Articles written by Patricia Stewart

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About me - Patricia Stewart

I'm a transplanted suburban Midwesterner now living my dream of a New England small farm. Sustainable agriculture and farm education are my passions, along with my goats, my family and my farm.

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Politics, News & Issues > Food & Agriculture Feeding the poor today and everyone on the planet tomorrow: What are the issues, and what can be done to avert a global food crisis?: 9 of 57
Feeding the world needs to be looked at as a sustainability problem, not an "immediate response," problem. By definition, people used to know how to feed themselves, or people wouldn't live in certain areas of the world. It's when we started looking at "nations," instead of "communities," that we ran into problems. People ada... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Environmental Awareness Does protecting the environment have to hurt the economy?: 1 of 6
I rarely agreed with President Bush, but when he said our nation was addicted to oil, he was right. When people complain about environmental regulations harming the economy I have to wonder how far they have thought that idea out. Is it hurting the economy to avoid health issues, or we build the economy by supporting asthma m... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Immigration Is immigration a human rights issue?: 1 of 5
Human rights come into play on several different levels when discussing immigration. Does one group have the right to exclude another group when there are finite resources to share? Do "the established population" have the right to keep the "immigrant population," from allowing themselves to create a better world for themselv... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Environment (Other) Returning to the land: Can this be achieved?: 1 of 5
Returning to the land may require a generational shift, but I think we're getting there. 30 years ago, when I was a kid, the "ecology movement" was just being born. Rachel Carson's, Jacques Cousteau's work, among many others, brought the picture of our damaged world into sharper focus. At that time, a group of "intrepid back ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Soldiers & Veterans Should the draft be reinstated?: 13 of 60
Our current military is set up to build on a willingness for soldiers to be there. When soldiers are drafted into service precious time is lost breaking through their resentment, before they accept the lessons we have to learn. Drafts have historically been used to bring people into service who had no other options. That is w... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Family Law There should be restrictions on the availability of abortion, except when the mother's life is at stake: 13 of 59
Abortion is not a simple matter of right or wrong. Putting one person's potential life against someone else's potential life is the job of two entities - the mother and whoever she looks to for guidance. It might be God, or it might not be. But the mother is the one who will ultimately have to decide whether she can give the ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Doctrine & Issues Is there room in Christianity for other beliefs?: 10 of 41
Christianity is an inclusive religion. Christ didn't say "Love only Christians..." He said "Love your enemy..."" Love your brother..." and many other commandments to love those who have not chosen "the right road." As a Christian I believe that each of us has to find God in our own way. Finding that Holy Spirit within ourselv... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Social Values & Norms Homeless shelters are not the answer to the homelessness issue: 16 of 62
Homeless is a longterm problem, and shelters are short term solutions. There a variety of reasons people become homeless, and in looking at the reasons it's possible to come up with some long term solutions. For those with mental illness, our culture needs to find a way to adequately treat or house these patients until their ... More..
Pets & Animals > Animal Rights & Issues What is the difference between animal rights and animal welfare?: 3 of 11
For me the fundamental difference between animal rights and animal welfare comes down to whether you're considering standards of the natural kingdom, or standards of the human world. Naturally, all animals need food, shelter and water. Beyond that, consideration needs to be given to the natural behavior of the animal. While t... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Food & Agriculture Should people eat only locally produced, organic food?: 5 of 18
My problem with this statement is that it assumes all locally grown food is organic, or that all organic food is locally grown. In the true sense of the word, organic would mean locally grown. But agribusinesses has co-opted that term, with the help of USDA, to now mean a "way of growing food," rather than a "way of living." ... More..