Chinese Ringneck (©photo courtesy of MacFarlane Pheasants)
If you’re looking for something special to prepare for Valentine’s Day, a dinner featuring a roasted free-range pheasant is sure to signal a special evening. Beautifully accompanied by wild rice, pheasant is a bit firmer than chicken with a naturally rich poultry flavor.
This recipe was created by Chef David Nelson of Wisconsin, whose credits or recipes have been acknowledged in Cooking Light magazine, Restaurant News of the Rockies, and Food Arts. He had two wild game soup recipes published in Janie Hibler's cookbook, “Wild about Game”.
Chef Nelson says of his recipe, “This meal will tempt you while it roasts and fills your house with the warm, nutty scents of wild rice and pheasant.”
Ingredients for 4 Servings
• 2.5-Pound whole MacFarlane Pheasant
• 1 Cup Native Harvest Wild Rice (makes 3 cups)
• 3 Cups day old bread, cut into small cubes
• 1 Cup onions, sliced paper thin
• 1 1/2 Cup chicken stock (broth) or 1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 1/2 Cups water
• 1 Cup celery, diced
• 2 Teaspoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 Teaspoon Sage (or to taste)
NOTE: Stuffing mix is sufficient for 2 pheasants
Preparation
1. Wash wild rice until the rinse water comes off clear.
2. Drop the wild rice into 4 cups of boiling water. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not stir.
3. Saute the onions and celery in 1/4 cup butter until translucent; add parsely and cook only until hot.
4. Combine wild rice, bread, sauted vegetables, sage and chicken stock. Lightly salt the inside of the bird, and fill the cavity of the bird (if desired). Tie with kitchen cord around legs and tail tightly. Brush bird with melted butter and dust with flour.
5. Bake in 325 degree oven for approximately 2 hours. Any remaining dressing can be placed in a covered baking dish and cooked in the oven alongside the bird.
David Nelson
To learn more about preparing free-range pheasant, go to: Whole Oven Ready Pheasant
To learn more about authentic, heirloom wild rice, go to: Native Harvest Wild Rice: Sacred Manoomin
To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site just scroll down after you go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection
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Cupid's Kiss (photo courtesy of Ultimat Vodka)
Valentine’s Day is well on its way and the Cupid's Kiss Cocktail makes a pretty choice for sharing an intimate evening with your sweetie. Both sophisticated and sexy, it calls for an exceptionally high-quality spirit, beautifully crafted for a romantic night to remember!
Hundreds of vodkas are introduced each year, but only Ultimat vodka is created through a distillation of wheat, rye and potato. Its unique combination of the two grains and potato give the ultra-premium spirit a subtle taste, smooth texture, and rich complexity.
Ultimat is produced in Poland, where the vodka tradition dates back to at least 1405, when it was first mentioned in the Sandomierz Court Registry. Centuries of knowledge have been passed down through the generations by local craftsmen. Ultimat’s process begins with milling the grains, then steam cooking them to produce a mash for fermentation. After being distilled, the mash is passed through a copper filtration system using purified water.
Cupid’s Kiss
Ingredients for 1 Drink
• 1½ Ounces Ultimat Vodka
• ½ Ounce Patrón Citronge Orange Liqueur
• 1 Ounce Fresh Blackberry Juice
• Splash of Fresh Orange Juice
• Granulated Sugar
• Lemon Slice for Garnish
Preparation
1. Moisten the rim of the glass with blackberry juice. Gently coat the rim with sugar.
2. Combine the vodka, orange liqueur, blackberry juice and orange juice in a shaker with ice.
3. Shake ingredients with ice and pour into a cocktail glass.
4. Garnish with lemon slice.
5. Toast & kiss your sweetie!
To view all the cocktail recipes on the American Feast web site just scroll down after you go to: American Feast's Cocktail Collection
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Grazing Dairy Cow (©photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Under heavy pressure from the biotech industry, USDA chooses total deregulation.
Yesterday afternoon, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ton Vilsack announced that the USDA will fully deregulate Monsanto’s controversial genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa. The choice was favored by the biotech industry and one of three options identified in the USDA’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) released last month.
Over 250,000 public comments were received during the FEIS process, with the vast majority opposing deregulation. Organic farmers and consumers opposed the introduction of GE alfalfa, fearing the contamination of alfalfa fields vital to the organic dairy industry, which is estimated to be worth more than $2 billion annually.
Pressured by Biotech Industry
The USDA could have maintained regulatory status over the perennial crop that is so important as forage for the livestock industry. Or they could have chosen a limited regulation strategy with bans on the planting of GE alfalfa seeds in seed growing regions to attempt to limit the contamination of alfalfa seed stock by foreign DNA from Monsanto’s crop. (Alfalfa is pollinated by bees and other insects and has a pollination radius of five miles). Instead, the agency, under heavy pressure from the biotech sector, chose total deregulation.
Vilsack did announce that the USDA would establish a second germ plasm/seed center for alfalfa in the state of Idaho to try, and the operative word is "try," to maintain GE-free strains of alfalfa. They currently operate such a facility in Prosser, Washington. He said the FEIS process brought home two key points to USDA: choice and trust.
Opponents Likely to Pursue Litigation
The huge numbers of parents who want their children to get the health benefits of milk without exposing them to the dangers of recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) and the antibiotics fed to cows in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), have contributed mightily to organic dairy farming enjoying quite a boom in the United States.
According to the USDA, “Between 2000 and 2005, the number of certified organic milk cows on U.S. farms increased by an annual average of 25%, from 38,000 to more than 86,000.”
The Center for Food Safety, with The Cornucopia Institute and others, has been embroiled in a court case fighting the release of GE-alfalfa. The case has been on hold while the USDA completed its court-ordered EIS. Opponents of GE-alfalfa are evaluating their choices and likely will resume their legal battle.
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Winter Leeks (© Rainer | Dreamstime.com)
It’s easy to think of farmers markets as a warm weather experience, especially in frigid winter climes, but change is clearly afoot. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Farmers Market Directory now lists 898 winter farmers markets across the country - more than 14% of the nation’s farmers markets – offering consumers more opportunity than ever to access locally grown food.
“Fresh, local, and healthful food isn’t just a good weather offering,” said David Shipman, Acting Administrator of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. “Clearly in many places, winter markets are hot despite the cold weather. Even in states where the traditional growing season is short, the market season is long. This allows more small and local farmers to continue bringing in income for their families and their businesses, while also providing great, nutritious food to communities year round.”
Farmers markets are considered winter farmers markets if they operate between November and March. The top 11 states for these markets are: New York (153), California (140), North Carolina (53), Florida (45), Pennsylvania (42), Ohio (34), Massachusetts (32), Kentucky (30), New Jersey (24), Connecticut (20), and Michigan (20).
Since 2009, winter markets have grown 17%. Farmers markets operating more than seven months per year have higher monthly sales than their strictly seasonal counterparts.
In August of 2010, the USDA’s National Farmers Market Directory listed 6,132 operating farmers markets overall, a 16% rise from 2009. The National Farmers Market Directory has been collecting self-reported information about farmers markets since 1994.
Winter farmers markets feature local products, including seasonal produce, honey, herbs and baked goods. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other federal nutrition benefit programs are often accepted.
To explore the USDA’s list of farmers markets, go to: National Farmers Market Directory
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Veggie Garden (photo by Seemann, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
With One Click, Heirloom Veggie and Flower Seeds Arrive in your Mailbox Just in Time for Planting!
Genetically modified seeds have become so pervasive that it's a joy to see efforts to preserve and spread heirloom seeds. There are now 700 varieties of heirloom and open-pollinated vegetable, herb and flower seeds available through the Seed Savers Exchange online catalog for 2011. Gardening enthusiasts/cooks can grow a several varieties to set a table of flavorful and healthy produce.
