"Grist" news and stories

Author Eric Burkett -- chef, food writer and Buddhist minister-in-training -- posted an essay on the blog Grist identifying a new breed of Foodies. He writes that Americans are "embracing food -- or food activism -- as their new religion" and exhibiting all the usual characteristics like "zealotry, passion, conviction, and a touch of self-righteousness in many cases."

Let's face it; is there anything more annoying than a self-righteous foodie? It's bad enough we had to listen to dull discourses on the latest cheese made by Bulgarian monks or monotonous monologues on the last meal they had at Chez Snooty. Now their diatribes are bordering on scary and strident fanaticism.

Grist, that handy resource for environmental news and commentary, is spending the next two weeks focusing on food in a series called Sow What? They are diving into the heartland, talking to writers and researchers, taking a look at sustainable farming practices and generally trying to provide good information about the world of food that's out there these days.

Currently they have an article up about industrial agriculture in Iowa, a quiz in which you can test your own knowledge about food and farming, a look at Confined Animal Feeding Operations (pig farms) and a slide show of images from the sustainable food revolution. They'll continue to post information over the next two weeks, so make sure to check back and see what else they have to say.

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