Dairy Cows in Cabot, Vermont (photo by Tara, courtesy of morguefile.com)
There’s more good news for those who want healthier and more sustainable food. 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.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently published a report stating, “Between 2000 and 2005, the number of certified organic milk cows on U.S. farms increased by an annual average of 25%, from 38,000 to more than 86,000.”
According to the report, that makes organic milk one of “the fastest growing segments of organic agriculture in the United States in recent years.” And organic agriculture in itself is one of the fastest growing segments of all farming in the U.S., having enjoyed an annual growth rate of 20% for many years. It seems reasonable that consumer demand and the example of so many farmers having already successfully converted their dairy operations to organic, the trend will continue for the foreseeable future.
The report published by the USDA entitled, Characteristics, Costs, and Issues for Organic Dairy Farming, was authored by William D. McBride and Catherine Greene. They found the following when comparing organic and conventional dairies:
• Organic dairies are smaller than conventional dairies (82 cows compared with 156 cows).
• Organic dairies produce about 30 percent less milk per cow than conventional dairies (13,601 pounds per organic cow compared with 18,983 pounds per conventional cow).
• Organic dairies are more often located in the Northeast and Upper Midwest than are conventional dairies (86 percent compared with 65 percent).
• Organic dairies use more pasture-based feeding, where more than 50 percent of dairy forage fed is from pasture during grazing months, than conventional dairies (63 percent compared with 18 percent).
• Pasture-based organic dairies’ total economic costs were about $4 per cwt higher than conventional pasture-based dairies, much lower than the average price premium for organic milk in 2005.
Consumers appear to be comfortable paying a premium for organic milk in order to avoid the health risks of conventionally produced milk from factory farms. As our friend Sarah Alexander at Food & Water Watch wrote this past summer, “…the documented increase of infections in dairy cows injected with rBGH…necessitates increased use of antibiotics…and there are ongoing questions about links to cancer…most of the industrialized countries in the world have banned this hormone.”
Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization based in Washington, D.C. This past August the organization launched a campaign to get milk produced with artificial hormones out of schools once and for all, and delivered more than 25,000 petitions to members of Congress asking them to clarify that schools have the option to purchase rBGH-free milk or organic milk.
If you’d like to take action to get rBGH-free milk into your local school go to: Food & Water Watch
If you’d like to read the report published by the USDA and cited above in its entirety go to: Characteristics, Costs, and Issues for Organic Dairy Farming
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
The Maine Grocers Association (MGA) has named our good friend and partner Waite Maclin, founder of the specialty food company Pastor Chuck Orchards, as “Food Producer of the Year.” American Feast has been proudly offering Waite’s peerless organic apple butter, applesauce and combination gift basket since it launched.
MGA has been assisting the state’s food entrepreneurs since 1935, and its annual award honors those who have generated relationships with retailers to strengthen opportunities for Maine food products to be sold through Maine grocery stores.
Waite’s passionate involvement with the Maine Food Producers Alliance was also a contributing factor in his being chosen. This award marks yet another achievement in what’s been a milestone year for Pastor Chuck Orchards. Already this year, the company:
• Introduced an all-natural apple salsa and a sugar-free applesauce, both of which became instant hits among health conscious consumers and people who simply appreciate and enjoy quality food
• Earned certification for being gluten free across the board
• Began selling its apple products in Whole Food Markets throughout the North Atlantic, Hannaford Grocery stores, and dozens of other retailers
• Enjoyed widespread regional and national media coverage
This holiday season send a gourmet gift from Waite’s Pastor Chuck Orchards that is healthy, sustainable and delicious: Maine Apple Gift Basket
If you'd like to try some amazing organic apple butter go to: Pastor Chucks Organic Apple Butter
If you'd like to purchase some of Pastor Chuck's superlative sauce go to: Organic Applesauce
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Raspberries! (photo by Marcin Modestowicz, courtesy of morguefile.com)
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. A flock of native Rio Grande turkeys control the insect population amongst the hedge rows, so there's no need for poisonous pesticides!
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
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Roasted Veggies (photo by Scott Liddell, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Vegetarians are 12% less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters, according to research published in the British Journal of Cancer.
In a study of more than 61,000 people, Cancer Research UK scientists from Oxford followed meat eaters and vegetarians for over 12 years, during which 3,350 of the participants were diagnosed with cancer.
They found that the risk of being diagnosed with cancers of the stomach, bladder and blood was lower in vegetarians than in meat eaters. The most striking difference was in cancers of the blood including leukemia, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The risk of these diseases was 45% lower in vegetarians than in meat eaters.
Professor Tim Key, study author from the Cancer Research UK Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University, said:
Our large study looking at cancer risk in vegetarians found the likelihood of people developing some cancers is lower among vegetarians than among people who eat meat. In particular vegetarians were much less likely to develop cancers of the blood which include leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The study looked at 20 different types of cancers. The differences in risks between vegetarians and meat eaters were independent of other lifestyle behaviors including smoking, alcohol intake and obesity, which also affect the chance of developing cancer.
Sara Hiom, director of health information at Cancer Research UK, said:
These interesting results add to the evidence that what we eat affects our chances of developing cancer. We know that eating a lot of red and processed meat increases the risk of stomach cancer. But the links between diet and cancer risk are complex and more research is needed to see how big a part diet plays and which specific dietary factors are most important.
The relatively low number of vegetarians who developed cancer in this study supports Cancer Research UK's advice that people should eat a healthy, balanced diet high in fiber, fruit and vegetables and low in saturated fat, salt and red and processed meat.
To access high quality original papers increasing the understanding of the causes of cancer go to: British Journal of Cancer
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
(Image courtesy of Organic Valley Family of Farms ©)
Gary Herzberg of Portland, Oregon created this recipe after he and his then pregnant wife joined a community supported agriculture farm (CSA). They had joined the CSA to promote the nutritious gestation of their son and found that kale was almost always included in their regular box of fresh goodies. Kale is an amazingly healthy green, so thank you Gary for coming up with a delicious way to reap those health benefits at breakfast.
Gary’s creation went on to become one of five winning submissions from a healthy recipe contest held by our friends at Organic Valley Family of Farms, a farmer-owned coop that says, “We think it's a simple truth. The earth's most delicious, most healthful foods are made when farmers work in harmony with nature.” They started with seven farmers forming an organic cooperative in 1988. Today, about 1,400 family farms are members and their high standards shine through in their award-winning, certified organic foods.
Besides being a winner in the national contest, the recipe Gary scrabbled from necessity went on “…to the wild success it now holds in our family. Not only is kale no longer the stepchild of our box, it has moved to the forefront of weekly planning, where a kale-less box is met with much chagrin.”
Ingredients for 8 to 10 Servings
• 2 Bunches of Kale, or other greens such as collards, beet, etc.
• 1 Medium Onion
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 2 Slices Bread
• 3 Organic Valley Eggs
• 3/4 Cup of Organic Valley cheese such as Colby, Cheddar, Mozzarella, etc.
• 1/3 Cup of Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
• 1 Teaspoon Pepper or to taste
• Organic Valley Sour Cream for Garnish (Optional)
Preparation
1. First off you need to blanch all the veggies. Boil a large pot of water, and get an ice bath started to cool the veggies once they are done cooking. Once the water is boiling, dunk the greens in for 2-3 min, then plunge the into ice bath. Do in batches if they don't all fit.
2. Once the greens are safely in the ice-water bath, blanch the garlic and the onions for about 30 seconds. You can leave the skins on, and you don't need to put them in the ice-bath. Just don't touch them until they are cool enough to handle.
3. Once everything is cool, start with the greens. Take them out of the ice bath, and squeeze all the water you can out of them -- I use a paper towel or dish cloth. Roughly chop the greens, onions, and mince the garlic; add them to a mixing bowl.
4. Toast 2 slices of bread -- I prefer the end pieces that nobody eats anyway. Once toasted brown, chop or crumble bread into mixing bowl. Chop up the cheese into a decent dice, or shred, add to mixing bowl. Add flour, salt and pepper to the mix. Crack eggs into bowl, and break yolks.
5. Use spatula (or your hands!) to thoroughly mix together all the ingredients. They should begin to feel a little like a "meatball."
6. Once mix is sticky, heat up a skillet, then add some oil or butter once the pan is hot. Once combined, make a small ball (about a cup) of the mix in your hands and squeeze together firmly. Place ball in skillet, and mash it flat with the back of a spatula, trying to keep "cake" together. Fry until golden brown on each side.
7. Garnish Liberally with Sour Cream, or Not.
Copyright by Organic Valley Family of Farms ©
To visit the web site of the farmers' coop go to: Organic Valley Family of Farms
To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Healthy Besse of New Jersey (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morguefile.com)
With frightening reports of contamination and foodborne illnesses arriving with alarming regularity it’s no surprise that a recent national survey of affluent consumers found safety to be their number one concern when purchasing food.
The majority of consumers surveyed are looking at labels and menus for assurances that undesirable things, such as antibiotics and artificial hormones, are not present. Food safety was especially important to women. Ethical claims are frequently linked to safety issues and of special importance to a “large subset of consumers,” according to the researchers.
The survey by Context Marketing, a San Francisco Bay Area consulting firm, did not include nutrition, focusing instead on “quality claims having to do with safety and health, as well as ethical considerations and their role in purchase decisions.” The firm’s research results were issued in a report, Beyond Organic – How Evolving Consumer Concerns Influence Food Purchases.
The researchers confirmed that price played a major role in decisions on purchasing specialty foods and making menu choices at restaurants, and it is the main reason for making a purchase at a supermarket. Still, educated and prosperous consumers are familiar with the issues behind the claims being made by producers, manufacturers and restaurants, and ethical behavior is vital to gaining consumer trust and loyalty.
Seventy-two percent (72%) of those surveyed say they are willing to pay “more for food that promises to be healthier, safer or produced to higher ethical standards.”
To view the report from Context Marketing cited above go to: Beyond Organic – How Evolving Consumer Concerns Influence Food Purchases
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Hannah Kaminsky's Vegan Cheesecake (Images courtesy of the Boston Vegetarian Society)
This year our friends at the Boston Vegetarian Society are delighted to expand the Annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival to a two-day event! The Festival brings together an amazing array of vegetarian natural food providers, top national speakers and chefs, and educational exhibitors in a fun and welcoming environment.
The event couldn’t be more family-friendly, offering free admission, free food sampling, free speaker presentations, free parking, a T Subway stop just across the street, and activities for kids.
The 2009 Festival is on for Saturday, October 31st, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Sunday, November 1st during those same hours, at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, 1350 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts
The Festival offers the chance to talk directly to food producers, learn the newest items in the marketplace, get some cooking tips, taste free food samples, shop with special discounts, or simply learn what vegetarian foods are available and where you can find them.
Whether you are a longtime vegetarian or vegan, or someone simply wanting to add more healthy and delicious foods to your meal repertoire, or if you are just curious what it's all about, you will be very welcome! While your enjoying the fun you can also learn of ways to benefit the environment, help animals, and enhance your health and well being.
  
Sponsored by the Boston Vegetarian Society
The sponsoring organization, the Boston Vegetarian Society, is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization. The organization seeks to make a better world for people, animals, and the earth through advancing a healthful vegetarian diet and a compassionate ethic. It provides education, encouragement, and community support for vegetarians and for anyone wishing to learn more about a healthy, environmentally friendly and humane way of life.
.
To visit the sponsoring organization's web site & get more information about the Festival go to: The Boston Vegetarian Society
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Waterfront Jogging (photo by Jusben, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Written by Adrienne Carlson
It was my dream to lose 30 pounds or more, and I achieved it in less than a year through a strict exercise and diet regime. I was ecstatic about my success and very proud of myself for what I had accomplished. But the elation did not last more than six months, because in that short span of time, I found to my horror that I could not button my new jeans. A look at the scales showed me that I had gained back 12 of those pounds that I had worked so hard to lose, and I was aghast and horrified at allowing this to happen.
