Balance of Food

Tim Walz would be a step forward on food policy

The stereotype is that a vice president has an important job yet usually doesn't do a whole lot. A U.S. vice president who spent time on food policy would be a great start.

Tim Walz is the governor of Minnesota and the vice presidential pick to run with Vice President Kamala Harris on the Democratic Party ticket. Walz has been praised for his work on getting school breakfasts and lunches to be free in Minnesota.

Eater.com pointed out Walz's understanding of the "connection between food and climate change."

Walz is from a Midwestern state where they understand food. Harris is from California, a state that understands about the growing of food.

One reason to love the #TimWalz pick is his love for #schoollunch funding. https://t.co/WuMqd1Atr0

— Chad Rubel (@balanceoffood) August 6, 2024

Reducing the stigma of lunch debt. Knowing first hand having been a school teacher that kids learn better when their stomachs are full.

We feel confident that the Minnesota governor knows that turkey is meat. Turkey is a big deal in Minnesota. The fact that Walz's daughter Hope is vegetarian means he has a resource to understand that approach to food.

Needing a radical 'New Deal' from the next Secretary of Agriculture

Michael Pollan for Ag Secretary?

The reality is that the status quo, of which Vilsack is a champion, feels like everything is fine with the U.S. food approach. The days of drafting Michael Pollan as secretary of agriculture is beyond a pipe dream.

If Americans voted based on food policy, the Democratic Party would win every time. Then again, if they voted on food policy, voters would want the Green Party or a left of center party such as the New Democratic Party in Canada.

Shopping for vegetables is a reality, not a political stunt

As we've seen in politics, the secretary of agriculture doesn't really tackle concerns over the food supply. When I covered U.S. politics, those who rooted for Tom Vilsack (former Iowa governor) were likely disappointed at his 8-year stint in that cabinet post. Those people were surprised that President Joe Biden brought back Vilsack for the same post. That said, Vilsack is miles ahead of Sonny Perdue in that capacity.

There is proposed legislation to establish the Federal Food Administration under the umbrella of food safety and promoting nutrition. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced the legislation.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA). United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Health and Human Services (HHS). All of these agencies sort of cover these topics yet the USDA is more about promoting food and the FDA is more about drugs.

Food safety would be helpful given e-coli spills from factory farms but we are concerned that "food safety" will be making sure we have more UHT milk. 

Unfortunately the Federal Food Administration won't see the light of day as long as the Dems don't control the House of Representatives. The presidential race is crucial yet the lower ballot races also matter a lot.

We know some of the right-wing side of government don't want another federal agency. They don't complain about the Transportation Security Authority (TSA). They might want a better run food system.

BalanceofFood.com school lunch coverage

BalanceofFood.com politics coverage

Reverse the monoculture mentality of Earl Butz. Diversify farm ownership so farms aren't "too big to fail." Have a smarter immigration policy so more crops aren't wasted on farms. Stop making front and back labels on food being a shell game approach. Make declaring one's self organic a hell of a lot easier. Treat chickens, cows, and pigs with more dignity.

Create a food system that feeds more Americans without relying on bragging as much about food banks. Just some of the many ideas I would incorporate as a secretary of food safety and nutrition.

BalanceofFood.com U.S. food policy coverage

BalanceofFood.com agency alphabet soup coverage

This may seem naive but I think there could be true bipartisan agreement on improving the food supply. Most Republicans aren't rich and many of them go to food banks. The corporate mentality toward the food system clouds people's thinking.

photo credit and video credits: I Am Grambling
Twitter capture: @balanceoffood

Canada (finally) introduces a national school lunch program

We have written a few pieces noting that our friends in Canada don't have a national school lunch program. Canada is the only G-7 country without a national school lunch program.

The federal budget details will become more clear on April 16. The Trudeau Government has leaked the idea of spending $1 billion over 5 years on a national school food program. The government hopes the program will start delivering meals to students by the fall.

The government target is to provide meals to 400,000 more kids outside of those currently getting food from local school food programs. Plenty of kids are getting school lunch even now; more kids are going hungry.

The debate has been on the radar. We wrote this story in 2017 and the topic wasn't new then either.

