Don’t Do It! Down with Big Corn!

Crunchy Con points toward this post on Obama’s potential Secretary of Agriculture:

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack has emerged as the frontrunner for the post of Agriculture secretary in the Obama administration, according to people close to the presidential transition team.

The power of Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential Caucus is used to force candidates to swear fealty to ethanol and corn subsidies. This bit of civically disguised blackmail has become so routine that the West Wing did an episode on it. But it’s one thing to make promises during campaigns. Putting a former governor of Iowa in charge of the Department of Agriculture, however, seems like a solemn oath that the subsidies will continue far into the future.

Worse, elevating Vilsack is a sign that the Obama administration will continue treating agricultural policy as if the relevant constituency is food producers rather than food consumers.

Say it ain’t so.  Who will be the champion of food and culture?

Elections and the New Urbanism

The best thing to come about in this election, as a reflection of greater cultural trends, is the giving of space to food and living and the removal of space from the clutter of consumerism.  Though I am not a Californian I am greatly excited by the passing of Prop 2, which creates a new state statute that prohibits the confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs (Ballotpedia).  Chickens are getting more room, being treated more fairly, and more humanely, which makes happy and health chickens that lay better eggs (just ask Joe Salatin).

In the New York Times today an article on “The Return of the Root Cellar” highlights one of my prospective projects for next year.  I stored some tomato sauce and salsa this year but it’s mostly run out already.  Next year I want to stash vegetables and fruit all over my basement!  Get rid of the clutter of consumerism in your garage or basement and start saving food and eating healthier!

More On Small Houses

In the article Living Small featured on Culture11, the best thing that has happened to conservatism since Rod Dreher (read his post: Against Reverse Food Snobbery from today), Lori Erickson makes the case for how living in a small home has created a holistic environment for her family full of sharing, closeness, and thrift, as she writes:

Looking back on 18 years of living small, I see that our snug house has prevented us from easily avoiding one another by retreating into our own spaces. We’ve been able to eavesdrop on our kids as they played with friends and look over their shoulders as they did homework on the dining room table. It’s been good for our health too, forcing all of us, especially our sons, to spend more time out-of-doors. There simply isn’t room to get too rowdy inside, so often they have headed outside to a neighborhood park that’s conveniently located just across the street.I hope we’ve given our sons the message that wealth doesn’t come from our material possessions, but instead from the diversity of experiences we have and the richness of our community.

Buy one today!

Tiny Houses as Nouveau Americana

The tiny houses featured in the New York Times article “The Next Little Thing?” are perfect for the agrarian lifestyle, even in the midst of suburbia.  I want to buy some sweet chunk of real estate in Northern New Jersey and plop down a 750 sq. ft. weeHouse on it and stock it with IKEA goodies.

A pre-fab weeHouse

Why take up land that you can garden with a house that will cost you an arm and a leg to heat during the winter?

A must see is the accompanying audio slideshow.  The ability for these houses to capture the American “essence” and love of land seen in Berry, Thoreau, and Emerson, as well as Westerns, is truly inspiring.

I’m going to be living the dream, man!

Ways Churches Can Help Suburbia

Tim Chester on Subtext shares some thoughts on using the church to build community cohesiveness.

So here are some ideas for a kingdom approach to architecture and town planning:

– the creation of civic foci in suburbia
– the provision of infrastructure for walking
– the integration housing, retail, business and light industry
– the integration of different social grouping through mixed housing
– a focus on shared space in the home rather than segregated space

Christians would also do well to think about shared space for family
life and hospitality when they choose homes, and to prioritise this
over separate space (like en suite facilities). I would also love to
see Christians in the UK finding ways to spend time out at the front of
their homes.

This would be awesome in the US as well. Take the community stance of Wendell Berry, the sociological-theological function of the church from Milbank, the liturgical significance of locality from Gordon Lathrop, and mix it all together and you end up with something like this.