In the Pan (photo by Beglib, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
The new guide considers the socio-economic impact of consuming seafood and warns against turning to imported fish post-Gulf spill.
The national consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch has just released its 2010 Smart Seafood Guide to direct consumers in making safer, more sustainable seafood decisions. This year, researchers analyzed over 100 types of seafood (60% more than in 2009) to create the only guide assessing not only the human health and environmental impacts of eating certain seafood, but also the socio-economic impacts on coastal and fishing communities.
In their 2010 guide, Food & Water Watch highlighted what they refer to as the "Dirty Dozen" -- species that fail to meet two or more of their criteria for safe and sustainable seafood. This year, the worst offender was imported coastal-farmed shrimp. According to the guide, the shrimp mostly come from countries where health, safety, labor and environmental standards are much weaker than in the U.S. This often means the shrimp were raised in crowded, dirty farms, and doused with assorted chemicals, antibiotics and pesticides, some of which are illegal to use in the U.S.
Gulf Oil Spill Raises Food Safety Concerns
"The guide comes at a critical time. We've been fielding countless questions from consumers on seafood safety after the Gulf oil spill," said Marianne Cufone, Food & Water Watch's Fish Program Director. "Unfortunately, because of the spill, many people are considering imported seafood as a safer alternative to domestic. Often, it's not.
The guide not only educates consumers on seafood selection, but also offers information on U.S. seafood production and regulation. For instance:
• Less than 2% of imported seafood is inspected.
• Over 70% of domestic shrimp and about 60% of domestic oysters came from the Gulf of Mexico prior to the spill.
• The average consumer eats around 16 pounds of seafood annually, about 4 pounds of which is shrimp.
Guiding Consumers Away from Unhealthy Choices
The guide steers consumers away from certain types of seafood like fish raised in factory farm conditions that pose threats to both the marine ecosystem and public health; unregulated imports; depleted fish (like bluefin tuna); and fish more likely to contain harmful contaminants like mercury and PCB (like swordfish).
The guide is offered as an online tool for consumers searching for seafood based on taste or U.S. region of origin. In addition, Food & Water Watch has developed a smaller, printed version for consumers to reference before making a purchase at markets or restaurants.
"It's really the most consumer friendly guide out there," Cufone said. "We're not telling you what to eat. We're providing you with important information so that you can make safer, more sustainable seafood choices based on your own personal tastes and priorities."
About Food & Water Watch
The nonprofit organization works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainable. So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink, it helps people take charge of where their food comes from, keep clean, affordable, public tap water flowing freely to our homes, protect the environmental quality of oceans, force government to do its job protecting citizens, and educate about the importance of keeping shared resources under public control.
To learn more about the nonprofit organization’s new guide to sustainable seafood, go to: Food & Water Watch
For more information on the Gulf spill's impact on the availability of certain seafood items listed on the 2010 Smart Seafood Guide, check the latest government updates at:
U.S. Food & Drug Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Historic New Hope Mill (photo courtesy of New Hope Mills)
New Hope Mills has produced quality products for more than 180 years; earning it the distinction of being one of America's oldest flour mills. It may be one of the oldest, but this water-powered mill is also one of the most environmentally sound.
Leaving Clear Skies & Clean Water Over the Centuries
The mill has been operating on water power since 1823, leaving clear skies and clean water by milling the old fashioned way. In fact, at New Hope Mills, the water is improved by its use; it is aerated as it passes over the waterwheel or through the turbine. The wheel does not put a drop of oil into the water because the wheel bearing is made of a rare wood, Liqnum Vitae, that has its own lubricant.
The mill was built by Judge Charles Kellogg; just two years before he was elected to the United States Congress. Local history has it that the community of New Hope was given its name from the top of its newly built mill. After the 40-foot, 5-sided ridge pole was put in place, a man climbed to the top and threw a gallon jug of whiskey over his shoulder declaring the town of Sodom to be renamed New Hope. Charles Kellogg owned the mill until 1851, when he sold it to Horace Rounds.
The mill originally contained three runs of stone capable of 200 bushels a day. In 1892, the mill began grinding with roller mills which are still there today. Just over 60 yeasr ago the mill was purchased by Howard Weed, Hubert Latta, & Leland Weed. To this day it remains in the capable hands of the Weed family.
The most visible feature indicating New Hope Mills’ water power is the picturesque waterwheel. Although the waterwheel is its most visible feature, the mill's real power comes from the water turbine underneath the mill. The turbine can run all year round providing there is sufficient water. The mill has an ideal location and facilities for water power near a mill pond with a 28-foot waterfall. With solid management by the Weed family this venerable operation remains competitive while operating much as it did in the 1800's.
No Chemical Additives or Artificial Ingredients
For the Weed family the quality of the product is paramount. Any product that is made at New Hope Mills is absolutely free from chemical additives & artificial ingredients. The family’s commitment to quality has made New Hope Mills Pancake Mixes the number one pancake flour in central New York.
Most old mills today are a novelty. If still standing, they are deteriorating fast. At New Hope Mills, the Weed family takes pride in preserving an important piece of our American Heritage. You’ve got to love how they preserve our Heritage by making delicious products that protect the health of our families, while using methods that protect our environment.
There is FREE SHIPPING on all premium pancake mixes from New Hope Mills. For further info on them, go to:
Buttermilk Pancake Mix
Old Fashioned Buckwheat Pancake Mix
Apple Cinnamon Pancake Mix
Blueberry Pancake Mix
Variety Pack of All 4 Natural Pancake Mixes
Would you like to purchase some syrup worthy of New Hope Mills Pancake Mixes? Try one of these from other food artisans:
100% Pure Organic Maple Syrup
Wild Blueberry Syrup from Maine
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Native American Offering Thanks to Nature for Manoomin (photo by Greg Peterson)
Indigenous foods are true gifts from nature, and terrific for giving to discriminating foodies, slow food cooking enthusiasts, socially-conscious loved ones, or anyone concerned about the health of the environment.
Sacred Manoomin
Authentic wild rice, known as Manoomin and "the food that grows on water" to Minnesota's Native American Ojibwe communities, is hand-harvested from pristine lakes on the White Earth Indian Reservation, as it has been for centuries, using traditional methods.
Unlike the genetically modified "wild rice" grown in paddies, truly wild rice delivers a deep, rich flavor cherished by chefs and devoted foodies. Chef Alice Waters served it at Chez Panisse for a special New Year's dinner. Manoomin is a central aspect of Ojibwe culture and tradition, a part of the proceeds benefit the White Earth Land Recovery Project, which works to protect the integrity of this important heirloom food.
Sustainably Harvested Seafood
If it is indigenous gourmet seafood you crave, the freshest Paddlefish Caviar from the waters of Tennessee and Wild Salmon Roe Caviar from Alaska are delicious choices.
Alaskan Smoked Wild Sockeye Salmon has exceptionally rich flavor, reddish color, and firm texture, prepared and smoked according to Alaskan tradition.
And it is nice to know that Alaska's State Constitution requires that all the seafood from Alaskan waters be sustainably harvested!
The American Eastern Black Walnut: The "Ultimate Nut"
Gathered in America’s heartland, the American Eastern Black Walnut is known to some as “the Ultimate Nut.” These walnuts are perfect for creating baked delights, and when added to salads or entrées, they turn everyday dishes into exciting signature creations with a rich, robust flavor.
"Pecan" is a Native American word from the Algonquin language, covering "all nuts requiring a stone to crack.” Creative bakers love the sweet tasting Native American Pecan because it is marvelous for any number of recipes. Both of the American wonder nuts come in a single package, the Bakers Bounty! Fancy Large Premium Black Walnuts & Native Pecan Halves.
Healthful Native Berries
The Wild Blueberry holds a special place in Maine's history, one that goes back centuries to Native Americans. They were the first to use the tiny blue berries, both fresh and dried, for their flavor, their nutrition and their healing qualities. Unlike the larger cultivated blueberries usually sold in supermarkets, Wild Blueberries are tiny and really are wild, having crept over Maine's rocky land naturally.
A Wild Blueberry Gift Basket is a wonderful way to send some love to someone special.
Cranberries were first used by Native Americans, who discovered the wild berry's versatility as a food, fabric dye, and healing agent. Later, American whalers and mariners carried cranberries on their voyages to prevent scurvy. All-natural Cranberry Sauce made from a Colonial recipe, Cranberry Apple Chutney, Cranberry Pepper Jelly spiced with medium hot chilies from the American Southwest, and several more delicious cranberry products, are all prepared in one of New England’s most creative kitchens.
Sweet Maple Syrup
The first people to make maple syrup were the Native Americans of the Northeast who called their delicious syrup, "sinzibukwud," which means, "sweet buds." The Native Americans used it as a flavoring for breads, stews, teas, and vegetables, including cranberries. We are all forever in their debt for teaching their skills to French and English settlers.
Pure Organic Maple Syrup is available in beautifully decorated bottles. The syrup is Grade A Light Amber, the lightest of the USDA’s classifications, with the mild and delicate flavor preferred by knowing maple syrup connoisseurs.
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Whale Breach (photo by Matthew Hull, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Two exemplary nonprofits, the Chefs Collaborative and the Blue Ocean Institute, believe “Chefs are the gatekeepers of the seafood industry.” That shared belief led them to join forces earlier this year and create Green Chefs, Blue Ocean to inspire the next generation of great chefs to make seafood sustainability an integral part of mainstream culinary practice.
Some 70% of the revenue generated by seafood sales in the United States occurs in restaurants and catering services, giving chefs a powerful influence over the purchase and consumption of the world’s seafood. To empower emerging talents to make wise choices Green Chefs, Blue Ocean offers an online course for chefs and culinary students to overcome the limitations of a traditional classroom and provide immediate access to cutting-edge information on seafood sustainability.
The seven lessons take about two hours to complete and are available free of charge during the first year. The course covers all facets of seafood sustainability including: fisheries and aquaculture, global supply and demand, and the challenges of purchasing and sourcing ocean-friendly seafood. Practical components include: determining the current “best” seafood choices; menu design; marketing sustainability; staff training; and consumer awareness.
To access the course and other resources, go to: Green Chefs, Blue Ocean
To learn more about the two organizations that created Green Chefs, Blue Ocean, go to:
Chefs Collaborative
Blue Ocean Institute
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Fresh Corn (photo by Kevin Connors, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Did you know that there are now 6,132 farmers markets in America? That represents a 16% increase over the number recorded in the National Farmers Market Directory in 2009.
The Contest Ends on August 31st
American Farmland Trust is celebrating National Farmers Market Week by unveiling the Top 20 Favorite Farmers Markets in all four categories. Anything can happen in the next four weeks before the contest ends at midnight on August 31st! Your local farmers market needs your continued support so that it can get the recognition it deserves.
Let's Keep the Movement Growing!
American Farmland Trust needs your help to promote the value of farmers markets in communities, and to make the connection between fresh local foods and the local farms and farmland that supply them. Farmers markets play a critical role in keeping farmers on the land and helping farms thrive. By providing farmers with a venue where they can provide their much sought after products, farmers markets are helping to save the land that sustains us.
Thank you for all that you do to support local farms and local farmers markets!
To learn more about the contest to select America’s Best Farmers Markets, go to: American Farmland Trust
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Can a meal be truly great without a dessert? "Maybe" was a reply that came up a few times during a small, informal poll. And then there was a welcome completion of the thought: "But why chance it?"
Our friend Robin sees no need to to take that chance and she has created a selection of gourmet chocolate sauces capable of satisfying dessert lovers everywhere. Place a jar of her creation in a microwave oven for just 30 seconds and a warm sauce du jour is ready for service over a favorite treat. Ice cream, cheesecake, fresh fruit, or homemade pound cake will all do nicely.
Robin’s Chocolate Sauce is handcrafted in northern Maine from a family recipe using only the finest, freshest ingredients. She combines pure organic cocoa, organic cane sugar and organic vanilla with local farm-fresh dairy ingredients to create a dessert topping that is simple and sophisticated, exotic and homemade. No artificial ingredients, just pure decadent goodness.
What began as a holiday gift for friends and family has gained quite a reputation among sweet tooths, cocoa connoisseurs and grandkids throughout Maine. Robin made her first batch of “Original Recipe” organic chocolate sauce in a 12-gallon steam kettle in 2004. Since then, she, her husband, and their two sons have built up the family business to produce six distinct varieties. Robin processes the sauce patiently in small batches to produce a luscious, creamy texture and flavor.
Great Dessert for a Great Cause
Awareness of global environmental issues is at the heart of the business. Robin became conscious of the not-so-sweet realities of the chocolate trade by researching where and how her ingredients are grown and produced, and by whom. She is committed to using organic, shade grown and local or Fair Trade Certified™ ingredients whenever possible. These standards are crucial to maintaining a sustainable environment, protecting migratory birds and creating healthy communities—and your children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren will notice the sweet difference.
Robin Herself
Robin’s Chocolate Sauce is more than a delicious dessert topping. It’s a resource for the education, awareness and advocacy of the issues concerning communities and the environment both locally and globally. Every delicious spoonful of sauce is helping make a difference.
With every purchase of Robin’s Chocolate Sauce, you’re supporting the mission of the National Wildlife Federation to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future. What could be better than getting some delicious treats and supporting a great cause!
If you'd like to order some of Robin's sublime chocolate sauces go to any of the following:
Robin's Fair Trade™ Variety Pack
Robin's Original Chocolate Sauce
Tropical Dark Chocolate Sauce
Blueberry Chocolate Sauce
Ginger Pear Chocolate Sauce
Orange Spice Chocolate Sauce
Raspberry Chocolate Sauce
Robin's Original Chocolate Sauces
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Pumpkin Patch (photo by Kevin Connors, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Small family farms made up 88% of U.S. farms in 2007, but “Medium-sales, large, and very large farms were more likely to receive Government payments, especially commodity-related payments, than smaller farms,” according to a new report from the USDA’s Economic Research Service.
A small family farm is defined as one with annual sales of less than $250,000. They held 63% of the land owned by farms in 2007, and small-farm households typically do not rely on their farms for their livelihoods. Most of their off-farm income is from jobs or self-employment.
The report says, “As custodians of the bulk of farmland, small farms have a large role in natural resource and environmental policy.” But, commodity-related payments are much larger than conservation payments, accounting for 75% of all Government payments made to farmers. Commodity programs target specific commodities, largely feed and food grains, cotton, and oilseeds. According to the report, “Medium-sales, large, and very large farms were more likely to receive Government payments, especially commodity-related payments, than smaller farms.”
Commodity payments are determined by output and though large-scale farms account for on1y 2% of U.S farms, they account for 84% of the value of production. The report notes three significant features of U.S. farms:
First, small family farms make up 88 percent of all U.S. farms. Second, large-scale family farms—only 9 percent of all farms—account for a disproportionately large, 66-percent share of the value of production. Third, farming is still an industry of family businesses. Ninety-eight percent of farms are family farms, and they account for 82 percent of production. Only 2 percent of U.S farms are nonfamily farms, accounting for the remaining 18 percent of production.
To view the full report from the USDA cited above, go to: Structure and Finances of U.S. Farms, Family Farm Report, 2010 Edition
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Founder Marina Marchese and the rest of the folks at Red Bee are passionate about the culinary delights of honey. Their philosophy is that every bottle of their artisanal honey is a gourmet food and can be tasted and evaluated much like wine, each one having a unique flavor profile determined by the kind of flowers visited by the bees.
The essence of a honey is dictated by the terroir, the unique combination of geographic location, climate, soil and temperature that gives each honey its complex composition and individual personality. As in winemaking, terroir dramatically affects the flavor profiles of the honeys produced.
There is just no comparison between the homogenous, processed honey common to supermarket shelves and honey crafted by a true artisan. Here is an excerpt from Marina's terrific book, Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper, on her journey to becoming one of the country's finest food artisans:
It can be said that honey is only as good as the beekeepers that harvest it. Artisanal honeys are those produced by individuals using traditional methods and thus preserving the integrity of their products. With artisanal honey, quality and character are highlighted, rather than quantity and consistency. Beekeepers have to make many decisions regarding the management of their honeybees during a single season. Timing is everything, so colonies have to be at their peak strength and available to forage the fields at the exact time of the nectar flow. Beekeepers must select appropriate field locations for their honeybees and know when the nectar flow begins, when to add and remove honey shallows, and the best procedure to use to extract the honey.
(Excerpted with permission from Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper by C. Marina Marchese, published by Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2009.)
Red Bee Farm
Marina's Red Bee is a boutique honeybee farm located in the historical Bradley Tool section of Weston, Connecticut. The company’s charming red cottages were once the home of ballerina Gelsey Kirkland, who partnered Mikhail Baryshnikov. Working there they are inspired to create the purest artisanal honeys and sustainable products. Using old world techniques, their products are handmade in small batches using only plant-based ingredients to insure the finest quality. They never use pesticides, alcohol, paraffin waxes, petroleum or preservatives.
Red Bee's organic gardens produce culinary and medicinal herbs, vegetables and flowers for cutting. They make their organic, free range chicken eggs available locally. Red Bee Honeybee products have been a spectacular success at the New Canaan Farmers Market each summer for the last 7 years.
Red Bee Founder Marina Marchese (photo: jeffbeckerphoto.com)
Marina Marchese is a second generation Italian sharing her love of crafting artisanal products. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts, Marina traveled to Europe and Asia as an illustrator and product designer. Her unique sense of style and love of color was defined in designs that have graced the cover of WWD and greeting cards sold worldwide by UNICEF including children's products, books and magazines.
Her own Red Bee® cards were recognized by The National Honey Board after appearing in Victoria Magazine and on the cover of American Bee Journal. Marina’s love of honeybees and painting has led her to the ancient technique of painting with beeswax, made popular by the Etruscans. (The portrait at the top of this item is one of her paintings in beeswax.)
(Photo Reprinted with permission from Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers.)
Her first book, Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper, is a good read on the wonders of honey and it's healing properties To learn more about it go to: Honeybee: From Hive to Home, Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper
If you’d like to sample some of Marina’s superb artisanal honeys or send some as a very special gift, click on any of the following:
Wildflower Liquid Honey
Wildflower & Comb Honey Gift Box
Chunk Honey
Clover & Creamed Honey Gift Box
Comb Honey
Creamed Honey
Spring Clover Liquid Honey
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Shrimp & Clams (photo by joeb, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
In the film “Food Inc.” Gary Hirshberg, chief executive officer of Stonyfield Farm, asserts that large companies will respond to consumer pressure and offer sustainable foods when customers demand them. The filmed showed how Walmart began carrying Stonyfield Organic Yogurt, making Stonyfield the No. 3 brand in the United States.
Now Delhaize America has announced its 1,600 stores will operate under a new sustainable seafood sourcing program. The company is a major player in the supermarket industry. Its stores include Hannaford, Sweetbay, Bottom Dollar Food, Food Lion, Bloom, Harveys and Reid's. The supermarkets will move to selling seafood managed to sustain the availability of seafood for current and future generations.
Encouraging Local Sourcing
The supermarkets' new seafood policy requires suppliers to verify that seafood is coming from sources managed for sustainability and encourages sourcing locally. The requirement applies to all seafood in the stores, including fresh, frozen and packaged fish and shellfish. All suppliers are required to be compliant with the program by March 31, 2011.
"We want our shoppers to have confidence that seafood they buy from us is from fisheries that are viable and maintained for the future," said George Parmenter, a Corporate Responsibility manager for Delhaize America. "The health of fisheries is important to us as a retailer, both for the long-term product supply and for reducing the environmental impacts of products we sell. Our company is committed to operating responsibly."
Sustainable Certifications
The new sustainable seafood sourcing program was developed in close partnership with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), a non-profit marine science center. The comprehensive sustainable seafood policy requires all suppliers demonstrate that their seafood products come from well-managed fisheries. The fisheries, which could also be certified under a variety of sustainable certifications (such as the Marine Stewardship Council), must demonstrate a detailed management plan which includes the following components:
• Establishing plans to rebuild stock sizes within a specific timeframe if stock size levels are below target levels.
• Providing sufficient data to determine appropriate harvest levels or practices.
• Implementing monitoring and compliance measures to ensure harvest levels are maintained within acceptable limits.
• Maintaining enforcement policies to ensure harvesters follow regulations, and to prevent illegal practices and unreported harvest.
Farm-Raised Seafood
In the case of farm-raised seafood, suppliers must be certified by the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), a program of the Global Aquaculture Alliance. BAP certification ensures that the production of the product does not negatively impact communities, workers, the environment, or human health through inappropriate use of chemicals or drugs.
