Happy bacon, unhappy blueberries and D.C.’s revolving door

So

what do bacon, blueberries, and Capitol Hill’s fast-spinning revolving door have in common?

Newsies know: All have been covered in this space over the past year, all have ties to Washington, D.C., and all are in the news again. Let’s go first to the tasty bacon news from the suddenly-very dishy U.S. Supreme Court.

FARM & FOOD FILE

In a 5-4 decision on May 11, the court ruled against the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Pork Producers Council, and the Biden Administration and for California’s “humanely” raised pork law. The Big Ag plaintiffs wanted the state law declared unconstitutional because, they alleged, its practical effect (was) to control commercial conduct beyond California’s boundaries.

By Alan Guebert

Opinion

American organic fruit and vegetable buyers would love to have that level of final-word clarity on the United States Department of Agriculture’s ever-shifting organic food rules. Recent rule changes, designed to benefit corporate organic growers, have brought massive changes to the American organic landscape.

For example, USDA’s rule to permit soil-free, hydroponic production of vegetables and fruit has, in just a few short years, clobbered small U.S. organic blueberry farmers.

Peru, reports the Real Organic Project, has largely displaced most U.S. blueberry growers because farmers there can grow blueberries faster and cheaper under USDA’s recently changed rules meant to boost American corporate hydroponic producers.

nation which grew virtually no blueberries a decade ago — is now the world’s top blueberry exporter, selling $1.4 billion of the fruit overseas in 2022.

This is just “Another example of how degrading the definition of ‘organic’ has real consequences,” explained ROP. Had the USDA standard remained soil-based and not opened the market to hydroponically-grown blueberries, it argues, U.S. growers would continue “to sell high-value late-season fruit.”

Under the hydroponic rules (rules ROP fought against because “organic,” by definition, means soil) “U.S. (blueberry) producers have been hit hard” and “most of that imported production is hydroponic.”

How did that happen?

Enter Washington’s legislator-to-lobbyist revolving door — or, more accurately, open barn door — where it’s nearly impossible to distinguish lawmakers from law shakers.

In the frying pan was a three-times approved (twice by voters, once by the state legislature) ban on “California businesses from selling ‘eggs and uncooked pork and veal’’’ as noted here last September, “‘from ‘animals housed in ways’ that did not meet the new state standards.”

Some of those “ways” — like sow farrowing crates and battery cages for hens — are mainstays of modern livestock production. The NPPC, AFBF and the White House fought for the crates and cages, claiming the California law violated interstate commerce.

Writing for the court’s majority, however, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch rejected their argument to create any “new and more aggressive constitutional restrictions on the ability of States to regulate goods sold within their borders,” noted the Washington Post. Gorsuch punctuated his majority opinion with some uncourtly snarkiness: “While the Constitution addresses many weighty issues,” he wrote, “the type of pork chops California merchants sell is not on that list.” Boom.

In fact, reported the BBC recently, Peru — a

See GUEBERT, pg. 8

Letter: Skaters provided a lesson in life

To the Editor,

I read with interest Mr. King’s column on race and the rural area (“Land Minds: Racially, it’s a new Minnesota,” The Land, May 26, 2023).

I would like to tell an actual story that happened to me. It has been at least 63 years since I have roller skated, so I wanted to get back on skates. My wife told me, “If anything breaks, don’t call me!”

There are only a couple of rinks at present, Primgar and Esterville, Iowa, so Esterville it was. Esterville has a diverse population. As I was lacing up, I noticed two Hispanic families, one group of Caucasian juveniles (all celebrating birthday parties) and a couple and their family from India.

The rink manager asked if he should walk with me. My 32-year-old brain said, “no, I got this” as my body started mentioning the brain is an IDIOT! We made a couple rounds, so off I go on a solo, picked up a lot of speed headed for the floor. Whump! My hard hat flew off, walking stick in the opposite direction. I retrieved the hard hat with the stick; but my next problem was how am I’m going to get up off the floor?

Not to worry. A young girl, 9 or 10 years old, stopped by. “I’m not too good on skates,” she said, “but do you need some help?”

No, I assured her from the prone position on the floor as my 32-year-old ego answered.

Next thing I realized there were hands, arms lifting me up onto my skates — white arms, tan arms, black arms — all concerned of my well being!

I headed to the safety rail to rest a little. As I was hanging on — contemplating my next foray —this little girl from India, 6 or 7 years old, long black hair, deep brown complexion, coal black eyes that sparkled, asked me, “when you fell down, did you get hurt?”

My heart melted. She was concerned for me at my age of 81! The Hispanic guys inquired also.

I thought about this lately. What we could accomplish, and improve our daily lives by asking “when you fell down, did you get hurt?”

Take care everyone.

Best regards,

John Nauerth III Lakefield,

Minn.