Don Carr

05 November

Agri-culture: Spader Vs. Cooper on GMO TV

Written by Don Carr

We’ve reached peak saturation in our heated national brawl over genetic modification when two major network prime-time TV dramas stumble into the GMO debate in the space of two weeks. Even better, it features two leading men generally taking opposite sides in the discussion. On the most definitely pro-GMO side, Bradley Cooper reprises his role as...

#ROA, #ROA #Republicofawesome entertainment, GMO Comments are off

01 November

A Food Party Dress Rehearsal

Written by Don Carr

Wednesday’s handshake agreement to possibly stave off cuts to subsidies to insurance companies for administering the crop insurance program was a master class in how to defend federal turf. Food movement types would do well to study and start to replicate the conventional agriculture sector’s response. It was a wonder to behold. While it’s...

#ROA, Republicofawesome Climate Change, farm subsidies, food movement, food stamps, politics, White House 3 Comments

23 October

Food Fight: A DC Food and Farm Policy Talk Show

Written by Don Carr

National Food Day is Saturday, underscoring how the way our food is grown, raised, produced, bought, sold, shared, and consumed has grabbed the national consciousness and become deeply intertwined with our political process. To that end, Baylen Linnekin and I have started developing Food Fight, a thought-provoking, weekly talk radio show/podcast focused on food...

#ROA #Republicofawesome food movement, politics, ROA 1 Comment

21 October

Hot Diggity: Plate of the Union

Written by Don Carr

Last week while I was lamenting the lack of a coherent “Food Party” to press candidates ahead of the first Democratic debate, a coalition of groups and food movement powerhouses were planning a full-on assault on the primary process. Plate of the Union launched yesterday with a press event that included Food Policy Action, the Union of...

#ROA, Republicofawesome food movement, politics, White House Comments are off

13 October

A Democratic Primary Debate “Food Party” Policy Questionnaire

Written by Don Carr

Let’s assume the nascent “good food” movement had its collective shit together enough to coalesce and organize into a coherent political force like the farm lobby. The Club for Growth has famously hamstrung conservative politicians with its tax pledge and its not out of the question to think someday the food movement could exercise...

#ROA, Republicofawesome farm subsidies, Food, food movement, politics, White House Comments are off

02 October

This Equals This

Written by Don Carr

Bad policy, politics and greed are big contributors to our current clean water woes. But as consumers we contribute, too. Farmers and food companies do response to demand. We’re the ones eating all that cheap meat after all. How effective would it be to slap this on billboards and buses in Toledo? The idea would...

#ROA, Republicofawesome conservation, Food Comments are off

18 September

It’s Good to be the King

Written by Don Carr

There have been rumors of the demise of the farm lobby’s power. But recent events with agriculture check-offs suggest otherwise. Check-offs are government monitored promotion programs that siphon off money from farmers to pay for marketing and research. They are the money machine behind much of the ag and food sector’s marketing appeals, and sometimes sketchier efforts....

Ag Lobby, conservation, politics Comments are off

04 September

Ag Insider: Bird flu likely to return

Written by Don Carr

Guest writing the Ag Insider column for the Food and Environment Reporting Network this week. Here’s Monday’s, Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s, and Thursday’s columns. Avian flu expected back in the fall This spring the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza epidemic tore through poultry farms across 15 U.S. states, leading to the death of 48 million birds. The bulk of those were egg-laying hens,...

#ROA, Republicofawesome Food Comments are off

10 August

Walker Fails to Trump Bush’s Iowa Team in Farm Subsidies

Written by Don Carr

On Friday August 6th, the Republic of Awesome published a rundown of federal farm subsidies paid to presidential hopeful Jeb Bush’s Iowa “Farm Team.” Jeb’s team pulled in an impressive $9.2 million. The piece also looked at the implications of cozying up to the highly subsidized in a Republican primary field where being a...

#ROA, Republicofawesome farm subsidies, politics, White House Comments are off

06 August

Jeb Bush’s Iowa Farm Team Harvested Millions in Ag Subsidies

Written by Don Carr

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush announced his “Iowa Farm Team,” on Wednesday, July 30th. As reported by the Iowa Quad City Times’ Ed Tibbets: Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush on Thursday announced the endorsements of several farmers and other agriculture professions in Iowa. The campaign said the former Florida governor’s “Iowa Farm Team” would...

#ROA, Republicofawesome farm subsidies, politics, White House Comments are off

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