Sustainability Requires Traceability
Another core component of the policy is the requirement that all seafood be fully traceable to the port of landing or farm. As a result, all Delhaize America supermarkets will have immediate access to information about where the product was harvested, thus enabling the company to confirm claims around sustainable harvest.
The company has also built rewards into the system for seafood businesses that adopt sustainable harvesting practices, such as strategies to minimize accidental catch of fish not intended for market or to prevent damage to marine habitats. All seafood products sold in Delhaize America's 1,600 stores must demonstrate compliance with the policy or show a clear action plan to reach compliance by March 31, 2011.
"The new policy encourages ongoing improvement in sustainability practices and promotes local fisheries," added Parmenter. "Our customers prefer local seafood, and we believe buying local provides fresh food, supports our local economies, and reduces environmental impacts from transporting seafood from longer distances. Through this work, we will ensure that the local seafood we've always sourced for customers will be healthy for the local environment and around for future generations to enjoy."
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Water on Fire (© 2010 International WOW Company)
The ordinary tap water available to 12 million residents in the New York Metropolitan area has been reliably clean and flavorful since 1842, when an aqueduct was built to bring pristine water from upstate to the city. For years the prideful city's water has been a consistent winner in blind taste tests. Easy to take for granted, it comes as a shock to learn it is now endangered by natural gas drilling.
For a couple of years there have been media reports from Pennsylvania to Texas of drinking water so tainted that folks are able to light the water from their kitchen tap on fire. There have been more than 300 instances of contaminated water in Colorado since 2003, and more than 700 instances in New Mexico, according to Bruce Baizel, senior staff attorney with Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project. In West Virginia a once lushly forested area has been transformed into a dead zone.
Fracking in Gasland
Josh Fox made the Sundance award-winning documentary “Gasland” after he was asked to lease his land for gas drilling. That led him to embark on a cross-country odyssey. As the website for the show “Now” on PBS explains, his journey led to a film that “alleges chronic illness, animal-killing toxic waste, disastrous explosions, and regulatory missteps.” It will be broadcast on HBO through 2012. The DVD goes on sale in December of 2010.
“Gasland” shows tap water being set ablaze and explores the drilling process known as fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, a technology developed by Halliburton. Millions of gallons water, chemicals and sand are injected into the ground under high pressure, cracking shale and tight rocks to allow gas to flow more freely from the well. It is a toxic mixture and believed to be the prime culprit in the pollution of groundwater in areas surrounding drilling sites. Even drinking water hundreds of miles from a well can be contaminated.
Hundreds of Thousands of New Wells Coming
It is hard to believe that risking the health of millions in order to extract natural gas would even be considered, but the N.Y.S. Department of Environmental Conservation is close to issuing a final Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement on gas drilling using hydraulic fracturing near a major watershed in upstate New York. The SGEIS is expected to facilitate the process for fracking near a vital watershed. Concerned citizens are asking for a delay until DEC can study and integrate the conclusions of a full report on gas drilling from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Residents of New York are not alone in facing a future threat to the safety of their drinking water. According to an article published by ProPublica in December of 2009:
In the next 10 years, the United States will use the fracturing technology to drill hundreds of thousands of new wells astride cities, rivers and watersheds. Cash-strapped state governments are pining for the revenue and the much-needed jobs that drilling is expected to bring to poor, rural areas.
Keep Drinking Water Safe
Incredibly, a loophole exempts natural gas drilling from the Safe Drinking Water Act. Drilling companies don’t even have to disclose the almost 600 chemicals that might be used in fracking and find their way into drinking water. Fortunately, our friends at Food & Water Watch have provided a way for concerned citizens to make their voices heard by contacting elected representatives. Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. The organization challenges abuse of food and water resources by empowering people to take action.
To send a message to your elected representative to protect drinking water, go to: Food & Water Watch: Take Action
To see a trailer for the documentary film cited above, go to: Gasland the Movie
To view the ProPublica article cited above, go to: Natural Gas Drilling: What We Don’t Know
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D & E Farms in Franklinville, N.J. (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
The preservation of family-scale farms across the land is vital to achieving a healthier and more sustainable food sytem. Our friend Greg Plotkin of Change.org sent us the following message:
Every minute of every day, the country loses two acres of farmland to development. To make matters worse, the average age of a U.S. farmer is now 57 years old, signaling an even greater challenge than a lack of land to farm-namely, a lack of people to farm it. Ideas for Change winner American Farmland Trust (AFT) aims to keep food on our plates by securing the future of American farms. AFT is petitioning legislators to include farmland and ranch conservation in national and state farm policies.
Farmers Markets are Growing in Popularity
In 2009, the number of farmers markets in the U.S. increased by 13% from the prior year, a great illustration of just how many communities and consumers across the country are eagerly reaching out for fresh food and supporting their local farms. Farmers and consumers connected at 5,274 farmers markets this year, up from 4,685 in 2008.
Nearly a third of U.S. shoppers say they have specifically purchased locally produced food over the last month, double the number in 2006, according to food and grocery analysts IGD. Many do so to obtain the freshest produce, but a desire to support local jobs, farms and stores has also played an important role.
As Julia Child once said, “You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.”
To learn more about the efforts of AFT and how you can support their efforts, go to: American Farmland Trust
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Chesapeake Bay (photo by Michelle Kwajafa, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
The devastation of the Gulf’s seafood industry by the BP oil spill is a disaster that will be felt for years to come. Livelihoods that have supported families for generations have been destroyed and seafood lovers will not be enjoying the Gulf’s bounty of shrimp, oysters and crab as they have in the past.
The Chesapeake Bay is another of America’s great sources of seafood in need of protection if the harvesting of shellfish including scallops, clams, blue crab, soft-shell crab and oysters, and fresh fish such as flounder, mackerel, croaker, and striped bass is to be preserved for future generations. It is the nation’s largest estuary and one of the most popular travel destinations in the U.S.
Major New Online Campaign
Now the great bay is the focus of a major new online campaign, “Restoring our Waters”, that aims to ensure Congressional support comparable to that already in place for other major American bodies of water.
The new Web-based campaign targeting transplanted natives, outdoors enthusiasts, vacationers, travelers and others around the United States is being launched in advance of the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee markup this month of S. 1816, the Chesapeake Clean Water Act.
“Restoring our Waters tells the story of how people around the country consider the Chesapeake a national treasure, worthy of protection,” Hilary Falk, director of the Choose Clean Water Coalition (CCWC), which is organizing the national effort.
Those who love the Chesapeake Bay know it deserves the national attention and iconic status of the Florida Everglades, the Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes, or the Mighty Mississippi. Having Americans who care about clean water and the great outdoors sign this petition and contact their legislators will demonstrate how important the Chesapeake is to our nation.
Peter Johnson, manager of the Restoring Our Waters campaign added:
Thousands of gallons of oil a day are spilling into the Gulf of Mexico. We are all astonished by this thought and the fact that we are largely helpless to stop it. But nutrients have been pouring into the Chesapeake, its rivers and streams for decades now. Its effects are more subtle than the startling images of oil-soaked birds and wildlife; yet nitrogen and other pollutants strangle the very life-blood out of the Chesapeake and the economy of the region. The federal government is finally starting to realize the devastating impact that decades of neglect and misuse have had on the waters of the Chesapeake.
Prevention as the Wise Choice
Johnson said, “Unlike a disaster situation, preventing more of this pollution from happening in the first place is a far better and more cost-effective solution. The Chesapeake Clean Water Act (S.1816) introduced by Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland will provide the tools and resources to address the persistent pollution plaguing the Chesapeake Bay.”
“What happens with this bill will show the concern Americans have for clean water in iconic places like the Chesapeake or the Gulf Coast. Passage of this bill depends of the support of citizens across the country, and now is finally the time to demand clean water.”
About Choose Clean Water & Restoring Our Waters
The Choose Clean Water coalition brings together people and more than 130 organizations from Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, working together to help everyone in the region choose clean water.
To learn more about the nonprofit organization go to: Choose Clean Water
The Restoring Our Waters campaign was launched in June 2010 to build the national case for support of the Chesapeake Bay as an Iconic American Waterway.
To learn more about the nonprofit organization go to: Restoring Our Waters
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Pelicans on the Florida Gulf (photo by Michael Richter, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
The oil disaster in the Gulf is now widely acknowledged to be the worst environmental disaster in the history of the United States. The seafood and tourism industries in several states now face devastation, costing many thousands of people their livelihoods. Billions of dollars in revenue that might have supported schools, hospitals and other vital services are now lost.
Media reports make it pretty clear that this should never have happened. Steps to insure safety were not taken by either BP or government officials responsible for oversight. As a result, eleven BP employees lost their lives and a criminal probe is underway. More people are expected to suffer poor health as a direct result of the spill and clean up efforts.
The United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne recently announced that the U.K. will double the number of inspections it makes to offshore oil rigs, while also increasing the number of personnel assigned to those duties.
BP’s Troubling Criminal Past
A nonprofit environmental organization, Food & Water Watch, has called on the British government to immediately investigate the five deepwater platforms operated by BP in the North Sea and the North Atlantic. According to a statement from F & W’s Executive Director Wenonah Hauter:
Even before the Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico, BP maintained a troubled safety record in the United States. In addition to 2005’s Texas City refinery explosion that killed 15 workers and injured more than 170, BP has been subject to at least $142.8 million in fines and penalties for workplace safety violations.
BP has a history of criminality, having pleaded guilty to a felony in 1999. The charges stemmed from having illegally disposed of hazardous waste and violated federal drinking water law in Alaska. As part of the plea agreement, BP admitted that it failed to provide adequate oversight, audits and funding to ensure proper environmental management on Alaska’s Endicott Island. The company paid the maximum criminal fine of $500,000. It also agreed to spend $22 million to resolve the criminal case and related civil claims.
Ms. Hauter also said, “The U.S. should take the U.K.’s move to step up its inspection of offshore oil rigs as a cue to intensify its own scrutiny of BP and the entire oil drilling industry’s operations in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond.”
The cost of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster is rising daily. Oil continues to wash ashore In Louisiana, where the seafood industry is said to be worth $2 billion a year. The toxic spill has also arrived on the beaches of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. A report in Reuters values Florida’s tourism industry alone at $60 billion annually.
About Food & Water Watch
The nonprofit organization works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainable. So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink, it helps people take charge of where their food comes from, keep clean, affordable, public tap water flowing freely to our homes, protect the environmental quality of oceans, force government to do its job protecting citizens, and educate about the importance of keeping shared resources under public control.
To learn more about the nonprofit organization, go to: Food & Water Watch
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Drink GM-Free Milk! (© Hallgerd | Dreamstime.com)
Our friends at Organic Valley Family of Farms have sent a timely reminder that genetically engineered or modified (GM) alfalfa has the capacity to destroy organic milk dairies. Cows producing organic milk are largely fed on alfalfa, and by law they cannot be fed GM crops.
If GM alfalfa makes its way into organic fields, those fields will be lost as a source of feed to organic dairy farmers. Just a wind blowing in the right direction would be enough to bring about the destructive contamination. So Organic Valley is asking folks to sign on to a letter asking the USDA to "Maintain the Ban" on genetically engineered alfalfa (see below).
Keep Children's Milk Free of Hormoes & Antibiotics
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. Families should not have to see the health of their children suffer so that a few large corporations can enjoy ever greater profits.
We are all indebted to the small farmers who took the risk of undertaking organic farming in order to produce healthier food, leave clear skies, clean water, and rich soil. According to a report from the USDA organic dairies are smaller than conventional dairies and 63% of their dairy feed is from pasture during grazing months.
A final word from Organic Valley Family of Farms, “Thanks for all your support for family farmers and a sustainable organic future for all!”
To take action to “Maintain the Ban” on GM alfalfa, go to: The Center for Food Safety
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Recreational Fishing (photo by Digger Danno, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Twenty years after the Exxon Valdez disaster in the once pristine waters of Alaska’s Prince William Sound oil still plagues hundreds of miles of shoreline. In some places the oil "is nearly as toxic as it was the first few weeks after the spill,” according to the council created to administer the $900 million that Exxon paid to settle lawsuits.
This week U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke determined there has been a fishery disaster in the Gulf of Mexico due to the economic impact on commercial and recreational fisheries from the ongoing Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The affected area includes the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Gulf disaster is many times the size of the spill in Alaska.
Significant Economic Hardship
“We are taking this action today because of the potentially significant economic hardship this spill may cause fishermen and the businesses and communities that depend on those fisheries,” Locke said. “The disaster determination will help ensure that the Federal government is in a position to mobilize the full range of assistance that fishermen and fishing communities may need.”
The declaration was made in response to requests from Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour based on the loss of access to many commercial fisheries and the existing and anticipated environmental damage from this unprecedented event.
Nearly 20% of Federal Waters in the Gulf Now Closed
Since May 2, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has closed a portion of federal waters affected by the spill to commercial and recreational fishing. This closure area, which is based on the scientific trajectory of the spill, now includes nearly 20 percent of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico, largely between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi and the waters off Florida’s Pensacola Bay.
“We stand with America’s fishermen, their families and businesses in impacted coastal communities during this challenging time,” Locke said. “Commercial and recreational fishing provides vital jobs to the region and is essential to the Gulf Coast’s unique culture and heritage.”
Commercial fishermen in the Gulf harvested more than 1 billion pounds of fish and shellfish in 2008. In addition, there are approximately 5.7 million recreational fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico region who took 25 million fishing trips in 2008.
Administration Expects Responsible Parties Will Pay Full Cost
The administration has requested $15 million of supplemental funding as a backstop to address this disaster, as well as $5 million of economic development assistance through the Economic Development Administration. In addition, the administration is requesting unemployment coverage for this disaster, and the Small Business Administration is offering economic injury disaster loans, which can help fishermen and other affected businesses. However, the administration expects that BP and any other responsible parties will cover the full costs of economic damages to and restoration of these fisheries.
To view a previous post on the topic, go to: Fresh Gulf Seafood Gets Added to the Cost of Offshore Oil
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Raspberries! (photo by Marcin Modestowicz, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Last week we published a photo of a duck who keeps strawberries free of pests on an organic farm in the Catskills region of New York State. At Heidi's farm in Corrales, New Mexico a flock of native Rio Grande turkeys control the insect population amongst the hedge rows of raspberies. No need for poisonous pesticides!
It’s the combination of hard work and best practices on the part of Heidi and her brother Doug that make the incomparable organic jams of Heidi’s Raspberry Farm possible. It all starts with hand-picked, fresh fruit, and making their mouth-watering and nutrtious jams begins with a meticulous approach to sustainable methods on their farm in Corrales, New Mexico.
Corrales is a unique agricultural village farmed by families who have been living there for generations. Located on the Western bank of the Rio Grande, the land has been tilled since 500 A.D. Back then the ancestors of the present day Pueblo Indians reaped harvests in the fertile valley. Subsequent populations of Spanish, French and Italian families settled there to raise grapes, apples, livestock, and now, gloriously healthy raspberries!
Having grown up in this special place Heidi and Doug are dedicated stewards of the land and keepers of a healthy environment. They are truly “walking the walk” when it comes to best practices for preserving the sustainability of their farmland and the health of their community. Doug has converted the farm to a drip irrigation system that makes the most efficient use of precious water. He provides hives in the field for the honeybees that pollinate the delicate raspberry blossoms.
Heidi, Maker of the Best Raspberry Jam We've Ever Tasted!
They’ve been selling organic raspberry jam, fresh raspberries and cut flowers at the local farmers markets in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Corrales and Albuquerque for several years now. By personally selling their delicious fare Heidi and Doug have made a lot of wonderful friends. They’ve also built a loyal following of appreciative customers who keep coming back for more of their amazing jams!
If you'd like to order some of Heidi's incredible raspberry jams click on any of the following:
Organic Raspberry Jam
Organic Raspberry Ginger Jam
Organic Raspberry Red Chile Jam
Organic Raspberry Red Chile & Ginger Jam
New Mexico Organic Raspberry Jams Variety Mix
If you'd like to try a simple recipe using one of Heidi's great jams go to: Chicken Breasts with Raspberry Ginger Sauce
To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection
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Amish Farm (photo by Marianne Venegoni, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
May arrived with reports of “superweeds” that have developed a resistance to the herbicide Roundup, which is used extensively in monocultural agriculture where single crops predominate on large farming operations.
An alarming article in The New York Times says there are now "10 resistant [weed] species in at least 22 states infesting millions of acres, predominantly soybeans, cotton and corn."
Subsidized Failure
Soybeans, cotton and corn are heavily subsidized by the United States government. Those subsidies have helped them become some of the most widely grown crops in American agriculture. Those crops are now common ingredients in a tremendous number of products.
The plants were genetically modified (GM) to be resistant to Roundup, so the herbicide could be used to destroy weeds without harming crops. With the emergence of the “superweeds” farmers are likely to go back to conventional herbicides to kill the Roundup-resistant weeds threatening huge fields of GM crops.
A Predictable Disaster
Author and nutritionist Marion Nestle points out in a recent article for The Atlantic that the Union of Concerned Scientists predicted that the widespread planting of GM crops would produce selection pressures for Roundup-resistant weeds. The Union’s Jane Rissler and Margaret Mellon wrote that these would be difficult and expensive to control. They made that prediction in 1996.
Only the Most Recent Setback for GM Crops
This is just the latest in a string of failures for GM crops. In May of 2009, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine called on "Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks."
As for the claim that GM foods are needed to feed a hungry world, Doug Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist in the Union of Concerned Scientists Food and Environment Program has concluded "...that GE (genetic engineering) has done little to increase overall crop yields." And a major study conducted at the University of Kansas has found that the controversial technology actually reduces crop yields.
Require the Labeling of GM Foods
Many people are unaware that they are regularly consuming GM foods because they are not labeled as such. Giant agribusinesses do not want the labeling of GM foods because consumers don’t want to buy them. They are even opposed to the labeling of foods as GM-free. (GM foods are prohibited from being used in food that carries the USDA’s organic label.)
As Elise Pearlstein, producer of the Oscar nominated film Food Inc. has said, "It's outrageous that genetically modified foods don't need to be labeled...Whatever your position, you should have the right to make informed choices, and we don't."
To view an interactive graphic by The New York Times on the spread of “superweeds” across the U.S., go to: Where Weedkiller Won’t Work
To view The Atlantic article by Marion Nestle cited above, go to: Roundup Red Alert: U.S. Farms Grow Superweeds
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U.S. Government Poster from World War II (courtesy of Library of Congress)
Victory Gardens beautifully illustrate that truly great ideas never get old.
During World War II Americans lived with rations of such necessities as tires, gasoline, sugar, and other foodstuffs. The U.S. government encouraged ordinary people to create Victory Gardens; small plots of fruits and vegetables to stave off food shortages so more mass-produced food could be sent to feed the troops.
The people responded. Two million Americans created Victory Gardens in their backyards or communities. According to author Michael Pollan, "...during World War II, Victory Gardens supplied as much as 40% of the produce Americans ate."
Victory Gardens were more than a war time activity, they were a social phenomenon. Schools and families planted Victory Gardens together, often on communal land. Families caught up on news as they planted and harvested. Nutrition information was widely disseminated to help home cooks create balanced meals for their families. Our current obesity epidemic must have been unimaginable to those gardeners.
The Foundation’s 350 Garden Challenge
Our friends at the Victory Garden Foundation have issued a well-timed challenge for grassroots action, the 350 Garden Challenge. Here’s what they say about it:
On a single weekend, May 15-16, 350 landscapes will be transformed into bountiful Victory Gardens, which uses water wisely to grow food all while educating and empowering community and supporting local businesses. This can be as simple as planting a fruit tree or a tomato plant in a pot. But it is also an opportunity to create innovative gardens on front yards, apartment patios, school and church grounds, and business premises while being waterwise.
Impact Worth Rooting For
Victory Gardens bring down the cost of food for American families and make organic produce more widely available. They reduce America’s reliance on oil simply by keeping vegetable gardens and cutting down on the amount of food that has to be transported by truck. Victory Gardens also reduce the need for petroleum-based fertilizers on giant corporate farms. If you’re unhappy about where all the money Americans spend on oil and gasoline is going, then maybe it’s time for your Victory Garden to take root.
To learn more about the 350 Garden Challenge, go to: The Victory Garden Foundation
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Tap Water (photo by Jane M Sawyer, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce? Stephanie Soechtig’s award-winning feature film, Tapped is an unflinching examination of the billion dollar bottled water industry.
