Monday ice

Sure enough, the first snowfall of the season preceded me here in DC. Looks like the road will be passable, though. Scanning the headlines this morning, this story reports on a USDA study that says Americans underestimate what we eat by 50%. The fact is, our daily intake is 148 calories per day more than it was in 1980, resulting in a weight gain of 15 pounds per year.

Portion distortion is one of the culprits. Cokes are 20 ounces instead of 8 ounces, and whoppers pack a big wallop than yesterday's cheeseburger. The solution is portion control and exercise.

When we sit down to a meal, half of our plate should contain fruits and vegetables. One-fourth should have whole grains, and protein should take up the remaining one-fourth.

This half a plate message is powerful because it's a visual concept that consumers can get their arms around - so to speak. I'll be curious if the "half a plate" message will be a part of Fruits and Veggies: More Matters campaign.

I came across a blog this morning from a writer with the The Atlantic Monthly that describes the appeal of Sen. Hillary Clinton. The narrative rings true with conversations I have had with New York apple growers and industry leaders.


When upstate apple growers complained that China and Canada were flooding the market with imported apples, Clinton attacked foreign apples, pushing for mandatory “country of origin” stickers that would identify apples grown in New York. When bad weather damaged the crop, Clinton sent former Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman a rotten Hudson Valley apple and a plea for federal disaster funds. Nothing is too small or obscure to arouse her passionate interest.


For the press, Clinton is not too accessible, and less so the trade press, as you can imagine. A couple of requests I have made to her office relating to a New York agricultural promotion have gone unheeded.

Her guarded ways may cost her popular appeal, but don't count her out - and don't be surprised by the support she garners from New York growers.


In Kansas, Sen. Sam Brownback announced his candidacy in Topeka over the weekend and my college-aged son was in attendance. Brownback has appeal to the social conservatives but he will need an upset showing in Iowa to make any noise.