I realized then that it is not just enough to lose weight; you have to work just as hard to keep it off, especially if you’re someone like me who is prone to putting on weight in no time at all. So if you’re looking for ways to stay slim after getting there, here’s what I did to get back on track and make sure I stayed there:
• Make exercise a way of life: If you think of exercise as just a way to lose weight, you’re going to stop working out the moment you reach your ideal weight. And when you stop exercising but continue to eat as much, you start to put on weight again, sometimes faster than you lost it. So make exercise a way of life rather than a passing fancy – make it your spouse for life instead of treating it like a temporary fling. To do this, choose some form of working out that you enjoy and that you will feel like doing at least four times a week, for an hour or so each day.
• Work out with weights: You don’t have to pump iron, just lifting small dumbbells and doing a few squats and lunges every day should help strengthen your muscles and improve your muscle mass. When you do this, your metabolism increases and you lose weight even when you’re sedentary.
• Don’t deprive yourself: Eat the right kind of food and ensure that you don’t starve or deprive yourself too much. When you force yourself to abstain from certain foods, you fall prey to temptation and end up binging and eating much more than is justified. You begin to crave foods that are not good for you, and in the process, end up ruining all the good you gained by working out. So eat what you want, in limited portions. However, make sure that you don’t eat more than you are burning off – you’re going to balloon up if you do.
• Monitor your weight: Keep an eye on your weight from time to time. Once you see yourself adding on a pound or two, cut back on your calories and step up your level of exercise. Keep up the routine till your weight falls back to your ideal number.
• Make health a priority: If you don’t lose weight as fast as you would like, don’t punish your body by working out too hard and/or starving yourself. When you do this, you may lose weight in the process, but you also end up losing something that is invaluable – your health.
This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of physical therapy and staying healthy. For more of her expert advice visit her web site: Physical Therapy Assistant Schools
Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions at her email address (just copy & paste): adrienne.carlson1@gmail.com
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Wheat & Sky (photo by Cheryl Rankin, courtesy of morguefile.com)
“Every year, millions of people in the United States suffer from foodborne illness, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized, and thousands die,” according to recent testimony given by Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Dr. Hamburg stated that “A precondition for health is having access to safe food.” She cited changes in consumer dietary patterns, industry practices, U.S. population demographics, evolving pathogens, and an increasingly globalized food supply as posing challenges and requiring current government strategies to adapt.
She told the Senate Committee that the Food Safety Working Group appointed by President Obama in March, “…recommends a new public-health focused approach to food safety based on three core principles: prioritizing prevention, strengthening surveillance and enforcement, and improving response and recovery.”
Chief recommendations of the Working Group include providing the FDA with the tools needed to access basic food safety records at facilities and require mandatory recalls. In her testimony Dr. Hamburg noted that a coalition of consumer groups is fighting for improvements in the food safety system and major sectors in the food industry also support and are advocating for fundamental change. A food safety bill was recently passed by the House of Representatives, and a similar bill is under consideration in the Senate. She cited these factors as indicating broad support for legislative reform, “…so that more families do not have to suffer tragic consequences from foodborne disease.”
Dr. Hamburg added:
…even with the President’s support – even with the full efforts of HHS and USDA and other federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial food safety partners – and even with the backing of consumer groups and industry, our efforts will fall short unless Congress modernizes food safety laws to deal with the challenges of the 21st century.
To read Dr. Hamburg full statement before the Senate Committee go to: Keeping America's Families Safe: Reforming the Food Safety System
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
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
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Soda Cans (photo by Jane M. Sawyer, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Current state taxes and levies on soft drinks are slowing consumption and resulting in slimmer waistlines, but the effect is generally small in magnitude, newly published research by the Yale School of Public Health has found. The study appears in the journal Contemporary Economic Policy.
Assistant professor Jason M. Fletcher of Yale analyzed the effectiveness of various forms of soda taxation on body mass index (BMI) over a 16-year period. With colleagues from Bates College and Emory University, Fletcher found that an individual’s weight only mildly responds to changes in taxation—a 1% tax increase resulted in less than a tenth of a pound for a man of average height.
“Our results suggest that the current low, hidden rates of soft drink taxation in most states are not effective in substantially changing adult consumption,” Fletcher said. “Our results leave open the possibility that large taxes that are communicated to consumers are still worthwhile to consider as policy options, but small tax changes will not work.”
The average current tax rate on soda is about 3%, though many states are contemplating further increases.
Soft drinks have come under increased scrutiny in recent years as a source of obesity in children as well as adults and as a contributor to a range of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart complications. As a result, many states are turning to a “sin” tax to combat steadily growing rates of consumption. Higher taxes than what are currently imposed on soda have been used—with generally effective results—on tobacco and alcohol.
Fletcher, along with David Frisvold of Emory and Nathan Tefft of Bates, analyzed the impact of soda taxation on BMI in various states from 1990 to 2006. Their results indicated that soda taxation has a greater BMI effect on those with lower incomes and that the result is more pronounced for females and middle-aged and older individuals. In all cases, though, the effects on obesity were very small.
The study was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
To view the full press release on which this item was based go to: Current Soda Taxes Not High Enough to Curb Obesity, Study Finds
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. Diet Soda Linked to Obesity & Heart Disease
2. Colas Can Cause Kidney Problems
3. Diet Soft Drinks May Increase Risk of Heart Disease
4. Safety of Soft Drinks Under Scrutiny
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
D & E Farms in Franklinville, N.J. (photo by Emily Roesly , courtesy of morguefile.com)
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
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Reefs in Galley Head (photo by Enzo Cositore, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The Irish Government will ban the cultivation of all genetically modified (GM) crops and introduce a voluntary GM-free label for food – including meat, poultry, eggs, fish, crustaceans, and dairy produce made without the use of GM animal feed.
The policy was adopted as part of the Renewed Programme for Government agreed between the two coalition partners, the center-right Fianna Faíl and the Green Party, after the latter voted to support it on Saturday.
The agreement specifies that the Government will “Declare the Republic of Ireland a GM-Free Zone, free from the cultivation of all GM plants”. The official text also states, “To optimize Ireland’s competitive advantage as a GM-Free country, we will introduce a voluntary GM-Free logo for use in all relevant product labeling and advertising, similar to a scheme recently introduced in Germany.”
Michael O’Callaghan of GM-free Ireland said the policy signals a new dawn for Irish farmers and food producers:
The Irish Government plan to ban GM crops and to provide a voluntary GM-fee label for qualifying animal produce makes obvious business sense for our agri-food and eco-tourism sectors. Everyone knows that U.S. and E.U. consumers, food brands and retailers want safe GM-free food, and Ireland is ideally positioned to deliver the safest, most credible GM-free food band in Europe, if not the world.
This past February, American Feast and Organic Valley joined more than 70 companies in pledging not to use or sell genetically modified beet sugar. The companies and many doctors believe there has been insufficient study of the long term effects of genetically modified crops on human health and the environment.
The measures taken by Germany and Ireland may will spread across the European Union and make GM-free food more competitive against the stiff competition from the giant agri-businesses that see genetically modified food as a means to greater profitability. In doing so, those governments have not only improved their countries’ economic prospects, they have taken a great step toward protecting the health of people and our planet.
To view the press release on which this item was based go to: Ireland Adopts GM-Free Zone Policy
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. Doctors Warn: Avoid Genetically Modified Food
2. 70 Companies Vow Not to Sell Genetically Modified Sugar Beets
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
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
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Rinsed Cannellini Beans (© Photographer: Luminouslens | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
This is the second great recipe our friend Evelyn Kimber of the Boston Vegetarian Society and the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival helped us get permission to pass on to you. This year the Festival has been expanded to two days and will take place on Saturday, October 31, 2009. If you missed it last year, try and get there this time around. It’s a lot of healthy fun for the whole family and definitely worth the trip. This soup recipe was demonstrated at the Festival by Chef Cathi di Cocco, Owner of Café di Cocoa.
“Café Di Cocoa-Food for the Soul” opened in Bethel, Maine in 1996. It’s a charming 28-seat vegetarian restaurant located on Main Street in a Victorian farmhouse. Since then they’ve added a retail Market and Bakery next door. Chef/Owner Cathi di Cocco feeds & educates crowds of people through her in-house cooking classes, food tasting, community soup kitchen, and Summer Cooking Camp for Kids. Vegetarian eating must be providing Chef Cathi with plenty of energy!
Ingredients for 6 Quarts
• 2 Pounds fresh shelled cannellini beans OR 1 pound dried beans, soaked overnight & drained OR three 17-ounce cans of beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 Whole garlic bulb, cut in half horizontally
• 3 Bay leaves
• ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
• 8 Sticks of celery, chopped
• 16 Medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 8 Leeks, white part only, OR 3 med. onions, peeled & chopped
• 4 Medium ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded & crushed OR 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 4 Tablespoons chopped fresh garlic (1 average bulb)
• 8 Sprigs of fresh herb, leaves removed; rosemary, sage OR thyme
• 3 Bunches fresh greens, chopped, (Swiss chard, escarole, collards, etc.)
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt & pepper, to taste
Preparation
1. Cover beans with water.
2. Add bay leaves and halved garlic bulb.
3. Bring to boil and simmer till slightly soft.
4. Cover and let sit 1 hour.
5. Strain through colander, reserving “broth”. Remove garlic and bay leaves. If using canned beans simply drain and rinse.
6. Blend ¾ of the beans into a puree w with broth or water.
7. Reserve ¼ of the beans to add to soup near the end of cooking time
8. In large stockpot saute celery, carrots and onions in olive oil until soft.
9. Add tomatoes, chopped garlic, and herbs.
10. After 5 minutes add chopped greens, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
11. Cook 10 more minutes.
12. Add bean puree and enough broth or water to make a thick soup.
13. Cook slowly for about an hour.
14. Add water or broth as needed to thin.
15. Ten minutes before serving stir in whole beans to heat through.
16. Ladle into bowls and top with rustic herb croutons.
17. Drizzle with the finest extra virgin olive oil you can find.
Submitted by Cathi DiCocco, Chef/Owner of Café DiCocoa in Bethel, Maine.
To purchase the finest extra virgin olive oil we've been able to find go to: L'Autunno Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
If you'd like to purchase a special balsamic vinegar that is both unique and our favorite go to: White Balsamic Vinegar
To make a reservation to dine at Café DiCocoa & try more of Chef Cathi’s delicious creations give a call to (207) 824-5282, or go to the Cafe's web site: Café di Cocoa
To learn more about the sponsoring organization for the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival go to: Boston Vegetarian Society
To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Children Playing on the Beach (© Chris Johnson | Dreamstime.com)
Those who say that eating a well-balanced diet is just too expensive will be surprised to learn that healthy eating is actually cheaper, according to research conducted by the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Behavioral psychologist Hollie Raynor, PhD, RD and her colleagues studied 30 families with at least one obese child. The families were put on a diet encouraging the consumption of high-nutrient, low-fat foods, including most fruits and vegetables, and slightly higher fat, but also nutritious foods, while limiting high-fat, less nutritious foods.
After six months, the researchers found that on the whole the families greatly reduced the number of calories in their diets without any increase in the amount they spent on food. But after one year they found that the families' daily food cost was much less than it was at the start of the treatment. They speculate that eating a diet centered on fruit, vegetables and whole grains and cooking at home made the difference.
Studies among elementary school-age children in New York State have found that one in four children suffers from obesity. Purveyors of junk food make it very convenient to get meals full of unhealthy fat, high in sodium, and low in nutrients. With many millions of dollars spent annually on advertising aimed at kids they pose a tremendous challenge to families concerned with weight loss and weight control, but those who surmount the challenge will enjoy better health and a healthier family budget. Now wouldn’t that be nice!
