From the New York Times: Mark Bittman’s take on irradiated food. He also touches on other aspects of food safety, ranging from pesticides to antibiotics. Definitely food for thought.

From the New York Times: More from Mark Bittman—he’s on a roll. This piece is about the effects of meat and dairy on the environment. On a personal note, my husband and I have really cut down the amount of meat we eat, but we can’t seem to give up dairy. Milk and butter, in particular. I use them to make bread, and together they produce a wonderfully rich, soft loaf that keeps well. However, I’ll be thinking of ways to cut down on the dairy. At least most of our dairy comes from Maine.

Again, from the New York Times: They, too, seem to be on a roll. Michael Tortorello has written a terrific piece about permaculture, how it is good for Earth, good for people, and just plain fun.

From Reuters: H-m-m-m. Do you think the folks at McDonald’s have been reading Mark Bittman? In this piece, readers can learn how McDonald’s is cutting back the amount of fries in its Happy Meals and automatically adding…apples. I won’t be rushing to McDonald’s anytime soon, but the change is an interesting one.

From the Portland Press Herald: An article about the fifth annual Kneading Conference in Skowhegan, Maine.  Lately, there has been a resurgence of growing wheat in Maine and of making bread. (Once upon a time, in the 1880s, Maine grew so much wheat that it used to be considered the bread basket of New England.) Unfortunately, my schedule doesn’t allow me to attend this year, but I’m planning on going next year.