“From Fiction to Philosophy: A Walls and Bridges Event - Associated Content” plus 1 more |
| From Fiction to Philosophy: A Walls and Bridges Event - Associated Content Posted: 31 Jan 2011 09:12 AM PST On a brisk transfer between the C Train at Lafayette Street to the Q Train at Atlantic Center, I spotted a cool panel happening at Greenlight Bookstore tomorrow afternoon. The "From Fiction to Philosophy: A Walls and Bridges Event" will be arranged as a panel featuring, Pierre Cassou-Noguès (France / philosopher and novelist), Rick Moody (USA / novelist From Fiction to Philosophy: A Walls and Bridges Event Neighborhood: Fort Greene Brooklyn, NY 11217 United States of America The discussion will tackle such heady questions such as What are the interactions between fiction and philosophy, can you answer philosophical questions through fiction, are philosophers fiction writers? and Is there such a thing as philosophical fiction or fictional philosophy? This is sure to be a hit with the neighborhoods thinkers and for the record, the answer is yes to all of those questions! If you miss tomorrow's event, you'll be comforted to know that Walls to Bridges is a series of nearly 50 events bringing together artists, authors and musicians all over the city. Greenlight Bookstore kicks off the Fiction to Philosophy event on Sunday, January 30th at 1:00 pm. Experience Walls to Bridges in Fort Greene before it moves on to the far and distant outer borough of Manhattan. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Amish farmer finds his philosophy 'beyond organic' - Quad Cities Onlines Posted: 31 Jan 2011 02:34 PM PST Robert Yoder's animals have the most luxurious lives of anyone on his farm. On a windy October morning in Bloomfield, Iowa, the 32-year-old Yoder can be found out in the pastures with his six small children, working hard to ensure one thing: that his cows and chickens are happy. Marvin, 6, holds a spool of portable fencing high between his fists. His father marches down a field of bristling prairie grasses and drives a stake into the ground. Michael, 8, directs 50 trotting brown, gray, white and black cattle into their newly sectioned-off paddock. Soon, the chorus of teeth sinking into thistle, grass and hay overtakes the hillside. Mr. Yoder's four daughters stand watch atop a horse-drawn wagon, the oldest holding the youngest, wrapped in wool headscarves and crisp bonnets. On higher ground, the Yoders' hens forage for bugs and worms around a coop Yoder built by hand. Carved-wood perches line the inside walls, fresh air ascending from clean mesh flooring. Big downy hay beds line the east side like cozy bedrooms, hens roosting over Irish-cream-colored eggs, sunlight bouncing off shells. Mr. Yoder and his wife, Luella, are one of more than 150 Old Order Amish families living quietly in the countryside skirting Bloomfield. As old fashioned as he may seem, his farming practices are far from traditional, even for those living outside of his Amish community. He describes his practices as "beyond organic," a somewhat nebulous term farmers have begun using to describe their philosophy. "Beyond organic" can mean anything from creating space for wildlife on the farmstead to emphasizing social justice for workers. But all farmers using the term feel that they, in some way, exceed the standards required by the USDA to be certified organic. For Mr. Yoder, raising his animals on pasture is at the heart of beyond organic, allowing them to live a natural and humane life, hence creating a healthier meat. Certified-organic chickens are given organic feed but often live a life of confinement similar to conventional birds. In contrast to many organic operations, Yoder's farm is Animal Welfare Approved, a free certification program created in 2006. Only family farms are eligible, and the program requires that all animals be raised on pasture. Selling locally also is an integral part of Mr. Yoder's philosophy, supporting local economy, freshness, and energy efficiency. "I was looking for something, but I didn't know what it was," says Mr. Yoder, brown-eyed and soft spoken, with an undercurrent of Pennsylvania Dutch. His sister recommended he read "You Can Farm" by Joel Salatin. "It made so much sense reading that, it just blew my mind," Mr. Yoder said. Inside "You Can Farm," Mr. Yoder found practical advice as well as a passionate commentary about the state of American food production. Mr. Salatin was concerned that a bottom-line mentality was causing farmers to produce what he characteristically called "Adulterated fecal-particulate pseudo-food." The book resonated deeply with Mr. Yoder, perhaps because Mr. Salatin himself is a devout Christian with similar values. His book put into agriculture the principles that guide a traditional Amish life, such as being neighborly and a good steward of the land. "You need to have your heart in it," Mr. Yoder says. "Most farmers will do whatever they want to their animals, it's not an issue to them. … It's all about making money." Mr. Yoder has seen this sentiment trickle into his own community. Although the Amish avoid using technology, their farming practices closely resemble conventional ones in many ways. Mr. Yoder says that the Bloomfield community holds "pasture walks," gathering at a neighbor's farm and exchanging ideas and resources. They have discussions about ways of farming that, he admits, "almost turn into disputes." "I have to be careful what I say," says Mr. Yoder, "because they'll think I'm a total weirdo." However, when his neighbors tease him about his small production, he's ready for a lively debate. "An old fella down the road always kids me about my free-range eggs," he recounts, "I only have 300 chickens, and he has 8,000." His Amish neighbor sells "cage-free" eggs to Farmer's Hen House. Although cage-free birds are not individually caged, they are raised in confinement buildings by the thousands. "Cage-free is a big hypocrisy," Mr. Yoder says emphatically, "He has to de-beak his birds so that they won't cannibalize each other. I try to get him to think, 'Why do they want to eat each other?'" After reading Mr. Salatin's book, Mr. Yoder, who already worked full time for a construction company, began his own farm. Presently, he wakes at 5:30 a.m. to feed his cows, chickens and goats before moving them to fresh pasture before going to work. He calls this rotational technique "mob grazing." When he gets home from work at 4:30 p.m. he takes his horse and cart out to the henhouse to collect eggs with his children and to move fencing once again. Although farming this way is labor intensive, Mr. Yoder doesn't complain. "I get paid to get my exercise." He sees beyond organic as fitting perfectly with his Amish values. It also has given him a reason to reach out to the outside world. "My whole life is different because I'm Amish," Mr. Yoder says matter-of-factly, "But my wife and I have different philosophies about what we eat." He knows a handful of Amish farmers who share this sentiment, and he's "grateful for that." But instead of trying to persuade others, Mr. Yoder is making plans for his own future. "My dream is to be a full-time farmer."  This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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