For a full article on the topic at the Bio-Medicine web site go to: Eating healthy is cost effective
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. Parents Believe Kids Have Too Much Access to Junk Food
2. Ads Make Junk Food Sound Healthy for Kids
3. Shameless Marketing of Junk Food to Kids
4. TV’s Fast Food Ads Contribute to Obesity of Children
5. Food Giants Still Marketing Junk Food to Kids
6. Junk Foods a Health Risk for Kids
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Walden Pond (© Phanington | Dreamstime.com)
While the popularity of TV shows like "Top Chef" and "Iron Chef America" may point to the emergence of cooking as a spectator sport, some students at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York have discovered the satisfaction that comes from preparing food from scratch.
Most of them have had no prior experience researching a recipe or shopping for ingredients, much less actually cooking and serving food to others. And many haven't had much experience even seeing food prepared from scratch, with two-career homes and activity-packed family schedules the norm.
First-year students in a course called "Thoreau Lives!" prepared an all-local luncheon from start to finish, serving classmates, professors and a few guests, including University President William Fox. They researched recipes; visited a farmers market and a local bison farm; purchased ingredients and prepared everything the old-fashioned way, giving presentations on the experience. Included were stories about some revelatory experiences: whipping cream, baking squash and learning that a bison is the same as a buffalo!
The students in this course are studying Thoreau, as well as 20th- and 21st-century environmental writers. They take field trips into the region, observing how some of our neighbors to see live and cook simply. They are learning to “live deliberately,” as Thoreau wrote, in a culture that tells us it is our patriotic duty to consume, spend and acquire.
Similarly, a group of about a dozen students are living in the remote heart of the Adirondack Mountains, participating in the University's Adirondack Semester. They live and take classes at the site, accessible only by canoe. They live in yurts and forego the "necessities" of modern college life, including cell phones, computers and iPods. Part of the experience is that everybody takes turns preparing meals for the group, and participants often state that the cooking is among the most enjoyable aspects of the entire life-altering semester.
For more on the sustainability initiatives and efforts undertaken by one of America’s greenest universities go to: St. Lawrence University Web Site
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. Students at Yale Line Up for Sustainable Food
2. Sustainability Takes Hold on Boston Area Campuses
3. American College Students Want Sustainable Food
4. Rensselaer's Terra Cafe Dishes Up Local and Organic Foods
5. Sustainable Campuses
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
A Healthy Pig (photo courtesy of morguefile.com)
Giant agribusinesses like to claim that industrial farming produces an abundance of food at affordable prices, but once the costs of government subsidies, environmental devastation, and the impact on human health are factored in, industrial food is expensive indeed! And those costs are born by ordinary people through taxes and medical bills, while top executives from the world of big agribusiness live splendid lives of luxury.
The Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming is working to protect human health by eliminating the misuse of antibiotics and related drugs in food animals, joining the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, and countless others in an effort to improve public health.
At the Pew Charitable Trusts’ web site, the nonprofit organization explains:
To reform health care we need to reduce health care costs, and that includes reducing the drug-resistant diseases that cost our country billions. This means stopping the misuse of the antibiotics our families rely on. Many industrial farms routinely feed these drugs to chickens and livestock that aren't sick, which promotes the development of deadly antibiotic-resistant infections.
This past July, the New York Times published an article saying, “The Obama administration announced Monday that it would seek to ban many routine uses of antibiotics in farm animals in hopes of reducing the spread of dangerous bacteria in humans.”
The Times article reported that Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner of food and drugs, told the House Rules Committee that feeding antibiotics to healthy chickens, pigs and cattle should cease, because the practice leads to the development of bacteria that are immune to many treatments.
To visit the Pew organization's web site, get more information, and/or get active, go to: The Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming
To read the New York Times article cited above go to: Administration Seeks to Restrict Antibiotics in Livestock
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. We Want to Know What's in Our Children's Milk!
2. Highest Quality, Healthiest Meat is Sustainably Produced
3. What is Sustainable Food?
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
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
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Collard Greens (photo by © Vtupinamba | Dreamstime.com)
A staple of Southern American cuisine and soul food, collard greens are traditionally served on New Year's Day with black-eyed peas and cornbread to ensure prosperity in the coming year. But since they’re also a wonderfully healthy source of vitamin C, soluble fiber and multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties, it would be a shame to limit them to just one day a year.
Our friend June Jacobs has published a fine recipe for the slightly bitter and nutritious greens in her book, “Feastivals, Cooks at Home.” In the intro to her recipe she writes:
Dark leafy greans are SO good for you I hope you’ll learn to love them! This dish is designed to serve as either a main course with rice, or as a side with anything you please. It’s a traditional Southern “go-with” for beans and rice. You may make it with or without meat, but the flavors are so assertive these green don’t need it.
June says that if you’re making these greens the center of your plate, pair it with a dry, full-bodied Riesling.
Ingredients for 6 Servings
• 6 Pounds collard greens
• 3 Tablespoons canola oil
• 1 Cup finely chopped onions
• 1 Cup finely chopped celery
• 1 Cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• 1 or 2 Small fresh hot peppers, seeded, de-ribbed & finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 3 Bay leaves
• 1½ Cups cold water
• 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1½ Tablespoons fresh oregano or 1½ teaspoons dried
• 2 Teaspoons *Creole seasoning mix
• Hot pepper sauce to taste
• 3 Pounds meaty ham hocks or shanks (optional, but delicious!)
Preparation
1. Pull the coarse stems all the way out of the collards, and wash the leaves very well in several changes of cold water
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven. Add mirepoix (chopped vegetables) and meat (if you are using meat) and sauté the vegetables until the onion is translucent.
3. Tear the greens into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan. Stir to coat greens with the vegetable mixture and oil. Add seasonings and water. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for approximately 1 hour.
4. Allow the greens to sit in their liquor while you remove the hocks and cut them into bite-size pieces. (If there is a lot of liquor in the pan, you may wish to reduce it by ½.)
Be sure to discard all the bone, skin and gristle. Stir the meat back into the pot. Serve hot.
*June Jacob’s Creole Seasoning Mix (from “Feastivals”)
Blend All Ingredients:
• 1 Tablespoon fine sea salt
• 1 Teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1½ Teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Teaspoons white pepper
• 1 Teaspoon garlic powder
To purchase June’s terrific book with all its festive recipes go to: Feastivals, Cooks at Home
To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
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
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
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)
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Acadia National Park (© Photographer: Chee-onn Leong | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
Nature's Gift to Maine
The Wild Blueberry holds a special place in Maine's history — one that goes back centuries, to the state's 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.
The Bar Harbor Jam Company was started in 1989, as a winter project at the Cottage Street Bakery in Bar Harbor, Maine. Since then the company has become famous for the way it’s been crafting its Maine Wild Blueberry Jam. Today, the company's kitchen is located on beautiful Mount Desert Island, Home of Acadia National Park and near the center of Wild Blueberry barrens.
Wild Blueberries Really Are Wild
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, creating hundreds of thousands of bushes. Indigenous Wild Blueberries now grow in fields and barrens that stretch from Downeast to the state's Southwest corner. Adapted to Maine's naturally acid, low fertility soils and challenging winters, Wild Blueberries are a low input crop requiring minimal management. The berries are grown on a two-year cycle — each year, half of a grower's land is managed to encourage vegetative growth and the other half is prepared for a Wild Blueberry harvest in August.
The Bar Harbor Jam Company uses only the finest selection of 100% natural native berries to ensure the best possible taste. When you eat Bar Harbor Jam you come to know why Maine’s Wild Blueberries are so special. To these delicious indigenous berries, they add only the highest quality ingredients and mix them in small, hand-made batches to ensure their quality and to enhance their taste. There are no preservatives added.
Rich in Antioxidants
All it takes is a half-cup of Wild Blueberries to deliciously satisfy one of the recommended "five-a-day" servings of colorful fruits and vegetables. Some of the most powerful antioxidants are highly concentrated in the deep blue pigments of Wild Blueberries. What's more, Wild Blueberries contain more antioxidants than their cultivated cousins. Antioxidants are the "natural zappers" of free radicals; the unstable oxygen molecules associated with cancer, heart disease, and the effects of aging. USDA studies have measured the antioxidant activity of more than 40 fruits and vegetables and ranked blueberries #1.
The owners; Bob, Greg, Mike and Pat, along with Robin and the rest of the fine staff, are committed to delivering superior quality by continuing a great tradition of hand-making products from the finest ingredients. It’s all home-made right on Mount Desert Island!
To purchase some splendid products from the Bar Harbor Jam Company go to any of the following:
Deluxe Wild Blueberry Gift Basket
Maine's Wild Blueberry Jam
Maine's Wild Blueberry Pie
Wild Blueberry Syrup
Cadillac Gift Basket
Maine's Wild Blueberry & Rhubarb Jam
Strawberry & Rhubarb Jam from Maine
Maine Moose Gift Basket
Strawberry Jam from Maine
Maine's Jams Variety Mix
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
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
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
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.
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
Working to help kids make healthier food choices at school, the motto of the New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods is "Healthy Foods + Exercise = Better Health, Better Grades, Better Behavior.” On Wednesday, October 14th the group will present a special fundraising event, “Jam with Us, the Art of Healthy School Food” at the Peter Max Art Studio at West 65th Street in Manhattan. The event will run from 6:30 to 9:30 pm.
Food for the fundraising event will be provided by some of Manhattan’s healhiest caterers and restaurants:
• Angelica Kitchen
• Ayurveda Cafe
• Candle 79
• Candle Cafe Counter
• 4 Course Vegan
• Chef Laura Dardi
• Franchia
• Fran Costigan,
• Luxurious Vegan Desserts
• Green Bean Cafe
• Payard Patisserie
• Rama Sushi
• Slice, the Perfect Food
• Stogo
• VSpot
Beverages will be provided by:
• Ayala's Herbal Water
• Lakewood Juices
• Marble Hill Cellars
There will be Gift Bags For All!
Proceeds from the event will support work that is of vital importance to today's kids and provides busy parents with a helping hand to keep their children healthy.
NYCHSF cites research indicating "...that with proper education, children will select healthy options at a much higher rate than those who do not have such education." With that in mind, the non-profit organization is improving the health and well-being of New York's students by advocating for healthy plant-based foods, including local and organic where possible, farm to school programs, school gardens, the elimination of junk foods from all areas of the school, comprehensive nutrition policy, and education to create food- and health-literate students.
To visit the organization's web site & get more information go to: New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods.
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
Garlic Cloves (photo by Scott Liddell, courtesy of morguefile.com)
You've probably heard that eating garlic is good for your health and now there’s a scientific evidence to back that claim.
The beneficial substance found in garlic is allicin. It’s the substance that can give you “garlic breath”. But, it's also the key to improving blood flow and lowering the risk of heart disease. Scientists have previously noted that in places such as the Mediterranean and the Far East, where garlic consumption is high, there is a low incidence of cardiovascular disease.
The research indicating that consumption of garlic will lower the risk of cardiovascular disease was conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The leader of the University’s research team was Dr. David Kraus, who said: "Our results suggest garlic in the diet is a very good thing.”
Here's a cooking tip we picked up from Chef Melanie Underwood while attending her “The Food Shed: Cooking Local and Seasonal” class at Manhattan’s Institute of Culinary Education. She said if you buy nothing else on a trip to your local farmers market get some fresh garlic, you will taste the difference.
And you don't have to worry about garlic breath when your meal is shared with friends and loved ones!