Seeds are now available for spring plantings. Transplants can also be ordered now and will be shipped after March 21st, just in time for planting. Heirloom produce inspires amateur cooks and professional chefs alike with their bold flavors, intense colors and unusual looks.
Purchasing seeds is a wonderful way to support Seed Savers Exchange, a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to protect North America's diverse but endangered garden heritage by building a network of people committed to collecting, conserving and sharing heirloom seeds and plants.
Community and school gardens can request a donation of seeds through Seed Savers Exchange – Herman’s Garden program.
About Seed Savers Exchange
Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), member supported organization that saves and shares the heirloom seeds of our garden heritage, forming a living legacy that can be passed down through generations. The organization's mission is to save North America's diverse, but endangered, garden heritage for future generations by building a network of people committed to collecting, conserving and sharing heirloom seeds and plants, while educating people about the value of genetic and cultural diversity.
To download a copy of the catalog, access planning, planting and growing information or connect to others gardens through the organization's online forum, go to: Seed Savers Exchange
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Americans will consume about 50 million pounds of avocados on Super Bowl Sunday, mostly in tasty and healthy guacamole. That’s enough to cover a football field 19 feet deep, if you enjoy that sort of thing.
Below is a classic recipe for Guacamole from our friends at the California Avocado Commission, but they’ve come up with a nice little twist. Depending on where your home team does its playing and snacking, they have suggestions for added ingredients that will give your dish a distinctly local flavor.
Home Team Guacamole begins with a party size portion of basic guacamole (4 avocados, salt, lemon or lime juice) served in the center of a serving tray. Line up color-coded ingredients around the guacamole in small bowls. Then mix in “add-ins” to personalize and create your own Big Game Day party dip.
Ingredients for 8 Servings
• 4 Large, ripe, fresh California avocados, seeded & peeled
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 Teaspoon salt, or to taste
Preparation
1. Coarsely mash (DO NOT PUREE) avocados.
2. Stir in lime juice and season to taste.
3. Prepare "add-ins" as directed below.
Regional Variations
Tampa Bay
1. 4-oz. cooked, shelled and de-veined small shrimp
2. 1/2 cup diced green onion
3. 1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
4. 5-10 drops red pepper sauce
5. Tampa Bay's coastal location calls for shrimp. The red pepper sauce and yellow bell pepper represent the team's colors.
Pittsburgh
1. 1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
2. 1/2 cup chopped roasted yellow bell pepper
Oakland
1. 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2. 2/3 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
3. 1/2 cup chopped red onion
4. 1/2 cup chopped tomato
5. 2 pickled jalapeños, chopped
6. Oakland's signature color black is represented in the black beans. Two jalapeños are added to represent the teams extra spice!
Atlanta
1. 1/2 cup peach preserves or peach salsa
2. 1/2 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
New York
1. 1/2 lb. smoked salmon pieces
Philadelphia
1. 8-oz. softened cream cheese
2. 2/3 cup chopped black olives
San Francisco
1. 1/2 lb. cooked Dungeness crab, chopped
2. 1/4 cup diced scallions
3. 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
Tennessee
1. 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet white onion
2. 1 cup chunky red salsa
Copyright Courtesy of California Avocado Commission
To learn more about California avocados, their heath benefits & growing an avocado tree go to: California Avocado Commission
To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site just scroll down after you go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection
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San Francisco Sunset (photo by R. Beaty, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
It seems our old friend Gary Regan, the author and master mixologist, has an artistic side which we’ve previously failed to fully appreciate. He recently quoted from "The Hour" by Bernard DeVoto, “…the violet hour, the hour of hush and wonder, when the affectations glow and valor is reborn, when the shadows deepen along the edge of the forest and we believe that, if we watch carefully, at any moment we may see the unicorn."
The violet hour happens to be one Gary’s favorite times of day. It is the cocktail hour, when the day’s labors are done, the sun is slipping into the horizon, and the time for sipping a restorative cocktail has arrived. Gary’s come across a new potion that suits that time beautifully, the Violet Hour Cocktail. It is the creation of Jackie Patterson from when she was the lead bartender at the elegant San Francisco eatery, Zinnia. According to our old friend, the drink played a major role in winning her a trip to France to compete in the finals of a worldwide cocktail competition.
Gary writes, “…there is a chance, albeit slight, that if you sip a Violet Hour cocktail and, with soft eyes, you look out over the San Francisco Bay, you might just catch a glimpse of DeVoto's unicorn as it canters gently over the waves. And wouldn't that be a treat?"
Ingredients for 1 Drink
• 2 Ounces Sobieska vodka
• 1/2 Ounce Marie Brizard Parfait Amour
• 1/2 Ounce Lillet Blanc
• 1 Dash anisette
• 1 Lemon twist, for garnish
Preparation
1. Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds with ice and add vodka, Marie Brizard Parfait Amour, Lillet Blanc and anisette.
2. Stir for 15 seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the garnish.
Gary Regan Himself
If you’d like to purchase the book on spirits & cocktails that Gary Regan calls, “My Baby” go to: The Joy of Mixology: The Consummate Guide to the Bartender's Craft
If you’d like to purchase a terrific bartender’s guide authored by Gary's partner Mardee go to: The Bartender's Best Friend: A Complete Guide to Cocktails, Martinis, and Mixed Drinks
To visit Gary and Mardee’s wonderful web site and sign up for their very witty newsletter go to: Ardent Spirits
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For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Rinsed Cannellini Beans (© Photo by: Luminouslens | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
I first encountered handcrafted kielbasa in the 1980s while working in New York City’s largest Polish-American neighborhood, said to be the world’s largest Polish community outside of Warsaw. The aroma on the neighborhood’s shopping street made it clear when local butchers were smoking a fresh batch. I’ve had a weakness for those unique sausages ever since.
Our friend, James Beard Award-winning author Linda West Eckhardt, just provided us with a wonderful way to enjoy the singular flavor of the classic Polish sausage in a healthy, seasonal soup, sure to warm on a winter day. Here’s how she describes it, “Just the sort of soup Polish Grandmothers kept on the back burner for cold and hungry children, this is a recipe that tastes good the first day, and even better on the days after!”
Linda’s Cannellini Soup with Kielbasa & Kale
Ingredients for 6-8 Servings
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 12 Ounces cooked beef kielbasa, cut into coins
• 1 Large onion, finely chopped
• 1 Fennel bulb, finely chopped (reserve and chop feathery tops for garnish)
• 6 Large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• ½ Teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• 2 Boxes chicken broth (about 10 cups)
• 1 Package (12 ounces) fresh chopped kale
• 1 15-Ounce can cannellini beans, drained (Goya)
• 1 15-Ounce box chopped Italian tomatoes (Pomi)
• 1 Cup grated Asiago or Parmigiano
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Preparation
Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat and add ingredients in order, up to the broth, taking your time as you chop, so that the vegetables cook down. Then add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in kale, cannellini and tomatoes and simmer until kale wilts. Taste and adjust seasonings with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Linda West Eckhardt
To learn more about Linda's most recent work on healthy weight loss, go to: The Silver Cloud Diet
To get a look at a book of Linda’s quick and easy recipes for a low carb diet, go to: The High-Protein Cookbook: More than 150 healthy and irresistibly good low-carb dishes that can be on the table in thirty minutes or less
To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site just scroll down after you go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection
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For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
D & E Farms in Franklinville, N.J. (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Written by Jeffrey M. Smith, Institute for Responsible Technology
"The herbicide doesn’t destroy plants directly. It rather cooks up a unique perfect storm of conditions that revs up disease-causing organisms in the soil, and at the same time wipes out plant defenses against those diseases."
While visiting a seed corn dealer’s demonstration plots in Iowa last fall, Dr. Don Huber walked passed a soybean field and noticed a distinct line separating severely diseased yellowing soybeans on the right from healthy green plants on the left (see photo below). The yellow section was suffering from Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), a serious plant disease that ravaged the Midwest in 2009 and ’10, driving down yields and profits. Something had caused that area of soybeans to be highly susceptible and Don had a good idea what it was.
