Ag at the Polling Place

With election day barely in our rearview mirror, our focus very much remains on who won, who lost, what passed and what didn't.

While that obsession's still strong, take a look at this, a Ballot Measures Database from the National Conference of State Legislators (brought to my attention just yesterday by the Special Libraries Assocation's Government Info blog).

With quick clicks in a few fields, you can easily see a list of all initiatives in one state or several, for this year or many, right on back to 1902.

But you can also limit your search to measures pertaining to particular topics, like agriculture.

In two shakes I can see what ag-related initiatives were on ballots nationwide this year. (Only one actually, California's Proposition 2, which looks to be passing at the moment.)

I can also review environmental measures recently proposed in Florida, the last decade's worth of energy and utility issues in Kansas, or natural resources initiatives in the Pacific Northwest. (Remember: Cntrl-click to choose multiples from anywhere in a list, e.g., Oregon and Washington; or click at the top of a range and shift-click at the bottom to select everything in between, e.g., 1990 to 1999.)

The search results serve up basic details about the measures [type of election and year, type of measure (initiative, referendum, etc.)], the voting results (pass or fail with the associated percentage of votes), and, in many cases, a summary of the measure.

It's an amazingly easy way to see what issues have made the ballot and how they've fared over the years.

But our colleagues at the National Conference of State Legislators didn't stop there. They also have a handful of databases and collections addressing ag, rural, environmental and health legislation and statutes, along with a database focused strictly on environmental health legislation.

They're handy tools for researchers or interested citizens and easy supply lines for the legislative junkies among you, as are the great resources on NAL's Laws and Regulations page, of course.

Clearly, there's no reason to be an uniformed citizen in this day and age.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Farm Bill on November 05, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Submitted by: Phil Booker on November 11, 2008 05:15 PM

Submitted by: ProGasCasMash on December 4, 2008 12:38 PM

The Crossroads of Ag and Public Health

What is the connection between what you eat and how you feel?

Does the way an animal or crop is raised impact its nutritional value?

How are farming methods contributing to environmental problems and human health issues?

These questions and others like them represent the crossroads of agriculture and public health, that complex interdependency between what we eat and how it is raised with our individual and collective well-being.

They are the kinds of questions that seem to be popping up more and more, from the mainstream press to scientific journals and trade publications.

But clearly the frequency of the questions does not mean we have answers. In fact, as any researcher knows, most so-called answers just lead to more questions, more debate and more avenues for research.

To help bring some order to all that research and to the multiplicity of answers derived from it, the Center for a Livable Future, a research institute partnering Johns Hopkins University with its School of Public Health, recently launched a new Web site, the Agriculture and Public Health Gateway.

The gateway provides a central starting point for anyone interested in exploring the ag-public health connection. It lets you simultaneously search four key databases dealing with agriculture (NAL's AGRICOLA), ag safety (the National Agricultural Safety Database), medicine (PubMed) and the environment (Earthtrends). Or you can browse a range of Web-based goodies -- articles, reports, databases, programs, videos and more -- organized by topics such as crop production, community and occupational health, or food safety and labeling.

You'll find more details about the site on the Center's blog, or just jump in and start exploring. And when you find answers to the questions above, let us know.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Animals and Farm Safety and Food and Nutrition and Libraries and Natural Resources & Environment and Organic Production and Plants and Crops and Rural Life and Water Quality on November 04, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Submitted by: Karl Schneider on November 4, 2008 09:55 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on November 5, 2008 11:23 AM

Submitted by: Karl on November 6, 2008 10:00 AM

Submitted by: Water Damage on November 21, 2008 08:12 AM

Submitted by: Alex Tiller on November 26, 2008 01:42 PM

NAL Director Moves On

As Director of the National Agricultural Library for the last six years, Peter Young has rubbed shoulders with a lot of big wigs.

He has shown off NAL to three different Secretaries of Agriculture (Veneman, Johanns and Schafer), repeatedly argued NAL's case to a host of Ag Department officials, and shaken more library directors' hands than kernals in a corn field.