If you’d like to read a report from BBC News on the topic go to: Why garlic is good for the heart
If you're near NYC & would like to see a great selection of cooking classes go to: Institute of Culinary Education
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
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
(© image courtesy of California Avocado Commission)
Summer days may be dwindling, but there’s still plenty of warm weather ahead calling for fresh fruit salads. So here’s a seasonal recipe for one we received from our friends at the California Avocado Commission, who wrote, “Sweet honey and tangy raspberry vinegar complement the creaminess of California Avocados and juicy citrus in this fresh summer salad.”
The healthy ingredients make this a tasty, low calorie treat if you’re keeping an eye on your diet and weight. CAC tells us, “With 4 grams of protein, 5 grams of dietary fiber and only 250 calories per serving you can enjoy every bite.”
Ingredients for 6 Servings
• 3 6-inch Corn tortillas
• 2 Tablespoons B.R. Cohn Raspberry Champagne Vinegar
• 4 Oranges
• 1 Sliced ripe California avocado
• 4 Grapefruits
• 2 Tablespoons Red Bee Wildflower Liquid Honey
Preparation
1. Cut tortillas in half and slice into very thin strips.
2. Bake the strips by placing on a cookie sheet and baking in a preheated 325° oven for 7-8 minutes.
3. Grate the oranges to obtain 2 teaspoons of rind for each serving.
4. Peel oranges and grapefruits, section and seed.
5. In a large bowl, mix honey, raspberry vinegar, orange, and grapefruit sections.
6. Add orange rinds and tortilla strips.
7. Top with avocado slices.
*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.
To purchase a handcrafted, wine-inspired vinegar from the artisans at B.R. Cohn go to: Raspberry Champagne Vinegar
To purchase one of America's finest artisanal honeys go to: Red Bee Wildflower Liquid Honey
To learn more about California avocados, their heath benefits & growing an avocado tree go to: California Avocado Commission
To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
Napa Valley Winery (© Don Mace | Dreamstime.com)
Changing demographics, a weakened dollar and health benefits have all contributed to the growth of domestic wine sales in the U.S. for the fifteenth consecutive year, according to the recently released 2009 Wine Handbook.
Overall wine consumption in the U.S. rose 0.9% percent in 2008 to 294.7 million 9-liter cases. Although the growth rate has slowed slightly due to the current recessionary environment, consumers have become more frugal with their purchases, trading down toward value-priced wines in both the on-and off-premise wine purchases.
In more good news for American winegrowers, changing demographic trends cited in the 2009 Wine Handbook are favorable for the wine industry. The 70 million people that make up the "Millennial" generation (age 21 to 30) are changing perceptions of wine. This generation is not as sophisticated about wine as preceding generations and is willing to experiment with wines at lower price points.
Another factor accounting for the rise in U.S. wine consumption is the weakened dollar which has driven up prices of imported wine selections. This has triggered an increase in sales among domestic vintages that are priced more competitively.
"Imported wines dropped 1.8 %, while domestics rose 1.9% -- a stark contrast to the recent trend when imported table wines fueled not only the growth of that sector, but of the entire industry," says Eric Schmidt, manager of information services for the Beverage Information Group based in Norwalk, Connecticut.
In addition, continued association between moderate wine consumption and decreased risk of heart disease, cancer and stroke remains a key driver of wine's popularity among an increasingly health-conscious society.
The 2009 Wine Handbook is produced by the Beverage Information Group, a leading source for U.S. wine sales and consumption trends. It includes wine consumption analysis; the top 50 metro markets; supplier performance; advertising expenditures; consumer drinking preferences; and economic/demographic data.
If you’d like to read the press release on which this item was based go to: U.S. Wine Consumption Continues to Grow
To view previous posts on the health benefits of moderate wine consumption go to:
1. Scientists Believe Red Wine Can Slow Aging
2. Drink Red Wine & Eat Dark Chocolate Everyday for a Long & Healthy Life
3. Drink a Glass of Red Wine for a Healthy Heart
4. Drink Wine for Healthy Teeth
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
Sweet Honey (photo by Rick Tango)
A child's cough from a common cold is no reason to go out and buy an expensive cough medicine that carries risks. Scientists have concluded that a spoonful of honey can quiet a child’s nighttime cough and help them sleep better. According to a Reuters Health report, the researchers found that, “When compared to the cough syrup ingredient dextromethorphan or no treatment, honey came out on top.”
"The results were so strong that we were able to say clearly that honey was better than no treatment and dextromethorphan was not," Dr. Ian M. Paul of Pennsylvania State University in Hershey, one of the study's authors, told Reuters Health.
The report went on to say, “There is currently no proven effective treatment for cough due to an upper respiratory infection like the common cold. While dextromethorphan is widely used, there is no evidence that it works, and it carries risks.”
Honey isn't recommended for infants younger than one year old because of a small risk of botulism, but it’s generally safe for older kids. In the study children were given doses of honey equal to recommendations for cough syrups; half a teaspoon for two- to five-year-olds, a teaspoon for six- to eleven-year-olds, and two teaspoons for children twelve and older.
To read the Reuters Health report cited above go to: Honey eases nighttime cough
Our friend Marina Marchese, the Founder of Red Bee Honey Farm in Connecticut, has written a marvelous book 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 try some of Marina’s superb artisanal honeys or send some as a very special gift, click on any of the following:
Spring Clover Liquid Honey
Clover & Creamed Honey Gift Box
Wildflower Liquid Honey
Wildflower & Comb Honey Gift Box
Chunk Honey
Comb Honey
Creamed Honey
Chicago-area chefs will join wineries, brewers and mixologists for Common Threads’ 1st Annual World Cookout. This very special late-summer party will be held on Thursday, September 17th at Fulton’s on the River, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, to raise money for the disadvantaged children in the nonprofit organization’s after-school cooking programs.
Common Threads teaches low-income kids to cook wholesome and affordable meals because they believe that hands-on cooking classes can help prevent childhood obesity and reverse the trend of generations of non-cookers, while celebrating cultural differences and the things people all over the world have in common. Common Threads' students have exhibited a 96% improvement in healthy food choices and 82% have limited their junk/fast food intake to one or fewer times per week.
The Chef Advisory Board of Common Threads boasts masters like Tyler Florence, Stephanie Izard, Bill Kim, Michelle Bernstein, Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, and Giuseppe Tentori. These chefs have volunteered recipes for the children to create and guest teach in the organization’s kitchens.
Chefs confirmed for the 1st Annual World Cookout are: Rodelio Aglibot, Sunda; Robert Andrea, Jake Melnick's; Greg Biggers, Fulton's on the River; Radhika Desai, Top Chef Season 5; Jonathan Fox, La Madia; Gale Gand, TRU; James Gottwald, Rockit Bar & Grill; Rick Gresh, David Burke's Primehouse; Sarah Grueneberg, Cafe Spiaggia; Suzanne Imaz, Cafe Des Architectes; Stephanie Izard, Top Chef Season 4; Bill Kim, Urban Belly; Mark Mendez, Carnivale; Martial Noguier, Cafe Des Architectes; Chris Pandel, The Bristol; Toni Roberts, C-House; Giuseppe Tentori, Boka; Dominique Tougne, Bistro 110; Rey Villalobos, Table Fifty-Two; Paul Virant, Vie; and Mixologist Adam Seger, Nacional 27.
General Admission is $75 per person and the VIP package is $150 per person. The VIP package includes general admission to the World Cookout, plus a special VIP reception at 5:30 p.m. and an after-party beginning at 9:30 p.m.
For more information on the nonprofit organization and to purchase tickets go to: Common Threads
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-Baked Bread (photo by Kevin Rosseel, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Evidence abounds that eating whole grains can be beneficial to your health. They are especially important for keeping a healthy heart and be a valuable part of weight control and combating obesity.
In a study of obese adults, researchers from Pennsylvania State University found that those who increased their whole-grain intake shed more belly fat and reduced inflammation in the blood vessels. Joining all the existing evidence is a new study from researchers at Harvard University. The new study’s conclusion:
Higher whole-grain intake was associated with a reduced risk of hypertension in middle-aged and older women, which suggests a potential role for increasing whole-grain intake in the primary prevention of hypertension and its cardiovascular complications.
Whole grains retain valuable nutrients and fibers that get stripped out of the white flour baked into white bread. The rich flavor an hearty texture of whole wheat gets eliminated as well. Similarly, brown rice is a whole grain choice, while white rice is not.
Whole grains should be a delicious part of your everyday diet. For one thing, popcorn is a whole grain. Try oatmeal with fresh fruit, cinnamon, and a teaspoon of honey. Fresh-baked, whole grain semolina bread is a wonderful accompaniment to a favorite salad. Mushroom and barley soup is a tasty way to get some whole grains without any animal fat. Whole grain pasta with a tomato sauce seasoned (garlic, oregano, basil, etc.) to your taste and served with steamed broccoli, spinach, or green beans is a terrific meal. Squeeze a little fresh lemon and grind some black pepper on those veggies.
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. More Great News about Whole Grains
2. Whole Grains Battle Heart Disease & Stroke
3. Whole Grains for a Healthy Heart
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
(© Image courtesy of California Avocado Commission)
Light and fresh fare suits the summer season, when folks would rather be spending time outdoors rather than in a hot kitchen. Those ample meals that bring comfort on a wintry day only lead to lethargy when the weather turns hot. A simple, flavorful and seasonal salad can make for a fine lunch and leave you fit for an active afternoon.
We’re delighted to present this quick and simple recipe from our friends at the California Avocado Commission. Sweet honey and tangy limes complement the creaminess of California Avocados and sweet mangos in this fresh summer salad. You can decide on just the right dash of cayenne pepper to give it some spice! With 5 grams of protein, 5 grams of dietary fiber and only 269 calories per serving you can enjoy every bite.
Ingredients for 4 Servings
• 2 Ripe Fresh California Avocados, chilled, halved, seeded and peeled
• 2 Mangos, chilled, halved, seeded and peeled
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• 3/4 Cup plain low-fat yogurt (Greek-style preferred)
• 2 Large limes, juiced
• 3 Tablespoons Red Bee Wildflower Liquid Honey
• 4 Mint sprigs, for garnish
Preparation
1. Slice avocado and mango halves lengthwise in 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the fruit on individual salad plates, alternating the avocado and mango slices. Mix equal parts cayenne pepper and salt and lightly sprinkle over fruit slices, to taste.
2. Whisk together yogurt, lime juice and honey in a small bowl. Just before serving, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of dressing in a stripe over each salad. Garnish with mint sprigs and serve immediately.
*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.
To purchase one of America's finest artisanal honeys go to: Red Bee Wildflower Liquid Honey
To learn more about California avocados, their heath benefits & growing an avocado tree go to: California Avocado Commission
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
Dairy Cow (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Our friend Sarah Alexander at Food & Water Watch has sent us an important message about protecting schoolchildren from milk from cows injected with the artificial growth hormone called recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH).
Sarah wrote:
Kids across the country will soon be heading back to school. While there are often mixed emotions about heading back to school, one thing is certain, we're upset that some of the milk they'll be drinking this fall will be from cows treated with artificial growth hormones. We're working to make it clear that schools can purchase milk that is free of artificial growth hormones, and we need your help.
She goes on to explain, “…the documented increase of infections in dairy cows injected with rBGH…necessitates increased use of antibiotics…and there are ongoing questions about links to cancer…most of the industrialized countries in the world have banned this hormone.”
Food & Water Watch launched a campaign this year to get milk produced with artificial hormones out of schools once and for all, and delivered more than 25,000 petitions to members of Congress asking them to clarify that schools have the option to purchase rBGH-free milk or organic milk. Congress takes up the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization this fall and FWW will continue its work on getting protective legislation passed.
