El Dragón's picture
by: El Dragón

Cracking heads for farmers.

Flying off the top turnbuckle.

Throwing chairs.

Unmasking los rudos.

Must be Monday.

About El Dragón

El Dragón is Barth Anderson, Fair Food Fight's chief blogger. He has over 20 years experience in grocery co-op, co-operative business, and organic/natural foods experience and has been a writer, novelist, poet, and blogger in that time too.

Barth Anderson's novel The Patron Saint of Plagues is a plague thriller that takes place after an agricultural collapse in the United States and begins on an organic farm in southwest Wisconsin. First chapter here.

My greatest victory: 

Sow the Seeds Fund: Flood Relief

 

My signature wrestling move: 
Sweep the leg, Johnny.
My Motto: 
We won't throw the first punch, but...okay, maybe we WILL throw the first punch.
Favorite movies: 
Big Night
Eating Raoul
Soylent Green
The Real Dirt on Farmer John
The Future of Food
Enter the Dragon
Where I buy groceries: 
Groups I belong to: 
Interests: 
My website: 
Barth Anderson
El Dragón
Ch-ch-changes at Fair Food Fight
El Dragón
I want to announce some exciting changes coming to Fair Food Fight next week. Starting in August, you're going to see a very new look for the site, one that focuses more on conversation and discussion, than membership and multi-blogging. And since a great deal of Fair ...
El Dragón
Sustainable Farmers and Gardeners Needed Abroad
El Dragón
Via Organic Ecology - University of Minnesota Sustainable Farming Skills Needed Around the World
El Dragón
Crop Mobbin' at The Farm of Minnesota
El Dragón
TWIN CITIES CROP MOB AT THE FARM OF MINNESOTA HOSTS: Farmer Dan Moe and Family WHEN: Saturday, August 7 - 10 am to 5 pm
El Dragón
Fair Food Fight Night Raises $706 for Ames Farm Honey
El Dragón
Thanks to 60 people with voracious appetites and also to very generous vendors at Fair Food Fight Night, we raised $706.50 to benefit Ames Farm in Watertown, Minnesota. Known for their amazing ...
El Dragón
Action at Fair Food Fight Night: Let's Help Ames Farm
El Dragón
We're going to pass the hat at Fair Food Fight Night tomorrow, to help Ames Farm Honey get through ...
El Dragón
Tell the FDA: 70% of antibiotics is enough!
El Dragón
The FDA is accepting comments on a rule that could make it easier to feed antibiotics to healthy food animals. The new rule affects the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD), a program allowing veterinarians to prescribe ...
El Dragón
Crop Mob: Hauling Hay Bales at Lighthouse Farm - Princeton, MN
El Dragón
July 17. 85 degrees. Glorious day.
El Dragón
What do farmers think of crop mobs?
El Dragón
John Mesko offers his appraisal.
El Dragón
A VERY Yummy FFF Night, Fri. July 23
El Dragón
FAIR FOOD FIGHT NIGHT:A SPECTACLE OF BEEF AND BEER ~...
El Dragón
Microbe Caliente! Avoid Guacamole, Salsa at Fast Food Joints
El Dragón
Looks like guacamole and salsa from restaurants are key vehicles for transporting foodborne pathogens. From a CDC press ...
El Dragón
Mesko
El Dragón
That was John Mesko, above
El Dragón
What do farmers think of crop mobs?
El Dragón
El Dragón
thanks
El Dragón
...
El Dragón
What do farmers think of crop mobs?
El Dragón
El Dragón
waivers and agreements
El Dragón
I'll let John speak from the farmer's POV, if he cares to weigh in. As for crop mobsters, we all sign an agreement/waiver that says we have our own insurance, that we'll use it to cover ourselves if we get hurt, and that we release the ...
El Dragón
What do farmers think of crop mobs?
El Dragón
El Dragón
Cleanliness is next to...impossible
El Dragón
...
kyledhebert
CAFOs, Irradiation and You
kyledhebert
El Dragón
crop mob
El Dragón
Leslie K should be contacting you today, Aaron. 
