(Untitled)

[kmo]

Comments

[my_pandemonium]

As the son of a 2nd Gen poultry farmer I have to disagree, the color of the yolk is related almost entirely to the feed source.

I'm all for locally produced food and sustainable farming practices, but I'm really becoming frustrated with the portrayal of farmers and current farming practices as evil and ignorant and what not.

[my_pandemonium]

A specifically formulated poultry feed, the difference in nutritional value of the eggs would be almost negligible although less consistent in birds being fed household scraps in addition to feed, as the feed is generally designed as a whole food source.

The issue of yolk colour is really an aesthetic one and feed is supplemented to produce a yolk colour in accord with the preferences of distributors. The levels of xanthophylls, or yellow pigment, in commercially produced eggs is high enough to realise positive health benefits.

I'm all for keeping backyard chickens by the way, I just don't agree egg quality is a very good argument for it. It also has some serious implications for the spread of disease, which makes quarantined commercial production more resilient - assuming of course a ready supply of energy, which could well be a problem.

Quite a civilized debate

[agapefarmer]

Well it seems we all agree on some things but not on all things. However it is nice to see that there is at least civility in the discourse. Pandemonium makes a very good point of commercial or conventional farmers being vilified. It is the easiest argument to make. However people tend to forget that farmers have been forced by the market, cajoled by University extension and arm twisted by corporations. We must blame ourselves for the system of agriculture we have, as much as the farmers. The people have voted with there dollars for cheap food and the government, in bed with big agra-corporations, has implemented policies that virtually gave farmers no choice but to factory farm. I am sure that pandemonium's grandfather remembers when there where lots of small farms spread out, and eggs gathered hand and actually sold within the community or within the region. Unfortunately progress and efficiency did away with all that so the consumer could have "cheap food." Many alternative forms of farming are making small steps forward

Re: Quite a civilized debate

[agapefarmer]

Let's flip this paradigm on its head and look at it from another perspective. We both agree that big agribusiness and government are to blame. However, the passive consumer, by being passive, is also at fault. Being caught in the spell of consumerism is no excuse. Not takeing responsibility for at least part of your own food is contrary to the way humans have lived before the modern era. Passivity has allowed an erosion of culture away from self reliance, to suckling the tit of big agri government. Since there is not much in the way of distinguishing the two. The only way passivity is useful is when it is used for resistance. You keeping chickens is one way of passive resistance. Supporting a CSA and buying organic products are great steps toward passive resitance because they are outside the governmental realm. It is up to those of us who have this knowledge to spread these memes. Will Allen is a great example of someone who is breaking the cycle of passivity with his inner city gardens

Charlotte Allen bibliography

[carolb_uk]

I listen to the C-Realm with a delay, and didn't hear this podcast until late last night. I can't see the original article in the LA Times, but no great loss