Under the banner of National Farmworker Awareness Week (March 25-31, consumer and labor groups are working to educate communities about egregious conditions on farms. Now that organizations like the Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers have begun to rattle the food industry with colorful worker- and consumer-driven campaigns, Washington should be ripe for long-overdue reforms to curb the worst forms of child labor.

But common decency has again been overshadowed by a well-oiled campaign by the agricultural industry lobby, which has pushed to block the rule changes by claiming that child labor reflects good old American values.

We had another fantastic Occupy Supply webinar last night, titled, Occupy the Food Supply: Food Sovereignty, Justice and Activism. Jill Richardson, Rosetta Star and Jess Hardy joined us for an insightful chat on Big Agriculture, food sovereignty and how the Occupy movement can use food and farming as an act of resistance.

Occupy Supply will be devoting tonight’s webinar to food sovereignty, justice and activism. We’re pleased to invite you to join our free online talk “Occupy the Food Supply: Sovereignty, Justice and Activism” with blogger/author Jill Richardson and Occupiers from Asheville, Tampa and Rochester this evening at 8pm eastern.

Here’s a novel – and tasty! – approach to spreading cultural awareness of all the countries on America’s enemies list:

Conflict Kitchen is a take-out restaurant that only serves cuisine from countries with which the United States is in conflict. The food is served out of a take-out-style storefront that rotates identities every six months to highlight another country.

While browsing around the website of Lanesboro Local, a cooperative dedicated to promoting local foods in southeastern Minnesota (and filling the gap left when Lanesboro, Minnesota’s last grocery store shut down three years ago), I ran across the Tools For Transition Project

I loved Bea Arthur, one of the funniest women in comedy. Maude, her 1970s era sitcom spin-off from All in the Family was groundbreaking. Golden Girls made her an icon. And as the below (semi-NSFW) video, her last performance shows, she never lost her stride.

The day after her death, on April 27, 2009 a letter was released by PETA, the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, from Bea Arthur to acclaimed chef Curtis Stone, pleading with him to stop using foie gras. That was, according to PETA, her dying wish.

Happy New Year to you all, and if you’re in the neighborhood, I’m serving black-eyed peas (with bacon seasoning), and you’re welcome.

Miss Piggy — Snackcercise from The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show, a one hour ABC television special that aired on September 17, 1982.

Here’s my little story about a gift and a Christmas project.

(All the photos were taken by my partner Mr. B – and he made the project too as you’ll see.)

This December is the 2nd Anniversary that Mr. B’s folks have been living in an assisted living facility. The place is great – and we love the staff. They’re all quite nice and have been very helpful with the parents.

We wanted to do something nice for them, but don’t have a lot of money. There’s also the problem if you give something to one staffer, but not another…you get the idea.

The Swedish Chef and Big Bird — Christmas Dinner from A Muppet Family Christmas.