to life for thousands of Iowans interested in good food, healthy living and how farmers help fuel the competitive spirit of our state! > • Big on collaboration and partnerships! You’re invited to learn more about the Iowa Food & Family Project and our partners including Casey's General Store, Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Midwest Dairy Association, Fareway, DuPont Pioneer, Iowa Pork Producers Association, SUBWAY, Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Egg Council, to name just a few!. > > Let's engage and have some fun as we discover all the people, places and techniques that make good food and strong communities happen in Iowa. Because the more we know, the more we grow! > > > > > > > Aaron Putze, APR > Director of Communications and Coordinator, Iowa Food & Family Project > Iowa Soybean Association > [log in to unmask] Iowa Food & Family Project > 1255 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy > Ankeny, IA 50023 > 515-334-1099 > iowafoodandfamily.com > > > > Funded in part by the Soybean Checkoff > > Instantly unsubscribe from Iowa Food & family emails. > > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp > > -----Original Message----- > From: "Iowa Food & Family Project" <[log in to unmask]> > To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 04:42:54 +1000 > Subject: And the number of LEGO bricks is... > > > Having problems viewing this email? View it in a browser. > > > August 23, 2013 > > > > Happiness is.... > > > > Wow, what an Iowa State Fair! All of us involved with the Iowa Food & Family Project had a blast celebrating food, family and farming and enjoyed the chance to greet you at our “Get Connected to Farming” exhibit in the Varied Industries Building (that’s right… the one with the thousands upon thousands of LEGO® bricks!). > > Now, the real fun begins and it includes you! In addition to revealing the number of bricks used to create the exhibit (your guesses ranged from 500 to 9 million!), we’re ready to award prizes and we hope you're one of them! And read on for the chance to win a football feast prize package (complete with tickets to the Kansas vs. Iowa State football game Nov. 23) or your very own fall farm harvest tour! > > > A whole lotta' LEGO® bricks! > > > > Our center exhibit was created by Sean Kenney of New York, a LEGO® Certified Professional. It took nearly 300 hours to design and assemble and weighed almost 250 pounds! Total number of LEGO bricks used in the exhibit (drum roll, please!)… 38,719! – a number nearly equal to the population of Cedar Falls, Iowa! > > > Free groceries and pizza -- how awesome! > > > > So how many LEGO bricks did you guess? OK, so maybe 1.2 million was just a tad high. Others came just a little bit closer. In fact, our grand prize winner came within six! > > Karla Velasquez of Aurora, IL, received $500 in groceries courtesy of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association for her winning guess of 38,725. Placing second with a guess of 38,752 was Brian Wardenburg of Williamsburg, while first runner-up with a guess of 38,765 was Beau Christiansen of Ames. Both are winners of Casey’s Pizza-for-a-Year courtesy of Casey’s General Store. > > Martina Wolf of Des Moines was chosen randomly from the Iowa FFP’s more than 3,000 Facebook fans and also won $500 in groceries. > > > More prize winners > > > > Throughout the fair, “celebrities” joined us for LEGO brick build contests including Gov. Branstad, WHO-TV’s Erin Kiernan and Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich. Many youth were also invited to join them for these spirited events! Two of our youth participants were randomly selected and will receive a LEGO Combine Harvester! We'll soon announce those winners, as well as our daily SUBWAY party platter recipients at iowafoodandfamily.com so be watching -- one could be you (and just in time for the start of another college football campaign!). > > Also, visitors to our exhibit donated nearly $2,000 to the Iowa Food Bank Association. Many completed the donor “bricks” that were displayed throughout the exhibit area and were eligible to win a special gift. Denise Bubeck of Grimes received five cases of fresh pork loin courtesy of Iowa Select Farms. Bubeck will enjoy one case of fresh pork while the remaining four will be donated to a community food pantry of her choice. > > > Hungry for more? > > > > There’s a growing interest in food. That’s because you care about what you eat. Or perhaps you’re curious about how and where the food you enjoy is grown or the families who grow it. Or maybe you have an interest in farming having grown up on a farm or because you have extended family who farm. Or perhaps you have a fascination with how food makes its way from where its grown to your kitchen table or favorite supermarket or restaurant. > > Whatever the reason, we welcome your interest and we encourage your comments and questions. Come along with us as we explore Iowa and showcase the families who grow, prepare and serve the food we need and love! It’s easy as 1-2-3: > > 1. Go to iowafoodandfamily.com! Try some of the awesome recipes we feature, “Join the Journey” as “Iowa Girl Eats” Kristin Porter discovers Iowa’s rich farming heritage and the families who grow great food (and chime in with your questions and comments) and be amazed at the progress and dedication of Iowa’s farmers! > 2. Follow along with us on Facebook or hop aboard Twitter and be treated to stunning images of farm and rural life, stories about farm families, answers to frequently-asked-questions about what farmers do and the opportunity to win great prizes! > 3. Register to receive our monthly online newsletter featuring timely food news, recipes, farm facts and be the first to know about our upcoming events and activities inspired by families for families! > > > Ready for some football? > > > > Visit us on Facebook. Like us, have some fun, learn more about our Iowa and agriculture and participate in contests! Soon you’ll have the opportunity to win your very own fall farm harvest tour and a football feast prize package complete with tickets to the Nov. 23 Kansas vs. Iowa State football game at Jack Trice Stadium! > > > Join the journey with Iowa Girl Eats! > > > > "Iowa Girl Eats" Kristin Porter is going on a journey to an Iowa pig farm this fall. Did you know that Iowa farmers raise more pigs than in any other state and that some of the great pork they provide can be enjoyed at Costco, Fareway and your neighborhood Applebees? Just so you know, local food is everywhere! Join the journey today and discover all kinds of cool things about your food and the people who grow it! > > > Introducing... the Iowa Food & Family Project > > > > The Iowa Food & Family Project believes the more we know about food and farming, the more we grow as families and communities! We’re: > > • Dedicated to uniting Iowans in conversations about food, family and farming and a celebration of our rural and urban communities! We bring farming to life by sponsoring fun activities that provide you an opportunity to tour farms and meet Iowa’s farm families. We also showcase the tremendous variety of farms and tell the stories of the families who make them work! > • Proud to serve as presenting sponsor of the Iowa Games and supporter of Live Healthy Iowa (above is a photo of the fun we had at the Summer Iowa Games in Ames earlier this summer!). Our partnership brings farming to life for thousands of Iowans interested in good food, healthy living and how farmers help fuel the competitive spirit of our state! > • Big on collaboration and partnerships! You’re invited to learn more about the Iowa Food & Family Project and our partners including Casey's General Store, Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Midwest Dairy Association, Fareway, DuPont Pioneer, Iowa Pork Producers Association, SUBWAY, Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Egg Council, to name just a few!. > > Let's engage and have some fun as we discover all the people, places and techniques that make good food and strong communities happen in Iowa. Because the more we know, the more we grow! > > > > > > > Aaron Putze, APR > Director of Communications and Coordinator, Iowa Food & Family Project > Iowa Soybean Association > [log in to unmask] Iowa Food & Family Project > 1255 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy > Ankeny, IA 50023 > 515-334-1099 > iowafoodandfamily.com > > > > Funded in part by the Soybean Checkoff > > Instantly unsubscribe from Iowa Food & family emails. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/