Canada has a few unique issues with putting together a national school lunch program. Let's look at them:

-- Education is run by the provinces. Provided school lunches are part of education, Canada would have 10 different provincial setups. Your lunch in Quebec may be way different than lunch in Saskatchewan.

-- Some Canadians are very happy with their current school lunch program. A lot of parents like that their kids come home for lunch.

-- Canada has a lot of rural territory. A program that serves Winnipeg, the largest city to the south, and Churchill, a tiny, far north post, in Manitoba.

-- Some northern programs may currently be geared toward Indigenous students and those parents may worry about federal controls over their local school lunch programs.

Where school lunches funding generally is consistent in European countries, Canada could be vulnerable to school lunch funding cuts when the Conservative Party is in charge. School lunch funding is way more political in the United States, though if Canada develops a federal program, that could be a part of the Canadian political landscape.

Canada does have advantages over the United States, as an example. Canadians are more trusting of government in general. A low bar but still relevant. The prime minister is a former teacher who knows the value of learning when children have full stomachs.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau understands the correlation between full bellies and academic success in the classroom.

Unlike in the United States, the political system in Canada makes passing such legislation a lot easier. The federal Liberal Party government is a minority government; the NDP (definitely) and Bloc Quebecois (likely) would be on board for this legislation. The Canadian Senate may take its sweet time but a bill will eventually get passed into law.

Canada election 2019 is underway and food policy should be discussed

Argument is getting louder for Canada to have a federal school lunch program (2017)

Canadian Senate suggests food policy changes U.S. should copy

Celebrating Full Frontal with Samantha Bee for fighting for a better food system

Hospital patients, school children both need better focus on nutrition

Not all of the pushback will be poorly considered. The mantra of "we are feeding kids locally right now" is likely true in many parts of Canada. The idea behind a federal program, even if distributed by the provinces, is to cover more people and set some standards across the board.

I wish I had a better sense of the options Canadian children currently get either through local programs or home options to go back during the school day.

Some of that pushback will be politically oriented. "He's buying votes." "Why is he doing this now 9 years into his government?" As for the former question, you can buy votes with many other topics that aren't school lunch. As for the latter question, Canada's food insecurity may be more of a factor in 2024 than it was in 2015 when Trudeau was first elected.

BalanceofFood.com school lunch coverage

BalanceofFood.com Canada food policy coverage

Whenever we first found out about Canada not having a national school lunch program, the first thought was "Maybe Canada doesn't need an actual federal school lunch program." The United States has been a poor example where non-inflationary financial adjustments are rarer than eclipses. There isn't an incentive to do well by school children south of the 49th parallel. Canada will only benefit with a federal school lunch program if the standards are higher, even in provinces run by conservative governments.

video credit and photo credit: CBC News

California bacon is a reality even with the unfortunate grace period

California voters passed Proposition 12 in 2018. The goal was to improve lives for the pigs that provide bacon and other pork products. Fresh pork has to be born to sows with at least 24 square feet of space, allowing a breeding pig to turn around and extend its limbs. The proposition also banned widely used gestation crates to protect sows from other pigs.

The law finally went into place as of July 1, though there is a 6-month grace period so some pork sold in California will still be covered by the old rules. We would be very curious if there was labeling as to how well the "old pork rules" pork would sell in the grocery store.

The measure also included space requirements for egg-laying hens and veal calves. They didn't run into the kind of issues over pigs since the pork industry fought back a lot harder. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled 5-4 in favor of Proposition 12.

Massachusetts also passed a similar law that should go into effect soon.

Besides getting better quality bacon and other pork products, the idea is to push the industry nationwide to better standards for pigs across the board. California has enough economic pressure to make a difference at the start. California consumes roughly 13% of the nation’s pork but produces a insignificant amount of the total production.

Those who buy bacon and other pork products at farmers markets are likely getting meat from pigs that are treated much better than the conventional standards in the United States. The idea behind Proposition 12 is that people who shop in grocery stores have that same kind of access.

These are the pigs in Spain that give us jamon iberico. These pigs roam free and eat amazing acorns, the bellota, among other natural foods as part of their diet. They roam freely with not a cage in sight.