El Dragón
Flash Crop-Mob Next Week to Harvest Garlic?
El Dragón
El Dragón
White House Press Release on Food Safety
El Dragón
Great piece, Kyle. And timely. The White House just issued a press release on S. 510: For Immediate Release July 07, 2010 ...
kyledhebert
The Disappearing Act
kyledhebert
El Dragón
Gotcha
El Dragón
Cool! I'll let Leslie know.
El Dragón
Flash Crop-Mob Next Week to Harvest Garlic?
El Dragón
El Dragón
Yay!
El Dragón
No registration page. We're just taking a headcount here. Glad you can make it! I'll have Leslie K. get in touch with you (is this Aaron at The Wedge?).  
El Dragón
Flash Crop-Mob Next Week to Harvest Garlic?
El Dragón
El Dragón
Mid-week
El Dragón
...
El Dragón
Flash Crop-Mob Next Week to Harvest Garlic?
El Dragón
El Dragón
head count
El Dragón
Excellent! We just need to get as accurate a count as we can, so that Jerry knows how many people to expect. Can anyone else drive on Sunday?
El Dragón
Flash Crop-Mob Next Week to Harvest Garlic?
El Dragón
ojodeltigre
Si Se Puede!
ojodeltigre
Go UFW - get McCain out there in the fields. As an addition to this new campaign
ojodeltigre
Organic Bananas and Palm Oil: The Social Responsibility of Corporations
ojodeltigre
A recent post by El Dragon got me pulled once again in to researching the dirty deeds of multinationals cashing in on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). What's worse is when the CSR stuff isn't ...
ojodeltigre
Chiquita-financed murder update.
ojodeltigre
So - looks like Chiquita isn't out of the forest yet on being held accountable for financing, aiding, and abetting the intimidation, ...
ojodeltigre
Chiquita-financed murder update.
ojodeltigre
Well looks like this dude will still get to keep his shirt afteral...
Luchadora_Felina
Food Related Gift Items
Luchadora_Felina
So....I just bought 3 of these Food Face Dinner Plates from Perpetualkid.com.  The plate features a blank palate face ready to be covered with delicious food.  My 2 nephews ...
Luchadora_Felina
Who's ready for ROUND 3 of DUPED or NOT?
Luchadora_Felina
The past three months have been very exciting for me.  I started out my journey researching organic foods after seeing the movie Food, Inc. followed by the movie FRESH.  Every week, I go to two different health food stores and try to buy healthy, organic food ...
ojodeltigre
Buckle Up Banana Lovers - Wal-Mart is starting a Price War
ojodeltigre
This is really playing out well for Wal-Mart. They have Transfair in their mits - using Paul Rice as a mouthpiece for Sam's Club...then on the other end they are building the most threatening WMD the banana world has ever ...
ojodeltigre
BANANAS: how many social injustices does it take to break a world record?
ojodeltigre
Let me get this right. Can Dole really tout themselves as both a fair trade banana importer  while simultaneously breaking the world record for the ...
TrueMosquito
Dole drops suit against "Bananas" documentary
TrueMosquito
This just in from indieWIRE: "Dole Food Company, Inc. has announced that it is dismissing its defamation lawsuit against filmmakers Fredrik Gertten, Margarete Jangard and WG Film AB in the Los Angeles Superior ...
Luchadora_Felina
It's time for another round of DUPED or NOT!!!! (cue low, echoing voice)
Luchadora_Felina
Over the past month, I have spent a lot of time in my local health food store.  The co-op doesn't begin until November, and I am buying almost 100% organic, free range, etc.etc. I have found some really great organic brands that I feel good about giving my ...
El Dragón
Ch-ch-changes at Fair Food Fight
El Dragón

I want to announce some exciting changes coming to Fair Food Fight next week.