He has pushed for digital collections, spoken on the role of libraries in cutting-edge research, and held fast to the idea that libraries have a bright future.

He is definitely a glass-half-full kind of guy, and it shows in his demeanor.

His faith and confidence are infectious. Warm and jovial, he can talk the stripes off a bee. He's approachable, sincere and supportive, encouraging innovation and cheering on risk-takers. He doesn't stand still, and neither does the staff he leads.

But from this day forward, the staff will be moving on without him.

Peter has wrapped up his time as NAL's Director to become Chief of the Asian Division at the Library of Congress.

It's his third stint at LC, and, he says, it's a bit like coming home, both because of his previous work there and because his father once walked the same halls.

So we bid him a fond farewell, with heartfelt gratitude for his leadership and a deep appreciation for his efforts on behalf of the Library and its staff. And we send him off with a chat and a laugh and a hug, as best befits his time here, for though he has rubbed shoulders with big wigs, it's his time with his staff that he says he most treasures.

We feel the same. Good luck, Peter.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Biography and Libraries on October 31, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Submitted by: Connie Britton on November 3, 2008 11:24 AM

Submitted by: Karl Schneider on November 4, 2008 10:18 PM

Submitted by: Katie Newman, USAIN President on November 6, 2008 01:08 PM

And Now a Word from Our Sponsor

I'm turning the blog-waves over to USDA today to help get the word out about the upcoming Agricultural Outlook Forum, February 26-27, 2009, in Arlington, Virginia.

This year's presenters and break-out sessions will deliver on the theme "Global Agriculture & Rural America in Transition."

You'll hear scientific, policy, business and marketing perspectives on a range of ag issues, from food safety to food security, from rural America to world markets, and from conservation efforts to developments in biotechnology.

The then Secretary of Agriculture will give the keynote, with an as-yet-unnamed distinguished guest speaker to follow.

Got any ideas who that distinguished guest speaker should be? I'm collecting suggestions below. Who knows, the conference planners just might listen.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Education and Farm Bill and Food and Nutrition and Marketing and Trade and Natural Resources & Environment and Plants and Crops and Rural Life and Water Quality on October 29, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Submitted by: jhjityiity on October 30, 2008 09:58 AM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 30, 2008 10:13 AM

Submitted by: Bill Harshaw on October 30, 2008 12:27 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 30, 2008 02:13 PM

Submitted by: Karl Schneider on November 4, 2008 10:29 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on November 5, 2008 11:31 AM

Read 'Em and Weep

It's never wise to gamble your life savings on a poker game, but if you've seen the latest food price projections, you can understand the temptation.

On Friday USDA's Economic Research Service released its current forecast, and it doesn't look so good. Food prices are expected to rise 5% to 6%, despite the recent drops in oil.

Maybe you don't want to hear about it. After all, you're going to know soon enough, like the next time you go buy a dozen eggs. But maybe you're the kind who needs to put it in context. If so, read on.

The BBC is using real people buying real food from real stores to track changing food costs in eight cities across the globe.

Forget the statistical averages based on official price indices. This is person-in-the-street reality pricing.

BBC reporters are heading to the same stores each week and noting the prices for five of that country's staple foods. (These are foods that are most likely to be found in the typical shopper's grocery bag.)

For example, here in Washington, DC that means bread, milk, potatoes, beef and eggs. In Delhi, it shifts to rice, ground flour, lentils, onions and milk. You get the idea.

Then those costs are tracked over time.

At this point, the BBC's pricing index has been active for only a few weeks, but you can see how, so far, some places have held steady more or less (Brussels, DC, Moscow), while others have taken a bit of a ride (Jakarta, Skopje).

Then, on each city's page (linked via the city names above), you can see what item on the list might be driving the price change. For example, potatoes take the blame in Skopje, while in Jakarta, it's clearly eggs, at least at the moment.

Where will prices head next week? Next month? Next year? Keep an eye on the BBC price index, and you'll find out. Maybe seeing it in these colorful little charts will help you prepare for seeing it on the stickers at the store.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Food and Nutrition on October 27, 2008 EST | Permalink

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