Fraternity impacts greater Knoxville community >>See page 2
UT sprinter races toward Olymipics >>See page 10
Vols softball prepares for Auburn >>See page 11 Abbey Fields is located right outside downtown Knoxville for local harvesting. Michael Lipps • The Daily Beacon
Big or small: is there a place for it all? An examination of practices in farming Michael Lipps Asst. Arts & Culture Editor In its pilot episode, the satirical comedy series “Portlandia” has a couple visit a Portland restaurant and drill the waitress with questions about the chicken they are consider-
Volume 131 Issue 66
ing ordering. The waitress answers the pair’s over-thetop questions in stride, even bringing the couple a booklet detailing the chicken’s life prior to its presumably peaceful earthly departure. The couple ultimately decides to interrupt their ordering and take a “quick trip” to the farm, located 30 minutes from the restaurant, to ensure the quality of life the chicken was
able to enjoy. While it can be easy to watch a scene like this and laugh, the reality is that the agriculture industry is currently facing unprecedented challenges that are often compounded by marketing gimmicks and uneducated consumers. Even Bill Nye the Science Guy has flip-flopped his stance on genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, which underscores the importance of research and education when it comes to agriculture matters. From “All Natural” to “USDA Organic” and
utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon
“Free Range” to “Cage Free,” it can be challenging to ascertain what, exactly, each label means and why or why not it is important to have such distinctions. Furthermore, it can become challenging for smaller farms that concern themselves with such distinctions to gain strong market penetration and achieve sustainable profitability.
See ORGANIC FARMS on Page 8
Thursday, April 28, 2016