The United States isn't alone in the cruelty level of keeping animals but is sadly #1 in this category. This is why buying meat products at farmers markets is gaining in popularity.

This is proof that the U.S. can and should do better by the animals where we get food.

BalanceofFood.com local/state food policy coverage

BalanceofFood.com farmers market coverage

During my last trip to San Francisco, I ran into millionaire's bacon. Millionaire's bacon is enhanced with a sweet and spicy flavor.

You shouldn't have to feel like a millionaire to eat quality bacon from well-grown pigs. That level of bacon should be readily available to a farmers market addict or a house spouse frantically shopping with 3 kids in tow at a Ralph's or a Safeway.

video credit: KCRA 3 Sacramento
photo credits: Serious Eats; me

Grocery rebate is a nice idea but only a short-term solution to rising food prices

Is a grocery rebate a grocery rebate if the rebate isn't tied to groceries? The Canadian federal budget has called for a grocery rebate targeted to 11 million low- and modest-income Canadians and families. The total of the rebate would reach $467 for eligible couples with children; $234 for single Canadians without children; and $225 for seniors, on average.

The money would show up as a one-time rebate through the goods and services tax (GST) rebate system.

Our American readers might wonder why the [bleep] we are writing about an initiative in Canada instead of the United States. The Republicans have a majority in the House of Representatives so there will be no bills concerning high food prices unless the Dems win back control in the fall of 2024. Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party (centrist party) has a minority federal government with help from the left of centre (center) New Democratic Party.

A bit of money will help but if you think grocery store prices are bad in the United States now, Canadians generally pay a lot more for groceries in their country in urban places such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Montréal. Rural places pay even more, whether that be Atlantic Canada or places such as Nunavut.

$467 will help a family in Toronto but not as much in Iqlauit, the capital of Nunavut.

Still, some grocery help is better than zero help. Yes, we are looking at the GOP-controlled House.

About That from CBC News Explore is part of a new trend in TV journalism going online and ideally delving more in depth with explaining the impact of the grocery rebate in Canada. Anchor Andrew Chang uses the whiteboard to go through the numbers and the significance of Canadians' personal budgets.

The U.S. has 24-hour cable news channels, 2 of which broadcast actual news. Steve Kornacki of MSNBC would have fun with a whiteboard but again, U.S. federal politics won't introduce anything new to help food prices until at least 2025.

CTV News also broke down elements of the grocery rebate, such as how Canadians would spend the money and answering questions about the rebate itself.

Besides high grocery prices, Canada also suffers from a monopoly on major grocery stores in Canada. The United States has had a wide-open regional battle that brings prices down. The Kroger-Albertsons merger will make things worse in the United States.

Comparison shopping helps you pay less for groceries, provided you have the energy and time to pull this off.

The Backbench podcast had an episode on soaring food costs. The Commons podcast delved into that monopoly and how the Competition Bureau is more of a theory than a relevant force.

Make the switch from grocery store eggs to eggs from local farmers

Shopping for vegetables is a reality, not a political stunt

You can reduce food costs despite inflation

Appreciate quality in grocery staples when shopping

Think food prices are high? Try the northern territories of Canada

The grocery rebate is psychological. The government is doing something. Are they addressing the virtual monopoly of Canadian grocery stores? Are they making grocery store CEOs nervous with threats of diversifying their dominance? No and no. They are offering a token amount of money.

I took advantage of a $25 gift card to my local grocery store. This would have had more value in 2020 or even 2022. Still, $25 made a difference. I did spend more but I will eat all of the food I bought. Psychologically, this was a boost. A reminder of the wonderful gift I got that I could definitely use.

I still have a gift card for food delivery. That is out of my comfort zone since I tend to cook more. Grocery store prices still don't compare to the cost of eating out, even these days.

Qu'ils mangent de la brioche | Let them eat cake

When I visited Paris a few years back, I was struck with how cheap baguettes were. They were amazing in taste and texture yet they were relatively cheap.

The French society incorporates that philosophy to this day, making sure bread is accessible to everyone.

The cheap food in the United States and Canada is usually made with high-fructose corn syrup and poor quality ingredients, which further amplifies the struggles of basic nutrition in countries where people have trouble buying even cheap groceries.