The diseased field on the right had glyphosate
applied the previous season. Photo by Don Huber
Don Huber spent 35 years as a plant pathologist at Purdue University and knows a lot about what causes green plants to turn yellow and die prematurely. He asked the seed dealer why the SDS was so severe in the one area of the field and not the other. “Did you plant something there last year that wasn’t planted in the rest of the field?” he asked. Sure enough, precisely where the severe SDS was, the dealer had grown alfalfa, which he later killed off at the end of the season by spraying a glyphosate-based herbicide (such as Roundup). The healthy part of the field, on the other hand, had been planted to sweet corn and hadn’t received glyphosate.
This was yet another confirmation that Roundup was triggering SDS. In many fields, the evidence is even more obvious. The disease was most severe at the ends of rows where the herbicide applicator looped back to make another pass (see photo below). That’s where extra Roundup was applied.
Sudden Death Syndrome is more severe at
the ends of rows, where Roundup dose
is strongest. Photo by Amy Bandy.
Don’s a scientist; it takes more than a few photos for him to draw conclusions. But Don’s got more—lots more. For over 20 years, Don studied Roundup’s active ingredient glyphosate. He’s one of the world’s experts. And he can rattle off study after study that eliminate any doubt that glyphosate is contributing not only to the huge increase in SDS, but to the outbreak of numerous other diseases. (See selected reading list.)
Roundup: The Perfect Storm for Plant Disease
More than 30% of all herbicides sprayed anywhere contain glyphosate—the world’s bestselling weed killer. It was patented by Monsanto for use in their Roundup brand, which became more popular when they introduced “Roundup Ready” crops starting in 1996. These genetically modified (GM) plants, which now include soy, corn, cotton, canola, and sugar beets, have inserted genetic material from viruses and bacteria that allows the crops to withstand applications of normally deadly Roundup.
(Monsanto requires farmers who buy Roundup Ready seeds to only use the company’s Roundup brand of glyphosate. This has extended the company’s grip on the glyphosate market, even after its patent expired in 2000.)
The herbicide doesn’t destroy plants directly. It rather cooks up a unique perfect storm of conditions that revs up disease-causing organisms in the soil, and at the same time wipes out plant defenses against those diseases. The mechanisms are well-documented but rarely cited.
The glyphosate molecule grabs vital nutrients and doesn’t let them go. This process is called chelation and was actually the original property for which glyphosate was patented in 1964. It was only 10 years later that it was patented as an herbicide. When applied to crops, it deprives them of vital minerals necessary for healthy plant function—especially for resisting serious soilborne diseases. The importance of minerals for protecting against disease is well established. In fact, mineral availability was the single most important measurement used by several famous plant breeders to identify disease-resistant varieties.
Glyphosate annihilates beneficial soil organisms, such as Pseudomonas and Bacillus bacteria that live around the roots. Since they facilitate the uptake of plant nutrients and suppress disease-causing organisms, their untimely deaths means the plant gets even weaker and the pathogens even stronger.
The herbicide can interfere with photosynthesis, reduce water use efficiency, lower lignin, damage and shorten root systems, cause plants to release important sugars, and change soil pH—all of which can negatively affect crop health.
Glyphosate itself is slightly toxic to plants. It also breaks down slowly in soil to form another chemical called AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid) which is also toxic. But even the combined toxic effects of glyphosate and AMPA are not sufficient on their own to kill plants. It has been demonstrated numerous times since 1984 that when glyphosate is applied in sterile soil, the plant may be slightly stunted, but it isn’t killed (see photo below).
Glyphosate with sterile soil (A) only stunts plant growth.
In normal soil (B), pathogens kill the plant. Control (C)
shows normal growth.
The actual plant assassins, according to Purdue weed scientists and others, are severe disease-causing organisms present in almost all soils. Glyphosate dramatically promotes these, which in turn overrun the weakened crops with deadly infections.
“This is the herbicidal mode of action of glyphosate,” says Don. “It increases susceptibility to disease, suppresses natural disease controls such as beneficial organisms, and promotes virulence of soilborne pathogens at the same time.” In fact, he points out that “If you apply certain fungicides to weeds, it destroys the herbicidal activity of glyphosate!”
By weakening plants and promoting disease, glyphosate opens the door for lots of problems in the field. According to Don, “There are more than 40 diseases of crop plants that are reported to increase with the use of glyphosate, and that number keeps growing as people recognize the association between glyphosate and disease.”
Roundup Promotes Human & Animal Toxins
Some of the fungi promoted by glyphosate produce dangerous toxins that can end up in food and feed. Sudden Death Syndrome, for example, is caused by the Fusarium fungus. USDA scientist Robert Kremer found a 500% increase in Fusarium root infection of Roundup Ready soybeans when glyphosate is applied. Corn, wheat, and many other plants can also suffer from serious Fusarium-based diseases.
But Fusarium’s wrath is not limited to plants. According to a report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, toxins from Fusarium on various types of food crops have been associated with disease outbreaks throughout history. They’ve “been linked to the plague epidemics” of medieval Europe, “large-scale human toxicosis in Eastern Europe,” oesophageal cancer in southern Africa and parts of China, joint diseases in Asia and southern Africa, and a blood disorder in Russia. Fusarium toxins have also been shown to cause animal diseases and induce infertility.
As Roundup Use Rises, Plant Disease Skyrockets
When Roundup Ready crops were introduced in 1996, Monsanto boldly claimed that herbicide use would drop as a result. It did—slightly—for three years. But over the next 10 years, it grew considerably. Total herbicide use in the US jumped by a whopping 383 million pounds in the 13 years after GMOs came on the scene. The greatest contributor is Roundup.
Over time, many types of weeds that would once keel over with just a tiny dose of Roundup now require heavier and heavier applications. Some are nearly invincible. In reality, these super-weeds are resistant not to the glyphosate itself, but to the soilborne pathogens that normally do the killing in Roundup sprayed fields.
Having hundreds of thousands of acres infested with weeds that resist plant disease and weed killer has been devastating to many US farmers, whose first response is to pour on more and more Roundup. Its use is now accelerating. Nearly half of the huge 13-year increase in herbicide use took place in just the last 2 years. This has serious implications.
As US farmers drench more than 135 million acres of Roundup Ready crops with Roundup, plant diseases are enjoying an unprecedented explosion across America’s most productive crop lands. Don rattles off a lengthy list of diseases that were once under effective management and control, but are now creating severe hardship. (The list includes SDS and Corynespora root rot of soybeans, citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC), Fusarium wilt of cotton, Verticillium wilt of potato, take-all root, crown, and stem blight of cereals, Fusarium root and crown rot, Fusarium head blight, Pythium root rot and damping off, Goss’ wilt of corn, and many more.)
In Brazil, the new “Mad Soy Disease” is ravaging huge tracts of soybean acreage. Although scientists have not yet determined its cause, Don points out that various symptoms resemble a rice disease (bakanae) which is caused by Fusarium.
Corn Dies Young
In recent years, corn plants and entire fields in the Midwest have been dying earlier and earlier due to various diseases. Seasoned and observant farmers say they’re never seen anything like it.
“A decade ago, corn plants remained green and healthy well into September,” says Bob Streit, an agronomist in Iowa. “But over the last three years, diseases have turned the plants yellow, then brown, about 8 to 10 days earlier each season. In 2010, yellowing started around July 7th and yield losses were devastating for many growers.”
Bob and other crop experts believe that the increased use of glyphosate is the primary contributor to this disease trend. It has already reduced corn yields significantly. “If the corn dies much earlier,” says Bob, “it might collapse the corn harvest in the US, and threaten the food chain that it supports.”
