Wow - thanks for the link, Bruce!Nice to have this article avail. on the web now.

I photocopied that article back then - IMPO it's very, very good - Pollan's an excellent researcher & writer.

"Botany of Desire" is a fascinating read as well.

I printed it off,too. Thanks.

Maine is now one of six states that has passed a semen tax.
This semen tax will be a minimum of 800-$1000 dollars per farm that raises goats, llamas, alpcas, cattle etc., where artifical insemination is used ( which most to 100% use).

When I read the article "Power Steer" ...all I could think of was the big guy trying to squeesh the little guy story.

Here is a link that might be useful: semen tax

Thanks Bruce. How timely. I was thinking of that article last night after reading a review of a new book in In These Times. I didn't feel like taking the time to try to find Power Steer, and now I don't have to! Here's a link to the new book I referred to ...

Here is a link that might be useful: Diet for a Dead Planet

The following link is to a recent interview with Michael Pollan. He gives an excellent critique of journalism in the interview.

Here is a link that might be useful: oca

Thanks for posting that, Althea - VERY good article!

In case anyone missed the PBS special The Botany of Desire which premiered Wednesday, October 28, 2009, you can still watch the entire program online. It's incredible.

BOTANY OF DESIRE is a documentary which tells the utterly original story of everyday plants and the way they have domesticated humankind. An interpretation of the relationship between plants and people. This two-hour documentary explores plant evolution and takes viewers from the potato fields of Peru and Idaho, the apple forests of Kazakhstan, and the tulip markets of Amsterdam.

View online in it's entirety: here

This is another related program by the same presenter on LINK TV (a cable access channel) which is timely:

Deep Agriculture
Traditional methods of agriculture in most developed nations have long ignored environmental concerns. Factors such as soil erosion, water shortage and the impact of chemicals on bio-systems have been overlooked in favour of massive crop yields and cheaper food. But what impact does this have on our health and our environment?

View online in it's entirety: here

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Sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and witness the evolution of an Organic Kitchen Garden (that did have night blooming jasmine that smelled heavanly in the evenings!)