NPR did an interesting piece on ethanol this afternoon on “All Things Considered.”  They mentioned the fact that increasing demand for ethanol is driving up prices for corn, and the farmer they interviewed was concerned that the rising price of corn would impact his animal feed (pig and chicken) customers.

Here’s what I’m thinking: if the price of corn continues to rise because of the demand for ethanol, maybe it will encourage the pig and chicken (and cow) producers to seek out more economical ways of feeding their stocks, namely GRASS; a return to a more natural food chain.

Unfortunately, ethanol probably uses just as much petroleum to produce it as the industrial feed lots use to feed the chickens and pork and beef.  It will probably have just as much negative impact on the atmosphere as burning petroleum products.  Or, the government, in its infinite wisdom, will step in and subsidize the corn so that the pig and chicken and cow farmers can continue producing industrial meat even cheaper than they already are.

Still, a girl can dream.

~*~

I inquired with a small organic farm in Boulder about the CSA program they’re starting this year.  I’d love to be able to support them, especially because they already have a good reputation at the local farmer’s market in Boulder.  I’m supposed to get more info in a week or two.