BalanceofFood.com Canada food policy coverage

$467 or $234 is like fixing a pothole in the spring. Nice but the potholes will come back. Better government leadership would address long-term society solutions. A grocery rebate will fix that pothole in Canada while Americans have a GOP-lead House who won't acknowledge those potholes exist.

video and photo credit: CBC News Explore

Shopping for vegetables is a reality, not a political stunt

Home-Ec was Episode 16 in Season 3 of Roseanne back in 1991. Roseanne ends up taking the home economics class Darlene is in to the Buy 'n Bag supermarket. Her tips are surprisingly sharp, including buying the generic cereal and putting the cereal into the name brand box.

The opposite end of that scale was watching Mehmet Oz shop for crudité in a video designed to show his "regular side" in his run to be the next U.S. senator from Pennsylvania to replace Pat Toomey (R-PA).

Oz picks out store brand salsa and guacamole among his purchases, lambastes the price of said purchases, and blames the high food prices on President Joe Biden. Oz, as you may have guessed, is from the Republican Party, so he blames the current president, who is from the Democratic Party.

As we've learned in the 1970s, the president is not responsible for inflation, regardless of party. The companies who are making record profits off of inflation are much more likely to donate to the elephants (GOP) than donkeys (Dems).

"Guys, that's $20 for crudité and that doesn’t even include the tequila."

In the video, the vegetables add up to $10. Not all of that would go into a crudité. The guacamole was $4 and the salsa was $6.

If Oz really wanted to save money, he could make homemade salsa and guacamole. The taste would improve and you save money. Buying from local farmers markets ensure that the money would stay in Pennsylvania instead of buying a salsa from New York City.

In PA we call this a... veggie tray https://t.co/nDp0Uw27zd

— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 15, 2022

Food prices were a concern even before the pandemic. Wages have been stagnant in terms of buying power for 40 years. Will Oz do anything about that? No.

Cheap, processed foods are often inexpensive compared to fresh produce in the supermarket. Will Oz do anything about that? No.

Food ads are dominated with relatively, unhealthy foods, while we, especially kids, don't see ads for fresh produce. Will Oz do anything about that? No.

You can reduce food costs despite inflation

Leaving avocados and oranges whole encourages learning about produce

Vending machines in France show new way to get produce from farmers

Showing kids that fruits and vegetables have merit through watching ads

"If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn't have had a major stroke and wouldn't be in the position of having to lie about it constantly," Rachel Tripp, Oz's senior communications adviser, said in a statement.

You would think someone working for a person who is an actual doctor would not be so inaccurate about health. Fetterman, the current lieutenant governor, is running against Oz on the Democratic side of the ballot.

Fetterman responded in a tweet. "I had a stroke. I survived it. I'm truly so grateful to still be here today. I know politics can be nasty, but even then, I could *never* imagine ridiculing someone for their health challenges."

Dine in restaurants when you feel safe, not because of a political stunt

Erin O'Toole, then leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, has his own cheap, food-related political stunt last year. Half off food but only Mondays and Wednesdays for a month. Paying the full amount to find a safer place to eat vs. a risk with a small savings. 

O'Toole lost that election and was soon booted out as the party leader, not because of this political stunt. This notion of needing to pull cheap, political stunts generally comes from conservative parties. O'Toole stole this idea from the UK Conservatives. 

If John Fetterman was pulling a similar stunt, we would crack down just as tough. Democratic and liberal politicians generally want to help people through government action. The other side is the dominant force behind cheap political stunts.

BalanceofFood.com farmers market coverage

Politicians of all stripes would benefit from a grocery store experience like what Roseanne gave in that episode. They should know how poor people actually shop. They aren't building crudité or even a veggie tray. They know their kids need nutritious food but aren't sure how to make that work, given the discrepancies at the grocery store. No political stunt will help them feed themselves and their kids.

photo credit: @DrOz
Twitter capture: @JohnFetterman

Summer 2022 notebook: Cracker Barrel outrage proves choice is always a good thing

MAGA on Cracker Barrel's racist & homophobic history: "Eh, that's ok. We like their food."

MAGA on Cracker Barrel serving Plant-based Vegan Meat: "Once you go woke, you go broke. I'll never eat there again."