It is possible that about one out of five pints of milk offered in school cafeterias nationwide each year comes from cows injected with rGBH. While waiting for Congress to get back in session, parents and all those concerned with the health of kids in school can contact their local school's Food Service Director and ask if rGBH-free milk will be purchased for the coming school year.
These are difficult times for the country’s economy and the temptation for schools to save money by serving the cheaper rBGH milk is bound to be strong, but the highest priority should always be the health of our children.
About Food & Water Watch
Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit consumer organization based in Washington, D.C., works to ensure clean water and safe food in the United States and around the world. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink.
If you’d like to take action to get rBGH-free milk into your local school go to: Food & Water Watch
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
Salty Snacks (© Igordutina | Dreamstime.com)
A study undertaken by scientists at St. George’s, University of London, has concluded that there is a link between salty foods and sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption in children and adolescents. A link between soft drinks and weight gain in children is widely acknowledged, including soft drinks with artificial sweeteners.
According to an article published in Hypertension, a publication of the American Heart Association, the researchers stated:
If salt intake in children in the United Kingdom was reduced by half, there would be an average reduction of 2.3 sugar-sweetened soft drinks per week per child. A reduction in salt intake could, therefore, play a role in helping to reduce childhood obesity through its effect on sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption. This would have a beneficial effect on preventing cardiovascular disease independent of and additive to the effect of salt reduction on blood pressure.
It would be a fine start to eliminate salty snacks and soft drinks from all public schools as a helping hand to concerned parents. Parents might also set a good example by eliminating salty snacks and soft drinks from their homes, a small sacrifice to protect children from obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
If you’d like to read the article in Hypertension go to: Salt Intake Is Related to Soft Drink Consumption in Children and Adolescents
To view previous posts on the topic click on the following:
1) Diet Soda Linked to Obesity & Heart Disease
2) Diet Foods & Drinks a Poor Choice for Young Children
3) Safety of Soft Drinks Under Scrutiny
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
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon (© Photographer: John Vernon | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
Being lean may be fashionable in contemporary America, but it also affords an important protection against cancer. That’s according to a report from the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund.
The report offered ten recommendations for keeping the risk of cancer to a minimum. They included “limiting consumption of red meat and alcohol, avoiding processed meats and -- most importantly -- shedding those extra pounds” according to an article in the Los Angeles Times.
"The recommendation reflects what science is telling us today: Even small amounts of excess body fat, especially if carried at the waist, increase risk," said W. Philip T. James, chairman of the London-based International Obesity Task Force.
The Los Angeles Times article went on to say that the report “found a convincing connection between excess fat and cancers of the esophagus, pancreas, colon and rectum, endometrium and kidney, along with breast cancer in post-menopausal women.”
To read the Los Angeles Times article cited above go to: Body fat is linked to six types of cancers
To download the entire 517-page report go to: Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
(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
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
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!
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
Fresh Halibut (© Enid Arvelo | Dreamstime.com)
Just over a week ago we reported that Damon Stainbrook, former Sous Chef of French Laundry, is 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.
Yesterday, The Dolce Group, a multi-restaurant and nightclub brand backed by a myriad of celebrity investors, announced adoption of Safe Harbor’s mercury certification program, which will ensure the highest quality, healthiest fish is served to guests dining at the ultra swanky Geisha House, Bella Cucina and Ketchup restaurants in Hollywood. A Safe Harbor logo on the menu will guarantee guests that the fish they order has been individually tested and meets stricter mercury standards than those set by the FDA.
"Our restaurants are known as LA’s hottest destination for the ultimate dining experience, including a reputation for quality service and food," said David Jarrett, VP, The Dolce Group. "Worrying about mercury isn’t part of that experience – Safe Harbor will help ensure our clientele enjoy themselves, knowing the fish they’re eating has been tested."
Safe Harbor’s certification testing and traceability program will allow The Dolce Group to vet critical information including each fish’s origin, method of catch and maximum mercury level. While some restaurants and retail outlets offer "low mercury" fish, this claim is based on use of species believed to be lower in mercury, rather than testing. Geisha House, Bella Cucina and Ketchup are among the first restaurants nationwide to serve fish individually tested for mercury.
"People are increasingly concerned about mercury – so much that many are avoiding seafood altogether," said Malcolm Wittenberg, CEO, Safe Harbor. "Our technology, however, eliminates cause for concern by certifying that the fish served meets our strict mercury certification standards. For seafood lovers, this is a sigh of relief."
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
Kicking Back with Some Salsa (photo by Rick Tango)
Eating well is tough for teens. Hanging out with friends, late-night fast food binges, and snacking on junk can mean getting way too much fat, sugar and empty calories. That kind of eating causes spikes and crashes in energy levels, making it tough to keep fit. Teens need physical activity and nutritional meals as much as anyone, but they face a lot of temptation to make poor choices.
Weight and body image can be delicate issues for teens, especially girls who get bombarded with retouched images that can create incredibly unrealistic expectations. Up to a quarter of teen girls display eating disorders according to a study conducted by the Dietitians of Canada.
Seeing their kids at risk has many families fighting back. Across the U.S. there's a growing movement among parents to make the food choices in schools more nutritious through organizations like the New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods. In Scotland, the Parliament unanimously passed a law to ban all junk food from schools. In Australia, a national group called the Parents Jury is targeting companies it says are using underhanded tactics to promote junk food to children. The group is backed by the Cancer Council and Diabetes Australia. In Spain, Madrid's regional government imposed the world's first ban on overly thin models at a top-level fashion show.
Families who eat together reap benefits both physical and emotional. The Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota found that girls who ate 3 to 4 family meals per week were at about one-third the risk for extreme weight control practices and girls who ate 5 family meals per week were at about one-fourth the risk. The study showed that boys also benefit from family meals, but the association was not as strong as it is for girls.
Most sources agree that the best answer to getting teens to eat healthy is to support an overall healthy lifestyle. Setting a good example is a big help. Combining nutrition and fitness is the key. That means keeping fit in a way that's enjoyable enough to make it last as a regular activity. There are plenty of indications that regularly participating in physical activity can improve self-esteem and body image among teen girls.
Keeping it healthy doesn't mean deprivation, just a balanced approach to eating and burning calories. Even snacks can be healthy. Salsa and baked tortilla chips that are low in fat and low in cholesterol are a nutritious alternative to the empty calories of junk food. Chiles and the other fresh ingredients of salsa are high in vitamins, low in sodium and calories, and delicious to boot! Guacamole is a healthy treat. Some teens might go for hummus or fruit-filled low fat yogurt. Keeping fresh fruit such as bananas handy makes it easier to make a smart, healthy choice.
Like everybody else, teens want the approval of their peers. Making smart and healthy choices leads to feeling good about oneself and that can be very attractive to others. You don't have to be a teen to like that!
For more reading on this topic try the following sources:
Healthy Eating For Teens
Teen Health and Self-Esteem
Regular Family Meals Promote Healthy Eating Habits
If you’d like to view some of our favorite fruit salsas, made with freash local ingredients at Szarek Farms in Upstate New York go to:
Spike's Hot Fruit Salsa
Violet's Medium Fruit Salsa
Vinca's Sweet Fruit Salsa
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
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
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
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
Scenic Chicago (photo by Dave Cameron, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Common Threads is lucky to have friends in tasty places! On Thursday, August 6th members of the nonprofit’s exclusive Executive Chef Board will support the charitable foundation, which teaches culture and cooking to low-income children, by donating 5% of their profits for the day.
Common Threads was founded in 2004 by Chef Art Smith and his partner artist, Jesus Salguerio, to educate children on the importance of health and nutrition and to foster an appreciation of cultural diversity through food. “You have to teach children to make good choices,” Smith told People Magazine.
Smith is the founder of Gold Coast restaurant, Table Fifty-Two, where diners are delighted by his Southern fare. He’s also a former personal chef to Oprah Winfrey. Oprah viewers have seen him whipping up his crowd-pleasing creations on her show.
Here’s a list of participating Chefs and restaurants/institutions:
• Art Smith, Table 52, 52 W. Elm St., Chicago, (312) 573-4000
• Bill Kim, Urban Belly, 3053 N. California Ave., Chicago, (773) 583-0500
• Giuseppe Tentori, Boka, 1729 N. Halsted St., (312) 337-6070
• Carol Watson, Milk & Honey Cafe, 1920 W. Division St., Chicago, (773) 395-9434
• Shelley Young, The Chopping Block, 4747 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, (773) 472-6700; and The Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 107, Chicago, (312) 644-6360 (The Chopping Block will donate 5% of the profits from its classes and retail sales.)
No ticket sales necessary. Simply visit the participating restaurant/institution of your choice or call the restaurant to make a reservation.
You can buy tickets and reserve your spot now in three simple steps: Common Threads
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
Kids at the Beach (photo by korycheer, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Food advertising on television increases automatic snacking on available foods in children and adults, according to a series of experimental studies conducted by researchers from Yale University. The research appears in the July issue of the journal Health Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association.
In one experiment, seven- to 11-year-old children who watched a cartoon that included food commercials ate 45% more snack food while watching the show than children who watched the same cartoon with non-food commercials.
From only a half hour of television viewing a day, the increase in snacking caused by food advertising would lead to a weight gain of nearly 10 pounds a year, unless mitigated by reduced consumption of other foods or increased physical activity.
In a second experiment, the researchers found that adult participants exposed to unhealthy food advertisements in TV programming also ate significantly more than those who saw ads with a nutrition or healthy food message. Additionally, these effects persisted after the television viewing. In the experiments with both children and adults, food advertising increased eating for all available foods, even foods that were not specifically presented in the advertisements.
“This research shows a direct and powerful link between television food advertising and calories consumed by adults and children,” said lead author Jennifer Harris, PhD, Director of Marketing Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale. “Food advertising triggers automatic eating, regardless of hunger, and is a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic. Reducing unhealthy food advertising to children is critical.”
In addition to Harris, the Yale team of researchers included John A. Bargh and Kelly D. Brownell. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale.
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
Freshwater Catfish (photo by drrj, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Whether blackened with a Cajun spice mix or breaded and fried to a golden brown, America’s southern freshwater catfish is an indelible part of the country’s food heritage and culture.
There is a similar white fish that is imported from Asia that is not currently subject to the same food safety standards as American catfish. In the past such fish from China has been banned by the FDA because of widespread contamination and dangerous chemical residues. It is possible that the last time you had catfish at a restaurant you were served the Asian white fish, marketed under the name catfish.
Our friends at Food & Water Watch have informed us that:
Last summer, when Congress passed the Farm Bill, it included a measure that created a new inspection program specifically for catfish at USDA. The department under Secretary Vilsack is working right now to design that new inspection program, and we hear that they are under pressure from China, Vietnam, and seafood importers to let some imported catfish escape the reach of this new program.
There is an ongoing debate as to which fish can truly be called catfish, but we believe that any fidh marketed under the name catfish should be subjected to the same high standards as American catfish.
If you’d like to make your opinion on this issue known to Secretary Vilsack of the USDA you can go to: Food & Water Watch
If you’d like to see kids in school enjoying food that is both delicious and good for them there’s something you can do about it. Here’s what we’ve learned from our friends at Slow Food USA:
Dear Members and Supporters of Slow Food USA,
Remember this date: September 7, 2009. We’ll look back on that day as the moment when people across America took a stand about the food our children eat at school.
As you know, children who grow up enjoying food that is both delicious and good for them learn healthy eating habits that last throughout their lives. Those habits can start at school – but only if we give schools the resources to serve real food instead of the overly processed fast food that endangers their health.
To make that happen, our leaders in Congress need to hear that when it comes to our children, change can’t wait.
That’s why we’re organizing a National Eat-In for Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2009. On that day, people across America will gather with their neighbors for public potlucks that send our nation’s leaders a clear message: It’s time to provide our children with real food at school.