From the producers of Who Killed the Electric Car and I.O.U.U.S.A., this timely documentary is a behind the scenes look at the unregulated and unseen works of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back one resource that ought never become a commodity, our water. From the plastic production to the ocean where so many of these bottles end up, this inspiring documentary trails the path of the bottled water industry, and the communities that were unwitting chips on the table.
A powerful portrait of the lives affected by the bottled water industry, this revelatory film features those caught in the intersection of big business and the public’s right to water.
Producer Sarah Olson and director Stephanie Soechtig are driving across the country urging Americans to Get Off the Bottle! They will collect pledges for people to reduce their bottled water use and trade people their empty bottles of water for a free Klean Kanteen stainless steel bottle.
There will be a screening of the film on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22nd, at 7:00 PM at Sunshine Cinemas, 143 E. Houston Street in New York City,. Go at 6:00 pm to exchange your plastic water bottle for a free stainless steel bottle.
For more info and to view a trailer of the award-winning film, go to: Tapped
For a previous post on the topic, go to: Bottled Water Can Hurt You, Your Wallet & the Environment
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Fishing Boats at Sunset (photo by Michelle Kwajafa, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Recent news reports and a spreading of the word by social media sites have made many aware that after being fished in the Mediterranean for centuries, the Atlantic bluefin tuna population is at serious risk of collapse, but there are a number of other fish species once taken for granted that are also in trouble.
Popular choices, including swordfish, red snapper and Chilean sea bass, are in real danger of being lost to future generations. Atlantic cod was once a vital part of the Massachusetts economy and been heavily fished for the last 50 years. The nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund says, “U.S. and Canadian cod stocks remain extremely depleted, and European populations have declined as well.” The organization asks consumers to look for cod that has been caught by hook-and-line and avoid Atlantic cod caught with bottom trawls.
Worrisome Stats
The Seafood Watch program of the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium says the global catch of wild fish leveled off over 20 years ago and 70% of the world's fisheries are being harvested at capacity or are in decline. The National Marine Fisheries Service says 60 important fisheries in the U.S are overfished or undergoing overfishing.
Wild Salmon Harvests
There are reasons to be cautiously optimistic. Wild salmon populations in Southern Oregon and Northern California region have sharply declined in recent years. In April of 2009, commercial salmon fishing off the coast of California was banned for the second year in a row. The salmon industry received a miniature federal bailout in the amount of $170 million in emergency aid after the 2008 season was canceled.
The ban has been effective enough that salmon will be fished off the west coast of the U.S. in 2010. Concerned salmon lovers can also look for wild-caught salmon from Alaskan waters for a sustainable alternative. The Alaskan constitution actually requires that seafood be sustainably harvested.
Food Stores Step Up to the Plate
Greenpeace has rated supermarkets based on a number of factors: policy, initiatives, labeling, and sales of critically endangered seafood species in 2009. The top supermarket wasn't a pricey, boutique-style store. It was Wegman's, a regional supermarket in the mid-Atlantic that won top honors thanks to its sustainable seafood sourcing policy. Number two was Ahold USA, the company that owns the Stop & Shop and Giant supermarkets, known more for everyday staples than expensive delicacies.
Whole Foods has had a comprehensive policy for stocking sustainable fish seafood for some time and specialty food retailer Trader Joe's has just announced that it will shift all of its seafood purchases to sustainable sources by the end of 2012. The company is also in the process of enhancing package labeling for all seafood items to include information on species' Latin names, origin and catch or production method.
To download a pocket guide to help you choose local, ocean-friendly seafood wherever you live or travel, go to: Seafood Watch Pocket Guide
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Black Angus (©photo by Marianne Cleghorn Venegoni, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Slope Farms is one of very few providers of sustainably raised, grass-fed beef in New York State, but there’s reason to believe that such farms could dramatically grow in number.
“There are 3 milion acres of unused pasture land in New York State. That’s enough land to raise all the beef consumed in New York City,” said Ken Jaffe, the proprietor of Slope Farms in East Meredith, New York. He made his remarks as a panelist at “Meat and Potatoes: A local solution to a National Problem,” an event produced by the American Institute of Wine & Food on a recent night in Manhattan.
E. coli & Mad Cow Come from CAFOs
To make that happen will require a good deal of change. Current U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations are more favorable to the corn-fed beef raised on CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) that pose the dangers of E. coli contamination and Mad Cow Disease, the commonly used name for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy. Cows raised on CAFOs are administered antibiotics to counter the ill effects of their unnatural corn diet. They are fed corn made cheap and plentiful by heavy subsidies of taxpayer dollars. Cows in CAFOs are also given growth hormones to add to the weight of each animal, though panelist George Faison of DeBragga.com said the use of hormones diminishes the quality of the meat.
Family farmers like Ken Jaffe produce beef that are free of the diseases brought on by the unnatural corn diet and closely confined conditions, but still face a system of legal requirements developed in the face of the threat to human health posed by cattle raised in CAFOs. One such rule makes it difficult for a farmer like Jaffe to have his animals humanely slaughtered, a hurdle that needs to be overcome to make much of New York’s unused pastures financially viable for family farmers who want to raise grass-fed beef.
Healthier Families & a Healthier Environment
The benefits of greater grass-fed beef production would be prodigious. Raising beef on grass would eliminate much of the foodborne illness plaguing the nation’s food supply. The beef raised on grass contains nutrients such as CLAs and omega 3 fatty acids, which are not typically found in animals raised in CAFOs.
Besides the health benefits there would be enormous environmental benefits. The corn fed to cattle in CAFOs requires a great deal of fossil fuel to produce and poisonous pesticides are used in growing that corn. The tremendous amount of manure produced by the thousands upon thousands of tightly confined animals is another environmental hazard. In contrast, the manure from the cows on the Jaffe’s farm is a marvelous fertilizer for the grasses on which those cows feed.
Restaurants Making a Difference
Panelists Andrew Taylor, owner of Diner and Marlow & Sons, and Chef Sean Rembold are set on a future of serving their customers fine, grass-fed beef and using the entire animal. They take delivery of whole animals from Slope Farms then age their beef to an extraordinary degree to maximize a rich flavor. They are committed to training their chefs to make use of the entire animal, even using the fat to fry potatoes. Their staff members visit farmers to deepen the food knowledge that gets applied in their kitchens. After the panel discussion those in attendance were delighted by the taste of the tender braised brisket they prepared.
Is there a down side to the story? Yes, grass-fed beef is roughly twice the price of corn-fed beef from CAFOs. One answer is to eat less and eat better. And what price should we place on healthier families and a cleaner environment?
To learn more about AIWF, the sponsor of the event, and the events they will be presenting in the future, go to: The American Institute of Wine & Food
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Alaskan Seascape (photo by Karen Freedman, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
“Alaska is dedicated to preserving and protecting this superior seafood for future generations,” say our friends at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI). In fact, since 1959, the Alaska Constitution has mandated that “fish...be utilized, developed and maintained on the sustained yield principle.”
Sounds like there will be no end to enjoying wild-caught, sustainable and delicious seafood from Alaskan waters, and that means recipes gathered today will do well for many seasons to come. Alaska’s black cod season will be getting underway very soon, and the folks at ASMI say, “The extraordinary qualities of wild Alaska black cod are attributable to natural life cycle…swimming free in pure, icy Alaska waters eating only a native marine diet. Only nature can create this sublime complement of features and benefits in one fish.”
Our friends have provided us with a recipe that combines the unique qualities of wild Alaska black cod with leeks, a wonderful winter vegetable. It is a real seasonal delight and should be well within the capabilities of home cooking enthusiasts. If keeping a healthy heart is a concern, Alaska black cod is high in omega-3 fatty acids, making it a preferred source of protein.
Ingredients for 4 Servings
• 4 Seven-ounce, Alaska Black Cod Fillets
• 2 Ounces Butter
• 3 Leeks, medium, trimmed & thinly sliced
• 1 Small onion, thinly sliced
• 7 Ounces dry cider
• 2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh parsley chopped
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F Gas Mark 5
2. Heat the butter in a frying pan and sauté the leeks and onion for about 5 minutes over a medium heat, until softened but not browned. Add the cider and cook until the liquid has almost evaporated.
3. Drizzle a little olive oil into a roasting pan and tip in the leeks and onions. Arrange the fillets of black cod on top and season with a little salt and black pepper.
4. Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the fish is cooked. To make sure that it is done, check that the flesh looks opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork. Take care that you don't overcook it, or the flesh will become dry.
5. Serve the fish with the vegetables, garnished with chopped parsley and accompanied by some sautéed or new potatoes.
To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site just scroll down after you go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection
To order a world class, hand-picked olive oil from California's Stella Cadente, and our favorite, go to: L'Autunno Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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Dairy Cows in Vermont (photo by Tara, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Many large corporations are busily sending messages about their newly “green” behavior, but Ben & Jerry’s has been operating as a socially responsible company for decades. The company has just announced a commitment to go fully Fair Trade across its entire global flavor portfolio by 2013.
Ben & Jerry’s was the first ice cream company in the world to use Fair Trade Certified™ ingredients starting in 2005, and today it’s racing ahead as the first ice cream company to make such a significant commitment to Fair Trade across its global portfolio.
Company co-founder Jerry Greenfield said, ”Fair Trade is about making sure people get their fair share of the pie. The whole concept of Fair Trade goes to the heart of our values and sense of right and wrong. Nobody wants to buy something that was made by exploiting somebody else.”
Ben & Jerry’s Fair Trade commitment means that every ingredient that can be sourced Fair Trade Certified™, now or in the future, is Fair Trade Certified™. Globally, this involves converting up to 121 different chunks and swirls, working across eleven different ingredients such as cocoa, banana, vanilla and other flavorings, fruits and nuts. It also means working with Fair Trade cooperatives that total a combined membership of over 27,000 farmers.
Tackling Poverty through Trade
Rob Cameron, Chief Executive of Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) said, “Congratulations to Ben & Jerry’s on the scale and the depth of this commitment to take their whole range Fair Trade. Tackling poverty and sustainable agriculture through trade may not be easy but it is always worth it, and Ben & Jerry’s has demonstrated real leadership in laying out this long-term ambition to engage with smallholders, who grow nuts, bananas, vanilla, cocoa and other Fair Trade-certified ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s, like all of us in the Fair Trade movement, believe that people can have fun standing up to injustice and campaigning against poverty while enjoying some of Ben & Jerry’s best-selling favorites like Phish Food and Chocolate Fudge Brownie, how cool is that.”
Farmers selling Fair Trade products earn a better income, which allows them to stay on their land. Fair Trade premiums also allow for reinvestment in their farms, their families, their communities and their future. Fair Trade means that certified farmers are using environmentally sound practices to grow and harvest their crops in a sustainable way.
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A Native American says a prayer & hands out tobacco, offering thanks to Nature (photo by Greg Peterson)
Unlike the genetically modified "wild rice" grown in paddies, truly authentic wild rice delivers a deep, rich flavor cherished by chefs and devoted foodies. Its unique qualities led Chef Alice Waters to choose it for a special New Year's Dinner at Chez Panisse.
Native Harvest Wild Rice is known as "the food that grows on water" and Manoomin to Minnesota's Native American Ojibwe communities. The wild rice is hand-harvested from pristine lakes on the White Earth Indian Reservation as it has been for centuries, using traditional methods. It has never been genetically modified.
Manoomin is a central aspect of Ojibwe culture and tradition, a part of the proceeds benefit the White Earth Land Recovery Project, which works to protect the integrity of this important native food.
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Ojibwe communities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Canada harvest and process wild rice, following the traditions of their ancestors. Manoomin is also part of the Anishinaabeg migration stories and prophecies. It continues to define what it means to be Anishinaabeg. The campaign to protect the integrity of this heirloom wild rice is an important aspect of the White Earth Land Recovery Project.
"Too many of America's indigenous foods have been lost forever, or are in danger of becoming lost. We are proud to be helping the effort to save this important heirloom of our country's food culture by making it available to the widest audience possible," said Jeff Deasy, American Feast founder and president.
The indigenous specialty foods available from AmericanFeast.com are true gifts from nature for discriminating foodies and slow food cooking enthusiasts concerned about the health of the environment.
To purchase authentic wild rice, hand-harvested by the Ojibwe people, go to: Native Harvest Wild Rice: Sacred Manoomin
To view a wonderful recipe employing Sacred Manoomin go to: American Black Walnut & Wild Rice Pilaf
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Fresh Halibut (© Enid Arvelo | Dreamstime.com)
Lovers of wild-caught halibut and black cod from the waters of Alaska can start looking over favorite recipes, as the harvest season will soon begin. Alaska’s waters are home to over 75% of the wild Pacific halibut and over 70% of the wild black cod caught in the United States.
Alaska halibut is the largest of the flatfish, some weighing over 300 pounds. Alaska black cod is high in omega-3 fatty acids, making it a preferred source of protein. Both whitefish selections pair naturally with a wide variety of flavor profiles and cooking applications such as: smoking, sautéing, poaching and roasting. Wild Alaska halibut and black cod are available fresh until mid-November.
Wild & Sustainable Choices
Alaska halibut and black cod, and in fact all seafood from Alaska, are wild and sustainable seafood choices. In fact, Alaska is the only state in the nation to have sustainability language written into its Constitution. Halibut is harvested exclusively with longline gear; black cod is harvested by longline and pots.
The 2010 wild Alaska halibut and black cod (sablefish) season opens March 6, 2010. Catch limits for Alaska halibut and black cod are set at 40.3 million pounds and 24.9 million pounds, respectively.
For more information on the topic and dozens of recipes, go to: Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
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Napa Valley Winery (© Don Mace | Dreamstime.com)
The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance has announced the introduction of a statewide certification program that provides third-party verification of a vineyard's adherence to a "process of continuous improvement" in the adoption and implementation of sustainable winegrowing practices.
Open to all California wineries and vineyards as a voluntary option, CSWA's new program requires applicants to meet 58 prerequisite criteria to be eligible for the program, assess winery and/or vineyard operations, create and implement an annual action plan, and show improvement over time.
The goals of the new certification program are to enhance transparency, encourage statewide participation and advance the entire California wine industry toward best practices in environmental stewardship, conservation of natural resources, and socially equitable business practices. Three years in the making, the certification program is the first statewide program available to both wineries and vineyards.
Finest Quality Grapes Produced with Eco-Friendly Practices
"Third-party certification helps California's wine community speed efforts to create a healthier environment, stronger communities and vibrant businesses," said Robert P. (Bobby) Koch, Wine Institute President and CEO. "The program reflects the California wine community's commitment to continually produce the finest quality wine and grapes with practices that are environmentally and socially responsible."
"The scale on which California's wine community is adopting and expanding sustainable practices is truly impressive, as the state is the fourth leading wine producer in the world," said California Association of Winegrape Growers Board Chairman Kim Ledbetter Bronson of Vino Farms in Lodi. "CSWA's mission is to bring recognition to the California wine industry as a change leader in the global marketplace and serve as a model for other industries."
To date, 1,566 vineyard and winery organizations representing 68.1% of California's 526,000 wine acres have evaluated their vineyards and wineries with CSWA's Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices Self-Assessment Workbook. Wine Institute and CAWG established the Sustainable Winegrowing Program in 2002 and incorporated CSWA a year later as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to continue implementing the program.
"With a majority of our industry already involved in CSWA's Sustainable Winegrowing Program, the new certification option evolved as the appropriate next step," said CSWA Executive Director Allison Jordan.
2009 Wine Community Sustainability Report
CSWA has also released its 2009 Wine Community Sustainability Report, measuring the California wine industry's adoption over five years of 227 best management practices from the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices Self-Assessment Workbook.
The strengths of the state's industry are practices for viticulture, soil management and ecosystem management. Areas identified as opportunities for improvement include energy efficiency, materials handling, waste reduction and environmentally preferred purchasing.
To view the full press release on which this item was based, go to: California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance Launches Third Party Verification Program
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U.S. Government Poster from World War II (courtesy of Library of Congress)
There are plenty of benefits to planting a garden, and our friends at the Victory Garden Foundation explain some of the most tangible:
Those nasty pesticides can be avoided by growing your own food at home or buying organic. While buying organic can be expensive; you can grow your own food at home for pennies. And, did you know that food stamps can now be used for purchasing seeds and plants that produce food for the household to eat?
There you have it, planting a garden can improve your health, the environment, and your financial affairs. Inspired by the successful program of World War II fame, when as much as 40% of all the produce eaten by Americans came from Victory Gardens, the nonprofit Foundation wants to help today’s gardeners succeed. There’s a wealth of practical information at the organization’s web site, and it costs nothing to join. By joining you become eligible to apply for a grant as an individual or as an organization “in synergy with our mission.”
To visit the organization's web site & get more information go to: Victory Garden Foundation
To view a previous post on the topic go to: Bring Back the Victory Gardens!
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Christmas Pine (photo by Scott Liddell, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Many American families have become concerned that the cutting down of so many pine trees every Christmas Season poses a danger to the environment. Some have opted for trees with the roots intact so that they can be replanted.
Our friends at American Farmland Trust have sent us a message explaining that Christmas trees can be farmed and enjoyed in an eco-friendly way:
Tis still the season for farming at 21,904 Christmas tree farms throughout the country. Christmas tree farms can help sequester carbon dioxide, prevent erosion, protect water and provide habitat for wildlife; for every tree cut down, two to three seedlings are planted. Some tree farms are taking extra steps by adopting integrated pest management or organic practices to reduce pesticide use and by planting buffers to prevent runoff. Christmas trees have always been cherished for their green branches, and the many environmental benefits of live trees give us another reason to praise “O Tannenbaum.”
Here’s what Dr. Patrick Moore, founder of Greenpeace has to say about the issue:
I often say that one way to protect the environment is to choose renewable materials and energy wherever possible. Artificial trees are made from non-renewable plastics and petroleum-based products. Although some people claim that these trees last a lifetime, most are thrown away within nine years – and remain in landfill sites for centuries… The growing and production, use of and disposal of real Christmas trees could not be more sustainable and continues a tradition of thousands of years of decorating trees in mid winter and providing a focal point for the community, customer or family during the festive season.
Still thinking of getting an artificial this year to help protect the environment? Think again! Great Britain's Pines and Needle Company cites a study from Holland by J.M. Hekhuis, that found, "Natural trees use ten times less basic materials to produce and five times less energy. Their CO2 emission is four times lower and all waste is reusable."
Happy Decorating!
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Still Wild Coast in Costa Rica (photo courtesy of La Cuisinga Lodge)
Red snapper was long one of my favorite meals. The unique flavor always brings a fond memory of dining on it within a couple of hours of seeing it caught from a beach in Costa Rica with a simple rod and reel. I regarded it as a delicacy, but for the local residents it was a naturally plentiful seafood.
I gave up red snapper well over a year ago after reading that it was being seriously overfished, hoping it would some day return to abundance. Unfortunately, I just learned from the nonprofit Care2 that “…government assessments from 2008 show that the species is being overfished at eight times the sustainable level.” The population has dwindled to just 3% of its historic levels.
The good news is that the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is working on new rules that should enable red snapper to make a big comeback. Our friends at Care2 write, “In less than 10 years, the population of red snapper would skyrocket -- and with it, so could catches of the species. Scientific projections suggest that it could be as high as a 25-fold increase, from 78,000 pounds of fish in 2006 to nearly 2 million pounds by 2036.”
Regretfully, “The red snapper's not the only species at risk; the speckled hind, warsaw grouper, golden tilefish, snowy grouper, black grouper, black sea bass, gag, red grouper and vermilion snapper are all at risk.”
The time for environmental action is now, so Care2 is asking for some grassroots help. They are collecting signatures in support of changes to fishing rules so populations have time to replenish themselves. They need thousands of signatures by November 22nd in order to hand-deliver them to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council as part of a public comment period.
To learn more about the issue and add your signature in support of the rule changes go to: Save a Snapper
To view previous posts on the topic of Conservation scroll down after you go to: American Feast's Posts on Conservation
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Food, Inc. lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing how our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our environment. Food, Inc. reveals often shocking truths about what we eat, how it’s produced and who we have become as a nation.
The “powerful wake-up call for consumers,” (New York Times) Food, Inc., arrives on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on November 3rd. “Bracing, compassionate, witty and compelling,” (Time) Food, Inc. exposes the highly mechanized substructure that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of the government’s regulatory agencies, the USDA and the FDA. Using animation and graphics, Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Robert Kenner reveals the shocking truth behind corporate ‘factory farms,’ which churn out genetically modified produce and meat from diseased animals, detrimentally impacting the lives of millions.
