Michael Olson produced, wrote and/or photographed feature-length news for a variety of media, including the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner newspapers, Skiing and Small Space Gardening magazines,NBC, ABC, Australian Broadcast Commission, and KQED Public Television networks. His production and photography helped win a National Emmy nomination for NBC Magazine with David Brinkley. Olson is the author of MetroFarm, the Ben Franklin Book of the Year Finalist and Executive Producer and Host of the syndicated Saturday Food Chain radiotalk show, which received the Ag/News Show of the Year Award from the California Legislature. He recently authored Tales from a Tin Can, which is the oral-history of a World War II US Navy destroyer that earned a Starred Review from Publishers Weekly.
Business Person
Olson designed, blended and packaged a fertilizer for container-grown house and garden plants; certified and registered the product as a “specialty fertilizer” with the State of California; and sold the product to the national lawn and garden market. Olson has over two decades of broadcast media management and, as General Manager of newstalk radio stations KSCO & KOMY in Santa Cruz, California, has helped hundreds of locally-owned businesses compete against national chains. Olson is currently a partner in the MO MultiMedia Group of Santa Cruz, California.
Hand in Hand with Enviros & Ranchers Can environmentalists and ranchers work together to make money and preserve the land? • As the Hatfields and McCoys of the American West, environmentalists and ranchers are seldom seen walking the same side of the street. ••• In fact, environmentalists and ranchers are traditional enemies because each side champions a different use for the land. Environmentalists want to preserve the land in its natural state; ranchers want to use the land to earn a living. There has not been much room in the middle for “just getting along,” and so the two communities have not been just getting along. ••• Since the environmental community is backed by the city, with all its votes and dollars, it has been able to purchase large parcels of ranchlands throughout the West and set them aside as conservancies. But a funny thing happened on the way to preserving all that land: invasive species of plants moved in and took over the landscape. ••••••••• As the environmental community pondered what to do with all the weeds it was now conserving, someone put forth the idea of bringing back the ranchers and their animals to graze away the weeds. This suggestion leads us to ask… ••••••••• Can environmentalists and ranchers work together to make money and preserve the environment?
Which is most important: food or fuel? • In 2005, the federal government created the Energy Policy Act, which created a Renewable Fuel Standard requiring 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be mixed into the nation’s gas tank in 2012. As these fuels were made largerly from corn, this mandate made corn farmers very happy. ••• In 2012, the United States experienced the most severe and extensive drought in 25 years. This drought seriously affected the productivity of the nation’s agriculture, thus raising the price of farm commodities. ••• Given the severe drought, government was asked to waive its renewable fuels mandate for 2012. Saying that it could find no “severe economic harm” caused by the mandate, the government refused to grant the waiver. ••••••••• To measure the costs of this mandate for its member businesses, the National Council of Chain Restaurants (NCCR) commissioned a study by Price Waterhouse Cooper. This study claimed the mandate could cost the restaurant industry up to $3.2 billion dollars annually. ••••••••• NCCR’s study was promptly repudiated by the Renewable Fuels Association, which said, “Clearly, Big Food and Big Oil are on the defensive. They lost in their bid for a waiver of the RFS, so now are resorting to super-sized myths about the impact of the RFS on food prices.” •••••• This differernce of opinion between farmers and restauranteurs leads us to ask… ••••••• Which is most important, food or fuel?
Stream Live from our website: Download from our website:Download this Podcast hereWho's Going to Feed the 55 Million Should the Government go Belly Up?
WEEKLY NEWS TOPIC: Can GMO and organic agriculture peacefully co-exist?
Like a concerned parent with scrapping siblings, the United States Department of Agriculture is determined to get biotech and organic agricultures to just get along. ••• The essential problem is keeping crops that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) from contaminating organic crops with their modified genes. Organic crops are, by official government rules, not allowed to contain GMOs. Thus if an organic crop is contaminated with GMOs, it can no longer be sold as organic. ••••••••• To determine how these disparate entities could best co-exist, USDA commissioned an advisory group, called AC21, consisting of stakeholders from both factions. After considering the problem for some time, AC21 recommended, in essence, that all farmers should be free to grow whatever they want, and that all farmers should pay to self-insure themselves against transgenic contamination. ••••••••• In other words, AC21 recommends USDA and the biotech industry abdicate responsibility for GMO contaminations and that organic farmers insure themselves against such contaminations. This recommendation leads one to ask… ••••••••• Can GMO and organic agricultures peacefully co-exist?
Should Cities Encourage or Discourage Wild Animals?
