The Outgoing Texas Ag Commissioner’s Red Meat Agenda

The Outgoing Texas Ag Commissioner’s Red Meat Agenda

In Texas, not all goobers are produced by peanut farmers. A bumper crop of some of our nuttiest goobers comes out of far-right-wing political soil. Check out this blue-ribbon specimen: Todd Staples. Carefully cultivated by corporate agribusiness powers, he’s...
This Low-Carb Diet Is Good for You and the Planet

This Low-Carb Diet Is Good for You and the Planet

2014. A new year. The time to make resolutions. It’s when we all join gyms, sign up for dating sites, and start new diets — only to quit them a few weeks later. If you’re into resolutions, I’ve got one for you to consider: In 2014, try a low-carb...
The USDA’s Reckless Plan

The USDA’s Reckless Plan

My friend Jim, a farmer, jokes about bringing a bowl of manure and a spoon to the farmers’ markets where he sells his beef. “My beef has no manure in it, but you can add some,” he’d like to tell his customers. I’m sure you’d pass on...
Those Uninvited Guests at Your Barbecue

Those Uninvited Guests at Your Barbecue

Planning a Memorial Day barbecue? When you buy meat for that festive meal, watch out for some uninvited guests. An alarming amount of American meat harbors not just pathogens, but “superbugs” — antibiotic-resistant bacteria. For now, you’d better...
A More Humane Holiday Ham

A More Humane Holiday Ham

“What are your Christmas traditions?” I asked the family I was staying with in Kenya earlier this year while doing some research. I wondered whether Kenyans decorated Christmas trees or awaited Santa Claus like American children do. My host’s...