I'm sorry, who are the snowflakes again? pic.twitter.com/gdLQrzupAr

— The Jewish Ginger Resister (@JewishResister) August 8, 2022

Your humble narrator is the one who goes down the grocery store aisle and says "we need more choices." Having few choices works only if what you want is among those choices.

Cracker Barrel decided to help those looking to eat less meat or no meat at all by serving "fake meat" options. The backlash from conservatives, who aren't known for their support of choice, was stupendous.

I grew up loving Bill Knapp's, a regional family restaurant. The menu had tons of choices. People love the au gratin potatoes. I never ordered them. I would tell people that they were good based on other people's perceptions, not mine.

Never got upset that this food item was on the same menu as whatever I ordered. Kind of sorry I didn't try them now that the chain no longer exists.

The conservatives who love Cracker Barrel aren't literally upset about the "fake meat" options. This is a political firestorm of people who feel this is a conspiracy against them and their beliefs. Their beliefs: meaning going against "liberal food."

I have generally avoided Cracker Barrel for its conservative values. I did find myself there in 2021 under unusual circumstances. The food (yes, I ordered meat) was pretty good and extremely bland.

I am a champion of not having food touch other food on a plate. Items on a menu don't touch each other.

Old enough to remember when some menus had a diet selection (cottage cheese, fruit). Never ordered from them. Never mocked anyone from ordering from the diet selection.

These conservatives could be afraid that if items are on the menu, they might be compelled to try them and becomes, brace yourself, liberals. Your humble narrator has tried them. They taste like bad fast food meat, which would fit in well at Cracker Barrel.

Eating plant-based burgers falls well within the spirit of Lent

Beyond Burger has a lot of ingredients but doesn't qualify as ultra-processed

Review: The Beyond Burger

We have poked fun at Americans who can't handle the simple concept of poutine, a Quebecois dish with French fries, squeaky white cheese curds, and gravy. They try different concepts, most of which are terrible. You can find "poutine" on some American menus but they have little resemblance to the actual dish.

The caramel popcorn (WTF) does come separately. This version contains red potatoes, cheese curds, pork lard, fried onions, pulled pork, and a signature maple and Amaretto sauce. Did we mention that the poutine is 1.2 kilograms (about 2.5 pounds)?

That description leaves out the word "gravy."

Montréal is the unofficial home of poutine. You can go to lots of places after the CFL (Canadian football) game and get a better poutine for a lot cheaper. You would not get a souvenir helmet.

The Montréal Alouettes got enough publicity for the $90 poutine, including this article. Go to Quebec and get the real thing. You can eat poutine for a week for less than $90.

2022 CFL Week 9 preview

BalanceofFood.com Canada food policy coverage

We are at the tailend of National Farmers Market Week running through Saturday. Can't leave a notebook without a word on farmers markets. Like grocery stores, farmers markets are better suited for families than single people. Smaller fruits, such as berries, works well for a single person. Peaches, very much in season, can be intimidating in buying a whole box.

Know your farmer. We know our local farmer. They will sell you an individual peach for a smaller price. Peaches are a great summer fruit. If all you can handle is a peach at a time, you are better off than ignoring them because the box is too intimidating.

Be nice and polite. Know they won't pick one of the boxes on display. They weigh the boxes so they don't want to mess with that setup.

Farmers markets in 2022: Back to some sense of normal

BalanceofFood.com farmers market coverage

Summer lasts at least until the end of September in a lot of places. Enjoy food in the context of summer. Be more adventurous.

Twitter capture: @JewishResister
photo credit: @MTLAlouettes

Dine in restaurants when you feel safe, not because of a political stunt

#POLICY: Introducing a new Dine and Discover Program to encourage Canadians to support our local restaurants, while putting money back in your pocket. pic.twitter.com/nrdj0busCM

— Erin O'Toole (@erinotoole) September 8, 2021

Conservative politicians are championing the dining in restaurants. We love dining in restaurants. The dining in restaurants during a pandemic is the concern.

Erin O'Toole is the Conservative Party leader in Canada. The country is in the middle of an election cycle with a September 20 election date. [Sidenote: If you want to know more about this Canadian election, you can read about that in our sibling blog, CanadianCrossing.com.]