Profits Before People
Putting profit before the health and safety of Americans, companies have utilized scientific advancements to create bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop and insecticide-resistant soybean seeds. The unfortunate by-product of advancement results in the evolution of new, more resistant strains of the sometimes-deadly E. coli bacteria, which sickens over 73,000 Americans annually.
Featuring interviews with Stonyfield Farm’s Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms’ Joel Salatin, and investigative authors Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma), Food, Inc. is an eye-opening expose reminiscent of Super Size Me. Detailing how corporate food monopolies influence government regulations, the “smart and expertly shot” (Los Angeles Times) documentary also addresses the nation-wide epidemics of obesity and diabetes, which have drastically escalated over recent decades as a result of the lack of proper nutrition due to the consumption of poor quality food.
Ongoing Impact
Participant Media partnered with 20 nonprofit and social sector organizations to bring awareness to the film and the issues it addresses through a substantial cause marketing and social action campaign. The partnerships with groups including the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention will continue beyond the DVD’s release. Celebrities Kelly Preston, Alyssa Milano and Martin Sheen, among others created public service announcements on the issue and they will be included on the DVD.
Bonus Features
Additional bonus features include deleted scenes – 40 minutes of footage and segments not shown in theatres, “Nightline’s” interview with Chipotle’s CEO, and more. The film will be available for the suggested retail price of $26.98 and Blu-ray Disc for $34.98.
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. "King Corn" the Movie: We Are What We Eat
2. Fast Food Nation on DVD
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D & E Farms in Franklinville, N.J. (photo by Emily Roesly , courtesy of morguefile.com)
Earlier this month Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the number of farmers markets in the U.S. increased by 13% from last year, a great illustration of just how many communities and consumers across the country are eagerly reaching out for fresh food and supporting their local farms. Farmers and consumers connected at 5,274 farmers markets this year, up from 4,685 in 2008.
“This growth in the number of farmers markets is a good indicator of just how important local farms and food are to people today,” says Julia Freedgood, managing director of American Farmland Trust’s Growing Local initiative.
As Julia Child once said, “You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.”
Ms. Freedgood went to say:
Farmers markets play a crucial role in bringing fresh food to areas where it’s not always available. And by getting to know the farmers who grow their food, people are able to better understand where their food comes from, something that is hard to do in most grocery stores. This relationship between farmer and consumer underscores the fact that food comes from farmland nearby, and how without that land there would be no food.
American Farmland Trust launched a national online contest this summer so consumers could vote for their favorite farmers markets. The contest illustrated several key concepts including AFT’s “No Farms No Food” message and the importance of farmers markets to local economies, access to healthy food, farmland protection and the environment.
“Not only does this mean the number of farmers markets has increased,” adds Stacy Miller, Executive Secretary of the Farmers Market Coalition, “but it also represents growth in the number of people participating in nutrition and food assistance programs, and the degree to which communities are building partnerships and connections that support local food systems and access to local food.”
Ms. Freedgood concludes, "As AFT enters our 30th anniversary it is important to reflect on past successes but also to look ahead at how to engage a new generation in understanding the importance of protecting farmland. Farmers markets are a great way to accomplish this.”
AFT’s national office is located in Washington, D.C. The phone number is 202-331-7300. To visit the organization’s web site go to: American Farmland Trust
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Alaskan Red King Crab (© Ngweikeong | Dreamstime.com)
If you’re not already part of a crew you probably won’t get to join Alaska’s crab fishermen on the Bering Sea for the 2009-2010 crab season. The harvest seasons for Alaska’s two largest crab fisheries opens today, October 15th, but there’s always next year.
Alaska red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) is the largest and one of the most impressive of all shellfish, prized for its sweet flavor and rich tender white body meat. This year’s harvest limits were set by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The Alaska Bristol Bay king crab harvest is set at 16 million pounds, a drop from last year, but above the 10-year average.
Also announced were the Bering Sea tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi) fishery with a harvest level of 1.35 million pounds, and the Saint Matthew Island blue king crab (Paralithodes platypus) fishery with 1.17 million pounds.
The harvest levels point to Alaska’s ongoing practice of managing all of its fisheries to ensure their long term health and sustainability. State and federal fisheries managers continually adjust harvest limits based on the most current available scientific data. This is one key element within Alaska’s model of sustainability.
The history of crab fisheries in Alaskan waters extends back to 1930. The harvest season for Alaska king crab typically ranges from October through November and again from January through March. Alaska snow crab is usually harvested from October through mid-February. This year's harvest should ensure that your favorite Alaskan crab will be available at your favorite seafood store or restaurant throughout the year.
"The Last Frontier" state is celebrating its 50th anniversary of statehood and Alaska's Constitution states that “fish…be utilized, developed, and maintained on the sustained yield principle.” This dedication to sustainable management has resulted in an ever-replenishing supply of wild seafood for markets around the world.
For more information and recipes go to: Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
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Our friend Serena Ingre at the National Resources Defense Council has just let us know that the Natural Resources Defense Council is now accepting nominations for its second annual Growing Green Awards. New this year, in addition to the previous award categories, is a “Water Steward” category just for 2010. Applications are due December 4, 2009 and a $10,000 prize will go to the winning green “Food Producer.”
Through these national awards NRDC will recognize extraordinary contributions that advance ecologically integrated farming practices, climate stewardship, water stewardship, farmland preservation, and social responsibility from farm to fork. Author and sustainable food activist Michael Pollan will again be on the selection panel, along with Chair Susan Clark, the Executive Director of the Columbia Foundation, A.G. Kawamura, California’s Secretary of Agriculture, and Nora Pouillon, founder of the nation’s first certified organic restaurant.
A Growing Green Award will be given to an outstanding individual in each of four categories including “Food Producer,” “Business Leader,” “Thought Leader,” and “Water Steward.” All winners will be widely celebrated through outreach to media and NRDC’s networks.
Growing Green Awards Criteria
In selecting from nominees the awards selection panel will consider the following criteria:
• Innovation in promoting ecologically-integrated food systems. This may include minimizing inputs of energy water and chemicals; reducing pollution and global warming gas emissions; use of on-farm polyculture; increasing natural resilience; and stewardship of biodiversity pollinators open space and land resources.
• Potential to achieve wide scale adoption implementation or behavioral change.
• Advancement of health safety and economic viability for farmers farmworkers and rural communities.
To visit the organization's web site & get more information go to: National Resources Defense Council
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Founder and CEO of Seattle’s Theo Chocolate, Joseph Whinney, witnessed the effects of unfair, unsustainable cocoa trading as a conservation volunteer in Central America. That experience led him to pioneer the manufacture and supply of organic chocolate products as the first individual to import organic cocoa beans into North America in 1994. Over a decade later, Theo is proud to be the first to roast organic cocoa beans and the first roaster of Fair Trade certified cocoa beans in the United States.
Food and Wine Magazine honored Theo with an Eco-Epicurean Award for making the world "a better — and more delicious — place." Theo also won "Outstanding Chocolate" at the NASFT Fancy Food Show in New York City.
Eco-entrepreneurs deserve kudos for the risks they take to start up companies that strive for sustainability. Joe Whinney of Theo Chocolate is among the most deserving, so it’s quite fitting that the popular environmental news site Grist named him one of its top 15 green business founders.
All of Theo’s ingredients are carefully selected to ensure they meet the company’s high standards for social and environmental responsibility. As true chocolate makers, they carefully steward cacao (cocoa beans) through the process of roasting, blending and conching in order to coax out the distinctive flavor imparted by each unique growing region. Theo’s production is guided by their passion for chocolate and their ultimate goal is to lead the industry with the excellence and integrity of their offerings.
The company is located in a beautiful, historic building in Seattle, Washington. They welcome visitors for tours of the chocolate factory at 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm, seven days a week, with additional tours at 10:00 am and 12:00 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The cost is just $6.00 per person. You can reserve a place on the tour by calling 206-632-5100. Tours last about 1 hour and include a thorough explanation of artisanal chocolate making and delicious samples! Theo’s factory is in the Fremont district of north Seattle at the intersection of Phinney Avenue North and 35th Avenue North.
If you’d like to purchase some of Theo’s award-winning gourmet chocolate click on any of the following:
Organic Chocolate from the Ivory Coast's Cacao - 74%
Theo Organic Chocolate Confections
Organic Chocolate from Ghana's Cacao - 84%
Organic Bread & Chocolate Bars
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Pear Orchard (©photo by imagina, courtesy of morguefile.com)
In these challenging economic times families can really use a fun and healthy outdoor activity that actually saves them some money. Many are doing just that by visiting pick-your-own orchards this fall.
An article in the Chicago Sun-Times quotes Kathy McKay of the North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association as saying, “Because of the whole staycation-daycation thing, a lot of our members are saying business has been good. People are looking for things to do near home instead of getting on a plane.”
Having them pick their own is a great way to get children more enthusiastic about eating fresh fruit and kids are bound to enjoy the hay rides, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, animal petting areas and other activities at offered at many of the farms.
Pick Your Own is a nonprofit organization with a web site that helps folks around the world find such orchards within traveling distance of their homes. There are about 10,000 such places altogether, according to PYO’s John Slemmer. Want to find out when your favorite local crop will be ready to harvest? The organization’s web site makes it possible to see the crop calendar for your area. They offer 150 recipes, easy preserving directions and affordable home canning kits for those who bring home more bounty than the family can consume while it’s fresh. PYO also offers farmers the opportunity to add their farms, a nice opportunity for family farms looking for a little additional income.
To visit the nonprofit organization cited above go to: Pick Your Own Web Site
If you’d like to read the Chicago Sun-Times article cited above go to: Orchards a more popular pick than ever for produce
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Organic Tomatoes (photo by Dmitri Jeltovski, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Here’s a nonprofit organization whose work is helping build a better world for all of us. As their web site explains:
Farm to School brings healthy food from local farms to school children nationwide. The program teaches students about the path from farm to fork, and instills healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime. At the same time, use of local produce in school meals and educational activities provides a new direct market for farmers in the area and mitigates environmental impacts of transporting food long distances.
More than 30 million children eat a school lunch five days a week, 180 days a year. If school lunch can taste great, and support the local community, it is a win-win for everyone.
To learn more about the terrific work they are doing & how you might help, go to: Farm to School
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Alice Waters (photo by David Liittschwager, courtesy of USF)
The University of San Francisco has just announced that legendary chef and restaurateur Alice Waters has been named the recipient of its 2009 California Prize for Service and the Common Good. The award recognizes significant service in pursuit of the common good for all members of society, and comes with a $10,000 purse and a handcrafted medal.
Alice Waters is a renowned chef and champion of food grown locally. She is credited with helping found the “slow food” movement that has revolutionized how we think about sustainable and organic agriculture. As owner of the legendary Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, her influence is felt across the country as she raises consciousness about how the food we choose affects our health and our planet.
The Edible Schoolyard & the School Lunch Initiative
Waters also created the Chez Panisse Foundation in 1996 to support educational programs that use food to nurture, educate, and empower youth. Through The Edible Schoolyard and the School Lunch Initiative, the Foundation envisions a public school curriculum that includes hands-on experiences in school kitchens, gardens, and lunchrooms, and provides healthy, freshly prepared meals as part of each school day.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this year's California Prize for Service the Common Good from the University of San Francisco,” Alice Waters said upon learning of the honor. “This award recognizes the work of the Chez Panisse Foundation and shows that the university supports a school curriculum that gives students the knowledge and values to build a humane and sustainable future.”
“Alice has championed an understanding that raising and preparing what we eat is both an ethical exercise and an acknowledgement that we share the earth's resources and hold it in trust for future generations,” said Stephen A. Privett, S.J., University President. “She has worked tirelessly to introduce school children to responsible food production and healthy eating, especially those in underserved communities.”
Waters will be honored Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at a dinner hosted on the USF campus. Proceeds from the dinner will directly benefit USF student programs—including internships and service learning projects at home and abroad.
About the University of San Francisco
Established in 1855, USF is the city’s oldest university and is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically diverse universities in the country. The University of San Francisco is committed to being a premier Jesuit Catholic, urban university with a global perspective that educates leaders who will fashion a more humane and just world. With nearly 8,500 enrolled, the university offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional students the knowledge and skills needed to succeed as persons and professionals, and the values and sensitivity necessary to be men and women for others.
For more information about USF’s California Prize for Service and the Common Good, or for details about the dinner event on November 5th, please visit: USF California Service Prize
To purchase a Bestseller by Alice Waters go to: The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution
To view a previous post on the topic go to:
1. Getting Their Hands Dirty at School (The Edible Schoolyard)
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Soil-Saving Farming in Pennsylvania (photo by Scott Bauer, courtesy of USDA)
Our friends at the Food Alliance have sent us some great news for everyone who wants a healthier and more sustainable food system. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that Miles McEvoy has been hired to serve as Deputy Administrator of the National Organic Program (NOP). McEvoy assumes his position on October 1st.
"Miles McEvoy has worked in the field of organic agriculture for more than two decades and has a solid understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the organic community," Vilsack said.
Organically grown and marketed agricultural products are of key interest to the Obama Administration, and the NOP will be receiving increased funding and staffing in the new fiscal year.
Vilsack also announced that the NOP will become an independent program area within AMS because of the increased visibility and emphasis on organic agriculture throughout the farming community, evolving consumer preferences, and the enhanced need for governmental oversight of this widely expanded program.
For more than 20 years, McEvoy led the Washington State Department of Agriculture's (WSDA) Organic Food Program, one of the nation's first state organic certification programs. In 2001, he helped establish the WSDA Small Farm and Direct Marketing Program. From 1993 until 1995, McEvoy was the founding Director of The Food Alliance, a program that blends sustainable farming practices and social welfare components into an eco-label program.
McEvoy helped establish the National Association of State Organic Programs in 1998 and currently serves as its President. He also assisted the Montana Department of Agriculture to develop the state's organic certification program and has been helping the Oregon Department of Agriculture in developing its own organic certification program.
According to the USDA, NOP is responsible for regulating the fastest growing segment of U.S. agriculture, the organic industry. U.S. sales of organic foods have grown from $1 billion in 1990, when the Organic Foods Production Act established the NOP, to a projected $23.6 billion in 2009. Congress increased NOP funding to $2.6 million in FY08 and to $3.2 million in FY09, just a fraction of the billions in subsidies that go to giant agribusinesses.
To learn more about the efforts of the Food Alliance go to: Food Alliance
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For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Easy Street at Sunrise (Images courtesy of Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce)
The island of Nantucket, located 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, proudly hosts the 4th Annual Nantucket Fall Restaurant Week, from September 28th until October 4th, 2009.
Nantucket is a popular destination for travelers in the off season months where the mood is relaxed but the world-renowned culinary scene is full of life! Nantucket is home to some of the most celebrated chefs and award-winning restaurants on the east coast (including Wine Spectator, Zagat's, Best of Boston, Fodor's, Frommer's and James Beard Award nominees.) This festive week-long event offers special menus at nearly 30 of the island's exquisite culinary establishments with a 3-course dinners offered from $25 - $45.
Kicking off this exciting week is the fabulous Taste Nantucket! Opening Event Sunday, September 27th, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM at The Great Harbor Yacht Club, 96 Washington Street. Taste outstanding cuisine from Nantucket's finest restaurants and food purveyors, sip champagne and wine, savor samples of oysters and caviar, and enjoy live music all in a beautiful harbor front setting. Tickets are $100 (call 508-228-1515 to reserve) with all proceeds benefiting the Nantucket Culinary Arts Foundation, which provides scholarships and educational opportunities to island students.
The week will close with an equally exciting event, the 2nd Annual Nantucket Junior Chef Competition on October 4th, from Noon to 2:00 PM at Cisco Brewery, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Watch as island culinary students (paired with Nantucket's own top chefs) battle to create three courses featuring local ingredients for a panel of judges that includes James Beard Great Chef Northeast Nominees, Michael LaScola of American Seasons and Gabriel Frasca of Straight Wharf Restaurant. Hosted by NECN's TV Diner co-host Jenny Johnson, tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for students with again proceeds benefiting the Nantucket Culinary Arts Foundation.
Following Restaurant Week festivities is the ever popular Annual Chowder Contest, Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 2 - 3:30 PM. This delicious contest challenges island restaurants to compete for the title "Best Nantucket Chowder" as voted by the tasting public.
Some of the finest months on Nantucket are in off season, when the island's natural beauty takes center stage and its historic museums, shops, lodging and fine restaurants are open to accommodate visitors. Nature lovers, sports enthusiasts, history buffs and patrons of the arts will delight in the myriad activities available on Nantucket. Visitors can enjoy walking, bicycling, hiking, picnicking, nature study and scenic viewing. Birdwatchers will appreciate the number of rare and endangered species to be sighted.
Those who love architecture or history will be charmed by Nantucket Town, which recalls the illustrious past of a whaling empire with its cobblestone carriageways and narrow lanes. More than 800 houses built between 1740 and 1840 still grace the island's downtown core, and almost all are preserved in their original settings. Nantucket is the only community in America where the entire island is recognized as an historic district.
Visitors are encouraged to leave their cars behind, as all activities are accessible by walking, bicycle, or taxi. Now that's sustainablility!
To learn more about the week’s events and the Annual Chowder Contest that follows go to: Nantucket Fall Restaurant Week
For a full Calendar of Fall Events as well as Fall Travel Specials including discounted lodging packages, merchant sales and more go to: Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce
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
Fresh Seafood (photo by Sister Rahel, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Can you create a savory seafood dinner for under $25? If you’re up to the challenge, here’s a chance to win a cash prize, get your recipe published, and support a great cause in one fell swoop.
Food & Water Watch is calling for all creative cooks to participate in this year's Get Cookin' contest: Frugal Fish! This time last year they asked for your best sustainable seafood recipes and then published the winners in their booklet, Fish & Tips.
This year’s contest recognizes our tough economic times, but they want to show “you can eat well and have fun, even when you're on a budget.” So they want you to show them your best sustainable seafood dinner for under $25.
Send in your most delicious seafood recipe that doesn't break the bank -- using, of course, sustainable seafood! Food & Water Watch has a Smart Seafood Guide to help you figure out which types of fish are good for you and our planet, so be sure to use the seafood cited in their Guide!
To see the best choices for creating memorable & sustainable dishes go to: Smart Seafood Guide
For full contest information and rules go to: Frugal Fish Recipe Contest Rules
To have a look at last year’s booklet with its tasty compilation of seafood recipes and useful tips go to: Fish & Tips
About Food & Water Watch
Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. We 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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To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
The White House (photo by Dr. Steven L. Berg, courtesy of morguefile.com)
“We applaud the opening of the new White House farmers market and for the First Lady’s support of increasing opportunities for local farmers and community access to fresh, healthy, local food,” says Jon Scholl, President of American Farmland Trust. The White House Farmers Market opened yesterday, just outside the White House grounds on nearby Vermont Avenue, NW, in Washington, D.C.
“Farmers markets are a great way to bring local farms and communities together, and to help consumers understand that there’s no local food without local farmland,” added Scholl. “Our mission is to save America’s farm and ranch land, promote healthy farming practices, and support farms and farmers.”
“By opening this market, the White House has set the table if you will, for an important discussion. Protecting farmland for future agricultural use is of the utmost importance to every citizen in this country. And it is vital to maintaining the future viability of our farmers and rural communities,” added Scholl.
Julia Freedgood, managing director of AFT’s Growing Local initiative to promote strong local and regional food systems agrees. “In 1989, there were 1,890 farmers markets across the country. Today, there are about 4,900 markets, over a 250% increase in 20 years.”
Freedgood attributes the amazing rise of farmers markets to a number of factors. Among them, “…the public’s concern about how and where our food is raised. Today more than ever, consumers are demanding ‘food with a face’ that comes from a place – food choices that celebrate family farmers and special agricultural landscapes like the Chesapeake Bay watershed.”
To encourage the support of farmers markets and the economic and social role they play in the community and draw attention to the fact that farmers markets and local food ingredients cannot exist without the requisite farmland, AFT just held its first national online contest for people to vote for America’s Favorite Farmers Markets. Over 30,000 unique votes were cast with markets in Collingswood, NJ, Williamsburg, VA, and Davis, CA, earning the titles in their market size categories.
“Farmers markets provide public health benefits and economic development opportunities,” Freedgood says. The most recent USDA Census of Agriculture reported that nearly $1.2 billion stayed in local communities from direct to consumer sales—up 49% since 2002. “There is no question that farmers markets and farmland are a positive part of communities.”
