Sustainable agriculture and local foods

Thursday, 16 February 2012 17:08

Downton Abbey's upcoming season finale; sustainable agriculture and fresh foods

Written by Megan Lello, witf Reporter and Producer

Radio Smart Talk for Friday, February 17:

The second season of one of the most talked-about shows on television is coming to a close this Sunday. MASTERPIECE's Downton Abbey has garnered critical acclaim as well as numerous awards, including an Emmy for "outstanding miniseries or movie." The stories of the men and women who grace the Earl and Countess of Grantham's country home, Downton Abbey, have also captured millions of viewers each week. We'll talk with the show's executive producer, Rebecca Eaton, about what fans can expect to see in this weekend's season finale, as well as what they can look forward to for next season.

MASTERPIECE's Downton Abbey airs Sunday evenings at 9:00pm on witf-TV.

Also, in the second portion of today's program, we'll discuss sustainable agriculture and fresh foods. The state is home to nearly eight million acres of farmland, and its agribusiness rakes in more than $60 billion dollars each year. But just becasue the industry continues to contribute billions of dollars to the commonwealth, doesn't mean it's without its challenges. Debates over the safety of raw foods and the merit of buying organic products have sprung up in recent years. Many young people whose parents and grandparents have been farmers for years are deciding not to continue with the family business. And farmers are trying to ensure the practices they use today don't negatively impact their farmland for years to come.

We'll hear from Hannah Smith, community outreach coordinator for the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, and Homer Walden, owner of the Sunnyside Farm in Dover, York County, about sustainable agriculture and local foods.

Below is a commercial commissioned by Chipotle to emphasize the importance of developing a sustainable food system. In it, Coldplay's classic "The Scientist" is performed by country music legend Willie Nelson. The commercial depicts the life of a farmer as he slowly turns his family farm into an industrial animal factory before seeing the errors of his ways and opting for a more sustainable future.

Listen to the program: program:

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# al 2012-02-16 18:29

surprisingly effective video.

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# Cheryl Dutton 2012-02-16 21:43

Wouldn't it help increase membership in public TV stations across the US to add a membership benefit for downloading Downton Abbey as it runs in the UK? Become a member and get Downton before anyone else does.... I'm in. Especially for major donors!Could really be a benefit for all local stations.

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# Seppi Garrett 2012-02-17 11:04

It seems to me that buying fresh and local is such a great idea, but impractical for everyone living in South Central PA based on the number of organic food producing farms. I believe that we need to be helping the farmers by growing as much food as we can in our own yards to supplement what we can buy. I started my own business last year installing square foot gardens. This has been a great resource for folks living in urban and suburban settings. You can check us out at www.yourgardensolution.org. Even if you are looking for us to teach people about it or give you some advice over the phone, please call us. Our goal is to help people recognize the value of growing their own food and give them the tools to do it. Growing food is not a skill we can afford to loose.

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# Marcia Berry 2012-02-18 01:39

Could you post a link to the Penn State Study quoted on the show? It cited the nutrients in pasture-raised chickens. Thanks!

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# Craig Layne 2012-02-21 10:09

I believe this may be the study the guests were talking about:

http://www.rps.psu.edu/0305/poultry.html

Thanks for listening!!

-Craig

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