Starting in August, you're going to see a very new look for the site, one that focuses more on conversation and discussion, than membership and multi-blogging. And since a great deal of Fair Food Fight's social aspect has come to take place real-time on Twitter, the new look is also going to slowly implement more and more innovative Twitter conversation here on the site. If you've been talking to me on Twitter, I think you're going to like what you see!

Don't worry, though. If Twitter is not your thing, you'll still have the traditional blog to read and respond to, with greater options for interacting on Fair Food Fight.

El Dragón
Sustainable Farmers and Gardeners Needed Abroad
El Dragón

peace corpsVia Organic Ecology - University of Minnesota

Sustainable Farming Skills Needed Around the World

Have you ever wondered how you can reduce hunger around the world? There is one way - plant gardens, or better yet, teach others how to plant gardens.

Did you know that your sustainable farming skills and knowledge are needed in developing nations to help tackle global climate change and world hunger?

El Dragón
Crop Mobbin' at The Farm of Minnesota
El Dragón

TWIN CITIES CROP MOB AT THE FARM OF MINNESOTA

HOSTS: Farmer Dan Moe and Family

WHEN: Saturday, August 7 - 10 am to 5 pm

LOCATION: The Farm of Minnesota, near Hutchinson, MN

FOOD: The Moes have graciously offered to provide us with grass-fed burgers. Black Cat Natural Foods of Minneapolis will provide a veggie option, salad, and sides.

El Dragón
Fair Food Fight Night Raises $706 for Ames Farm Honey
El Dragón

Thanks to 60 people with voracious appetites and also to very generous vendors at Fair Food Fight Night, we raised $706.50 to benefit Ames Farm in Watertown, Minnesota. Known for their amazing single-source honey, Ames Farm also produces a huge variety of heirloom apples and pears. Sadly, their orchards got hit with a devastating hailstorm last week, and the financial damage may be insurmountable for owner Brian Fredericksen.

Here's a recap of what's going on at Ames Farm from Yogagirl who lives at Ames Farm.

El Dragón
Action at Fair Food Fight Night: Let's Help Ames Farm
El Dragón

amesWe're going to pass the hat at Fair Food Fight Night tomorrow, to help Ames Farm Honey get through a rough time. They get whallopped by bad weather in the last week.

Here's an email from BrianFredericksen, owner of Ames Farm:

El Dragón
Tell the FDA: 70% of antibiotics is enough!
El Dragón

The FDA is accepting comments on a rule that could make it easier to feed antibiotics to healthy food animals.

The new rule affects the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD), a program allowing veterinarians to prescribe antibiotics mixed into animal feed in new ways. Currently, the VFD ensures that for those new antibiotic uses a diagnosis is made before animals are given antibiotics in their feed.

Proposed changes to the VFD could weaken oversight that prevents unnecessary drug use, increasing the rate of antibiotic resistance in humans and the microbial world.

El Dragón
Crop Mob: Hauling Hay Bales at Lighthouse Farm - Princeton, MN
El Dragón

July 17. 85 degrees. Glorious day.

El Dragón
What do farmers think of crop mobs?
El Dragón

John Mesko offers his appraisal.

El Dragón
A VERY Yummy FFF Night, Fri. July 23
El Dragón

newlogoFAIR FOOD FIGHT NIGHT:
A SPECTACLE OF BEEF AND BEER

~UPDATED JULY 22~

GREAT FOOD * FURIOUS DEBATE * LOCAL BEER * MAD DANCING * BIG PRIZES

Friday, July 23, 6pm till we drop

Rau + Barber Bldg, 4244 Nicollet Ave. S, Minneapolis

ITINERARY:

El Dragón
Microbe Caliente! Avoid Guacamole, Salsa at Fast Food Joints
El Dragón

taco bell hqLooks like guacamole and salsa from restaurants are key vehicles for transporting foodborne pathogens. From a CDC press release yesterday:

"Fresh salsa and guacamole, especially those served in retail food establishments, may be important vehicles of foodborne infection," says Magdalena Kendall, an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) researcher who collaborated on the CDC study.