To get Congress’ attention, we’re going to need the help of all kinds of people: parents, teachers, community leaders, kids and people who’ve never done anything like this before. We’re going to need everyone to pitch in.
But the people we need most are Slow Food members and supporters. You’re the front line of the food movement, and we’re counting on you to tell your friends, to contact your legislators and to organize Eat-Ins for Sept. 7.
Our campaign web site will guide you through the process, and our campaign team is here to provide support. We’ll give you everything you need to get involved, starting today.
And we mean today—because with the President calling for health care reform and the First Lady teaching kids to grow food on the White House Lawn, we’ve got an opening to pass legislation that gives kids the opportunity to grow up healthy.
This fall, Congress will be debating whether to update the Child Nutrition Act, which is the law that determines what kind of food kids eat at school. By giving schools the resources to serve real food, we can make sure that the legacy we’re leaving our children is a future filled with opportunity, security and good health.
We can only do it if we act now. It’s time to get real food into schools.
For more information, and to join our campaign, go to: Time for Lunch
Best regards,
Josh, Brian, Jerusha, Gordon, Leah, Callie, Alex, Stephanie
The Time for Lunch campaign team
timeforlunch@slowfoodusa.org
Passing Freighter (photo by Kenn Kiser, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Our friends Sarah, Alex, Noelle and the Food Team at Food & Water Watch have sent us the following message:
Dear Jeff,
We had a great victory last night as the Appropriations bill passed out of committee with the ban on Chinese chicken still in tact. Thanks to consumer activists like you who contacted your member of Congress, we've cleared the first hurdle in protecting American consumers from potentially contaminated chicken imports.
We know that big agriculture corporations like Smithfield, Tyson, and Cargill pulled out all the stops to pressure Congress to lift the ban, but thanks to continued consumer pressure on this issue, the committee kept the ban to prevent Chinese chicken from coming into the country.
We commend Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) for taking the lead on protecting U.S. consumers from a potentially dangerous food product. This is a great victory, but the fight isn't over yet. We'll be in contact soon to urge the full House and Senate to put consumer safety first by keeping the ban on Chinese chicken products.
In the mean time, please take action to ask your member of Congress to pass strong food safety standards for our domestic food (by clicking on):
Food & Water Watch
Thanks for taking action!
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.
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
Organic Produce (photo by Dmitri Jeltovski, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Fresher ingredients. Increased health benefits. More environmentally friendly packaging. These are the top priorities global consumers are placing on food companies.
Those are the findings of a new study conducted by Ipsos Marketing, Consumer Goods indicates that global consumers have readjusted their priorities regarding food products.
According to David Pring, Executive Vice President at Ipsos Marketing, "These are key developments in the food market, and not just in North America and Europe. We are also seeing that taste, convenience and product difference - aspects that were probably more characteristic of food product drivers towards the end of the last millennium - are taking a back seat in a world now more focused on making a positive impact on freshness and health as well as the sustainability of the planet."
When asked to choose one area on which companies should concentrate most when developing new food products, consumers from around the world suggested that fresh ingredients, additional health benefits, and more environmentally friendly packaging should be top priorities. With this in mind, factors such as improving taste, developing more convenient packaging, developing foods that are totally different, and making food products that are quicker and easier to prepare appear to have a lower priority.
"We are seeing a global consumer movement toward heightened consciousness of health, wellness and environmental factors in their food purchasing decisions," says Pring.
"For food marketers, the challenge is to ensure that innovation platforms are clearly focused on these consumer needs, not merely in developed markets but also in emerging ones that will undoubtedly become increasingly salient in the near future," concludes Pring. "At the same time, Marketers must be careful not to compromise taste, although this should go hand-in-hand with the use of fresh ingredients."
Grilled Quesadillas (© photo courtesy of California Avocado Commission)
Vegetarian cooking is growing in popularity among people who are not purely vegetarian. Many Americans are looking to reap health benefits by cutting down on meats, while still enjoying delicious dishes. Below is a fun recipe for quesadillas prepared on the grill we got from our friends at the California Avocado Commission. It's a wonderfully healthy creation that delivers a terrific blend of flavors. We’ve found this dish goes beautifully with a good California Pinot Grigio.
Ingredients for 12 Servings
• 12 California avocados, halved
• Fresh lime or lemon juice (as needed)
• Olive oil (as needed)
• Salt (as needed)
• 1 ½ Cups manchego cheese, shredded finely
• 1 Cup panela cheese, grated
• ½ Cup cotija cheese, shredded finely
• Freshly ground black pepper (as needed)
• 12 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, cut into thin strips
• 12 Home-made flour tortillas, about 10 inches in diameter
• Unsalted butter (as needed)
• Salsa fresca (as needed)
Preparation
1. An hour or two before service: Cut each avocado half into 5 or 6 slices about 3/8-inch thick.
2. Brush each slice on both sides with juice and oil; lightly sprinkle with salt.
3. Grill, turning once, until lightly browned with grill marks; reserve.
4. Thoroughly mix cheeses; reserve.
Per Order:
1. Lay 1 tortilla on a work surface.
2. Put ¼ cup cheese mixture on half the tortilla.
3. On top of cheese evenly distribute ½ ounce poblano strips (about 8).
4. Top with 4 or 5 grilled avocado slices.
5. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon salsa (optional); top with ¼ cup cheese mixture.
6. Brown quesadilla on medium heat in hot butter on both sides.
7. Cover pan for a minute or so to finish melting cheese.
8. Cut into 4 pieces. Serve with ¼ cup salsa on the side.
Copyright Courtesy of California Avocado Commission
To purchase the manchego cheese that was the Gold Medalist at the 2005 World Cheese Awards in London and the First Place winner at the American Cheese Society in 2004 & 2005, go to: Solé GranQueso
To order a world class olive oil and our favorite go to: L'Autunno Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
To purchase some terrific salsa made from farm fresh ingredients grown without pesticdes go to:
1. Vinca's Sweet Salsa
2. Violet's Medium Salsa
3. Spike's Hot Salsa
To learn more about California avocados, their heath benefits & growing an avocado tree go to: California Avocado Commission
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!
This just in from our friends at the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food, grant funds are now available for New York State schools looking to participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program. (All other states have this program, too, however this application is for New York State schools only) :
We are passing along this wonderful opportunity from the New York State Department of Education and the United States Department of Agriculture to participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program. This is a federally funded program. Elementary schools in New York State with 50% or more children eligible for free/reduced priced lunches are eligible. Applications must be postmarked May 29th.
The New York Coalition for Healthy School Food has been piloting a privately funded version of this program, and we can tell you that it has made a tremendous difference at the school in Ithaca, NY, where we are piloting it.
Teachers are telling us that children are concentrating better in class. Parents are thrilled that they no longer have to bring in snacks, and teachers and parents alike are relieved that children are no longer consuming cheese crackers, goldfish crackers, and other unhealthy snack items in the classroom. Children are reporting that they just don't feel right on weekends or on vacations when they don't have their two fruits in the morning and two vegetables in the afternoon that they have become accustomed to in school (we have increased most children's fruit and vegetable consumption by two servings per day.)
Our focus is on local and organic fruits and vegetables whenever possible. All fruits and vegetables are served raw. Some have been surprised that some of the children's favorites are beets, baby turnips, arugula and kale.
In our program, we do not allow any dressings or dips - because it is too easy to turn 40 calories of healthy food into 400 calories of unhealthy food when dips and dressings are used. Several teachers were convinced at first that children would not eat vegetables without dressing/dips - but were glad to report that kids are happy to eat veggies without dip.
If your school qualifies as per the first paragraph above, please don't pass up on this wonderful opportunity!
To get more info about applying for a grant go to: Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program
To visit the the Healthy School Lunches web site & get more information go to: New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods
Drink GM-Free Milk! (© Hallgerd | Dreamstime.com)
Written By Jeffrey M. Smith
On May 19th, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) 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."
They called for a moratorium on GM foods, long-term independent studies, and labeling. AAEM's position paper stated, "Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food," including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.
They conclude, "There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation," as defined by recognized scientific criteria. "The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies."
More and more doctors are already prescribing GM-free diets. Dr. Amy Dean, a Michigan internal medicine specialist, and board member of AAEM says, "I strongly recommend patients eat strictly non-genetically modified foods." Ohio allergist Dr. John Boyles says "I used to test for soy allergies all the time, but now that soy is genetically engineered, it is so dangerous that I tell people never to eat it."
Dr. Jennifer Armstrong, President of AAEM, says, "Physicians are probably seeing the effects in their patients, but need to know how to ask the right questions." World renowned biologist Pushpa M. Bhargava goes one step further. After reviewing more than 600 scientific journals, he concludes that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a major contributor to the sharply deteriorating health of Americans.
Pregnant Women & Babies at Great Risk
Among the population, biologist David Schubert of the Salk Institute warns that "children are the most likely to be adversely effected by toxins and other dietary problems" related to GM foods. He says without adequate studies, the children become "the experimental animals."
The experience of actual GM-fed experimental animals is scary. When GM soy was fed to female rats, most of their babies died within three weeks—compared to a 10% death rate among the control group fed natural soy. The GM-fed babies were also smaller, and later had problems getting pregnant.
When male rats were fed GM soy, their testicles actually changed color—from the normal pink to dark blue. Mice fed GM soy had altered young sperm. Even the embryos of GM fed parent mice had significant changes in their DNA. Mice fed GM corn in an Austrian government study had fewer babies, which were also smaller than normal.
Reproductive problems also plague livestock. Investigations in the state of Haryana, India revealed that most buffalo that ate GM cottonseed had complications such as premature deliveries, abortions, infertility, and prolapsed uteruses. Many calves died. In the US, about two dozen farmers reported thousands of pigs became sterile after consuming certain GM corn varieties. Some had false pregnancies; others gave birth to bags of water. Cows and bulls also became infertile when fed the same corn.
In the US population, the incidence of low birth weight babies, infertility, and infant mortality are all escalating.
Food Designed to Produce Toxin
GM corn and cotton are engineered to produce their own built-in pesticide in every cell. When bugs bite the plant, the poison splits open their stomach and kills them. Biotech companies claim that the pesticide, called Bt—produced from soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis—has a history of safe use, since organic farmers and others use Bt bacteria spray for natural insect control. Genetic engineers insert Bt genes into corn and cotton, so the plants do the killing.
The Bt-toxin produced in GM plants, however, is thousands of times more concentrated than natural Bt spray, is designed to be more toxic, has properties of an allergen, and unlike the spray, cannot be washed off the plant.
Moreover, studies confirm that even the less toxic natural bacterial spray is harmful. When dispersed by plane to kill gypsy moths in the Pacific Northwest, about 500 people reported allergy or flu-like symptoms. Some had to go to the emergency room.
The exact same symptoms are now being reported by farm workers throughout India, from handling Bt cotton. In 2008, based on medical records, the Sunday India reported, "Victims of itching have increased massively this year . . . related to BT cotton farming."
GMOs Orovoke Immune Reactions
AAEM states, "Multiple animal studies show significant immune dysregulation," including increase in cytokines, which are "associated with asthma, allergy, and inflammation"—all on the rise in the US.
According to GM food safety expert Dr. Arpad Pusztai, changes in the immune status of GM animals are "a consistent feature of all the studies." Even Monsanto's own research showed significant immune system changes in rats fed Bt corn. A November 2008 by the Italian government also found that mice have an immune reaction to Bt corn.
GM soy and corn each contain two new proteins with allergenic properties, GM soy has up to seven times more trypsin inhibitor—a known soy allergen, and skin prick tests show some people react to GM, but not to non-GM soy. Soon after GM soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50%. Perhaps the US epidemic of food allergies and asthma is a casualty of genetic manipulation.