The restaurant proposal isn't original: this boilerplate was taken from the UK Conservative playbook. A University of Warwick study linked the plan to a significant increase in COVID-19 cases last August in the UK.

The Canadian proposal does note that this will not happen until conditions improve: “once it is safe to do so.” After all, their party has been complaining extensively about why the election is happening now. Let's try and look at this policy from a non-partisan point of view.

The deal would be for customers to purchase food and non-alcoholic drinks for 50% off but only Mondays through Wednesdays. If you got your food to go, you would pay 100%; this policy is to encourage actually dining in the restaurants.

Your humble narrator wasn't able to support as many restaurants during the pandemic because of not being able to dine inside. No car and no bathrooms limit your options. Dining inside right now has very little personal appeal.

Balanceoffood.com Canada food policy coverage

Toronto is Canada's largest city with amazing restaurants. Being a tourist in Toronto, even before the pandemic, means limited restaurant choices on Sundays and Mondays. This is true in Toronto than any other city I have visited as a tourist.

A lot of restaurants have added Tuesdays or Wednesdays to the list of closed days during the pandemic. Not enough workers or not enough customers: either way not much business.

This policy was popular in the UK in increasing traffic to restaurants though maybe a little too popular.

The sad reality is Canada (and the United States) is that dining in is considered part of the entertainment dollar given how low wages are predominant in the vast majority of the populations. People miss eating out and being served.

The idea that the simple joy of eating out has become a political issue is rather sad. Liberals and centrists also like to eat out though they generally has less money to eat out than conservatives do, though a lot of poor people also vote conservative.

Non conservatives want people to eat out when the situations are safer. They are not against eating out; they want a safe environment.

Your humble narrator is only one person who can't afford to eat out much but has done so outside. Canada does get quite cold in the late fall and winter. Eating in will be more tempting. Will customers feel safe doing so, even with a 50% decrease in cost?

BalanceofFood.com politics coverage

Such an offer wouldn't be so bad if this was part of a larger proposal to help restaurant owners and their employees guide them through a terrible pandemic. Alas, this hasn't been true for conservatives. The proposed policy is gimmicky; short-term help when people need longer-term help. The proposal only covers a month: 12 days of discounts. Not a lot, especially for restaurants that have struggled to adjust to carry out, takeaway, and delivery.

Restaurants would have to find more people to stock those days in the hopes that those days would be busy enough to open. Would customers tip on the full value of the meal instead of the actual cost. 50% off is great for the customer, not so much for the worker.

Restaurant wages without tips in North America are literally sub-human, well below the pathetically low minimum wages.

The irony of the offer is you might be tempted to participate at a restaurant that wouldn't be too popular (for social distancing) yet if the proposal works, the restaurant might be too packed for your comfort.

In the UK, the government isn't having an election anytime soon. Canadian voters are going to the polls so you would have to vote in that party to get the deal.

Find a creative way to support restaurants. Wear a comfortable jacket when the weather gets cooler. Beg a friend with a car to pick up your food so the restaurant makes more money on that meal. Dine in a restaurant … when conditions are a lot safer.

Twitter capture: @erinotoole
photo credit: me

Trickster gives us a peek into the world of food banks

We barely see the impact of food banks on the local news or cable news channels. They may show a long line of cars or packing boxes into a car. The personal transaction ends up happening all the time without a camera in sight.

The example that the TV show Trickster shows us about food banks is not a typical personal transaction. Turns out the young woman Sarah (Anna Lambe) volunteering at the food bank is the girlfriend of the customer Jared (Joel Oulette). Jared didn't know Sarah was working there before going into the food bank.

The scene happened in Episode 4 of what turns out to be the only season for Trickster, airing on the CW in the United States and CBC in its native Canada. Trickster takes place in a remote area of Kitimat, British Columbia, far away from the bright lights of Vancouver. Even the fast food place where Jared worked doesn't provide cheap meals.

Jared's mother is missing. The power had been turned off and all the food was ruined. A lot of drama for him as well. Jared definitely needed help.

Sarah starts out with peanut butter: "Smooth or crunchy?" Jared replies, "Smooth." Sarah teases him about his choice but says she isn't there to judge.

