The Heroic Spirit of Business
"Lew Rockwell talks to John Mackey, founder of Whole Foods." Continue reading →
Food Freedom vs. Regulatory Busybodies
"Cottage food laws, state laws permitting people to sell some foods prepared in the home, are one such development. In California, the state’s new cottage food law (which I wrote about previously here) appears to be a huge hit just a month into its existence. The law has already helped formerly illicit sellers to enter the legal food market. State laws permitting cottage foods are quickly catching up with the demand for looser regulations. Nearly three-dozen states now have cottage food laws in place. And advocates in other states—including Minnesota and Alabama—are pushing to add their states to the growing list." Continue reading →
David Galland: Lessons from the Argentine
"In today's missive, I plan on sharing just a few of the lessons learned since moving to Cafayate in the Salta province in scenic northwest Argentina. It's my hope that my observations will be of use to you in getting through the challenging times still ahead for the major developed economies. That's because, as I probably don't need to tell you, the Argentines have almost unparalleled experience in surviving the regular financial crises their government has proven so adept at creating. In fact, since Juan Perón took office in 1946, not a single ten-year period has passed without being molested by a serious crisis, and often more than one." Continue reading →
Santa Monica residents push city council to rein in outdoors fitness classes
"The city is considering a proposal that would require fitness trainers running their classes on city grounds pay a $100 fee and 15 percent of their gross revenues. Classes may also be limited to no more than two students per trainer, unless instructors working in larger venues provide proof of insurance on top of paying the fees. But some trainers have responded that while they don’t pay rent for teaching outdoors, they already pay the city for the proper permits and licensing to operate their businesses, on top of their own insurance and CPR certification fees." Continue reading →
‘Ag-Gag’ Bills, Property Rights, and Common Sense
"Opposition to Ag-Gag legislation is steadfast across demographic, geographic and partisan lines. A majority of Republicans, Democrats and Independents agree that banning undercover investigations is wrong. Likewise, a majority of respondents in all regions (Northeast, Midwest, South and West) oppose the criminalization of undercover investigations at farms. Over the years I have witnessed that fact that the more people are exposed to the realities of the cruel and deplorable slop served up by the industrial CAFO system, the more they will demand quality food where animals are raised humanely and within their natural environment." Continue reading →
Nation’s Largest Raw Milk Dairy Sues FDA Over Interstate Ban
"Organic Pastures, the nation’s largest raw milk dairy, has launched a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for allegedly turning its back on the dairy’s request for the agency to change its current law banning sales of raw milk across state lines. The dairy’s owner Mark McAfee is concerned it’s high time for the feds to stop dragging their bureaucratic heels on this issue. McAfee said he would like the current ban against interstate sales of raw milk for human consumption, which was adopted in 1987, to be changed so that raw milk that is produced legally in one state can be shipped across state lines to another state that also allows sales of raw milk." Continue reading →
France bans controversial chemical BPA in food packaging
"The French parliament voted Thursday to ban the use of bisphenol A, a chemical thought to have a toxic effect on the brain and nervous system, in baby food packaging next year and all food containers in 2015. The chemical, commonly known as BPA, is used in 'polycarbonate' types of hard plastic bottles and as a protective lining in food and beverage cans. It became a concern following evidence in lab animals of a toxic effect on the brain and nervous system. Some studies have found a link between exposure to BPA and coronary heart disease and reproductive disorders." Continue reading →
Genetically modified salmon not harmful, FDA says
"Federal health regulators say a genetically modified salmon that grows twice as fast as normal is unlikely to harm the environment, clearing the way for the first approval of a scientifically engineered animal for human consumption. The document concludes that the fish 'will not have any significant impacts on the quality of the human environment of the United States.' Regulators also said that the fish is unlikely to harm populations of natural salmon, a key concern for environmental activists. The FDA said more than two years ago that the fish appears to be safe to eat, but the agency had taken no public action since then." Continue reading →
Walmart Goodies: retail giant goes gourmet
"'For only $7 a month, including tax and shipping, subscribers receive a gift box at their doorstep filled with five to eight hand-picked taster samples ranging from healthy and organic to artisan and ethnic,' Walmart said in a statement Wednesday. 'The new Goodies Co. box underscores Walmart’s commitment to e-commerce and its use of social innovations to create new offerings for consumers.' Goodies has been in beta testing for a few months, and now has over 3,000 subscribers, according to the company. The more popular products have a good chance at eventually being offered in Walmart stores." Continue reading →
Rooftop gardens growing in popularity in notoriously smoggy Mexico City
"A green revolution is sweeping across the car and concrete jungle of Mexico City, an infamously smoggy capital that was once dubbed 'Makesicko City' by novelist Carlos Fuentes. Residents are growing vegetables on rooftops, planting trees where buildings once stood, hopping on bicycles and riding in electric taxis, defying the urban landscape in this metropolis of 20 million people and four million cars. 'This is our vote for the environment,' said Elias Cattan, a 33-year-old bespectacled architect pointing to the lettuce, onions and chilies growing in a planting table and inside used tires on the balcony of his rooftop office." Continue reading →