A Question of Bugs
In addition to promoting plant diseases, which is well-established, spraying Roundup might also promote insects. That’s because many bugs seek sick plants. Scientists point out that healthy plants produce nutrients in a form that many insects cannot assimilate. Thus, farmers around the world report less insect problems among high quality, nutrient-dense crops. Weaker plants, on the other hand, create insect smorgasbords. This suggests that plants ravaged with diseases promoted by glyphosate may also attract more insects, which in turn will increase the use of toxic pesticides. More study is needed to confirm this.
Roundup Persists in the Environment
Monsanto used to boast that Roundup is biodegradable, claiming that it breaks down quickly in the soil. But courts in the US and Europe disagreed and found them guilty of false advertising. In fact, Monsanto’s own test data revealed that only 2% of the product broke down after 28 days.
Whether glyphosate degrades in weeks, months, or years varies widely due to factors in the soil, including pH, clay , types of minerals, residues from Roundup Ready crops, and the presence of the specialized enzymes needed to break down the herbicide molecule. In some conditions, glyphosate can grab hold of soil nutrients and remain stable for long periods. One study showed that it took up to 22 years for glyphosate to degrade only half its volume! So much for trusting Monsanto’s product claims.
Glyphosate can attack from above and below. It can drift over from a neighbors farm and wreak havoc. And it can even be released from dying weeds, travel through the soil, and then be taken up by healthy crops.
The amount of glyphosate that can cause damage is tiny. European scientists demonstrated that less than half an ounce per acre inhibits the ability of plants to take up and transport essential micronutrients.
As a result, more and more farmers are finding that crops planted in years after Roundup is applied suffer from weakened defenses and increased soilborne diseases. The situation is getting worse for many reasons.
• The glyphosate concentration in the soil builds up season after season with each subsequent application.
• Glyphosate can also accumulate for 6-8 years inside perennial plants like alfalfa, which get sprayed over and over.
• Glyphosate residues in the soil that become bound and immobilized can be reactivated by the application of phosphate fertilizers or through other methods. Potato growers in the West and Midwest, for example, have experienced severe losses from glyphosate that has been reactivated.
• Glyphosate can find its way onto farmland accidentally, through drifting spray, in contaminated water, and even through chicken manure!
Imagine the shock of farmers who spread chicken manure in their fields to add nutrients, but instead found that the glyphosate in the manure tied up nutrients in the soil, promoted plant disease, and killed off weeds or crops. Test results of the manure showed glyphosate/AMPA concentrations at a whopping 0.36-0.75 parts per million (ppm). The normal herbicidal rate of glyphosate is about 0.5 ppm/acre.
Manure from other animals may also be spreading the herbicide, since US livestock consume copious amounts of glyphosate—which accumulates in corn kernels and soybeans. If it isn’t found in livestock manure (or urine), that may be even worse. If glyphosate is not exiting the animal, it must be accumulating with every meal, ending up in our meat and possibly milk.
Add this threat to the already high glyphosate residues inside our own diets due to corn and soybeans, and we have yet another serious problem threatening our health. Glyphosate has been linked to sterility, hormone disruption, abnormal and lower sperm counts, miscarriages, placental cell death, birth defects, and cancer, to name a few. (See resource list on glyphosate health effects.)
Nutrient Loss in Humans & Animals
The same nutrients that glyphosate chelates and deprives plants are also vital for human and animal health. These include iron, zinc, copper, manganese, magnesium, calcium, boron, and others. Deficiencies of these elements in our diets, alone or in combination, are known to interfere with vital enzyme systems and cause a long list of disorders and diseases.
Alzheimer’s, for example, is linked with reduced copper and magnesium. Don Huber points out that this disease has jumped 9000% since 1990.
Manganese, zinc, and copper are also vital for proper functioning of the SOD (superoxide dismustase) cycle. This is key for stemming inflammation and is an important component in detoxifying unwanted chemical compounds in humans and animals.
Glyphosate-induced mineral deficiencies can easily go unidentified and untreated. Even when laboratory tests are done, they can sometimes detect adequate mineral levels, but miss the fact that glyphosate has already rendered them unusable.
Glyphosate can tie up minerals for years and years, essentially removing them from the pool of nutrients available for plants, animals, and humans. If we combine the more than 135 million pounds of glyphosate-based herbicides applied in the US in 2010 with total applications over the past 30 years, we may have already eliminated millions of pounds of nutrients from our food supply.
This loss is something we simply can’t afford. We’re already suffering from progressive nutrient deprivation even without Roundup. In a UK study, for example, they found between 16-76% less nutrients in 1991, compared to levels in the same foods in 1940.
Livestock Disease & Mineral Deficiency
Roundup Ready crops dominate US livestock feed. Soy and corn are most prevalent—93% of US soy and nearly 70% of corn are Roundup Ready. Animals are also fed derivatives of the other three Roundup Ready crops: canola, sugar beets, and cottonseed. Nutrient loss from glyphosate can therefore be severe.
This is especially true for manganese (Mn), which is not only chelated by glyphosate, but also reduced in Roundup Ready plants . One veterinarian finds low manganese in every livestock liver he measures. Another vet sent the liver of a stillborn calf out for testing. The lab report stated: No Detectible Levels of Manganese—in spite of the fact that the mineral was in adequate concentrations in his region. When that vet started adding manganese to the feed of a herd, disease rates dropped from a staggering 20% to less than ½%.
Veterinarians who started their practice after GMOs were introduced in 1996 might assume that many chronic or acute animal disorders are common and to be expected. But several older vets have stated flat out that animals have gotten much sicker since GMOs came on the scene. And when they switch livestock from GMO to non-GMO feed, the improvement in health is dramatic. Unfortunately, no one is tracking this, nor is anyone looking at the impacts of consuming milk and meat from GM-fed animals.
Alfalfa Madness, Brought to You by Monsanto and the USDA
As we continue to drench our fields with Roundup, the perfect storm gets bigger and bigger. Don asks the sobering question: “How much of the hundreds of millions of pounds of glyphosate that have been applied to our most productive farm soils over the past 30 years is still available to damage subsequent crops through its effects on nutrient availability, increased disease, or reduced nutrient of our food and feed?”
Instead of taking urgent steps to protect our land and food, the USDA just made plans to make things worse. In December they released their Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Roundup Ready alfalfa, which Monsanto hopes to reintroduce to the market.
Alfalfa is the fourth largest crop in the US, grown on 22 million acres. It is used primarily as a high protein source to feed dairy cattle and other ruminant animals. At present, weeds are not a big deal for alfalfa. Only 7% of alfalfa acreage is ever sprayed with an herbicide of any kind. If Roundup Ready alfalfa is approved, however, herbicide use would jump to unprecedented levels, and the weed killer of choice would of course be Roundup.
Even without the application of glyphosate, the nutritional quality of Roundup Ready alfalfa will be less, since Roundup Ready crops, by their nature, have reduced mineral . When glyphosate is applied, nutrient quality suffers even more.
The chance that Roundup would increase soilborne diseases in alfalfa fields is a near certainty. In fact, Alfalfa may suffer more than other Roundup Ready crops. As a perennial, it can accumulate Roundup year after year. It is a deep-rooted plant, and glyphosate leaches into sub soils. And “Fusarium is a very serious pathogen of alfalfa,” says Don. “So too are Phytophthora and Pythium,” both of which are promoted by glyphosate. “Why would you even consider jeopardizing the productivity and nutrient quality of the third most valuable crop in the US?” he asks in frustration, “especially since we have no way of removing the gene once it is spread throughout the alfalfa gene pool.”
It’s already spreading. Monsanto had marketed Roundup Ready alfalfa for a year, until a federal court declared its approval to be illegal in 2007. They demanded that the USDA produce an EIS in order to account for possible environmental damage. But even with the seeds taken off the market, the RR alfalfa that had already been planted has been contaminating non-GMO varieties. Cal/West Seeds, for example, discovered that more than 12% of their seed lots tested positive for contamination in 2009, up from 3% in 2008.
