"Permies" practicing permaculture. [Flickr: Benjamin Pender]

• The New York Times profiles the increasingly popular permaculture movement, whose followers are planting and growing nationwide. Permaculture refers to a holistic way of working the land, from composting to foraging to herbal medicines. Programs such as the one attended by the author educate aspiring "permies" in the practices and values of the movement.
• The Atlantic compares the yearly economic impact of overfishing to the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on commercial fishing in Louisiana. In a simple graph, the article demonstrates that chronic overfishing loses the fishing industry nearly four times as much money annually as did the oil spill. Essentially, the numbers indicate a Deepwater-size disaster depleting our fisheries each year. Now there's a reason to look for sustainably-fished seafood.
• McDonald's announced new efforts to improve the nutritiousness of its Happy Meals. By 2012, all Happy Meals will include four or five apple slices, and a smaller portion of fries. Additionally, there will be a low-fat milk or chocolate milk option available with each Happy Meal. McDonald's plans to encourage healthy choices by creating a mobile app to easily look up nutrition information of their items. The restaurant chain also aims to decrease its sodium and sugar contents by 2020.
• Senators Pat Leahy (D-VT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) wrote a letter to FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg, calling for federal regulation of the label "Gluten-Free." In 2007 the FDA issued proposed regulation of the term, but no legislation has been passed. For sufferers of Celiac or those with a gluten sensitivity, knowing exactly what a "gluten-free" label means is important to maintaining a healthy diet.
• The USDA has transferred funds between programs to allocate more loan money to beginning and minority farmers. $100 million has been made available to assist 1,600 small, young or minority farms in their efforts to begin or sustain family farming operations. Farm credit is often scarce for small farms, and the USDA faces a huge backlog of loan applications. This transfer should help these underserved communities get their farms into production.

About the Author: A student in Providence, Rhode Island, Leah Douglas loves learning about, talking about, reading about, and consuming food. Her work is also featured in Rhode Island Monthly magazine.