"Kraft Dinner or canned spaghetti?" Jared isn't sure so Sarah gives him both. (In Canada, Kraft Dinner is Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in the United States.)

He asks for beer. She said, "All yours if I did." You aren't going to find beer in a food bank.

Sarah loads a few more items into a box.

In the next scene, Jared offers her a chocolate pudding from the box.

Trickster is a show about an Indigenous community. The creators and producers thought showing such a scene was important to show the world where these people live. Jared feels a bit of shame when he realizes his girlfriend is on the other side of the table at the food bank. Sarah quickly reassures me that it's cool.

The sign for the Kitimat Community Harvest says: Distributing food; Community recycling; Resources for Families; Neighbourhood events. Yes, food banks are a way to supplement food and be a part of the community. The people behind the table and in front of the table are all human beings trying to create a better world.

Hard to Stomach brings home the ongoing concern of food insecurity

Food banks now more important than ever in COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic

Vote for a better food policy on Election Day

BalanceofFood.com Canada food policy coverage

People who go to food banks shouldn't feel shame, even if they do know people behind the counter. The need for food banks for people, employed or not, was gigantic before the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people who received the unemployment supplement last summer went over 6 months without any federal assistance. Many who ran successful small businesses haven't been able to get the PPP loans where the rich were able to get so much.

A 6-episode series in Canada had the foresight to have a scene involving a food bank in a TV drama. A small step but more needs to be shown to show there is no shame in needing a food bank. The Republicans in Congress have blocked financial help to the poor and middle-class in the United States. Turning to a food bank is becoming the new norm in the United States. Time to make that experience to be the opposite of shame. You are standing up for you and your family to provide food. There is no shame in helping your family eat.

Trickster is available in the United States on the CW Network. Our Canadian friends can watch the episodes on CBC Gem.

photos credit: Trickster/CBC/CW

Tom Vilsack is not a good way for Biden-Harris to fight for improvement in the food supply

"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss" was meant to be a metaphor by Pete Townshend from The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again in 1971. Townshend likely couldn't imagine Tom Vilsack being invited to run the Department of Agriculture once again in the United States.

Vilsack was not an inspired choice even in 2009 under Barack Obama. He did fit the recent definition of having been a governor (Iowa) in an agricultural state. 

Vilsack's most significant act while as the Secretary of Agriculture is to endorse the use of "pink slime." Vilsack said pink slime was "safe, it contains less fat and historically it's been less expensive."

Colbert Report: Tom Vilsack and school lunches

Stephen Colbert calls out Tom Vilsack for ag policy contradictions

Vilsack will have an easier time since Stephen Colbert went out to do a regular talk show at CBS.

Vilsack is leaps and bounds ahead of Sonny Perdue, Mike Johanns, and Ed Schafer in the post.

As we noted during the campaign, the outgoing regime has done disturbing and disgusting work to reduce the safety standards for meat, poultry, and seafood.

Needing a radical 'New Deal' from the next Secretary of Agriculture

If the United States has a benign or progressive food policy that factored in nutrition and American consumers, Vilsack might be able to sail the ship and not crash into an iceberg. Stephen Colbert did more to advance the concerns over the U.S. food supply in the 9 years on the Colbert Report than any Secretary of Agriculture has done in decades.

Michael Pollan turned down a proverbial request for the position after the 2008 election. Pollan did offer these words of wisdom.

"What Obama needs to do, if he indeed wants to make change in this area — and that isn't clear yet that he does, at least in his first term — I think we need a food policy czar in the White House because the challenge is not just what we do with agriculture, it's connecting the dots between agriculture and public health, between agriculture and energy and climate change, agriculture and education."

Substitute "Biden" for "Obama" and that advice is still helpful.

Vote for a better food policy on Election Day

Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump: Who will be better on food policy

The American people did vote for a better food policy on Election Day with the election of former Vice President Joe Biden and outgoing Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA). They will be sworn in tomorrow midday as the new U.S. president and vice president, respectively.

Biden and Harris will be arms in deep in the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic amplified the growing food insecurity in the United States. The pathetic financial supplement further exasperated a widening gap in a struggling to feed a family or even an individual.