Animals Dying in Large Numbers
In India, animals graze on cotton plants after harvest. But when shepherds let sheep graze on Bt cotton plants, thousands died. Post mortems showed severe irritation and black patches in both intestines and liver (as well as enlarged bile ducts). Investigators said preliminary evidence "strongly suggests that the sheep mortality was due to a toxin. . . . most probably Bt-toxin." In a small follow-up feeding study by the Deccan Development Society, all sheep fed Bt cotton plants died within 30 days; those that grazed on natural cotton plants remained healthy.
In a small village in Andhra Pradesh, buffalo grazed on cotton plants for eight years without incident. On January 3rd, 2008, the buffalo grazed on Bt cotton plants for the first time. All 13 were sick the next day; all died within 3 days.
Bt corn was also implicated in the deaths of cows in Germany, and horses, water buffaloes, and chickens in The Philippines.
In lab studies, twice the number of chickens fed Liberty Link corn died; 7 of 20 rats fed a GM tomato developed bleeding stomachs; another 7 of 40 died within two weeks. Monsanto's own study showed evidence of poisoning in major organs of rats fed Bt corn, according to top French toxicologist G. E. Seralini.
Worst Finding of All—GMOs Remain Inside of Us
The only published human feeding study revealed what may be the most dangerous problem from GM foods. The gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function. This means that long after we stop eating GMOs, we may still have potentially harmful GM proteins produced continuously inside of us. Put more plainly, eating a corn chip produced from Bt corn might transform our intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories, possibly for the rest of our lives.
When evidence of gene transfer is reported at medical conferences around the US, doctors often respond by citing the huge increase of gastrointestinal problems among their patients over the last decade. GM foods might be colonizing the gut flora of North Americans.
Warnings by Government Scientists Ignored & Denied
Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had warned about all these problems even in the early 1990s. According to documents released from a lawsuit, the scientific consensus at the agency was that GM foods were inherently dangerous, and might create hard-to-detect allergies, poisons, gene transfer to gut bacteria, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged their superiors to require rigorous long-term tests. But the White House had ordered the agency to promote biotechnology and the FDA responded by recruiting Michael Taylor, Monsanto's former attorney, to head up the formation of GMO policy. That policy, which is in effect today, denies knowledge of scientists' concerns and declares that no safety studies on GMOs are required. It is up to Monsanto and the other biotech companies to determine if their foods are safe. Mr. Taylor later became Monsanto's vice president.
Dangerously Few Studies, Untraceable Diseases
AAEM states, "GM foods have not been properly tested" and "pose a serious health risk." Not a single human clinical trial on GMOs has been published. A 2007 review of published scientific literature on the "potential toxic effects/health risks of GM plants" revealed "that experimental data are very scarce." The author concludes his review by asking, "Where is the scientific evidence showing that GM plants/food are toxicologically safe, as assumed by the biotechnology companies?"
Famed Canadian geneticist David Suzuki answers, "The experiments simply haven't been done and we now have become the guinea pigs." He adds, "Anyone that says, 'Oh, we know that this is perfectly safe,' I say is either unbelievably stupid or deliberately lying."
Dr. Schubert points out, "If there are problems, we will probably never know because the cause will not be traceable and many diseases take a very long time to develop." If GMOs happen to cause immediate and acute symptoms with a unique signature, perhaps then we might have a chance to trace the cause.
This is precisely what happened during a US epidemic in the late 1980s. The disease was fast acting, deadly, and caused a unique measurable change in the blood—but it still took more than four years to identify that an epidemic was even occurring. By then it had killed about 100 Americans and caused 5,000-10,000 people to fall sick or become permanently disabled. It was caused by a genetically engineered brand of a food supplement called L-tryptophan.
If other GM foods are contributing to the rise of autism, obesity, diabetes, asthma, cancer, heart disease, allergies, reproductive problems, or any other common health problem now plaguing Americans, we may never know. In fact, since animals fed GMOs had such a wide variety of problems, susceptible people may react to GM food with multiple symptoms. It is therefore telling that in the first nine years after the large scale introduction of GM crops in 1996, the incidence of people with three or more chronic diseases nearly doubled, from 7% to 13%.
To help identify if GMOs are causing harm, the AAEM asks their "members, the medical community, and the independent scientific community to gather case studies potentially related to GM food consumption and health effects, begin epidemiological research to investigate the role of GM foods on human health, and conduct safe methods of determining the effect of GM foods on human health."
Citizens need not wait for the results before taking the doctors advice to avoid GM foods. People can stay away from anything with soy or corn derivatives, cottonseed and canola oil, and sugar from GM sugar beets—unless it says organic or "non-GMO." There is a pocket Non-GMO Shopping Guide, co-produced by the Institute for Responsible Technology and the Center for Food Safety, which is available as a download, as well as in natural food stores and in many doctors' offices.
If even a small percentage of people choose non-GMO brands, the food industry will likely respond as they did in Europe—by removing all GM ingredients. Thus, AAEM's non-GMO prescription may be a watershed for the US food supply.
© copyright Institute For Responsible Technology 2009.
Author Jeffrey M. Smith
Jeffrey M. Smith is the author of the publication Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, which presents 65 risks in easy-to-read two-page spreads. His first book, Seeds of Deception, is the top rated and #1 selling book on GM foods in the world. He is the Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, which is spearheading the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America.
To learn more about how to avoid GM foods go to: Institute for Responsible Technology
Family with Children (© Photographer: Pavel Losevsky | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
Food, fitness or family…which one is most to blame for childhood obesity? New research from Mintel shows today’s parents aren’t sure, and they’re feeling overwhelmed and worried as they try to prevent obesity in their own children.
In a consumer survey of American parents, Mintel found confusion over whether diet or exercise is most important for keeping kids at a healthy weight. Nearly three quarters of, while 69% feel that a lack of exercise is more to blame for obesity. In addition, two in five parents (40%) are concerned that their children might develop obesity.
“Parents aren’t sure where to focus first to ensure their children’s health—diet, exercise or both simultaneously,” states Marcia Mogelonsky, senior analyst at Mintel.
According to Mintel, parents need help when it comes to promoting healthy eating with their children. While 95% feel that this is very or somewhat important, only 82% believe they are somewhat or very successful at doing so. Similarly, while 93% consider it very or somewhat important to limit their children’s access to junk food, only 77% feel they have been very or somewhat successful at accomplishing this.
Many parents blame kids’ sedentary lifestyles for obesity. According to parents, less than half of kids are physically active five or more hours per week—less than an hour a day. These sedentary habits are not enough to offset the caloric intake of kids with poor eating habits.
“When it comes to placing the blame, most parents look to themselves,” states Marcia Mogelonsky. “Seventy-eight percent of parents believe the fault lies with them, yet most seek more information on nutrition so they can improve their children’s health.”
More than half of parents (57%) are worried that their children don't get enough information about healthy living at school, and 47% believe children should have ongoing diet and nutrition classes.
The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children aged two to 19 is significant at 12%. While there are hints that these rates are leveling, they have yet to decline. The federal government has set a goal of 5% incidence in obesity among children for 2010.
(photo by David Matlin)
My niece and her husband are some of the best informed people I know when it comes to food and nutrition. Once they were looking after a young child and took her on a day trip. Riding home in the car it was time to get a bite to eat. The child asked if they could go to McDonald's. Not wanting to feed the child unhealthy food they said there was no McDonald's in the area. Though still too young to read, the child spotted a pair of golden arches and exclaimed that there was one just ahead.
Once again, advertising made it happen.
In his ground-breaking bestseller, Fast Food Nation, author Eric Schlosser details how fast food companies practice marketing to children. We highly recommend Mr. Schlosser's book to anyone concerned about the nation's food system and how it has contributed to soaring rates of obesity and diabetes among Americans.
Many parents know first hand that the advertising from fast food corporations is reaching their children. Experience has taught them that what the corporations see as effective marketing is making it tougher to feed their kids nutritious meals.
A study carried out by Liverpool University researchers has reached the same conclusion as many parents,
Our research confirms food TV advertising has a profound effect on all children's eating habits doubling their consumption rate ... suggesting a strong connection between weight and susceptibility to overeating when exposed to food adverts on television.
To read an article about the study in Britain's Independent Online go to: Ditch the food ads if you want healthy kids
To purchase a copy of Eric Schlosser's bestseller go to: Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
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
Farm Fresh Produce (photo by Kevin Connors, courtesy of morguefile.com)
U.S. sales of organic products, both food and non-food, reached $24.6 billion by the end of 2008, growing an impressive 17.1% over 2007 sales despite tough economic times, according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA).
While the overall economy has been losing ground, sales of organic products reflect very strong growth during 2008. “Organic products represent value to consumers, who have shown continued resilience in seeking out these products,” said Christine Bushway, OTA’s Executive Director.
The OTA’s 2009 Organic Industry Survey, conducted by Lieberman Research Group, measured the growth of U.S. sales of organic foods and beverages as well as non-food categories such as organic fibers, personal care products and pet foods during 2008. Results show organic food sales grew in 2008 by 15.8% to reach $22.9 billion, while organic non-food sales grew by an astounding 39.4% to reach $1.6 billion. As a result, organic food sales now account for approximately 3.5% of all food product sales in the United States.
“This marks another milestone for the organic food market,” said Bushway.
With tough economic times, consumers have used various strategies in continuing to buy organic products. Because most venues now offer organic products, consumers have the opportunity to shop around. Increased use of coupons, the proliferation of private label brands, and value-positioned products offered by major organic brands all have contributed to increased sales.
The final report of the Organic Trade Association’s 2009 Organic Industry Survey is now available for purchase. Orders can be placed online at: OTA's 2009 Organic Industry Survey
 
Midnight Moon & Humbodlt Fog Cheeses (images courtesy of Cyrpress Grove)
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in San Francisco has announced that Mary Keehn, Founder and Owner of Cypress Grove is the winner of its 2009 Small Business Person of the Year award. Started in 1983 in Humboldt County, Cypress Grove Chevre has been instrumental in putting artisanal American cheese making on the national (and international) map.
Mary Keehn simply wanted a healthy source of milk for her children when she started raising Alpine goats in the 1970s. She soon gained recognition as a premier breeder of Alpine dairy goats, and the owner of way too much goat milk. She headed to the kitchen and started to stir up recipes for cheese. Local chefs and restaurants bought her cheese and word spread fast about the taste and quality. Today, Cypress Grove Chevre employs 42 and has awards from the American Cheese Society, the U.S. Cheese Championship, the World Cheese Awards and the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade.
Quality First
Two years ago, the company won the Outstanding Product Line at the 2007 International Fancy Food and Confection show in New York. The SBA award’s criteria is not only for developing an outstanding business; a business must also help make a contribution to the community. Cypress Grove has earned its reputation as a purveyor of excellent cheese by putting quality first.
“We realize that quality must be evident in more than the cheese,” says Keehn. “We have to have excellent milk, and that means healthy goats and family farms. By contributing to our employees and community, we make it clear that we are all motivated by the same commitment to quality of life. This award affirms that our focus is appreciated and
valued by the business community as well as by our customers.”
Truffle Tremor (image courtesy of Cyrpress Grove)
Keehn has served in leadership roles in a number of industry associations and was also the first chairman of the Humboldt Harvest, an incubator group formed to help small food businesses become successful. She also serves on the President’s Advisory Board of Humboldt University.
“We’re delighted we can give the award to a woman who is such a great asset to the community,” says Mark Quinn, SBA’s San Francisco district director whose territory covers much of Northern California. “Mary Keehn’s attention to her business, her employees and the Arcata community is what made her an easy selection for our Small Business Person of the Year.”
Keehn will receive the award at the Arcata Economic Development Corporation’s Spotlight on Success event May 20th at the Arcata Theater Lounge.