WEEKLY NEWS TOPIC Food Chain Radio Show #798 • November 17, 2012 • Sat 9AM Pacific Michael Olson Features James Sterba Author of Nature Wars
Which wildlife would you most like to evict from your city?
••• “Look at the buck deer!” ••• While walking the dog through an upscale neighborhood of Billings, Montana recently, my attention was called to a rather scruffy looking house that had obviously been abandoned some months previously. Standing next to an open gate was the buck deer, happily eating the landscaping as if in full legal ownership of the house and its grounds. ••• Having grown up in Billings on a diet rich in wild venison, the citified buck stopped me in my tracks. We stared at each other for several long moments. I then moved closer, expecting him to bound away. But the buck was without fear, and did not flee. I left him in possession of the house and all its delicious landscaping. ••••••••• Wild animals have discovered what people long ago discovered– the safety and security of living in cities. As author James Sterba says, “It is very likely that in the eastern United States today more people live in closer proximity to more wildlife than anywhere on Earth at any time in history.” ••••••••• In fact, wildlife running wild through our communities cause an estimated $28 billion in damage every year in the United States, with $1.5 billion from deer-auto crashes alone! This leads us ask… ••••••••• Why has so much wildlife moved into cities? ••••••••• Why are cities so welcoming of wildlife? ••••••••• Should cities encourage or discourage wild animals?
WEEKLY NEWS TOPIC Food Chain Radio Show #797 • November 10, 2012 • Sat 9AM Pacific Michael Olson Features Nutritionist Pam Killeen Author of Addiction: The Hidden Epidemic •••• Addiction, autism, dementia… Oh me!… Fatigue, sleep disorders, ADHD… Oh my! ••• The National Institute of Health estimates that worldwide more than one in four now suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder, and that half of those with a mental disorder have two or more disorders. ••• All is not bad about the mental disorders that now affect our thinking. In fact, the disorders now generate hundreds of billions of dollars worth of business every year for those who manufacture pills, and that’s enough money to float a good-sized country, or two. ••••••••• However, for those who do not manufacture pills, all is not so sweet. Those who suffer from mental disorders must suffer from them, and those who do not suffer from them must pay to help those who suffer by buying their pills, which as mentioned, cost enough to float a good-sized country, or two. ••••••••• All those pills we buy may be alleviating some symptoms of mental disorders, but they do not seem to be eliminating the disorders, which leads us to ask … ••••••••• Why do so many people now have so many mental disorders? ••••••••• Does what we eat affect the development of our brain and mind? ••••••••• Can we eat our way to mental health?
Food Chain Radio Show #796 • November 3, 2012 • Sat 9AM Pacific Michael Olson Features Chef Jamie Smith & Nutritionist Jill Troderman •••• Who can best feed children–government or parents? •••••••• It has been said, by those in the know, that one should “Never let a serious crisis go to waste!” ••• We do have a serious obesity crisis, in that some 17 percent of our children are obese and another 20 percent– or so– are overweight. To make certain this crisis does not go to waste, government has instituted the No Hungry Kids Act, which forces schools to feed children healthier and more nutritious lunches with less sodium, more whole grains, and a wider selection of fruits and vegetables. ••• In addition to what kinds of food government will allow children to eat, it has also placed restrictions on how much food children may eat, with children in kindergarten through fifth grade being allowed 650 calories, sixth through eighth graders 700 calories, and those in high-school 850 calories. ••••••••• Having been led to government’s healthy lunch, however, many school children are refusing to eat, and the nation’s garbage cans are rapidly filling up with healthy school lunches. Furthermore, those children who take joy in burning calories by participating in sports and outdoor activities are running short of calories and going hungry. ••••••••• All those school garbage cans filled with healthy food, and all those hungry kids pleading for more calories, lead one to ask… ••••••••• Can one government program feed 36 kids the right food? ••••••••• Why do children rebel against healthy school lunches? •••••••••
Who can best feed children–government or parents?What's for School Lunch?
••• It has been said, by those in the know, that one should “Never let a serious crisis go to waste!” ••• We do have a serious obesity crisis, in that some 17 percent of our children are obese and another 20 percent– or so– are overweight. To make certain this crisis does not go to waste, government has instituted the No Hungry Kids Act, which forces schools to feed children healthier and more nutritious lunches with less sodium, more whole grains, and a wider selection of fruits and vegetables. ••• In addition to what kinds of food government will allow children to eat, it has also placed restrictions on how much food children may eat, with children in kindergarten through fifth grade being allowed 650 calories, sixth through eighth graders 700 calories, and those in high-school 850 calories. ••••••••• Having been led to government’s healthy lunch, however, many school children are refusing to eat, and the nation’s garbage cans are rapidly filling up with healthy school lunches. Furthermore, those children who take joy in burning calories by participating in sports and outdoor activities are running short of calories and going hungry. ••••••••• All those school garbage cans filled with healthy food, and all those hungry kids pleading for more calories, lead one to ask… ••••••••• Can one government program feed 36 kids the right food? ••••••••• Why do children rebel against healthy school lunches? ••••••••• Who can best feed children–government or parents?