Children who weren't in school struggled to get fed where school breakfasts and lunches had been the difference for many kids.

Celebrating the Michelle Obama legacy for food and nutrition

Biden could pick a nutrition czar, something that Barack Obama did during his time in office. Sam Kass and Debra Eschmeyer filled that role under President Obama. Michelle Obama might be available once again. Unlike Vilsack, that is a retread Americans can get behind.

5 questions you should ask presidential candidates about U.S. food policy

BalanceofFood.com school lunch coverage

President Obama placed a priority on increasing the money spent on school lunches. Conservative Democratic senators helped water that down to a 6¢ increase in 2010, the first such non-inflationary increase since 1974.

Expectations are low and since the food supply didn't come up, no promises to be broken. Here's to hoping to find solutions in the next 4-8 years.

photo credit: Colbert Report/Comedy Central

Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump: Who will be better on food policy

The U.S. election is on November 3. Many have voted early. Hope that voting democracy isn't too damaged where you live.

Food policy hasn't come up in the campaign. We don't know where Joe Biden stands on food policy or how he thinks about food. We do know he isn't Donald Trump and won't make things worse.

• Earlier this year, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service allowed the sale of chicken meat made from birds that have had diseases for human consumption.
• The U.S. sends meat and seafood to be processed in China and the food comes back to the United States.
• Rollbacks on the nutrition standards of school lunches from where they were under Barack Obama.
• The horrible tariffs that impacted farmers for no logical reason. The American Farm Bureau points out that debt in the farm sector is projected to increase by 4 percent to a record $434 billion. Farm bankruptcies continue to rise.

This is not the whole list by a long shot. This would be a 30-minute read with the whole list and the Internet does not want a 30-minute read.

Obama signs school lunch bill, still waiting on food safety bill

Blanche Lincoln, who worked hard to cut school lunch increase, lost her Senate race

BalanceofFood.com school lunch coverage

The Democratic Party has had control of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House for 4 years between 1981 and the present. Bill Clinton had that level of control from 1993-1995 and Barack Obama from 2009-2011. During the Obama time, there was a lot of political work that went into a 6¢ school lunch increase, the first such non-inflationary increase to school lunches since 1974.

Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) worked so hard to reduce the increase to 6¢.

The Dems taking back the Senate is possible but will be a difficult task. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris might get elected but without the Senate, they won't be able to get much done, especially on the food supply.

We would love to have a policy debate with a pair of parties that cared about the impact of nutrition and food policy. We barely have one at times.

Celebrating the Michelle Obama legacy for food and nutrition

BalanceofFood.com endorses Michelle Obama to be First Lady for 4 more years

We don't make endorsements here at BalanceofFood.com. Our "endorsement" of Michelle Obama in 2012 was more about her efforts than her husband's efforts.

We know the famous rose garden in the White House was destroyed recently. We don't know what happened to Michelle Obama's organic food garden on the White House property.

If Biden and Kamala Harris get elected, perhaps Dr. Jill Biden will incorporate Michelle Obama's help once again.

Daily Show addresses increased junk food in school lunches

We mentioned in May 2019 that Higher Ground, Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, is working on a half-hour series for Netflix called Listen to Your Vegetables & Eat Your Parents. The program will “take young children and their families around the globe on an adventure that tells us the story of our food.”

That program is still in development. As we have noted, government can do some good but other forces need to be part of the process. We hope some adults learn along with children about the value of vegetables.

Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump on how they approach food

5 questions you should ask presidential candidates about U.S. food policy

The Obama Administration brought in a "nutrition czar." Sam Kass served as a senior policy adviser for nutrition policy and executive director of Let’s Move! Kass was there from the administration start until December 2014. Debra Eschmeyer, co-founder of Food Corps replaced Kass in those roles.

Eater through Civil Eats covered a lot on Dems work on climate change and agriculture.

Biden served as vice president in the Obama Administration. A "secretary of nutrition" would be a vital resource as opposed to a secretary of agriculture. The United States hasn't had a significant secretary of agriculture in a positive sense in a very long time.

We hope to have more positive coverage of school lunches and overall food policy in the next 4-8 years.

photo credit: Kevin E. Schmidt/Quad City Times
video credit: McDonald's