In their EIS, the USDA does acknowledge that genetically modified alfalfa can contaminate organic and non-GMO alfalfa, and that this could create economic hardship. They are even considering the unprecedented step of placing restrictions on RR alfalfa seed fields, requiring isolation distances. Experience suggests that this will slow down, but not eliminate GMO contamination. Furthermore, studies confirm that genes do transfer from GM crops into soil and soil organisms, and can jump into fungus through cuts on the surface of GM plants. But the EIS does not adequately address these threats and their implications.
Instead, the USDA largely marches lock-step with the biotech industry and turns a blind eye to the widespread harm that Roundup is already inflicting. If they decide to approve Monsanto’s alfalfa, the USDA may ultimately be blamed for a catastrophe of epic proportions.
Please send a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, urging him not to approve Roundup Ready alfalfa, and to fully investigate the damage that Roundup and GMOs are already inflicting: Stop Roundup Ready Alfalfa
To help choose healthier non-GMO brands, visit Non-GMO Shopping Guide.
© copyright Institute For Responsible Technology 2011.
Author Jeffrey M. Smith
International bestselling author and filmmaker Jeffrey Smith is the leading spokesperson on the health dangers of genetically modified (GM) foods. His first book, Seeds of Deception, is the world’s bestselling and #1 rated book on the topic. His second, Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, provides overwhelming evidence that GMOs are unsafe and should never have been introduced. Mr. Smith is the executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, whose Campaign for Healthier Eating in America is designed to create the tipping point of consumer rejection of GMOs, forcing them out of our food supply.
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
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Herb & Kathy Eckhouse (Image courtesy of La Quercia)
The Good Food Awards honor people who make food that is delicious, respectful of the environment, and connected to communities and cultural traditions, so it comes as no surprise that La Quercia of Norwalk, Iowa has just been honored for its Green Label Prosciutto.
To celebrate, La Quercia is offering 4 ounces of its organic crumble with every order -- FREE! Yes, two 2-ounce packages of their delicious, versatile crumble, made with their award-winning, organic prosciutto, a personal favorite and what La Quercia's founding family eats at home! All that and FREE SHIPPING too!
Offer good until January 31st. Happy Good Food Month!
Green Label Prosciutto
Herb and Kathy Eckhouse founded La Quercia to create premium quality American prosciutto. Their appreciation of prosciutto grew out of the three and a half years they lived in Parma, Italy, prosciutto's area of origin. Herb and Kathy are contributing to the growth of premium, artisan-made American foods by offering fine quality, dry cured meats -- and Iowa with its abundance is a natural place to do this.
Says Herb, “I love making prosciutto; it's like assisting at a miracle."
If you'd like to learn more about La Quercia's critically acclaimed, artisan cured meats, click on any of the following:
Green Label Prosciutto
Prosciutto Piccante
To learn more about the organization honoring La Quercia, go to: Good Food Awards
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For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Barley & Beef Soup (©photo courtesy of Oxmoor House, Inc.)
My Mom often gave us barley and beef soup to warm us up when we came in from winter sledding and making snowmen. It was one of the only ways she could get me to eat carrots in those days. Now, just the aroma of barley and beef soup on the stove brings back great memories.
This recipe is a low calorie version of the classic winter warmer from our friends at Cooking Light. They’ve included it on page 152 of a terrific collection of dishes in their newly released, “Cooking Light Mix & Match Low Calorie Cookbook.” The book offers multiple choices for each of three meals a day, and a couple of snacks besides. Make your choices from each category and you'll consume just 1,500 calories a day, enjoying delicious food all the while.
Here’s what our friends had to say about this recipe: “Make this soup the night before to allow time for its flavors to develop. Pour hot servings into a thermos to take for lunch, or reheat individual portions in the microwave as needed. Serve with a 1.5-ounce slice of crusty bread (123 calories) to soak up the soup.”
Barley & Beef Soup Recipe
Ingredients for 6 Servings (Serving size: 1 3⁄4 cups)
• Cooking spray
• 2 Cups chopped onion (about 1 large onion)
• 1 Pound chuck steak, trimmed & cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
• 1 1⁄2 Cups chopped peeled carrot (about 4 carrots)
• 1 Cup chopped celery (about 4 stalks of celery)
• 5 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Cup uncooked pearl barley
• 5 Cups fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
• 2 Cups water
• 1⁄2 Cup no-salt-added tomato puree
• 1⁄2 Teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄4 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Bay leaves
Preparation
1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chopped onion and beef to pan; cook 10 minutes or until onion is tender and beef is browned, stirring occasionally.
2. Add chopped carrot and chopped celery to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in barley and remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until barley is done and vegetables are tender.
3. Discard bay leaves and serve.
Nutritional information: Calories 275; Fat 5g (sat 1.6g, mono 2.3g, poly 0.5g); Protein 21.8g; Carb 36g; Cho1 43mg; Iron 3.1mg; Sodium 649mg; Calc 57mg
A little more…For a heartier serving, portion out a 2-cup serving. This slightly larger portion will contain 314 calories.
To learn more about the latest cookbook from the editors of Cooking Light, go to: Cooking Light Mix & Match Low-Calorie Cookbook
To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site just scroll down after you go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
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For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Cornfield (©photo by Kevin Connors, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Written by Jeffrey M. Smith, Institute for Responsible Technology
There’s a bowl of corn chips in front of you made from natural corn. Next to it are genetically modified (GM) corn chips. Which do you choose?
If you were a pig or cow, we know the answer—the natural corn. Farmers repeatedly let pigs or cows into pens with troughs of GM corn and non-GM corn. The animals would head straight to the closer trough, filled with the genetically modified organisms (GMOs). They’d sniff, maybe take a nibble, then go over to the trough with the natural corn. After finishing off the last kernel, they’d stop by the GM corn one more time just to check it out, but quickly walk away.
An Iowa farmer who read about the finicky livestock decided to see if squirrels had similar dispositions. He nailed an ear of GM corn and non-GM corn onto trees by his house. Sure enough, the squirrels ate only the natural stuff, over and over again. When the farmer stopped replacing the natural corn, the squirrels still refused to touch the GMO. After 10 cold winter days, they got up the courage to nibble a few kernels, but that was all they could handle.
Another curious farmer wanted to repeat this with the squirrels in his area. He bought a bag full of GM corn ears, and another of non-GM, and left it in his garage to wait for winter. He waited too long. Mice did the experiment for him. They broke into the natural corn bag and finished it. The GM cobs were untouched.
Farmers, gardeners, reporters, and scientists have noticed similar behavior on at least four continents. Chickens, elk, deer, and raccoons avoided GM corn, while geese, rats, and buffalo refused GM soy, tomatoes, and cottonseed, respectively. Why are animals put off by genetically engineered food? No one knows for sure, but let’s get back to the GM corn chips still sitting in front of you.
Dangerous Side-Effects
Genetic material from bacteria and viruses are forced into the corn’s DNA, which is then cloned into a plant. This process leads to substantial collateral damage, including changes in hundreds or thousands of natural corn genes, plus widespread mutations. Most of the side-effects are never tested for. We do know, for example, that an allergy producing gene, normally silent, gets switched on in a Monsanto corn variety. Proteins change shape, which might be a serious health hazard. And a compound called lignin is significantly overproduced. Lignin on its own may not be so bad, but in the process of producing it, the plant also produces rotenone, a natural pesticide linked to Parkinson’s disease. No one has tested your chips to see if contains more rotenone.
In addition to the unpredicted changes, the genes inserted into the corn intentionally put more stuff into your snack food that may be hazardous. Monsanto’s Roundup Ready corn, and Bayer’s Liberty Link corn have added genes that allow the corn to withstand high doses of Roundup or Liberty herbicide. These varieties, therefore, have more weedkiller residues. Other GM varieties have inserted gene from bacteria that produce an insect killing toxin in every cell (and in every bite).