“We’re excited to see the White House draw attention to agriculture in this way,” Scholl adds. “Whether providing healthy food, renewable energy or environmental services, agriculture is at the heart of solutions to our nation’s most pressing issues.”
American Farmland Trust is a national nonprofit organization working with communities and individuals to protect the land, plan for agriculture and keep the land healthy. As pne of the nation’s leading advocates for farm and ranch land conservation, AFT has ensured that more than a million acres stay bountiful and productive.
AFT’s national office is located in Washington, D.C. The phone number is 202-331-7300. To visit the organization’s web site go to: American Farmland Trust
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. AFT Announces the Winners of its Favorite Farmers Market Contest
2. "Boston Bounty Bucks" to Increase Spending on Locally Grown Food
3. Manhattan Borough President Urges NYC to "Buy Local"
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
 
Wolffer Winery & Vineyards (Images courtesy of Wolffer Winery)
Wölffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack, New York is pleased to announce the official date of their annual Wölffer Estate Harvest Party: Sunday, October 11. One of the most anticipated events on the fall Hamptons' social calendar, guests of all ages are invited to partake in harvest fun, and share the bounty and beauty of the season at Wölffer Estate.
A sumptuous harvest lunch, with an emphasis on local ingredients, will be served and paired with award-winning Wölffer Estate wines. Enjoy the feast at the large family-style tables arranged on the lawn. Live music, performed by local artists, will add to the celebration. Adding to the excitement will be the final round of the horse jumping competition of the Wölffer Derby held by the Wölffer Estate Stables at the vineyard ring.
This year's Harvest Party festivities include grape picking and stomping, a petting zoo, and barrel rolling races. For additional family fun, the Harvest Party will also offer pony and hay rides, face painting, a fall arts and crafts station, and many new events.
Wölffer Estate Vineyard Annual Harvest Party
Sunday, October 11, 12:00 to 5:00 pm (Rain date: Monday, October 12)
$75 plus tax for adults, $35 plus tax for children 4 to 20, under 4 admitted free.
$65 plus tax for Wine Club Members - this year a special VIP area will be exclusive to wine club members and their guests.
Reservations required. Please call (631) 537-5106, ext. 11
New Wine Releases
Coinciding with the fall harvest, Wölffer Estate is also pleased to toast the release of the new "Christian's Cuvée" Merlot 2005, as well as several new vintages from the winery: Merlot 2007, Chardonnay 2007, and Cabernet Franc 2006. The wines are also available for purchase at the winery tasting room or online at www.wolffer.com.
About Wölffer Estate Vineyard
A leader in Long Island winemaking for over 20 years, Wölffer Estate Vineyard, a 55-acre winery located in Sagaponack, (The Hamptons), New York, is an American winery with a decidedly European character. Reflecting our terroir and the meticulous stewardship of winemaker Roman Roth, these former potato fields are the foundation for world-class wines. Similar in many respects to conditions in Bordeaux, the local Bridgehampton loam soil and favorable maritime influences provide a perfect host for grapevines. Wölffer Estate Vineyard proudly practices sustainable agriculture.
To learn more about Wölffer Winery and plan a visit there go to: Wolffer Winery
For more info on Long Island Wine Country go to: The Long Island Wine Council
To view a previous post on Wolffer's internationally acclaimed Late Harvest Chardonnay go to:
Long Island Chardonnay Places 1st in International Wine Competition
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To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
Windmills at Sunset (photo by Dan Tombs, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Missouri is nicknamed the “Show Me State" and droves of visitors want an up-close look at the twenty-seven wind turbines going strong on the Bluegrass Ridge Wind Farm in King City. As our friends at American Farmland Trust have pointed out, “Wind farms are just one way farmers are simultaneously helping to solve our energy needs while providing farms with a new source of income.”
“Busloads of senior citizens and school children from Kansas City and the surrounding area have already made trips to King City…a small town with only two restaurants,” according to an article in the High Plains Midwest AG Journal. The power generated by the wind turbines on the Bluegrass Ridge Wind Farm “is enough electricity for 20,000 average-size homes. The Journal reports that according to Gentry County Treasurer Linda Combs, the wind farm brought in $585,922 in additional tax dollars to be used for local schools and infrastructure improvements. The needed maintenance of the wind generators has created eleven full-time jobs. The article goes on to say that, “On the average, landowners receive $3,000 a year for each tower on their property.”
Interest from visitors traveling to see the wind turbines has been so high that a local group of residents has applied for a grant to build a wind farm education center.
If you’d like to read the article in the High Plains Midwest AG Journal cited above go to: Visitors center planned for Missouri wind farm
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. Texas Winds Are Reaping Energy & Jobs
2. Suburban Homeowners Turn to Wind Power
3. Greening the Rust Belt
4. An Ancient Idea
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
While one of every eight people in America is food insecure, millions of backyard gardeners grow far more produce than they can possibly use. Since early May, the AmpleHarvest.org campaign has been enabling America's backyard gardeners to find local food pantries and then share their garden bounty with them.
Thankfully, the campaign is rolling out nationwide and over 800 food pantries and food banks across America have already registered. More are signing up every day! The campaign's goal is to diminish hunger in America by facilitating the donation of excess backyard garden produce that might otherwise spoil.
The AmpleHarvest.org campaign is an outgrowth of a nonprofit 503(c)(1) sustainability organization and has received support from many groups including,
• National Gardening Association
• Garden Writers of America
• USDA
• Google Inc.
• Rotary International
• VFW
• YMCA
• Numerous faith groups
• Food/Hunger bloggers
• Many food banks overseeing the pantries
AmpleHarvest.org is a first of its kind site. It doesn't just provide a list of area food pantries, it offers driving instructions from the donors to their local pantries. Pantries can post a photograph of its building to make it easier to find. It also enables the food pantry to inform donors who are not gardeners as to exactly which store bought items they do or do not want.
So,
• If you work at a food pantry, please register with AmpleHarvest.org (see link below) as soon as possible so that backyard gardeners can easily find you when they harvest their crops
• If you are a backyard gardener, please be generous with your bounty.
• Regardless of who you are, please inform any pantries or gardeners you may know about the AmpleHarvest.org campaign.
Although many people are concerned about their own economic situation, the AmpleHarvest.org campaign enables Americans to help their neighbors by reaching into their backyards instead of their back pockets.
To learn more about the terrific work of this organization and see how you might help go to: Ample Harvest
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
A Napa Oak Overlooks Vines (image courtesy of Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group)
There's an excellent chance that your favorite Napa Valley winegrower is a member of the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group which was formed in 1995 to promote integrated pest management practices in Napa County, California. The mission of the Group is to identify and promote winegrowing practices that are economically viable, socially responsible and environmentally sound.
Specifically, the Group promotes viticultural land stewardship through educational outreach to:
• Optimize ecological stability and winegrape productivity and quality by understanding and emulating natural processes such as biodiversity, carbon and nutrient cycling, and plant-soil interactions.
• Reduce pesticide inputs through cultural practices, biological control, and use of alternative materials.
• Promote soil health through erosion control, reduced tillage, soil analysis, and the amendment of soils with cover crops and compost.
• Enhance returns on investment by promoting the value-added nature of sustainable winegrapes along with terroir and increased vineyard longevity.
The Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group is comprised of members representing Napa winegrape growers, vintners, and local government and educational organizations. The Group represents over 25,000 acres of farmed vineyard land and over 20,000 acres of un-farmed/wild land as of March 2007.
In a 5-part podcast interview, American Feast's Doug Ferber has a talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group to learn more about their important work.
To listen to Part 1 click on: A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 1
To listen to Part 2 click on: A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 2
To listen to Part 3 click on:
A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 3
To listen to Part 4 click on:
A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 4
To listen to Part 5 click on:
A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 5
We've received more good news from our friends at American Farmland Trust. Wisconsin, one of America's great agricultural states, has joined a growing list of states that includes Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and Delaware, making major strides toward the preservation of farmland.
Wisconsin's new Working Lands Initiative will modernize the state's 30-year-old Farmland Preservation Program, develop a statewide Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements program, and create Agricultural Enterprise Areas to encourage agriculture in specific areas in each county. According to The New Berlin Land Conservancy, the state's agriculture officials believe the initiative "could go a long way toward ending the trend of 30,000 acres of working Wisconsin land being converted to other uses every year."
As our friend Bob Wagner at American Farmland Trust put it:
Approval for this initiative underscores the salient point that farms offer more than pastoral beauty—they are the backbone of regional economies and communities, provide food for our tables, and offer significant opportunity to protect our environment and natural resources.
Curbing sprawl and preserving more land capable of producing healthy food for generations to come...Bravo Wisconsin!
If you’d like to learn more about the efforts of AFT go to: American Farmland Trust: Saving the Land that Sustains Us
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
U.S. Government Poster from World War II (courtesy of Library of Congress)
American families throw out about 14% of their food -- around $590 worth per year -- according to a study from the University of Arizona. Preventing that waste is what home food preservation is all about.
The White House Victory Garden is showing Americans how to get back to basics and raise healthy, nutritious food regardless of the amount of space available. From patio and container gardening to edible landscaping, gardening is America's #1 hobby, with an estimated nearly 43 million of us digging in the dirt.
Food contamination scandals, the rising cost of food, organic eating, better nutrition, bulk discounts at big box retailers – all these factors contribute to the upsurge in interest in preserving food. While there are many books on canning, freezing and pickling foods – few are as comprehensive as The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Preserving Food by Master Food Preserver Karen Brees, Ph.D. She’s won numerous ribbons at county fairs for her canned fruits, vegetables, preserves, pickles, and dried foods. Relying on over 40 years of expertise in preserving food, Brees shows readers how easy and beneficial food preservation can be;
• Reduce food bills significantly by growing food, buying foods in season, buying in bulk, and putting up the excess for use during the year.
• A well-stocked freezer will make it run more efficiently.
• For people with special dietary concerns (low or no-salt, low or no-sugar) home canning is the answer.
• Properly home-canned veggies are often more nutritious than "fresh produce" sold in stores. These veggies may be weeks old and have traveled thousands of miles, being touched by many hands. This increases the chance of food borne illness.
• Buying canning jars at thrift stores and garage sales can cut the initial capital outlay and sharing supplies with neighbors and friends is the economical way to go.
In addition Brees offers dozens of specific recipes for the preservation of everything from fruits to meat, special instructions for preserving food for people on sodium or sugar restricted diets, information about science behind food preservation, cooking and preserving from small individual portions to bulk buying.
If you’d like to learn more about food preservation and food safety from Karen Brees Ph.D. go to:
Karen K. Brees Web Site
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(photo courtesy of Library of Congress)
An advocate for sustainable farming once said that when it comes to farming everything you're great-grandfather did was better. Today, a major challenge facing all of us who want to see a healthier and more sustainable food system is overcoming the predominance of factory farms across America.
Giant factory farms are the prime culprits when it comes to the unhealthy use of pesticides, herbicides, anitbiotics, and hormones. They foster inhumane conditions for animals and wreak environmental devastation. The government purchases their surplus production and much of that food ends up being served to children for school lunches.
The food they produce is making people sick and the vast majority of people find themselves on the hook for the medical costs that result. Enormous quantities of fossil fuels are burned to transport their products to population centers. Dealing with the pollution they cause incurs enomrmous costs for environmental cleanups. Who pays?
And if you love eating good food as much as we do, you already know that food from factory farms is quite bland when compared to food that is fresh and sustainably produced.
There's no quick and easy solution to the problem, but every small step forward takes us closer to a brighter future. We just received this message from our friends Sarah, Alex, Noelle and The Food Team at the nonprofit Food & Water Watch:
Small farmers across the country are struggling to make ends meet, yet the USDA is helping new factory farms come on line by encouraging banks to give them guaranteed loans. Family farm groups from across the country are calling on the USDA to stop backing new factory farms. Can you take action to stop new factory farms?
Factory farms have already forced out many small producers by lowering the price that farmers are paid for chickens and pigs. The tough economic times are hitting everyone hard and many farmers are losing their contracts. The USDA has bought up surplus pork, chicken and eggs for nutrition and school lunch programs to absorb some of the over-supply, but still, the agency continues to back loans for new factory farms.
To make matters worse, taxpayers pay for this bad policy twice - when the government buys up surplus production and again when low prices drive producers out of business and USDA pays for the defaulted loans.
Tell Secretary Vilsack it's time to cut off the factory farm industry. Sign a petition calling for USDA to impose a moratorium on guaranteed loans to build new factory farms.
To sign the petition go to: Food & Water Watch
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Since June 1, thousands of people have cast their vote through American Farmland Trust’s (AFT) America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest. AFT’s website lists and continually updates the top twenty vote getters in each of three categories at www.farmland.org.
The top 20 markets list holds lots of surprises including the fact that the current market with the most votes overall is in the “small” category meaning that the market has only 30 vendors or less. This is a true testament to what even a small farmers market means to the community.
According to one farmers market customer, shopping at their local market is the highlight of their week:
“It is just a lot of fun. Besides the wonderful vegetables, fruit and prepared foods, there is music, chef demonstrations and many other special events. I really like seeing the faces [of the people] who grow my food and getting to know them.”
So far this summer, thousands of individuals have voted for over 700 farmers markets representing just about every state in the country. But there is still time for more votes and for the top 20 markets to change! Farmers market consumers are encouraged to vote for their favorite markets (one vote per market) at the America’s Favorite Farmers Market website, www.farmland.org/vote - and to tell their friends.
American Farmland Trust has sponsored the nationwide contest to promote the value of farmers markets in communities, and to make the connection between fresh local foods and the local farms and farmland that supply them. Farmers markets play a critical role in keeping farmers on the land. America is losing two acres of farmland per minute because many farmers find it more profitable to sell their land for development. Keeping farms viable, by providing them with a venue where they can provide their much sought after products, is one of the best ways to save the land that sustains us.
“Farmers markets are more than a passing fancy, they're here to stay” says Jane Kirchner, AFT Senior Director of Marketing. “They are a connection point in communities-where customers can connect directly with the people who grow their food, and come together socially. I also think we all intrinsically like the idea of supporting our local businesses!”
In 2007, direct sales from farms to consumers totaled $1.2 billion, an increase of 49% from 2002. Much of that increase comes from America’s growing number of farmers markets – 4,685 in 2008, compared to 3,137 in 2002. In addition to supplying seasonal fresh fruits, vegetables and agricultural products, farmers markets help support public health and can drive economic development in communities.
At the end of the contest, the top market in each category will win a shipment of No Farms No Food ® totebags to distribute to the customers that made it happen!
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Boston Skyline (©andrebrilliant, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Boston has joined a growing list of cities taking steps to promote the purchase of locally grown food with Boston Bounty Bucks, a program providing vouchers that double the value of food stamps at 14 of the city's roughly 22 farmers markets.
Atlanta, San Diego and Providence already have similar programs benefiting low-income shoppers and local farmers who sell their products in urban neighborhoods. The city efforts complement new federal policies in the 2008 Farm Bill to improve access to farm-fresh fruits and vegetables for seniors, children and low-income residents.
Local farmers will get a much-needed boost in revenue from an eco-friendly program that reduces the need to ship and truck food over great distances. Shoppers who purchase fresh, locally grown produce will avail themselves of the most flavorful and most nutritious food, something that can be a real challenge for low-income urban residents, according to studies conducted at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
According to the Bloomberg School's Department of Epidemiology, “Our findings show that participants who live in neighborhoods with low healthy food availability are at an increased risk of consuming a lower quality diet.”
Some of the communities examined were found to have no supermarkets within easy traveling distance, but plenty of fast food outlets serving processed foods high in calories and saturated fats. Even in some communities with nearby supermarkets “the availability of items like fresh fruits and vegetables, skim milk and whole wheat bread” in those stores was often found lacking.
"Place of residence plays a larger role in dietary health than previously estimated," said Manuel Franco, MD, PhD, lead author of the two studies.
If you’d like to read a Boston Globe article on the topic go to: Vouchers double value of food stamps at Boston farmers' markets
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(Image courtesy of Catch a Piece of Maine)
Catch a Piece of Maine was created with the help of family, friends and the community of lobstermen as a response to the financial realities facing lobstermen and a way of introducing folks across America to Maine’s lobstering traditions, trade and the sea.
By selling direct, Catch a Piece of Maine has toppled the barriers between lobsterman and consumer, allowing those who love to eat the freshest and most delicious lobster a chance to get to know the dedicated lobsterman who harvested their dinner. Bringing the consumer closer to the dock lets the lobsterman earn a premium and preserve the traditional working waterfront.
Lobstermen are all stewards of the sea; always making sure today’s catch is available for tomorrow’s lobsterman. The industry exemplifies hard work, tradition, heritage, and sustainability. They pride themselves on their eco-friendly manner of harvesting, producing little to no by-catch and enforcing strict laws to allow the release of all lobsters too small and too large.
Maine;s Working Waterfront
Lobstering is hard work and capital intensive, requiring boats that cost as much as a house, on top of equipment, traps and fuel. In the past several years the price of bait and fuel has tripled, while the working waterfront has been slowly disappearing.
According to the Island Institute 2007 Access Report, of the 5,300 miles of the Maine coast, only 20 miles remain as working waterfront. For the next generation of Maine lobstermen it is both an honor and obligation to preserve and share this heritage. They love the ocean and the way of life it offers. They can’t imagine working anywhere else and want to share their passion with Catch a Piece of Maine partners, while offering fresh caught lobsters that they can ship to themselves, customers and family.
The lobstermen say there's nothing like waking up before dawn and watching the sun rise as the first trap is hauled over the rail. Maine lobstermen share a camaraderie and mutual respect for the sea with their friends and family, many of whom have lobstered their entire lives. It's in their blood and nothing else matches the challenge, thrill, and passion they feel when they’re out on the water.
Show your support for Maine’s working waterfront and the values associated with it. Each month allows customers to purchase a Catch a Piece of Maine directly from the boat of the lobsterman of the month. Treat yourself or those you care about the most to a delicious and exciting feast.
To show your support for Maine’s lobstermen by enjoying a sumptuous lobster feast go to: Lobster Share
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Underwater Tuna (© Tamas | Dreamstime.com)
The thought of mercury in your seafood is enough to ruin anyone’s appetite.
That’s why Damon Stainbrook, former Sous Chef of French Laundry, is leading the way in a new “conscientious cooking” movement. He’s working with a mercury certification program, Safe Harbor, to ensure the fish used in his delicious recipes meet strict standards for mercury content and are caught using only sustainable methods – verified through its traceability program.
He’d like to share the following recipe and let people know that there is a way to create delicious, healthy and sustainable dinners.
Those in Northern California wishing to create this recipe with Safe Harbor-certified fish can do so at any local Andronico’s, DeLano’s, Woodlands Market, and The Fish Market. If these retailers aren’t nearby, those wishing to prepare the recipe should be careful if purchasing Bluefin, Albacore, and imported Bigeye/Yellowfin tuna caught by longline as they tend to have higher mercury levels and should not be consumed too often.
Ingredients for 4 Servings
• 4 Tuna steaks, 6 ounces each
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
Zucchini Pasta:
• 4 Cups julienne green and gold zucchini
• 2 Teaspoons kosher salt
Artichoke Sauce:
• 16 Ounces peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes
• 1 Medium yellow onion diced
• 3 Cloves garlic minced
• 1 Teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 Cup diced marinated baby artichokes
• 1 to 2 Teaspoons finely minced hot or mild chile pepper, or to taste
• ¼ Cup chopped fresh basil
• Black pepper to taste
Black Olive Tapenade:
• 1 Cup pitted Kalamata olives chopped (or olives of your liking)
• 1 Big garlic clove minced
• 1 Tablespoon capers
• ¼ Cup fresh basil leaves chopped
• ¼ Cup fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 Tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
• ½ Cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Combine all tapenade ingredients, tasting and adding salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let stand at room temperature before serving. Makes 1 ½ cups.
2. Julienne the zucchini into long thin pasta like shape. Toss with salt and let sit in colander for 15 minutes. Zucchini will soften to an al dente consistency.
3. To make the sauce, cook onion and garlic with salt over a low heat in a heavy bottom pot until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for thirty minutes. Add artichokes, chile pepper and basil and simmer another ten minutes. Add black pepper to taste and set sauce aside to cool.
