Sunday, September 9, 2007

Can You Say "Flood Insurance"?


Here's a sobering look at the devastation visited upon organic farmers in Minnesota and Wisconsin by this summer's historic floods. Note that organic farmers favor the bottom lands, where soil is richer but the risk of getting washed out is highest.

Most of these farmers did not have flood insurance, and a lot of that rich soil just got washed down the Mississippi River. Adding insult to injury, corporate grocery operators such as Whole Foods, who like to promote their support of local produce, immediately cancelled orders with the afflicted farmers, apparently over fears the produce might be contaminated.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

: (

This makes me so sad.

Ed Bruske said...

Tana, it is tragic, isn't it? And where was Whole Foods when the farmers needed them?