Genes inserted into GM crops don’t necessarily stay put. In the only human GM feeding experiment—done with Roundup Ready soy—functioning genes transferred into the DNA of bacteria living inside our intestines. This means that millions of Americans probably have Roundup Ready gut bacteria—unkillable with Roundup herbicide. No one has yet looked to see if GM corn genes also transfer. If they do, their insecticide-producing genes could turn your gut flora into living pesticide factories, continuously producing toxins inside you—long after you finish your bowl of chips.
Have you made your decision yet? If you still need encouragement, check out last issue of Urban Garden to find out why the American Academy of Environmental Medicine wants doctors across the country to prescribe non-GMO diets to everyone.
But aren’t GMOs Supposed to Feed the World?
If you’re feeling some moral imperative to support GMOs, that’s understandable. The biotech industry spent more than $250 million convincing you that its gene-spliced foods are the answer to the sick and starving. So don’t be embarrassed if you fell for it. Many leading US politicians have likewise been mesmerized by this long running PR ploy. Clinton’s Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman spoke candidly to a St. Louis Post Dispatch reporter about the pro-GMO attitude embedded in the US government:
“It was almost immoral to say that it wasn’t good, because it was going to solve the problems of the human race and feed the hungry and clothe the naked. . . . And if you’re against it, you’re Luddites, you’re stupid. . . . You felt like you were almost an alien, disloyal, by trying to present an open-minded view.”
Glickman acknowledged that he too “spouted the rhetoric,” admitting, “it was written into my speeches.”
The current Ag Secretary, Tom Vilsack, is the latest GMO cheerleader. As Iowa’s governor, he gave Monsanto an award in 2000, and the next year was anointed Biotech Governor of the Year by the biotech industry trade organization.
In October 2009, Vilsack tried to play the “feed the world” card at a conference sponsored by the Community Food Security Coalition. Bad move Tom. The people in the room were actually experts at feeding the world. Attendees included numerous PhDs and eminent scholars, such as the co-chairman and several leading authors of the authoritative IAASTD report, the world’s most comprehensive evaluation of agriculture.
This crowd knew that GMOs had no answers for world hunger. The IAASTD report, for example, concluded that the current generation of GMOs does not reduce hunger and poverty, does not improve nutrition, or does not facilitate social and environmental sustainability. A comprehensive analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists concluded that GMOs do not increase yield; in fact, on average they reduce yield. A USDA study showed that farmers’ income doesn’t increase, and in some cases, it decreases. And it doesn’t help the overall economy either.
The federal government has been spending $3-5 billion per year to prop up the prices of the GM crops no one else wants.
Thus, when Secretary Vilsack invoked “the ever-increasing population of the globe and the capacity to be able to feed all of those people," as the excuse to promote GMOs, he was greeted by moans, groans, hisses, and even boos.
That didn’t stop Vilsack from playing the same card two days later, but this time he was at the World Food Prize conference. That’s sponsored by the biotech industry, so they were overjoyed that the Ag Secretary was still supporting their myth.
How Do You Choose Non-GMO?
Are you now ready to choose the bowl of natural chips? If so, you’re not alone. Most Americans, according to a CBS/New York Times poll, would also choose foods made without genetically modified organisms (GMOs) if they knew which was which—if they were labeled. But unlike most other industrialized nations, GMOs don’t have to be labeled in the US or Canada. Therefore, avoiding GM foods here takes some doing.
Tip #1: Buy Organic
The best way is to buy organic foods, which don’t allow the use of GMOs. And you also benefit from organics’ higher average levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and lower pesticide residues.
Tip #2: Look for “Non-GMO” Labels
Some companies voluntarily label products as “non-GMO.” The best label is now the Non-GMO Project Verified seal. It’s the new uniform, third party verified standard for non-GMO claims that is spreading through the industry.
Tip #3: Consult the Non-GMO Shopping Guide
For a handy list of non-GMO brands by category, go to www.NonGMOShoppingGuide.com. View it online, download or order copies, and look for the Mobile Phone Application coming soon.
Tip #4: Avoid At-Risk Ingredients
If it’s not labeled organic or non-GMO, and the brand is not listed in the Guide, look at the ingredient panel to see if it contains any at-risk GMOs. The most pervasive GMOs are derivatives of corn and soy. Here are some common ones. (A more comprehensive list is available in the Non-GMO Shopping Guide.)
Corn
• Flour, meal, oil, starch, gluten, and syrups
• Sweeteners such as fructose, dextrose, and glucose
Soy
• Flour, oil, lecithin, protein, isolate, and isoflavones
Oil from canola and cottonseed are genetically modified. Sugar from GM sugar beets was introduced in late 2008, but a recent ruling in a federal lawsuit may eventually drive it out of our food supply. For now, if the sugar doesn’t say pure cane, it’s likely blended with beet sugar.
Other than corn, there are only three items in the produce section that may be genetically modified. That includes papaya from Hawaii (yes, only Hawaii) and a small amount of zucchini and yellow squash. Mercifully popcorn is not GMO.
Aspartame, the artificial sweetener also known as NutraSweet and Equal, is derived from GM microorganisms.
Meat, fish, eggs and dairy.
FDA scientists had warned that animals fed GMOs might bio-accumulate toxins, which end up in milk, meat, or eggs. Their concerns were ignored and no safety studies have looked into this. Most US livestock, and even farmed fish, are fed GM soy or corn. To avoid GM-fed animal products, buy organic, wild caught, or 100% grass-fed. Fortunately, there are no genetically modified fish, fowl, or livestock yet approved for human consumption.
Dairy products also carry the risk that the cows were injected with genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, (rbST or rbGH). The milk from drugged cows has more pus, antibiotics, bovine growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 is a powerful hormone and a high risk factor for cancer. That’s primarily why the American Public Health Association, American Nurses Association, and many other groups condemn the use of rbGH.
Consumer concerns about rbGH has forced Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Dannon, Yoplait, and most of the major dairies in the US to stop using the hormone. Look for labels, consult the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, or buy organic dairy products.
Moving GMOs Out of the Market
The declining fortunes of rbGH demonstrate the power of informed consumers. As more and more people linked the milk hormone to cancer, marketing executives realized that allowing their suppliers to use the controversial drug was bad for sales. Because the mainstream media has been pretty silent on the health effects, it took a few years of a concerted consumer education to start the dominoes falling. If the hazards of rbGH had made headline news, the tipping point would have been swift.
The experience of GMOs in Europe shows us just how swift markets can move. In late January of 1999, biotech representatives predicted that 95% of all commercial seeds would be genetically engineered by 2004. But just a few weeks later, their plans to replace nature crashed. On February 16th, the gag order imposed on a scientist who had conducted GMO safety studies was lifted by order of the UK Parliament. When Dr. Arpad Pusztai, the top scientist in his field, discovered the extensive damage that a GMO diet can cause, he was fired after 35 years and silenced with threats of legal action. When he finally was able to speak, all hell broke loose.
Within the week, the European press reeled off 159 column feet of articles. Within the month, 750 articles on GMOs were circulating. According to one editor, the coverage divided society into two warring blocks. Within just 10 weeks, the tipping point of consumer rejection was achieved. GM ingredients had become a marketing liability. At the end of April, Unilever publicly committed to remove GMOs from its European brands. Within the week, so did nearly every other major food company.
These same companies continue to use GM ingredients in the US, where the Pusztai controversy was not reported. Here, only one in four people are even aware that they’ve ever eaten a genetically engineered food in their lives.
Engineering a US Tipping Point
The Campaign for Healthier Eating in America is designed to achieve a tipping point of consumer rejection of GMOs in the US. Several indicators suggest that it’s not far off. A December 2009 issue of Supermarket News, for example, predicted “The coming year promises to bring about a greater, more pervasive awareness” of the genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food supply.” This trade publication, which is used by food executives as a source of industry news and trends, attributed this coming uprising in part to the Campaign’s new Non-GMO Shopping Guide.
