Columns

BARDMESSER |The Meat of the Argument

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Veganism, and to a lesser extent vegetarianism, misses the point when it comes to food and environmental ethics; change my mind. Before you arm yourself with your pitchforks, think about this: I have spent pretty much every weekend at the farmer’s market for the past four months so obviously I know my vegetables. The industrialization and globalization of food production, no matter which food group, is rife with environmental and social harm. This is true especially for factory farming of animals, from deliberate fattening of Thanksgiving turkeys to overcrowding pigs and chickens. Even beyond the ethical implications, this cruel treatment has a very real impact on your food.

Dining

Despite COVID, Dilmun Hill Still Found a Way to Feed the Community

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Following the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, many on-campus organizations, programs and facilities were forced to close their doors. Cornell’s student-run organic farm, Dilmun Hill, was among these many organizations heavily impacted. Each year, four to five student managers are hired to prepare for the planting season in early spring. They stay through the summer and fall to grow, harvest and distribute food produced on the 12-acre farm plot near the Cornell Orchards on Route 366. Unfortunately this year, because of the sudden undergraduate hiring freeze and other newly-introduced COVID-19 restrictions, Dilmun Hill stayed silent for many of the normally hectic growing months.

business

When the City that Never Sleeps Takes a Rest: What Does That Mean for Local Farmers?

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As empty restaurant tables continue to collect dust in New York City, 60 miles east in Brookhaven, Long Island, Early Girl Farm is bursting with life. Tomato, eggplant and pepper seedlings are beginning to extend their leafy limbs out into the world as employees carefully prepare the soil, adjusting its mineral levels and incorporating nutrient-rich compost to create optimal growing conditions for this summer’s crops. Patty Gentry, a former restaurant owner and chef turned professional farmer, owns and operates the small but mighty farm, which provides seasonal, organic produce to restaurants in the New York City Metro Area. 2020 marks Patty’s tenth year as a professional farmer. She is an expert in her field, who understands the science of organic farming down to the microscopic levels of soil composition.