Farming, GMOs and Food Choices on the Docket at K-State

 

Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are a polarizing topic among many food minds. There are passionate arguments and advocates on both sides of the issue and all parties agree they only want what is best for their families. The volatile nature of the GMO debate has led to a plethora of resources, fact sheets and resources all developed with consumer education in mind.

In order to provide engaging discussion and clarification to a popular topic, two consumer advocacy groups, the Kansas Farm Food Connection and Food For Thought, are partnering to provide interested consumers with the opportunity to discuss GMOs with a panel of experts.

Additionally, the film Farmland will be shown in advance of the panel to provide the audience with a firsthand look at various methods of raising food ranging from organic to conventional and everything in between. Farmland is directed by Academy Award-winning director James Moll and follows five farmers and ranchers through their production cycles as they raise vegetables, pigs, cattle and fruit.

The film will screen Nov. 12 at 6:30 pm in Justin Hall room 109 on the Kansas State University campus. The film will be followed by a GMO panel featuring Dr. Kevin Folta, professor and chairman of the horticultural sciences department at the University of Florida. Dr. Folta is a renowned expert on GMOs and from 2007 to 2010 he helped lead the project to sequence the strawberry genome.
Also featured on the panel will be two farmers – one who grows GMO crops and another who uses non-GMO seeds to grow crops. The panel will strive to answer audience questions about food production, science, technology and global hunger.

Free bacon samples will be provided to attendees courtesy of the Kansas Pork Association.
This event promises lively discussion from various viewpoints and is not one to be missed! For more information about the event, please contact Meagan Cramer, Kansas Farm Bureau, cramerm@kfb.org or call 785-587-6821.

Upson Lecture Series to Address Big Food

What is Big Food?

Why do some consumers fear Big Food and why do others hate it?

Food For Thought is excited to host Charlie Arnot, CEO of the Center for Food Integrity, who will address these very questions with his lecture "Size Matters: Why We Love to Hate 'Big Food'" on March 2, 2015 at 7 pm in the K-State Student Union Forum Hall.

The event is free and open to the public and FREE BACON  sponsored by the Kansas Pork Association will be given to the first 200 attendees.

This is a lecture that is sure to ignite feelings and discussion and you won't want to miss it! Please join us in Manhattan on March 2 for a hot-button lecture that will get you thinking!

*The Upson Lecture Series has been fully endowed by the generous support of the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine classes of 1962 and 1966.

The Inside Scoop: Where Does Your Bacon Come From?

Photo from Watch Us Grow

 

Have you ever wondered what the inside of a large modern hog farm looks like? 

 

Often times we only hear about the negativity of swine housing and production, but what if we were able to give it a look for ourselves? 

 

Moms are often shopping for food to feed their families, and are constantly seeking the best options. 

 

So what if we were able to get the opinion of a mom who visited a large hog farm?  Take a look at this article from Cortney Fries about her recent tour of an Illinois farm, “Leaving the Gould farm, I felt they were doing their best to raise healthy animals to feed our country and make a living.”

 

http://www.watchusgrow.org/illinois-farm-families-blog/the-cruelest-thing-i-saw-on-a-hog-farm

 

Thanks!

Kiah Gourley

The Great Bacon Barter Campaign

So I just heard about one of the coolest freaking things EVER.

Oscar Meyer, in an brilliantly genius marketing strategy, has decided to employ comedian Josh Sankey as a spokesperson for their new 'thick-cut' bacon product. No big deal, right?

I could even argue that no spokesperson is needed to move bacon off the shelves. It has even been called "The Gateway Meat" by many for its power in swaying former vegetarians back into the realm of meat-eating.

But this marketing campaign is truly innovative. Oscar Meyer is sending Josh on a cross-country campaign to promote the product, even giving him a truck and refridgerated trailer for his journey.

However, the only thing he will be taking with him is 3,000 lbs of their new bacon. He will have to make it across the country by bartering with bacon in exchange for food, gas and even a place to sleep.

He will be available by social media such as Twitter and Facebook and has even claimed that if you make him an offer, he may swing through your neighborhood on his trek!


Check out this Youtube video which should tell you more!

 



 

I'm heading home now to cook up some bacon myself, writing this post has me drooling.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Hyatt Frobose