The article describes how food “culprits” such as fat, carbs, salt, and added sugar can “define the decade” for the food industry; companies scramble to create new low-culprit or culprit-free options. When the specter of GMO health dangers surfaces onto consumers’ radar screen, however, there will be a significant difference. Whereas traditional ingredient culprits offer some consumer appeal like better taste or texture, GM foods do not. Furthermore, companies can usually eliminate GMOs without even changing recipes. They can simply substitute the non-GMO soy or non-GM corn, without reformulating.
Therefore, when the industry gets hit with the anti-GMO tipping point, they won’t create separate brand options of low GMO or GMO-free. Instead, they will eliminate all GMOs from their brands and proudly proclaim that here as they do in Europe.
The number of shoppers rejecting GMOs need only be a tiny amount, perhaps 5% of Americans, in order to convince food companies to do a brand-wide GMO cleanout. But when you look at the numbers, no matter how you slice it, they add up to a coming non-GMO tidal wave.
More than 9% of Americans regularly buy organic. About 29% are strongly opposed to GM foods and believe they are unsafe. And 53% say they would avoid GMOs if labeled. While most people do not conscientiously avoid brands with GM ingredients, it’s usually because they don’t know how. Hence the importance of the Non-GMO Shopping Guide.
Time to take charge
There are so many people predisposed to reject GMOs, we can achieve a tipping point without ever having to convince those who are resistant. Just by educating the people who want to know why GMOs are unsafe and how to avoid them, we can kick GMOs out of the food supply.
The Campaign offers educational tools that are easy to use and to pass onto others. There are right-brain books, left-brain books, videos for the visual learner, brochures, articles, podcasts, CDs, PowerPoints, and of course, shopping guides.
The Campaign also provides strategies and support materials designed specifically for the most receptive targeted groups: Health- and environmentally-conscious shoppers, parents, healthcare professionals, chefs and food service professionals, and even religious groups.
If you would like to lend a hand and help protect the health of those you care about, visit healthiereating.org and look at the action items and tools available. Little did you know that a bowl of chips would turn you into an activist…
To learn more about the health dangers of GMOs, and what you can do to help end the genetic engineering of our food supply, visit www.ResponsibleTechnology.org.
To help choose healthier non-GMO brands, visit www.NonGMOShoppingGuide.com.
© copyright Institute For Responsible Technology 2011.
Author Jeffrey M. Smith
International bestselling author and filmmaker Jeffrey Smith is the leading spokesperson on the health dangers of genetically modified (GM) foods. His first book, Seeds of Deception, is the world’s bestselling and #1 rated book on the topic. His second, Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, provides overwhelming evidence that GMOs are unsafe and should never have been introduced. Mr. Smith is the executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, whose Campaign for Healthier Eating in America is designed to create the tipping point of consumer rejection of GMOs, forcing them out of our food supply.
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
(©photo courtesy of Organic Prairie)
Our friends at Organic Prairie sent us this hearty chili recipe. They sent it as a terrific choice for Super Bowl Sunday, but there’s no need to wait. It will deliciously ward off the chill of winter on any day of the week.
Organic Prairie meats are produced by an independent cooperative of organic family farms. They are pioneers of the organic meat industry, who began producing delicious meats--without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, or pesticides--back in 1996. The cooperative insisted on third-party organic meat certification long before federal organic standards were established. They were the first to ban animal by-products from their cattle's diet and instrumental in forging the strictest organic standards.
The recipe calls for grass-fed beef, the choice of a conscious eater, and a tasty one at that. Grass-fed beef tends to be leaner than conventionally raised beef, so when grilling or roasting care needs to be taken not to overcook it and leave it too dry. For the ground beef in this chili recipe, drying out isn't a worry because you're simmering it with so many moist ingredients - including olive oil and bacon!
Grass-Fed Beef & Black Bean Chili with Avocado & Chipotle Sour Cream
Ingredients for 4 to 6 Servings
Chili
• ¼ Cup olive oil
• ¼ Pound Organic Prairie bacon, finely chopped or ground (to grind, cut into chunks, freeze until firm, then pulse in a food processor)
• 2 Pounds Organic Prairie grass-fed ground beef
• 1½ Tablespoons kosher salt or 1 tablespoon table salt, more to taste
• 2 Cups chopped onion
• 6 Cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons mild chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika (optional)
• 1½ Tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 Teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 (28-ounce) Cans crushed organic tomatoes (not tomato puree)
• 2 4-ounce Cans mild roasted green chiles
• 2 (15-ounce) Cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ Cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 Cup low-sodium beef or chicken broth
• 2 Tablespoons molasses (optional)
• Hot sauce, to taste
Toppings
• 1 Ripe avocado, diced and tossed with a little lime juice and salt
• ½ Cup sour cream mixed with 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chiles (freeze the leftovers)
Preparation
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until most of the fat is rendered and the bacon pieces are golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour off all but around 2 tablespoons of the fat.
2. Add the beef to the pan, sprinkle on about 2 teaspoons of the salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes, but don't let the meat get brown and crusty. Scrape the meat from the pan into a bowl; set aside.
3. Add the rest of the oil to the pan, add the onion and 1 more teaspoon salt. Turn down the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika (if using), cumin, and coriander and cook another minute, stirring and scraping so the spices fry slightly in the oil.
4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, green chiles, black beans, chopped cilantro, beef broth, molasses and remaining teaspoon salt, plus as many shakes of hot sauce as you like. Turn the heat to low, and cook, uncovered, until thickened and rich tasting, 45 minutes to an hour. Add back the bacon and beef and simmer another 15 minutes. Taste and add more salt or hot sauce as needed.
5. Serve the chili in bowls with some avocado piled on top and a generous drizzle of the chipotle cream.
To learn more about the cooperative, go to: Organic Valley Family of Farms
To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site just scroll down after you go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Drink Hormone-Free Milk! (© Hallgerd | Dreamstime.com)
Favorable court rulings may have left the impression that organic farms were safe from contamination by genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa, but that is not the case.
In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) needed to conduct a review of the potential environmental impact of GE alfalfa, but according to our friend Katy Kiefer at Food & Water Watch, "USDA has rushed through this process because big agribusiness wants to be allowed to plant GE alfalfa this spring."
Katy says, "GE alfalfa is likely to contaminate other crops, including organic alfalfa. Organic dairies need organic alfalfa as feed for their cows, and organic standards don't allow the use of GE crops. Contamination of organic crops from GE crops can destroy markets for organic farmers."
Millions of American families have made it crystal clear through their shopping choices that they want organic milk for their children. A message needs to be sent to President Obama that our children's health is more important than increasing the profits of Monsanto, a multi-billion dollar corporation.
To make your voice heard on this vital issue, go to: Ask President Obama to Protect Organic and Stop Monsanto's GE Alfalfa!
Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. They challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and by transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink.
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Grazing with Mom (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
“Burrowing out of the recession, hungry consumers will be exploring more exotic territory in the quest for unique flavors and nourishing foods in 2011.” So writes the Center for Culinary Development (CCD), which will be profiling food and beverage trends it expects to be buzz-generating in its 2011 issues of the bi-monthly Culinary Trend Mapping Report.
CCD employs a signature 5-stage Trend Mapping® technique -- where Stage 1 trends are emerging from independent restaurants and Stage 5's have landed in the mainstream. We couldn’t help but notice that among the spotted trends, Grass-fed Dairy was designated Stage 3, indicating to us that huge numbers of consumers are well ahead of government regulators on the health and flavor benefits of products made from raw milk, free of artificial hormones and containing higher levels of healthful fatty acids.
According to CCD, “…products made from grass-fed dairy appeal to both health-focused consumers and those seeking more natural, traditional and authentic foodstuffs.” That observation is certainly in line with the enthusiastic response we have seen to America’s artisanal cheeses crafted from raw milk produced by grass-fed cows.