4. Right before grilling the tuna toss the sauce and zucchini together in large bowl.
5. Pull tuna steaks out of fridge fifteen minutes before cooking which will help to keep the tuna from sticking to the grill (If using). Season the tuna steaks with salt and pepper, then brush lightly with olive oil.
6. Lightly brush a grill rack, or broiler pan with a little oil. Grill tuna over coals medium high heat. Turn after about 2-3 minutes for rare tuna, 4 to 6 minutes for more medium to well done. Tuna should maintain a pink center, but will flake easily around edges.
7. To finish, twist equal portions of pasta onto four plates, top with grilled tuna and a tablespoon of tapenade.
If you'd like to purchase our favorite artisanal olive oil from Stella Cadente, click on: L'Autunno Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
To purchase Black Olive Tapenade from the Aaron Baum and his creative team at Hand to Mouth Edibles go to: Black Olive Tapenade
The following item includes a link to help you find safe and sustainable seafood: A Guide to Safe & Guilt-Free Seafood
To learn more about Safe Harbor and its traceability program go to: Is Your Fish High in Mercury?
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
Alexandre Family EcoDairy Farm, Crescent City, California (photo courtesy of Cornucopia Institute)
President Obama and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack are being urged to take immediate action to repair the USDA’s increasingly dysfunctional National Organic Program (NOP). Suspect imports of grains, nuts, and vegetables from China and other countries, questionable organic milk, beef, and eggs from giant factory farms, and a cozy relationship between USDA managers and corporate agribusiness lobbyists are said to be injuring the organic label's reputation.
Consumer demand for organic foods has skyrocketed in recent years, propelling organics into a $24 billion dollar a year business. That same hunger for organics has encouraged some large corporations, factory farms, and foreign producers to move into the U.S. organic business—but without allegedly upholding federal organic production standards.
The Cornucopia Institute, a national organic watchdog representing family farmers, has sent a formal letter and briefing paper to President Obama and Secretary Vilsack, specifically asking that they take “a very strong and proactive posture in turning around management at the National Organic Program (NOP),” which they described as being “Katrina-ed” by the Bush administration. Thousands of organic farmers and consumers have also contacted the President and USDA Secretary.
“The stewardship of the organic program at the USDA has been an absolute abomination,” said Mark A. Kastel, Cornucopia’s senior farm policy analyst. “It was not just management by neglect—it was an intentional monkeywrenching of the Department's oversight of the industry.”
In the last several years, audits prepared by the American National Standards Institute and the Inspector General's office have blasted the NOP for failing to ensure that independent certification agencies, which verify organic farming and production practices, are competent and properly performing their jobs.
Washington Post Reports on Investigation at USDA
According to a July 3rd Washington Post story, the USDA's Inspector General's office has widened an ongoing investigation and is looking at the Department's oversight of private certifiers. The Cornucopia Institute formally requested the Inspector General’s investigation after Bush administration officials failed to look into alleged improprieties by management at the organic program.
Among other grievances, the Department is accused of sidestepping protections and oversight implemented by Congress. According to the Post, 65 policy resolutions adopted by the National Organic Standards Board, the expert citizen advisory panel to the NOP, have never been reviewed or implemented since 2002.
“In addition to starving the National Organic Program for adequate funding, the political environment at the USDA has always been hostile to the organic industry,” said Kastel.
During the Bush administration, political appointees at the USDA had also significantly softened penalties for organic lawbreakers and overruled stiff enforcement actions recommended by career civil servants for factory farms that were found to be willfully violating federal organic standards. Other complaints detailing abuses on factory farms were quashed or went uninvestigated.
“If organic food production and eating had not caught on so well, we wouldn't see these scofflaws doing their thing,” observed Merrill Clark, a certified organic livestock farmer from Michigan and former member of the National Organic Standards Board. Clark added, “It’s time to change the culture at the USDA.”
The Cornucopia Institute launched a “Change@USDA” campaign earlier this year and is helping stakeholders in the organic community to unite for rehabilitation of the NOP. The farm group has helped coordinate many letters from industry stakeholders, letters to both Mr. Obama and Secretary Vilsack, from farmers, retailers, business executives and consumers, supporting a sweeping management shakeup at the National Organic Program.
Positive Change at USDA
One sign that the new administration at the USDA is taking the concerns of organic and sustainable farming interests to heart was the appointment by Secretary Vilsack of Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, a Tufts University assistant professor, as USDA Deputy Secretary. Merrigan helped write the original organic law adopted by Congress as an aide to its prime sponsor, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont.
“I cannot think of a more qualified public policy expert to take on this important role at what Abraham Lincoln referred to as the ‘people's department, ’” Kastel affirmed. The Cornucopia Institute, and many other farm organizations, lobbied hard for Merrigan's appointment. “I hope this is representative of President Obama and Secretary Vilsack subscribing to the old adage that ‘good government equals good politics,’” he added.
“The certified organic label belongs to the thousands of ethical organic family farmers, and their consumer allies and patrons, who have built the vibrant organic agricultural and food market,” said Peter Wiesner, General Manager at the Hungry Hollow Co-op in Chestnut Ridge, New York. “We need new management at the National Organic Program if we are to reclaim the organic label,” Wiesner said.
Family-Scale Organic Dairies Facing Crisis
As questions swirl around the handling of organics by the NOP, a true crisis is unfolding in the organic dairy sector. Ethical organic dairy farmers, and the co-ops and family-owned businesses they partner with for processing and marketing, are getting hammered by cheap, allegedly phony "organic" milk from giant factory farms and alleged predatory pricing by the $11 billion agribusiness behemoth, Dean Foods.
Dean Foods, owner of 50 different milk brands, including the nation’s leading organic dairy label, Horizon Organic, has heavily discounted their retail pricing, driving down market prices for all competitors. Dean/Horizon gets a large percentage of their milk from their Idaho industrial dairy, which has managed as many as 8,000 head of cattle, and from many other mega-farms they contract with. Just this week, it was announced that Dean Foods would come out with a "natural" version of Horizon milk products positioned as a new, lower-cost competitor to organic dairy.
"Natural milk is really conventional milk without bovine growth hormones, so Dean Foods’ introduction of Horizon “natural” dairy products is just plain profiteering at the expense of legitimate organic farmers,” said Will Fantle, research director at Cornucopia. “Unlike organics, there is no independent 3rd party verification of this claim, and “natural” fails to include other key organic practices, such as prohibitions against toxic agrichemicals, antibiotics and other drugs in livestock production, as well as unhealthy synthetic food additives in the final product,” added Fantle. Organic dairy production standards also require that the animals graze on pasture rather than being confined to feedlots on factory farms.
Meanwhile, the majority of the private-label, also called “store-brand,” milk (which is usually cheaper than branded organic milk) marketed by Wal-Mart, Costco, Safeway, Target, and other grocery chains comes from the controversial Aurora Dairy, operator of five giant factory farms in Texas and Colorado. The USDA found that Aurora had seriously violated the organic regulations but instead of decertifying the operation, as was recommended by career civil servants, the Bush Administration allowed them to continue in business.
In their research The Cornucopia Institute has stressed that although corporate marketers are large they are sad aberrations in the organic industry. "90% of all the namebrand organic dairy products reviewed in our survey were rated as excellent in terms of their adherence to both the letter and spirit of the organic law, stated the Cornucopia's Kastel. Their scorecard of 110 organic brands, for use by consumers or wholesale buyers, is available on their website.
Coverage of the slowdown in the organic dairy market was also poignantly featured in the pages of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on July 3rd, the same day the Post’s investigative report ran. The Dispatch’s story featured organic dairy farmers that were being squeezed out of business, allegedly, in part, because of a flood of milk from giant factory farms that had been allowed to operate illegally.
"I have invested my life in building this dairy farm,” said Kevin Poetker, a dairy producer from Waterloo, Missouri who has now lost his market for organic milk. "Now my entire livelihood and the financial future of my family is at risk."
Cornucopia Institute Calls for Action
"For many family-scale farmers, who face financial ruin, this is a legitimate emergency and we need the Obama administration to step in immediately,” appealed Cornucopia's Kastel.
Cornucopia is calling on the USDA to aggressively enforce federal organic regulations that would control abuses occurring in the organic dairy sector. Enforcement has been spotty, at best, at the USDA. A number of legal complaints filed by Cornucopia documenting alleged violations of organic law on industrial scale dairies, and other improprieties, were never investigated by the Department.
Farmers and other industry stakeholders can still make their personal appeal to president Obama and USDA secretary Vilsack by downloading a proxy-letter from the “action alerts” section of the Cornucopia Institute's website: www.cornucopia.org
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
(photo by Nesstor4u2, courtesy of morguefile.com)
A new wine company donates 20% of its net profits to organizations that help protect threatened animals around the world. Aptly named Endangered Wines, it has just launched four varietals of wines, a Merlot, a Chardonnay, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Sauvignon Blanc. The wines’ labels include stunning photographs of a Tiger, Elephant, Panda and Polar Bear.
The winemaker for Endangered Wines is a Frenchman named Phillipe Pla who is a well known for his skillful wine making throughout South America. The wines are produced and bottled in Chile and exported to the United States for sale to retailers and customers. The wines are reasonably priced at around $9.00 a bottle.
Endangered Wines has partnered with reputable nonprofit organizations including Save China’s Tigers, The International Elephant Foundation, Pandas International, and Polar Bears International. The work being done to protect threatened animals around the world will directly benefit from donations by the wine company.
Endangered Wines was founded by Scott Day who is the owner of the Caribbean Vineyards wine brands based in St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Scott is an avid animal lover and naturally blended his two passions to create a wine company with a good cause. The wine company is based in Wilmington, Delaware and currently negotiating with distributors across the United States to sell the wines.
Endangered Wines’ labels says it all with “Great Wines Working For a Greater Cause.”
You can find out more about the new wine company at their website: Endangered Wines
Our friends at the Food Alliance, a nonprofit organization that certifies farms, ranches and food handlers for sustainability, have just sent us this update:
Food Alliance has expanded its certification program for sustainable agriculture and food handling to include poultry and egg production. The new Food Alliance certification for poultry is available throughout North America to producers of chicken eggs as well as turkey and chicken meat.
The first company to earn Food Alliance certification for egg production and processing is Wilcox Family Farms, a fourth generation, family-run business headquartered in Roy, Washington with farms in Oregon and Washington. The company provides over 400,000 shell eggs (dozens) and 150,000 pounds of liquid eggs per week to grocery stores, bakeries and food service operations. The company’s organic shell eggs, organic liquid eggs, and cage-free brown eggs will now display the Food Alliance Certified label.
“My family’s company has a long history of working to protect the environment and benefit our community. Sustainability is a critical component of our business model,” says Andrew Wilcox, Director of Operations. “We look at certification as a way to be more transparent with our customers about how their food is produced. Food Alliance’s certification program is unique because they cover labor, animal welfare, and environmental issues. No other certification does all that. It really fits our values.”
To learn more about the organization's certifciation programs and other fine work go to: Food Alliance
Blue Marlin (© Diomedes66 | Dreamstime.com)
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., based in Rochester, N.Y., affirmed its commitment to selling sustainable seafood by becoming the first supermarket chain to endorse the Take Marlin Off the Menu Campaign (www.takemarlinoffthemenu.org) and refusing to sell marlin, sailfish and spearfish at its 72 stores located throughout New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland.
In recognition of Wegmans' commitment to not selling marlin, the Take Marlin Off the Menu Campaign, launched eight months ago by three leading marine conservation non-profits, wants consumers to know they can purchase seafood at their nearest Wegmans supermarket with the full knowledge that Wegmans is officially "Marlin Free."
The Take Marlin Off the Menu Campaign was launched by the International Game Fish Association (www.igfa.org), the National Coalition for Marine Conservation (www.savethefish.org), and The Billfish Foundation (www.billfish.org).
As a leader in the supermarket industry, Wegmans urges other supermarket chains throughout the United States to follow its lead in not selling marlin, and helping to raise awareness among consumers that marlin populations are in serious danger due to overharvesting by commercial fishing fleets.
Supporting the Take Marlin Off the Menu Campaign is in keeping with Wegmans' reputation for innovation. Founded in 1916, Wegmans published its Sustainable Seafood Sourcing Philosophy, a policy that has been followed for many years and is promoted at all Wegmans stores, as well as on its website (www.wegmans.com). Wegmans also posts a chart of items sold in its stores that are certified sustainable and those which are not sold due to sustainability concerns.
"As an industry, we have a great deal of influence in what Americans eat," says Carl Salamone, vice president of seafood. "Every day, in supermarkets across the country, consumers ask seafood professionals what's great to eat. That's when we can point consumers to fish and seafood that is flavorful and good for our environment. Because when the marlin are gone, we all lose."
The ultimate goal of the Take Marlin Off the Menu Campaign is, through education and political advocacy, to end the commercial harvest, sale and importation of marlin, sailfish and spearfish in the United States, according to Jason Schratwieser, conservation director for the International Game Fish Association (IGFA).
"This is a huge step for our campaign because Wegmans is respected by consumers for its commitment to customer service," adds Ken Hinman, president of the National Coalition for Marine Conservation, located in the Washington D.C. area, "as well as throughout the supermarket industry for its innovation. We applaud Wegmans for stepping forward among its peers in the supermarket industry and coming out on the side of marlin and other billfish."
In addition to Wegmans, a growing number of restaurants support Take Marlin Off the Menu, including Wolfgang Puck Companies, which operate some of the most well known restaurants in the world.
The challenge facing the Take Marlin Off the Menu Campaign is drawing awareness to the plight of marlin and other billfish, says Ellen Peel, president of The Billfish Foundation. Unfortunately, many Americans are not aware that marlin have suffered a dramatic population decline. According to a national Harris Interactive consumer survey of 2,078 consumers conducted on February 25, 2009, and sponsored by the Take Marlin Off the Menu Campaign, 93 percent of American consumers were unaware that the populations of marlin have declined 80 percent from their peak several decades ago, before the advent of large-scale commercial fishing worldwide.
"However, according to our national consumer survey," Peel added, "when consumers become aware of the plight of billfish such as marlin, 78 percent of American consumers say they won't order or buy marlin. With this insight, we know that our job is to increase awareness of this issue and to persuade restaurants and seafood retailers to embrace our cause."
Marlin, sailfish, and spearfish are collectively called "billfish" because the long extension of their upper jawbone looks like a spear or bill. Marlin, the largest of the billfish species, have powerful muscular bodies, can weigh as much as a ton, and roam throughout the oceans feeding on smaller fish and keeping marine ecosystems in balance. As apex predators in the ocean, they serve the same role as lions, tigers and wolves on land.
About IGFA
The International Game Fish Association (www.igfa.org), based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is a not-for-profit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping. Founded in 1939, the IGFA is internationally known for maintaining and publishing world records for saltwater and freshwater catches, and for maintaining the world's most comprehensive fishing hall of fame and museum.
About the National Coalition for Marine Conservation
The National Coalition for Marine Conservation (NCMC), based in Leesburg, Va., was founded in 1973 by conservation-minded anglers and is dedicated exclusively to conserving ocean fish and their environment. NCMC works to prevent overfishing, reduce fish bycatch and protect habitat for a wide variety of ocean fish. The group specializes in identifying problems and finding solutions; educating the public; developing proactive conservation strategies; and networking with like-minded fishing and environmental organizations. For more information about the NCMC, visit www.savethefish.org.
About The Billfish Foundation
The Billfish Foundation (TBF) is a science-based, non-profit organization dedicated to conserving and enhancing billfish populations worldwide, working through research, education and advocacy. TBF's comprehensive network of members and supporters includes anglers, captains, mates, tournament directors, clubs, and sportfishing businesses. TBF provides support to regional groups by contributing expertise in science, socio-economics, education and fisheries policy to help find solutions to billfish threats so fishing opportunities will remain available. For more information about TBF, visit www.billfish.org.
A Solar Roof at Fresh & Easy (PRNewsFoto/Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market)
We just learned about a very encouraging survey from an article published in Gourmet Retailer. The survey "...found that a product's "energy footprint" influences 77 percent [of] consumers' purchasing decisions, with 76 percent willing to pay more at the register for environmentally friendly products."
More surprisingly, the article states,
Green appeal carries over to the workplace, where 74 percent of U.S. employees believe organizations should take action to lead eco-friendly initiatives. The majority of these green-minded workers (64 percent) would be willing to support their organization's green initiatives at the cost of a smaller paycheck.
Aaron Franklin, project director at ORC Guideline, which conducted the survey, is quoted as saying, "The study's findings seem to debunk a common perception that people will go green as long as it doesn't cost them...In fact, in both the workplace and in the store, people seem to be willing to put their money where their values are."
If you'd like to read the article in Gourmet Retailer cited above go to: Study: Being Green More Valuable Than Price
Just recently Washington State University removed Michael Pollan’s ground-breaking book, Omnivore’s Dilemma from the school’s Common Reading Program, which is required reading for all incoming freshman. It seems the University had come under pressure from corporate agribusinesses unhappy with the book’s central theme: The time has come for a healthier and more sustainable food system.
School officials claimed the book was removed due to tough financial times, but 4,000 copies had already been purchased. We’re guessing WSU’s administration didn’t realize just how many people agree with Michael Pollan’s message and didn’t anticipate the firestorm of protest that ensued from concerned citizens across the country.
Within hours of the University’s announcement Food Democracy Now! sent out an alert and the president's office was flooded with calls. One alum had a talk with the school’s President Floyd and offered to pay for Michael Pollan to visit the campus, as well as pay for the full cost to cover the Common Reading Program. Within days the book was restored to the Program’s required reading list.
Thanks to all those folks who made their voices heard. Nice to see democracy in action!
For more info on Michael Pollan’s ground-breaking book go to: Omnivore’s Dilemma
For more info on Michael Pollan’s most recent bestseller go to: In Defense of Food
To learn more about the efforts being made by a fine organization working for a more sustainable future go to: Food Democracy Now!
Wonderful news just in from our friends at American Farmland Trust, “New York State’s Farmland Protection Program awarded $23 million to permanently protect almost 9,000 acres on 27 farms, bringing the total number of acres protected by the program to 72,668 acres.”
“We like to say, ‘No Farms, No Food’,” says American Farmland Trust’s New York Director David Haight. “If farmland is developed, we lose the opportunity to grow fresh, healthy foods here in New York. Protecting these farms strengthens New York’s food security and food system.”
This development comes on the heels of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recent announcement of $2.6 million in matching funding available from the federal Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program to protect farmland in New York.
Less sprawl and more land capable of producing healthy food for generations to come...Bravo!
If you’d like to learn more about the efforts of AFT go to: American Farmland Trust: Saving the Land that Sustains Us
Organic Oranges (photo by Darnok, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Even in tough economic times many parents are more concerned about the health hazards that pesticides and harmful preservatives pose to their children than they are about the cost of organic food. Their concern has led to remarkable growth in the sales of organic baby food.
According to a report published by the research firm RNCOS, World Organic Foods And Beverages Report (2006), organic food still accounts for only a tiny share of the overall baby food market, but soared about 21.6% to reach $116 million twelve months ending February 24, 2007 – after jumping almost 16.4% the previous year, according to the Nielsen Company. Overall, baby food sales grew by just 3.1%, reaching $3.7 billion during the same period.
As various studies have found that organically grown foods contain more nutrients in comparison to their conventional version, customers spent about $13.8 billion on organic food during 2005, an annual growth of about 20%.
The RNCOS report says the organic food market in the U.S. generated $15.9 billion in revenues during 2006, representing an annual growth rate of 16.61% for the five-year period spanning 2002-2006. the growth rate for the organic food market in the U.S. will slow, but will remain the highest revenue generator globally for the foreseeable future.
Sales of organic fruits and vegetables were the greatest contributor to the growth in sales. Total revenues generated by that segment reached $6.6 billion, almost 41.4% of the overall organic food market, in 2006.
If you’d like to view some of the previous posts on the topic click on any of the following:
1. We Want to Know What's in Our Children's Milk!
2. Just Say No to Pesticides
3.The Growth of Organic Food Sales is Starting to Slow
4. Guide to Pesticides in Fruits and Vegetables
5. American Families Turn to Organic Milk
6. Pesticides Lead to Parkinson Disease
7. New Evidence Says Organic is Healthier
8. Old World Scientists Agree: Organic Is Healthier
Brooklyn Bridge (photo by Seemann, courtesy of morguefile.com)
If last year’s Slow Food Nation in San Francisco was the Woodstock of the sustainable food movement, then last week’s Brooklyn Food Conference was a wonderfully successful local concert. The first-time event was expected to draw 2,000 participants, but approximately 3,000 showed up, according to spokesperson Alia Hanna.
