Kim Severson writes in the New York Times today that the connection between what she puts in her body, the land around her and the miracle of things that grow makes her feel as if she’s part of something bigger.

Fair enough. Severson explains that local has become the new organic, helped in large part by a growing concern over the environmental impact of transporting food thousands of miles.

But when it comes to food safety, Severson fails like so many other food pornographers.

"Mix a little mad cow disease, bags of spinach infected with E. coli and an obesity epidemic and people begin to question what is happening to the food supply. A bunch of kale from Hepworth Farms in Milton, N.Y., may not solve those problems, but it is one sure, small step toward a healthier family dinner table."

Why is it a step toward anything safer unless the grower can prove she is following good agricultural practices and some minimal microbial food safety testing to provide an indication that controls are working the way they should (such as water quality).

Talk is nice. Show me, or any other consumer, the data.