Thistle Hill's John & Janine Putnam (©photo courtesy of Thistle Hill Farm)
A previous post on American Feast's Sustainable Food Blog explained further about what is at stake:
Family-scale dairy farms feeding free-roaming cows on healthy grass face tough competition from concentrated animal feeding operations. The densely penned cows at CAFOs are sickened from being fed the abundance of corn grown with massive government subsidies, posing a very real threat to human health. Cow droppings make good fertilizer on small farms, but at CAFOs the immense amount of waste is a toxic threat to the health of people and the environment.
Of course, people around the globe have been safely consuming raw milk and cheeses for thousands of years.
Pleasant Ridge Reserve Cheese
To view a selection of fine American cheeses go to: Artisanal & Crafted Cheeses
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To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Liberation Libation (©photos courtesy of Vermont Spirits Vodkas)
“Freedom and Unity” is the Vermont state motto. The state's Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen and his brother Ira certainly did their part in the American struggle for independence. The Allen’s guerilla force marched with General Benedict Arnold and captured the important military posts at Fort Ticonderoga, Crown Point, Fort Ann and the town of St. John (Now St. Jean), Quebec.
The Liberation Libation recipe calls for Vermont Gold Vodka, a pure, delicate, unflavored vodka, handmade in small batches from the sugar of maple sap, the very essence of Vermont. Each spring in New England, freezing nights and warm sunny days allow the mature maple trees to pump out the sugar which has been converted from starch and stored during the dormant winter season.
Vermont Gold is triple-distilled and lightly filtered to allow the distinctive quality of the maple fermentation to come through. That quality combines a fragrant nose with smoothness in the mouth and a slight warmth that delights the true lover of vodka.
Liberation Libation
Ingredients for 1 Drink
• 2 Ounces Vermont Gold Vodka
• 1/2 Ounces maple syrup
• 1 1/2 Ounces non-alcoholic sparkling cider
• Cinnamon sugar
Preparation
1. Rim a martini glass with cinnamon sugar.
2. Pour ingredients over ice into a mixing glass.
3. Stir & strain into a sugar-rimmed martini glass.
Vermont Spirits hand-crafted vodkas are now available throughout New England and New York State. To find out where you can purchase a bottle or two, go to: Vermont Spirits Vodkas
To view all the cocktail recipes on the American Feast web site just scroll down after you go to: American Feast's Cocktail Collection
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To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Pistachios (©photo by xandart, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Determined to keep your New Year's resolution to eat healthy in 2011? We hope you do, but we know it's not going to be easy. We're told that only 71% of people who make New Year’s resolutions maintain them past two weeks. And coming off the holiday season when many of us indulged in an abundance of finger foods and delicious desserts certainly adds to the challenge.
To help, we are passing on some advice from Oz Garcia, PhD, a nutritionist with a stellar client list that includes Hilary Swank, Kim Cattrall, Heidi Klum, Naomi Campbell, Winona Ryder and Veronica Webb. He offers these easy-to-attain resolutions for 2011:
• Purchase a new healthy cookbook: Tired of whipping up the same old recipes week after week? Buy a new healthy cookbook and pick a different dish to try each week. You’ll be cooking up new favorites in no time.
• Keep fresh food in your refrigerator: Next time you go grocery shopping, keep a minimum of 75% of your purchases to the perimeters of the store - where you find all the fresh produce and proteins. You’ll be more likely to reach for these healthy staples every time you open your refrigerator and you won’t have that guilty conscious later!
• Find a work out buddy: Team up with a friend, co-worker or even a neighbor and set achievable, weekly goals. Whether it’s to walk three times a week or attend that new workout class you’ve had your eye on at the gym, make sure they’re tasks you can accomplish.
• Participate in The Green Nut Challenge: Consume 1.5 oz of pistachios every day and reap the health benefits. Results from recent studies suggest that U.S. adults who consume nuts, such as pistachios, versus those who do not may have lower body weight measures and obesity, a lower prevalence of health risks and better diets.
• Make your lunch the night before: Dismiss those vending machine cravings and turn to your brown paper bag. By packing your lunch the night before you’ll be less apt to turn to unhealthy items that will only leave you with regret later. Make sure to bring plenty of nutritious snacks that will curb afternoon snacking.
Best Wishes for a Healthy & Happy New Year!
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
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For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Mowing Oats & Sweet Clover (© Image courtesy of Roxbury Farm, CSA)
He brought 20 years of experience in organic farming to his government service and had played a key role in the development of the USDA's organic standards.
The free exchange of ideas is so vital to a healthy democracy, it was particularly disturbing to learn that Mark D. Keating was terminated as an Agricultural Marketing Specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program (NOP) for expressing personal opinions in communications with the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).
In an interview, Mr. Keating said the official reasons given for his termination were a "complete fabrication." He added, "I was the guy who knew too much."
Mr. Keating brought 20 years of experience in various aspects of organic farming to his government service. He was once an organic farmer himself and played a key role in the development of the USDA's organic standards and the establishment of the sustainable agriculture program at the University of Kentucky. "Abandoning traditional processes has brought new problems," he said.
Mr. Keating is convinced that it was the "political hierarchy" at the USDA rather than knowledgeable civil servants who were responsible for his termination. When asked whether powerful corporate interests had sought his dismissal, he said he had no evidence to support such a claim. He did say that giant agribusiness believes it has provided the "most abundant and cheapest food supply in the world" and the criticism leveled at it by sustainable farming advocates has led to "hurt feelings" in the industry.
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), a national alliance of local state and federal resource professionals, is urging the NOP to reverse its decision. PEER contends that Mr. Keating did not contradict official policy, but was aiding an advisory panel in formulating recommendations for official policy.
PEER argues that his termination:
• Violates Obama administration policies encouraging "free and open inquiry" by scientists and other technical specialists; and
• Is at odds with policies adopted by other agencies, such as the Department of Interior, promoting the "free exchange of ideas" while formulating policy.
Mr. Keating's job description called for "wide latitude to exercise independent judgment" to "influence, motivate, and persuade the very diverse constituent population of the NOP." Since he was hired just last April, Mr. Keating was still a probationary employee with limited rights to appeal his dismissal.
If, as Mr. Keating maintains, the official reasons given for his dismissal were fabricated, then why was he fired? He says the truth lies in the answer to, "Who in the political leadership would object to my work?"
Undue Corporate Influence at USDA?
Last September, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) published the results of a survey of USDA scientists and inspectors responsible for food safety. "Hundreds of scientists and inspectors responsible for food safety have personally experienced political interference in their work, and that's bad for public health," said Francesca Grifo, director of UCS's Scientific Integrity Program at the time. "Both the administration and Congress need to act."
More than 1,700 respondents took part in the survey, which was conducted for UCS by the Iowa State University Center for Survey Statistics. Most of the respondents had worked at their agency for more than ten years.
Disappointing Appointments at USDA
Back in 2008, Ronnie Cummins, executive director of Organic Consumers Association (OCA), told Democracy Now! about his opposition to the appointment of Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture:
"Vilsack has been an ardent promoter, not only of genetically engineered foods and crops, but also of the extremely controversial biopharmaceutical crops, which involves [inaudible] pharmaceutical drugs or industrial chemicals into food crops. Even, you know, quite a few people in the biotech industry are alarmed by these biopharmaceuticals, since you could get dangerous drugs throughout the food supply."
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote, "Unfortunately, Mr. Obama on Wednesday chose Tom Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa who has longstanding ties to agribusiness interests, as agriculture secretary - his weakest selection so far."
During the presidential campaign many sustainability advocates were encouraged by this statement from then candidate Obama, “"We'll tell ConAgra that it's not the Department of Agribusiness. It's the Department of Agriculture. We're going to put the people's interests ahead of the special interests."
To learn more about more about those with close ties to Big Agribusiness appointed to positions at the USDA, go to: Organic Consumers Association USDA Watch
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
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