A chief goal of the conference was to “Bring Brooklynites together to demand-and participate in creating-a vital, healthy, and just food system available to everyone,” according to the literature made available.
It wasn’t just Brooklynites who were there. Slow Food USA was one of more than 70 exhibitors, as was Sustainable Table, New York Farms, Equal Exchange, several environmental organizations, film makers, food artisans, and community organizers. There were dozens of workshops that seemed to cover every topic of interest to those who want a more sustainable food future for themselves and their children. All in all it was a terrific networking opportunity.
Keynote Speakers
Key-note speakers included well-known activist Dan Barber, executive chef and owner of Blue Hill Restaurant, and a leader of fair trade development and healthy food; Anna Lappé, co-founder of the Small Planet Institute and the author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen; Raj Patel of the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System; as well as LaDonna Redmond, head of the Institute of Community Resource Development in Chicago.
“Never before have there been such compelling reasons to rethink our energy policy, our environmental policy, and our health care system – and we cannot make headway on any of these without addressing food,” said Dan Barber.
300 Volunteers Made it Happen
The conference was entirely volunteer driven – from event planning to fundraising and community outreach. A team of over 300 volunteers planned the conference for seven months More than 75 organizations, including non-profit and community organizations, schools, elected officials and local businesses were partners in this effort.
“We hope to change our food system on local, state and federal levels so that all people have access to healthy food, and to ensure consumers and workers are treated with fairness and justice,” said Nancy Romer, the conference’s General Coordinator. “This conference is the official beginning of our collective efforts.”
Co-Sponsors
Co-Sponsors for the conference included: The Park Slope Food Coop; Caribbean Women’s Health Association; World Hunger Year; Brooklyn Rescue Mission; and Brooklyn’s Bounty. The conference was generously hosted by the administrators, teachers, students, and parents of John Jay High School and P.S. 321.
The Conference was free to all, but we couldn’t help purchasing a copy of the Manhattan restaurant guide, Clean Plates N.Y.C. It was co-authored by nutritional consultant and wellness counselor Jared Koch, and restaurant reviewer Alex Van Buren. It’s the first time we’ve seen a guide that selected restaurants because they were among both the tastiest and the healthiest.
By increasing awareness and educating around food issues the organizers expected to establish a Brooklyn Food Coalition that will develop a Legislative Food Agenda. The Conference included a town hall event to give participants the opportunity to speak out on issues vital both locally and globally.
For more information, visit the official web site: Brooklyn Food Conference
Farm Windmill at Dawn (photo by Wally Irwin, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The three winners of the first-ever Growing Green Awards have been announced by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The winners are: Will Allen of Growing Power, Fedele Bauccio of Bon Appétit Management Company and James Harvie of Institute for a Sustainable Future, in the categories of Food Producer, Business Leader and Thought Leader, respectively. A $10,000 cash prize will be awarded to Will Allen for his achievements in sustainable food production.
“The extraordinary contributions of these individuals are making a difference for how people produce, consume and think about food and our natural environment,” said Michael Pollan, best-selling author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and chair of the award selection panel. “We’re delighted that Will Allen, Fedele Bauccio and James Harvie are the winners of the first-ever Growing Green Awards.”
An independent panel of sustainable food experts selected the three winners from a pool of 140 impressive candidates that included diverse growers, entrepreneurs and business leaders across the country.
Will Allen of Growing Power
Will Allen, Founder and CEO of Growing Power, won in the Food Producer category for his innovative urban farm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that integrates year-round urban aquaculture and vegetable production. Waste from the fish is used to fertilize the plants, which in turn filter the water so it can be returned to the fish, both eliminating the need to add fertilizers or release polluted waste-water. The farm provides fresh fish, produce and jobs to an underserved community, in addition to training and outreach through on-farm classes and lectures.
“People should have access to healthy, affordable food regardless of their economic situation. Growing Power’s goal is to dismantle injustice and discrimination in the food system in order to build equitable and sustainable communities.” said Allen. “It is an honor to receive this award for the work that I love to do.”
Fedele Bauccio of Bon Appétit Management Company
Business Leader winner Fedele Bauccio, CEO and Founder of Bon Appétit Management Company, has been a pioneer in addressing the connection between food and climate change through Bon Appétit’s Low Carbon Diet initiative, which is on track to reduce its associated carbon emissions by 25% from 2007 to 2010. To get there, Bauccio has made sweeping changes to the menu at Bon Appétit’s 400 cafeterias nationwide, reducing foods with the largest global warming impacts (beef and air-transported ingredients), sourcing locally, and reducing food waste.
“Bon Appétit Management Company strives to change the way people view their food,” said Bauccio. “A decade ago, we created direct purchasing relationships with small family owned farms; today, we’re tackling food’s connection to climate change through the Low Carbon Diet initiative. I’m honored to be recognized by NRDC and the panel for our business initiatives.”
James Harvie of Health Care Without Harm
Thought Leader winner James Harvie, founding member of Health Care Without Harm, has helped catalyze a national campaign to encourage the inclusion of social and environmental awareness in hospital food service. To date, 240 hospitals around the country have signed the Health Food in Healthcare Pledge, which aims to support methods of food production and distribution that are better for public and environmental health.
“It is critical that we improve people’s health and our healthcare system through better agricultural polices that promote affordable, nutritious and sustainably produced food in hospitals and other healthcare institutions,” said James Harvie. “I’m honored to receive this award as I continue to work on this vital issue in supporting sustainable agriculture.”
Members of the selection panel include: Larry Bain, Founder of Nextcourse and Food from the Parks and Co-Founder of Let’s Be Frank; Fred Kirschenmann, Distinguished Fellow of the Leopold Center, and President of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture; and Karen Ross, President of the California Association of Winegrape Growers.
The winners will be honored at NRDC’s 2009 benefit, “Food for Thought,” an event that will also honor Michael Pollan for his contributions to the field of sustainable food. The event will take place at San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences on May 9th.
Find out what's fresh in your state, get local food recipes from restaurants around the country, and take Natural Resources Defense Council's new local food widget with you at: NRDC's Food Miles Page
To read Michael Pollan’s blog and the articles and essays from some of the awards finalists and winners in NRDC’s OnEarth/Greenlight go to: Natural Resources Defense Council
Solar Panels (© Maxfx | Dreamstime.com)
Whole Foods Market recently contracted to add solar energy to more than 20 locations; including existing installations, solar will be brought to the rooftops of more than 30 of the Company's stores nationwide.
With an installation at its Berkeley, California store in 2002, the Company became the first retailer to introduce solar power as its primary lighting source. Including potential future rollout phases, Whole Foods Market hopes to have close to 70 total locations with rooftop solar panels, close to one-fourth of the Company's total number of stores.
"Whole Foods Market is thrilled to set the environmental bar even higher by pioneering the development and deployment of alternative energy sources such as solar and wind power," said Lee Matecko, Whole Foods Market Global Vice President of Construction and Store Development. "We are also reducing energy consumption in new and existing stores with some exciting innovative technologies that are making a real difference."
If you’d like to read the press release on which this item was based go to: Whole Foods Market Announces Alternative Energy Investment
Wheat & Sky (photo by Cheryl Rankin, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Nine finalists for the first-ever Growing Green Awards were announced today by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary contributions to sustainable food in advancing farming practices, climate and water stewardship, farmland preservation and social responsibility from farm to fork.
“While food is an essential part of our day-to-day lives, most Americans are unaware that climate change and our food system are inextricably linked,” said Michael Pollan, best-selling author of "The Omnivore’s Dilemma" and chair of the award selection panel. “The Growing Green Awards finalists are leaders and innovators whose sustainable food production, business and practices contribute to improving the health of people and the planet.”
The finalists’ achievements include ingenious on-farm practices to minimize reliance on chemical inputs, energy and water; ecologically integrated urban aquaculture; leadership in influencing large institutions to purchase more sustainable food; and outreach to help consumers better understand the relationship between food and environment.
“By recognizing the achievements of these individuals, we want to inspire other entrepreneurs and opinion leaders to follow their example,” said Jonathan Kaplan, Director of the Sustainable Agriculture Program at NRDC. “The Growing Green Awards are our way of saying thanks for their extraordinary contributions.”
NRDC received nearly 140 nominations from diverse growers, entrepreneurs and business leaders across the country. The nine finalists were selected in the categories of Food Producer, Business Leader, and Thought Leader. The winners will be announced in early May followed by an award ceremony on May 9.
Members of the selection panel include: Larry Bain, Founder of Nextcourse and Food from the Parks and Co-Founder of Let’s Be Frank; Fred Kirschenmann, Distinguished Fellow of the Leopold Center and President of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture; and Karen Ross, President of the California Association of Winegrape Growers.
Winners will celebrate at NRDC’s 2009 San Francisco benefit, Food for Thought, an event that will also honor Michael Pollan for his contributions to the field of sustainable food. The event will be held at the California Academy of Sciences on May 9. Following are the nine finalists:
Food Producer
Will Allen of Growing Power in Milwaukee, WI
Judith Redmond of Full Belly Farm in Guinda, CA
Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm in Swoope, VA
Business Leader
Fedele Bauccio of Bon Appétit Management Co. in Palo Alto, CA
Michael Rozyne of Red Tomato in Canton, MA
Thaleon Tremain of Pachamama Coffee Coop in Davis, CA
Thought Leader
Ann Cooper of Berkeley Unified School District in Berkeley, CA
James Harvie of Institute for a Sustainable Future in Duluth, MN
Sibella Kraus of Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE) in Berkeley, CA
Find out what's fresh in your state, get local food recipes from restaurants around the country, and take Natural Resources Defense Council's new local food widget with you at: NRDC's Food Miles Page
Read Michael Pollan's blog in GreenLight: A food revolution in the making from Victory Gardens to White House Lawn
Read Jonathan Kaplan's blog in Switchboard: NRDC's Growing Green Awards: An olive branch (organic of course) to agriculture
Spring Orchard (photo by clconroy, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Belt-tightening of family budgets is widely underway, but consumers are showing a willingness to purchase products perceived as promoting a healthier and more sustainable future despite their higher cost.
Though it represents a slowing of the double-digit growth of years past, Nielsen Company research indicates that the growth of organic food sales was 5.6% in December compared to the same month a year ago. According to Nielsen’s findings, sales at natural food stores reached $4.2 billion in 2008, an annual increase of 10.9%.
A survey by GlobeScan, commissioned by the non-profit Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International, found international support among consumers for companies they believe are dealing justly and ethically with producers in developing countries. Sales of products certified Fairtrade were up by 24% in Austria, by 40% in Denmark, by 57% in Finland, by 22% in France, by 75% in Sweden, by 43% in the United Kingdom and by 10% in the United States in 2008, when compared with 2007. The majority of consumers expect companies to actively support community development in developing countries.
A Harris Interactive poll found that of the 73% of consumers who purchase "green" products, about 67% are purchasing the same amount of green products, while 26% are buying more, and only 8% are buying less. The Harris poll asked adults how recent economic conditions had affected their purchasing of "green" products or services such as non-toxic or biodegradable cleaning products and restaurants that serve locally sourced food.
A Native American says a prayer & hands out tobacco as an offering of thanks to Nature (photo by Greg Peterson)
Eat well with the "food that grows on the water." Native Harvest Wild Rice grows naturally in the lakes of Northern Minnesota and is hand-harvested by Ojibwe communities on the White Earth Indian Reservation using traditional methods.
Unlike the genetically manipulated "wild rice" grown in paddies, this authentic wild rice is an important American heirloom crop and a central part of Anishinaabeg culture and tradition. Anishinaabeg is a self-description often used by people belonging to the indigenous Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonkin peoples of North America, who share closely related Algonquian languages. Ojibwe communities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Canada, harvest and process wild rice in the tradition of their ancestors.
Manoomin, as the wild rice is known, is part of the Anishinaabeg migration stories and prophecies. It continues to define what it means to be Anishinaabeg. One definition of Anishnaabeg is Original-People. Another refers to ideas about the good people that are on the right path given to them by the Creator.
The campaign to protect the integrity of this authentic wild rice is an important aspect of the White Earth Land Recovery Project in Ponsford, Minnesota. The Project’s mission is to facilitate recovery of the original land base of the White Earth Indian Reservation, while preserving traditional practices of sound land stewardship, language fluency, community development, and the spiritual and cultural heritage of the people of White Earth.
Winona LaDuke is the organization’s Founder and Director. A graduate of Harvard and Antioch Universities, Ms. LaDuke received the Reebok Human Rights Award in 1989, with which, in part, she began the White Earth Land Recovery Project. The Project’s wild rice campaign is working to prevent the taking of the essence of the wild rice by the paddy rice industry, which would leave the Native Americans who have been the stewards of this resource for many centuries with nothing.
The campaign began in 2002, with the historic gathering that brought together traditional rice harvesters from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan to meet with members from the academic, scientific and non-profit communities. That meeting set the foundation for the ongoing struggle to protect the sacred wild rice from issues of bio-piracy, further genetic manipulation, patent struggles and labeling issues.
The four main components of the wild rice campaign are:
1) Protecting the intellectual property rights of the Anishinaabeg.
2) Opposing genetic modification and contamination of wild rice.
3) Promoting a fair trade for traditionally hand-harvested, natural lake wild rice.
4) Educating on the tradition and culture surrounding wild rice.
Manoomin
To purchase this authentic heirloom wild rice, hand-harvested by Ojibwe communities go to: Native Harvest Wild Rice: Sacred Manoomin
To view a wonderful recipe employing Sacred Manoomin go to: American Black Walnut & Wild Rice Pilaf
Brooklyn Bridge (photo by Seemann, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Food activists, local farmers, health advocates, academics, union leaders, elected officials, restaurateurs, and concerned citizens will gather on Saturday, May 2nd to discuss the changes and challenges in our global food economy and how it impacts our communities. Workshops and speeches will provide education and networking opportunities for individuals to get involved for improving our diet, health and environment.
Keynote Speakers
The Brooklyn Food Conference will have dozens of community groups and hundred of volunteers participating. Key-note speakers include well-known activists Dan Barber, executive chef and owner of Blue Hill Restaurant, and a leader of fair trade development and healthy food; Anna Lappé, co-founder of the Small Planet Institute and the author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen; Raj Patel of the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System; as well as LaDonna Redmond, head of the Institute of Community Resource Development in Chicago.
“Never before have there been such compelling reasons to rethink our energy policy, our environmental policy, and our health care system – and we cannot make headway on any of these without addressing food,” said Dan Barber, who will speak at the opening plenary session.
The Brooklyn Food Conference aims to increase awareness and education around food issues and establish a Brooklyn Food Coalition that will develop a Legislative Food Agenda. A town hall event will give participants the opportunity to testify in front of the elected officials expected to attend.
300 Volunteers Make it Happen
The conference is entirely volunteer driven – from event planning to fund raising and community outreach. A team of over 300 volunteers has been planning the conference for 7 months, and 2,000 participants are expected to attend. More than 75 organizations, including non-profit and community organizations, schools, elected officials and local businesses are partners in this effort. There will be a full program of workshops and
activities for children.
“We hope to change our food system on local, state and federal levels so that all people have access to healthy food, and to ensure consumers and workers are treated with fairness and justice,” said Nancy Romer, the conference’s General Coordinator. “This conference is the official beginning of our collective efforts.”
Co-Sponsors
Co-Sponsors for the conference include: The Park Slope Food Coop; Caribbean Women’s Health Association; World Hunger Year; Brooklyn Rescue Mission; and Brooklyn’s Bounty. The conference is generously hosted by the administrators, teachers, students, and parents of John Jay High School and P.S. 321.
Who: The Brooklyn Food Conference is a project of the Brooklyn Food Coalition.
What: The Conference is a grassroots event for a just, secure, sustainable, healthy and delicious food system.
Where: P.S. 321 and at John Jay High School, 7th Avenue in Park Slope
The Conference is FREE and open to all!
To register and for more information, visit the official web site: Brooklyn Food Conference
"The 'First State' may be small in size, but it’s still a leader in farmland protection. Delaware has protected more acres of farmland per capita than any other state and just celebrated the protection of the state’s 500th farm." So we just learned from our friends at American Farmland Trust.
Such milestone's don't come easy. In the late 1800s the state had more than one million acres of farmland. By the 1990s, almost half of that farmland was gone, but the desire to preserve what remained resulted in the formation of the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation in 1991. Under the preservation program, landowners agree not to develop their lands for at least 10 years, using the land only for farming. In exchange, the state provides tax benefits, right-to-farm protection, and the option to sell a preservation easement, keeping the land permanently free from development.
American Farmland Trust’s President, Jon Scholl, commended the program in a letter to Delaware's Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee:
Protecting the most basic resource of agriculture—the land—from non-agricultural development ensures that our farms and farmland will continue to provide the bounty of food and fiber along with continuing to contribute to our environment, local communities, heritage and well-being for generations to come.
Less sprawl and more land capable of producing healthy food for generations to come...Bravo Delaware!
If you’d like to learn more about the efforts of AFT go to: American Farmland Trust: Saving the Land that Sustains Us
Detroit Skyline (© Icholakov | Dreamstime.com)
Planning is underway to create the world's largest urban farm on more than 70 acres of vacant lands and abandoned properties within the City of Detroit, announced John Hantz, CEO of Hantz Farms, LLC.
Michigan State University Adds Expertise
Hantz Farms is working directly with Michigan State University to add its expertise on agricultural and soil sciences and consulting with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, a national leader in community-based food systems.
"Urban agriculture is an opportunity to provide an effective economic development program for the Detroit community," said Jeffrey D. Armstrong, Dean of the Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "This is a challenging and exciting opportunity."
"Detroit could be the nation's leading example of urban farming and become a destination for fresh, local and natural foods, and become a major part of the green movement," said Hantz, a Detroit resident. "Hantz Farms will transform this area into a viable, beautiful and sustainable area that will serve the community, increase the tax base, create jobs and greatly improve the quality of life in an area that has experienced a severe decline in population."
The plan is to grow natural, local, fresh and safe fruits and vegetables to help meet Michigan's increasing demand for locally grown produce. In addition to food and Christmas trees, the farm will harvest wind energy and utilize geothermal heat and biomass fuel from recycling compost.
"It makes great sense to utilize the blighted and abandoned land in the city to produce fresh, nutritious food for local consumers," said Rick Foster, vice president for programs at the Kellogg Foundation. "Urban development projects like this one not only create good food and connection to nature, but serve as an economic development anchor for others in the community."
Some Prefer Small Community Gardens
The developers believe that if the project is approved by Detroit city officials, work would begin immediately and the farm would be operating within six months. Some Detroiters would prefer to see vacant land used for small community gardens that would help bring neighborhoods together.
Seattle’s Field of Dreams (photo by Kristine Kisky, courtesy of morguefile.com)
You expect to see veggie dogs and veggie quesadillas on the menu of a casual vegetarian restaurant, but they’ll also be offered to fans at ballparks in Philly and Denver when opening day for baseball rolls around.
In a welcome sign of the times, the healthier food options are joined by further improvements on sustainable practices in the often staid world of big-time sports. Aramark, a service provider to 15 Major League stadiums, says in a recent press release that the company:
…continues to work with teams and its partners to implement environmentally friendly practices that promote the use of local ingredients, source from local farmers and suppliers, reduce waste, utilize biodegradable service ware, and encourage composting and recycling of bottles, cans, cardboard as well as frying oil. Within retail, many team stores will feature apparel made from organic and recycled cotton.
“We found that our most important fan groups are making very sophisticated dining choices outside the ballpark, so we continue to innovate to appeal to their tastes, at every price level, once inside the ballpark,” said Marc Bruno, president of Aramark Sports, Entertainment and Conventions.
Traditionalists looking forward to calorie-packed favorites while watching a game need not worry. Old favorites such as cheesesteaks, nachos, and Buffalo wings will be readily available. Dishes served up in “monster” portions for the especially ravenous will be easy to find.
If you’d like to read the fullpress release on which this item was based go to: Aramark Continues to Promote Environmentally Friendly Practices at Its Ballparks
U.S. Government Poster from World War II (courtesy of Library of Congress)
(Editors' Note: As our way of offering small thanks to all those who took the time to develop, dispense and sign petitions for the first vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt plamted a Victory Garden, we decided to republish the following item.)
Are Victory Gardens an idea whose time has come back? Could a quick history lesson lead to a better future?