Food Chain Radio Show #796 • November 3, 2012 • Sat 9AM Pacific
Michael Olson Features Chef Jamie Smith & Nutritionist Jill Soderman
••••••••
WHAT’S FOR SCHOOL LUNCH?
•••
It has been said, by those in the know, that one should “Never let a serious crisis go to waste!”
•••
We do have a serious obesity crisis, in that some 17 percent of our children are obese and another 20 percent– or so– are overweight. To make certain this crisis does not go to waste, government has instituted the No Hungry Kids Act, which forces schools to feed children healthier and more nutritious lunches with less sodium, more whole grains, and a wider selection of fruits and vegetables.
•••
In addition to what kinds of food government will allow children to eat, it has also placed restrictions on how much food children may eat, with children in kindergarten through fifth grade being allowed 650 calories, sixth through eighth graders 700 calories, and those in high-school 850 calories.
•••••••••
Having been led to government’s healthy lunch, however, many school children are refusing to eat, and the nation’s garbage cans are rapidly filling up with healthy school lunches. Furthermore, those children who take joy in burning calories by participating in sports and outdoor activities are running short of calories and going hungry.
•••••••••
All those school garbage cans filled with healthy food, and all those hungry kids pleading for more calories, lead one to ask…
•••••••••
Can one government program feed 36 kids the right food?
•••••••••
Why do children rebel against healthy school lunches?
Stream Live from our website: Download from our website:Download this Podcast here A Right to Know Lawyer Feeding Frenzy
WEEKLY NEWS TOPIC Food Chain Radio Show #795 • October 27, 2012 • Sat 9AM Pacific Michael Olson Features Attorney Joseph E. Sandler •••••••••••• A RIGHT TO KNOW LAWYER FEEDING FRENZY! ••• They are spending over $40 million to convince Californians to deny themselves the right to know about genetically-modified organisms in their food. ••• Who are they? Monsanto, Dupont, DOW, Bayer, Syngenta, Pepsi, Coke, Nestle, Conagra, General Mills, Del Monte, Kellog, Hershey, and JM Smucker, to name but a few. ••• Why do they want Californians to deny themselves the right to know about GMOs? ••••••••• We recently received a press release from the San Francisco law firm of Morrison & Foerster, which included the following claim from partner Michele Corash: ••••••••• “Under Prop 37, anyone can sue a food company disputing its labels, even if plaintiffs didn’t suffer damage from the food, or even if plaintiffs didn’t rely on a product label in deciding to purchase the food.” ••••••••• Sensing a legal feeding frenzy over food in Ms Corash’s claim, we immediately requested a Food Chain appearance by a Morrison & Foerster attorney. However, after a couple of weeks of best efforts, they turned us down with a “Way too busy! ••••••••• Fair enough. We kept asking, and found that attorney Joseph E. Sandler of the Washington DC firm of Sandler, Reiff, Young & Lamb, would be willing to help us answer the following questions regarding the legalities of the California Right to Know initiative: ••••••••• Would some foods be legally exempt from labeling? If so, why? ••••••••• How much would a legal label add to the cost of food? ••••••••• and… ••••••••• Will everyone be able to sue food companies over the labeling of their food?
Food Chain Radio Show #794 • October 20, 2012 • Sat 9AM Pacific
Michael Olson Features Dr. Michael Hansen, Senior Staff Scientist, Consumer’s Union
••••••••••••
•••
To many farmers, it is a miracle!
•••
We take genes from Bacillus thuringniensis (Bt), a soil dwelling bacterium that produces chemicals toxic to insects, and infuse them into the genes of the corn plant. When an insect takes a bite out of any part of that corn plant, from root to tassle, the Bt kills the insect.
•••
No insects to eat the crop! No pesticides to spray on the crops! Little wonder, then, that America now has millions of acres of insect-killing corn growing in its heartland.
•••••••••
To many consumers, however, the insect-killing corn is a question, which leads to more questions!
•••••••••
Can a plant that has been re-engineered to kill insects be safe for people to eat?
•••••••••
How are genetically-modified foods tested for safety?
•••••••••
Who says genetically-modified foods are safe for people to eat?