During World War II Americans lived with rations of such necessities as tires, gasoline, sugar, and other foodstuffs. The US government encouraged ordinary people to create Victory Gardens; small plots of fruits and vegetables to stave off food shortages so more mass-produced food could be sent to feed the troops.
The people responded. Two million Americans created Victory Gardens in their backyards or communities. According to author Michael Pollan, "...during World War II, Victory Gardens supplied as much as 40% of the produce Americans ate."
Victory Gardens were more than a war time activity, they were a social phenomenon. Schools and families planted Victory Gardens together, often on communal land. Families caught up on news as they planted and harvested. Nutrition information was widely disseminated to help home cooks create balanced meals for their families. Our current obesity epidemic must have been unimaginable to those gardeners.
Today there are many gardens that are very much like the Victory Gardens of old. In backyards across America folks are growing their own produce, spices and herbs. They harvest fruits and vegetables that have been raised without pesticides and enjoy them when they are at the peak of their freshness and nutritional value. Adding home-grown fare to the fresh produce from a local farm stand or a farmers market gives gardeners the best of both worlds.
If you’d like to try your hand at growing some food of your own but don’t have your own backyard, you can join a community garden. In 2004, the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) estimated that there were already 18,000 community gardens across the USA and Canada. Urban community gardens can be found from South Central Los Angeles to the Bronx in New York City. If there’s no community garden near your home, think about organizing your neighbors to get one started.
Funded by federal grants, GreenThumb has been a program of the NYC Parks Department since 1995. The nonprofit organization has over 600 member gardens serving 20,000 city residents. New York University released a study of the effect of community gardens on nearby property values. The study of 636 community gardens in NYC showed a positive effect on sales prices of residential properties within a 1,000-foot radius of a community garden when compared to properties outside the 1,000-foot ring, but still in the same neighborhood. The effect was significant and increasing over time. The tax benefit to the city over a 20-year period was estimated at $647 million dollars or $1 million per garden. Who knows how much might be saved on medical costs by the healthier diet the gardens make possible.
Not all benefits are measured in dollars. Here’s what Karen Washington from the Garden of Hope in the Bronx had to say about her experience:
To grow your own food gives you a sort of power and it gives people dignity. You know exactly what you’re eating because you grew it. It’s good, it’s nourishing and you did this for yourself, your family and your community.
Victory Gardens could bring down the cost of food for American families and make organic poroduce more widely available. We could reduce America’s reliance on oil simply by keeping vegetable gardens and cutting down on the amount of food that has to be transported by truck. Victory Gardens would reduce the need for petroleum-based fertilizers on giant corporate farms. If you’re unhappy about where all the money Americans spend on oil and gasoline is going, then spread the word: Bring Back the Victory Gardens!
Our friend Eve Sibley has asked that you "Please consider signing and passing on the petition below urging our next leadership to reestablish the Victory Garden model in the United States. We have done it before, we can do it again."
Bring Back the Victory Gardens Petition
If you'd like to start a garden in your community or your backyard here's some info that should help:
American Community Gardening Association
Funding & Other Support for Community Gardens
Cooking from the Heart of the Garden
Midtown Manhattan (photo by Kevin Connors, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Our friends at American Farmland Trust tell us, “Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer and a coalition of food activists recently recommended that the City of New York adopt a wide-ranging plan for making healthy food available to its residents.”
Entitled Food in the Public Interest, the report notes, “There is currently a dearth of stores selling fresh fruits and vegetables in many of the city’s poor neighborhoods.”
It recommends designating a New York City “foodshed” with a radius of 200 miles that would give farmers increased access and incentives to sell at city markets. The Borough President and his allies also believe the city should encourage new development projects to include gardening in neighborhood development plans.
The number of Americans who are obese continues rising and now represents 30% of the population, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s a 100% increase from 25 years ago. American adults are now more likely to be obese than to be cigarette smokers. Studies have linked obesity to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, poor bone health, periodontal disease, and other health conditions. Some believe that obesity will soon overtake smoking as the leading cause of preventable death.
The Manhattan Borough President’s report says, “New York City is outpacing the nation in obesity and its related health issues. Both obesity and diabetes rates rose by 17% between 2002 and 2004 among city residents.”
The report goes on to explain,
The causes for this trend are generally oversimplified, often described as the result of changing lifestyles or overeating. The scope of the problem, however, is a great deal more complicated. Highly processed, fatty, and sugary foods are easily accessible, both by proximity and price, whereas fresh produce is not. This is particularly true in many low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.
There is currently a dearth of stores selling fresh fruits and vegetables in many of the city’s poor neighborhoods. The Department of City Planning recently found that three-quarters of a million New Yorkers live in areas with limited access to fresh produce. Many of these same neighborhoods have an overabundance of fast food options: one in six restaurants in East and Central Harlem serves fast food compared to one in 25 on the more affluent Upper East Side. These unhealthy options often cost less calorie-to-calorie.
The report offers an extensive number of recommendations. Included in those recommendations are steps to alleviate hunger, improve upstate farmers’ access to the New York City food market, protect the environment, expand nutrition education campaigns, and stimulate job creation through small-scale food producers.
If you’d like to read the full report with all of its recommendations go to: Food in the Public Interest
Scenic Chicago (photo by Dave Cameron, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Chicago magazine has announced the recipients of its third annual Green Awards, honoring Chicagoans who are pioneering smart, new environmental ideas. Two of the organizations receiving awards have made remarkable use of sustainable food practices to help those in the City of Big Shoulders who face tough barriers to employment.
Growing Home
Harry Rhodes and Orrin Williams operate Growing Home, a nonprofit that uses organic farming to provide job training for hard-to-employ individuals. The organization harvested its first crop of vegetables from a ten-acre organic farm in LaSalle County in 2001. Since then, Harry Rhodes, 49, and Orrin Williams, 59, have graduated 130 trainees from their program. About 80% of them have been homeless at one time or another and about 90% have been incarcerated.
Growing Home now also operates an organic garden in Back of the Yards, and a year-round urban organic farm on the once deserted industrial lot in hardscrabble West Englewood. The fruits of the labor are sold at a seasonal Wood Street farm stand, through a booming home delivery program, at Green City Market in Lincoln Park, and at the Englewood Farmers Market, which Williams launched in 2008, with the help of students from Lindblom Math and Science Academy, his alma mater. In a neighborhood devoid of grocery stores and with little access to fresh produce, Williams sees the farmers market as the first small step in a string of green ventures that will bring new life and jobs to the area and become a model that others can use.
Sweet Beginnings
Employment Network is a not-for-profit agency that helps neighborhood residents find jobs. With a labor force in waiting, and a yard for beehives, Palms Barber began an urban apiary program called Sweet Beginnings. The business teaches ex-offenders to produce the Beeline brand of all-natural honey and honey-based skin care products, and, along the way, the workers attain job skills for permanent employment.
Beeline products leave a low carbon footprint, are made of natural ingredients, and can be purchased at several boutiques and Whole Foods stores in the Chicago area. Palms Barber hopes to soon distribute to more locations and open a bigger production facility. So far, Sweet Beginnings has been a success: Only three of the 108 employees that have graduated from the Sweet Beginnings program have returned to prison.
The winners were selected from more than 100 nominees suggested by readers, community leaders, and Chicago magazine staff. “We are delighted to honor such an illustrious group of individuals for our third annual Green Awards,” said Richard Babcock, editor of Chicago magazine.
Chicago magazine is a subsidiary of the Chicago Tribune Co., publisher of the award-winning Chicago Tribune newspaper.
To view profiles of all six of the individuals honored with Chicago magazine’s Green Awards in 2009, go to: Galvanized: Six Profiles in Green
Organic Tomatoes (photo by Dmitri Jeltovski, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Providing American families with the option of enjoying food raised without pesticides has been one of the great achievements of the organic farmers movement. The growing demand for organic foods by consumers continues to be a promising trend for the American food system. Along with quests for more flavor and better nutritional value, the desire to avoid pesticides has been a key driver of the demand for organics.
Even in these challenging economic times research from the Mintel International Group indicates that hormone-free milk and organic baby food, are expected to continue to sell well. Mintel says households with small children that ate organic before the recession will probably continue doing so.
Still, there’s a long way to go to overcome decades of unhealthy practices driven by the industrial food system. By our count there have now been at least six studies establishing a link between pesticides and Parkinson disease. Scientists from Duke University, Miami University and the Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center of Excellence “found those exposed to pesticides had a 1.6 times higher risk” of suffering from the debilitating disease. A study conducted at India’s Patiala University found evidence that pesticides have damaged the DNA of farmers in that country, making them more likely to develop cancer. Other researchers have theorized that the reason organic produce has a higher nutritional content than conventionally-grown food is due to pesticides inhibiting the production of nutrients in plants.
We can all play a part in creating a healthier and more sustainable food system by demanding that our food be raised without toxic pesticides. Our bodies, our planet, and our children will be the beneficiaries.
The nonprofit Environmental Working Group offers a guide you can carry in your wallet, "so when you're shopping you'll know which produce to buy organic, and which conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables are okay if organic isn't available.”
For a free download of the EWG’s guide go to: Shoppers Guide to Pesticides
Here's the EWG's link to its full guide: FoodNews.Org (You must provide your email address for the full guide.)
Make a tax deductible contribution to the Environmental Working Group and they’ll send the guide in the form of a refrigerator magnet!
Organic Produce (photo by Dmitri Jeltovski, courtesy of morguefile.com)
In the rapidly changing world of foods and their origins, most people know that products labeled “Organic” and “Natural” are good for them and the environment. But many people don’t know why. This is the premise of a new video series, Discovering Our Organic Planet - USA, produced by Wide World HD Productions, Seattle, WA.
The series is being created to bring the public up close and personal to develop a better understanding of organic and natural farming practices, foods and products that are produced in harmony with nature. Enthusiasm for the series has been extremely positive, but securing sponsorship funding from the organic community has proved to be a challenge for the producers.
“A better informed public will make smarter choices for the food they consume and for the environment we live in…,” said John Wehman, Producer for Discovering Our Organic Planet – USA in a press release, “…and we believe that one of the best ways to reach a larger audience is to create an intriguing and entertaining documentary series that will explain the basics of organics so all can understand.”
As an independent production company, creating a documentary series of this scale is a massive undertaking. “It’s definitely a challenge, but well worth the adventure.” states Wehman. “The support for our series, from the organic and natural food community has been tremendous. But raising funds to cover production costs has been a constant frustration for us.”
Discovering Our Organic Planet – USA, a not-for-profit project, is being funded solely by tax-deductible sponsorship contributions from companies, farms and organizations active in the organic community, philanthropic foundations, and individual contributions.
If you’d like to learn more about the documentary series or make a tax-deductible contribution go to: Discovering Our Organic Planet - USA
You can also contact John Wehman, the Producer, via email: DiscoveringOurOrganicPlanet@comcast.net, or call him 206-427-4978
Losing family farms not only means losing an important part of our heritage; it means losing our finest source of food. The National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) provides a voice for grassroots groups on farm, food, and trade issues to ensure fair prices for family farmers, safe and healthy food, and vibrant, environmentally sound rural communities here and around the world.
According to the nonprofit organization's web site:
The National Family Farm Coalition represents family farm and rural groups whose members face the challenge of the deepening economic recession in rural communities. The NFFC was founded in 1986.
The combination of our member groups' grassroots strength and NFFC's experience working on the national level enables us to play a unique role in securing a sustainable, economically just, healthy, safe and secure food and farm system. Additional power comes from collaborative work with a carefully built network of domestic and international organizations that share similar goals.
NFFC chooses its projects based on the potential to empower family farmers by reducing the corporate control of agriculture and promoting a more socially just farm and food policy.
Learn more about the efforts of the NFFC by clicking here: National Family Farm Coalition
Free Grazing Cows (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Eager foodies have been visiting local farms and paying handsomely to dine on gourmet meals prepared by chefs enthusiastic about making creations with farm fresh ingredients for some time. But those collaborations between forward-thinking chefs and farmers are just one aspect of a movement that is changing the way people across the country think about food.
Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, and many other restaurants, have long recognized the wisdom of buying direct from local farmers. The freshest food is the most flavorful and the most nutritious. And we need to support our family farmers or risk losing them.
Our friend, Chef Jessica Marotta of Campania Restaurant in Fairlawn, New Jersey, tells us:
We are very supportive of local farmers and sustainable foods. We have an amazing partnership with Farm's View in Wayne, N.J., a family farm that dates back to 1894. From April to October we use only the best local produce…we can't wait for winter to be over and done with so we can get back to picking.
When Jessica says “picking” she doesn’t mean selecting items from shelves, she means getting out in the fields and hand-harvesting the best ingredients she can find for Campania's diners.
Founding Farmers Restaurant Washington D.C. is unique in that it was developed with an investment from a collective of American family farmers. They “believe that everyone benefits by all of us knowing more about the source of our food and its journey from seed to harvest to table.”
Those are three fine restaurants located in well populated areas. Now we read in the New York Times that Justus and Camille Eklof, have transformed his family’s 1950s drugstore into Justus Drugstore: A Restaurant in Smithville, Missouri, a rural community of 5,000. The back of the menu “…lists 25 local purveyors, intended to open people’s eyes to the links a restaurant can have to its area.”
The Times quotes Justus as saying of his meat cuts from nearby Paradise Locker Meats, a small plant that works with Heritage Foods U.S.A. to supply top restaurants with heirloom meats, “What’s being served at Momofuku and Spotted Pig is what I’m serving. I’m just here at the source.”
If you’d like to read the New York Times article cited above go to: Table to Farm
To learn more about some of those mentioned in this post, here are some links in alphabetical order:
Campania Restaurant
Chez Panisse
Farm’s View Farm
Founding Farmers Restaurant
Justus Drugstore: A Restaurant
Mowing Oats & Sweet Clover (© Image courtesy of Roxbury Farm)
About 20 years ago, Community Supported Agriculture began as an alternative to giant agribusiness. It is grounded in a philosophy of biodynamic farming, which recognizes that all systems, whether economic, ecological, or biological, are microcosms having their own integrity, while simultaneously being dependent on one another.
To succeed, the alternative farms build direct relationships between farmers and consumers. Consumers become members who pay in advance for a share of the farm’s bounty. Fresh, seasonal food and required tasks get shared among the members. It’s a wonderful way for folks to directly connect with farmers, get the freshest, most delicious, and most nutritious food available, support the economic viability of local family farms, and make some like-minded friends.
Roxbury Farm has been a pioneer of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) since getting started in 1990, and it’s been going strong ever since. Located in Kinderhook in New York State’s scenic and historic Hudson Valley, Roxbury Farm was the first CSA to serve members in New York City.
A report in the Boston Globe describes the fun of being a CSA member:
Members say that their week begins to take shape when the box of produce arrives. Picking it up becomes an adventure. Dinners turn into spontaneous creations crafted around produce that must be eaten right away. Vegetables you've never seen, or would never buy, are suddenly on the table - and you find you actually like them. If you never heard of kohlrabi, for instance, you're in for a treat; if you've got too much food or you're going away, share your bounty with grateful friends.
If you’d like to read the Boston Globe article cited above go to: Fresh idea for supporting agriculture
If you’d like to learn more about Roxbury Farm & becoming a member go to: Roxbury Farm CSA
To view a previous post on the topic go to: Community Supported Agriculture at Roxbury Farm
Fresh Food & Fine Design (photo by Mary R. Vogt, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Good economic news has been less plentiful than we’d like of late, but we just got some very encouraging news from our friends at American Farmland Trust:
According to the new 2007 Census of Agriculture, direct farm-to-consumer food sales at farm stands and farmers markets rose 49 percent, and sales of organic foods were significant. These statistics are two of many in the new census that give a comprehensive look at what constitutes U.S. agriculture today. Such market growth offers producers fresh opportunities to stay economically viable, a key factor in helping our farmers keep their land in agriculture.
This not just good news for farmers. More and more folks are getting to know the farmers who grow their food, and that is great news for everyone who wants a healthier and more sustainable food system. Buying from a local farmer means you’re getting the freshest, best-tasting and most nutritious food available. The sharp rise in the number of people who want that experience means slow food thinking is becoming increasingly pervasive. As it does, ever more folks will have access to food that is "Good, Clean and Fair."
If you’d like to learn more about the efforts of AFT go to: American Farmland Trust: Saving the Land that Sustains Us
Fresh Strawberries (photo by Ken Hammond, courtesy of USDA)
The Sunshine State may have gotten a later start than some of the country’s other urban centers, but The News-Press reports, “So-called urban farms are sprouting around Southwest Florida, cultivating a colorful cornucopia of produce and changing the agricultural landscape.”
According to the article:
After years of farmland being eaten up by development, small growers are turning the tables by nurturing specialty, hydroponic or organic produce on little plots of land. Their crops appeal to consumers who want to know where and how their peas and carrots are grown at a time when food poisoning scares continue.
Denise Muir of Rabbit Run Farm in Buckingham is a former chef and financial adviser. She is now “harvesting hydroponic greens and strawberries” as well as “selling patty-pan squash, golden beets and purple carrots.” Despite working six-day weeks, Ms. Muir remains enthusiastic about the progress she’s making on just half an acre of land. The News-Press quotes her as saying, “I thought I would have to market to chefs but found the community to be so excited. It's all word of mouth."
If you’d like to read The News-Press article cited above go to: Urban farms catch on in Lee County
Pacific Sunset (photo by Lisa Welbourn)
Making an eco-friendly investment in your home can save money on taxes, reduce utility bills over the long term, and increase the value of your home. Those are the benefits to the homeowner, but since that investment also makes for a cleaner, safer and more secure environment for every citizen, we wanted to provide some information for interested homeowners.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy web site:
Consumers who install solar electric systems can receive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2016; the previous tax credit cap of $2,000 no longer applies. In addition, consumers who install small wind systems can receive a tax credit up to $4,000. Geothermal heat pumps also qualify for tax credits up to $2,000.
For more detail on tax incentives on federal tax incentives go to: U.S. Department of Energy Tax Breaks
The California Solar Energy Industries Association is a non-profit business association supporting the widespread adoption of solar thermal and photovoltaic systems by educating consumers and supporting solar legislation.
The State of California has put in place a range of financial incentives that substantially reduce the costs of solar energy systems. For CAL SEIA's info on the incentives click here: California Energy Rebates
Soil-Saving Farming in Pennsylvania (photo by Scott Bauer, courtesy of USDA)
A message just in from our friends at American Farmland Trust is good news for those who want a healthier and more sustainable food system for America. Here's what they had to tell us:
Last year, 10 Pennsylvania farmers took on American Farmland Trust’s Best Management Program Challenge to grow their crops on their fields using less nitrogen fertilizer than the recommended levels. The results of their year long experiment are good news for the environment and the wallet.
In 2008, these farmers reduced a total of 24,658 pounds of nitrogen that otherwise would have been applied to their fields. Not only did these farmers remove thousands of pounds of nitrogen that could have ended up clouding the Chesapeake, they did it at a fraction of the cost of other nitrogen removal strategies—at only $2.74 per pound versus the up to $8-9 per pound it is estimated it could cost tax payers to remove the nutrient through other means.
It isn’t just farmers that can make a difference; you can do your part too! Whether you live in the Mid-Atlantic or in the plains of North Dakota, water always makes its way downhill.
To find out what you can do and take a challenge of your own, go to: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Nitrogen Calculator
We received a message from our friends at American Farmland Trust saying that the proposed budget for New York State from Governor Paterson calls for cuts of almost 40% to the state’s environmental and agricultural programs.
According to the AFT’s message:
These agricultural programs in the Environmental Protection Fund support a farm and food industry that annually contributes more than $23 billion to New York’s economy, while producing fresh, healthy foods, beautiful landscapes and a cleaner environment.
There are solutions, rather than simply cutting these programs that are important to all New Yorkers. The Legislature and Governor could adopt the Bigger Better Bottle Bill that would expand nickel deposits to noncarbonated beverages. An expanded Bottle Bill could generate more than $200 million annually and help grow environmental funding over the long-term in New York.
The governor's proposal also includes a measure to replace the traditional source of EPF funding—the real estate transfer tax (RETT)—with bottle bill revenues. This approach will jeopardize a stable source of environmental funding: the RETT must be preserved to meet increasing environmental needs across New York.
The need to curb spending in the face of declining revenues is understandable, but this is also a time when public spending is needed to provide economic stimulus. A fare share of public spending should go to programs designed to produce a healthier, more sustainable food system, for all of us here now and for generations to come.
If you’d like to make your voice heard on this environmental issue go to: American Farmland Trust
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