If you’d like to order some of Cypress Grove’s most acclaimed artisanal goat cheeses click on any of the following:
Truffle Tremor
Humboldt Fog
Midnight Moon
Cauliflower (© Photographer: Andrey Armyagov | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
Some vegetable cooking methods may be better than others when it comes to maintaining beneficial antioxidant levels, according to a new study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.
Results showed that, depending on the vegetable, cooking on a flat metal surface with no oil (griddling) and microwave cooking maintained the highest antioxidant levels.
Fruits and vegetables are considered to be the major contributors of nutritional antioxidants, which may prevent cancer and other diseases. Because of their high antioxidant levels and low-calorie content, consumers are encouraged to eat several servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
Researchers at the University of Murcia and the University of Complutense in Spain examined how various cooking methods affected antioxidant activity by analyzing six cooking methods with 20 vegetables. The six cooking methods were boiling, pressure-cooking, baking, microwaving, griddling and frying. Their findings showed the following:
• The highest antioxidant loss was observed in cauliflower after boiling and microwaving, peas after boiling, and zucchini after boiling and frying.
• Green beans, beets, and garlic were found to keep their antioxidant levels after most cooking treatments.
• The vegetables that increased their antioxidant levels after all cooking methods were green beans (except green beans after boiling), celery and carrots.
• Artichoke was the only vegetable that kept its high antioxidant level during all the cooking methods.
Griddle- and microwave-cooking helped maintain the highest levels of antioxidants, produced the lowest losses while “pressure-cooking and boiling [led] to the greatest losses,” says lead researcher A. M. Jiménez-Monreal. “In short, water is not the cook’s best friend when it comes to preparing vegetables.”
For more information on the topic go to: Institute of Food Technologists
To receive a copy of the study please contact Jeannie Houchins at jhouchins@ift.org
Peruvian Man Napping (© Photographer: Pavalache Stelian | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
Over the years there’s been compelling evidence that a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts, and olive oil works wonders for keeping a healthy heart. The people who thrive on such diets have significantly lower rates of heart disease than those who consume a lot of deep-fried foods, processed meats, refined flour, and pure sugar. Drinking wine in moderation is far healthier than drinking soda.
But it seems that there may be more to the healthy results of the Mediterranean lifestyle than just the food and wine. After a study of more than 23,000 subjects, scientists from Greece’s University of Athens Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health have found that a propensity for midday naps and siestas among Mediterranean cultures may be playing an important role in keeping people free of heart disease.
According to an article in Scientific American the researchers concluded that “those who took afternoon siestas of 30 minutes or more at least three times a week had a 37 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who did not." Afternoon siestas have long been a part of daily life in Greece.
While Americans are accustomed to getting their sleep in a continuous stretch at night, quite a few Mediterranean and Latin American countries honor the midday nap or siesta. One explanation for the health benefit of a midday snooze is the relief it provides from stressful work. After a pleasant and relaxing sleep people can return to work with less chance of developing chronic stress, which has been implicated in heart disease.
If you’d like to read the article in Scientific American cited above go to: Napping May Be Good for Your Heart
Fresh Kale (photo by MissyRedBoots, courtesy of morguefile.com)
“The Food Shed: Cooking Local and Seasonal” was a class we attended at Manhattan’s Institute of Culinary Education. It turned out to be a terrific evening of learning about cooking with fresh ingredients from local farms.
The class was presented by Chef-Instructor Melanie Underwood. She’s been an enthusiast for cooking with farm fresh ingredients since her days growing up on a farm in Virginia. As a chef, she’s demonstrated her talent at the Plaza Hotel and the Four Seasons Hotel and been sharing her expertise with I.C.E.’s students since 1996. She also offers private cooking classes.
One local and seasonal ingredient Chef Melanie selected for the class was kale. Kale is easy to grow in cooler temperatures, where a frost will produce especially sweet leaves. It belongs to the Brassica family, a group of vegetables that includes broccoli, cabbage, collards and Brussels sprouts. They are prized for the cancer-fighting properties of a chemical produced when those vegetables are chewed and digested. Animal studies have shown that the chemical can actually stop the growth of certain cancer cells.
The kale recipe was simple to prepare and made a unique dish with the pan-seared duck breasts Chef Melanie had us prepare. (Here’s the link to her recipe for the duck: Seared Free-Range Duck Breasts with Draft Apple Cider Reduction)
As always, try and get the freshest ingredients available at your local farm stand or farmers market. Chef Melanie advised that if you buy only one thing there, make it fresh garlic, you’ll taste the difference.
Ingredients for 4 Servings
• 2 Tablespoons Stella Cadente L’Autunno Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 8 Ounces shitake mushrooms
• 4 Cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Large bunch of kale, trimmed & cleaned
Preparation
1. In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes.
2. Add garlic and cook another minute. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and heat over medium heat, add kale and toss, cooking about 5 minutes, add in shitake and garlic mixture to reheat.
4. Serve immediately.
Chef Melanie Underwood
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
If you're near NYC & would like to see a great selection of cooking classes go to: Institute of Culinary Education
Dairy Cow (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Despite strong opposition from the public and farmers alike, the Kansas State Legislature has passed a bill limiting a farmer’s right to tell customers that the farm’s milk is free of Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH).
Here’s what our friends at the Organic Valley farmers cooperative have to say about it:
Kansas House Bill 2121 specifies that dairy products promoted as being produced by cows that don't receive injections of Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) include a potentially misleading disclaimer stating there are no significant differences between milk from cows that are injected with rBGH and cows that are rBGH-free. The "no differences" statement is based on an 18-year-old FDA review of rBGH; however, FDA’s own publications, as well as subsequent scientific studies have shown that there are significant differences, some of which may affect human health.
Just a short time ago, our friend Liana of Care2 told us:
RBGH causes increased risk for birth defects, potentially dangerous pus to form in milk and clinical lameness in cows. Cows treated with rBGH have an increased rate of mastitis, a bacterial infection on the udder, by 25 percent. Often given antibiotics to counter mastitis, rBGH-treated cows grow antibiotic-resistant bacteria that put humans at risk.
Canada, the European Union and several other countries have already banned the use of rBGH in milk production, and U.S. consumers are increasingly opting for milk produced without it. Now, companies may be looking to school lunch programs as an outlet for milk consumers don't want.
Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius could sign the bill as soon as April 16th.
If you’d like to send a message to Governor Sebelius go to: The Center for Food Safety
If you’d like to sign a petition opposing passage of the bill described above go to: Food & Water Watch
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
Fresh Fruit (photo by Jeltovski, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Our friends at the Produce for Better Health Foundation tell us that as families cut back on purchases they are also cutting back on fruits and vegetables. The Foundation’s annual survey found that although 60% of Moms continue to believe that their families eat too few fruits and vegetables, Moms are including less of them in meals and snacks.
Reported fruit consumption has dropped 12% since a year ago and vegetable consumption is down 6%. The survey points to the nation’s current economic recession for the negative impact on mother’s attitudes and behaviors regarding fruits and vegetables, especially in lower income households.
This is the fourth year PBH has conducted their Moms survey, and the first year a decrease in fruit and vegetable consumption has been noted. Most Moms (87%) still believe it’s important to include fruits and vegetables in their family’s diet. But, citing barriers such as cost and different preferences amongst family, Moms feel they need more support. And they do—90% of Americans consume fewer fruits and vegetables than the recommended daily amount, which ranges from 2 to 6½ cups each day.
Support Available for Moms
To give Moms the support they need the Foundation’s web site, Fruits & Veggies—More Matters, offers free tools and advice. The website includes tips, recipes, and other resources to help Moms make adding more fruits and vegetables to their families’ diet easier—and more affordable—than they might think.
“It is important to continue to eat healthy, even in tough economic times,” says Elizabeth Pivonka, Ph.D., R.D., PBH President and CEO. “Fruits and vegetables are an inexpensive part of a healthy lifestyle, and Fruits & Veggies—More Matters can show Moms how to include more, both at home and on the go.” According to the survey, an increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables correlates with Moms awareness of Fruits and Veggies—More Matters.
To visit the Produce for Better Health Foundation’s web site go to: Fruits & Veggies—More Matters
To view some of the previous posts on this topic go to any of the following:
1. America's Children Need to Eat More Fruits & Veggies
2. Farm to School Programs Make a Healthy Difference
3. Getting Kids to Enjoy Eating Fruits & Veggies
Drink GM-Free Milk! (© Hallgerd | Dreamstime.com)
Written By Jeffrey M. Smith
If President Obama's new Food Safety Working Group dedicates all their time and credentials to prevent future food recalls, they will have saved thousands of people--but forsaken millions.
Over the last decade, our radically changing diet has ushered in the explosive growth of food-related ailments, such as allergies, asthma, obesity, diabetes, autism, infertility, gastro-intestinal disorders, and learning disabilities. Of all the changes in our food, the most dangerous transformation was the introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops.
When these gene-spliced concoctions, such as GM soy, corn, canola, and cottonseed, came on the scene in 1996, the proportion of Americans suffering from three or more chronic ailments. After just 9 years, that nearly doubled to 13%. GM foods are the prime suspect.
Government Policy at Odds with Science
Until now, the government has sidestepped the controversy by hiding behind FDA policy, which asserts that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are "substantially equivalent" to natural foods and therefore don't require any safety studies. But as Obama acknowledged, "many of the laws and regulations governing food safety in America" are outdated.
In truth, the FDA's GMO policy was not even up-to-date when it was implemented in May 1992. FDA documents made public from a lawsuit revealed that virtually all the agency scientists asked to comment voiced strong warnings that GMOs may cause serious health problems. But the FDA was under orders from the White House to fast track GM foods, and the person in charge of FDA policy was the former attorney of biotech giant Monsanto--and later become their vice president. The scientists and the science were ignored.
Now that animals fed GMOs--in labs and farms around the world--have exhibited symptoms related to the growing list of diseases in the US population, the President's Food Safety team, including Dr. Margaret Hamburg as FDA Commissioner, must update GMO regulation. A scientifically sound regulation would translate into an immediate ban of current GM crops, and the implementation of rigorous safety testing requirements before any GMO was put back into the food supply. And certainly mandatory labeling, as promised by President Obama during his campaign, must accompany any GM food approval.
Presidents and Industry Insiders Avoid GMOs
The Obama family has wisely opted out of exposing themselves to GM foods by requiring organic--and therefore non-GMO--foods served at the White House. They are even planting an organic garden on the south lawn of the White House, to feature 55 types of vegetables.
The Bush family also had an organic kitchen policy. Laura Bush was "adamant" about it, but kept it all quiet.
Even at Monsanto, many in-the-know employees won't consume the company's own GM creations. Back in 1999, the management of the cafeteria at Monsanto's UK headquarters in High Wycombe, England wrote:
In response to concern raised by our customers . . . we have decided to remove, as far as possible, genetically modified soy and maize (corn) from all food products served in our restaurant. . . . We have taken the above steps to ensure that you, the customer, can feel confident in the food we serve.
And one former Monsanto scientist told me that his colleagues, who were safety testing milk from cows injected with the company's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, decided to stop drinking milk--unless it was organic.
It's now time to let us all opt out of this dangerous and failed GM experiment. If Obama's team is serious about food safety and public health, they must take GMOs off our plates and put them back into the laboratory.
© copyright Institute For Responsible Technology 2009.
Author Jeffrey M. Smith
Jeffrey M. Smith is the author of the publication Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, which presents 65 risks in easy-to-read two-page spreads. His first book, Seeds of Deception, is the top rated and #1 selling book on GM foods in the world. He is the Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, which is spearheading the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America.
To learn more about how to avoid GM foods go to: Institute for Responsible Technology
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
 
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 similar to 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.
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. There they are inspired to create the purest artisanal honeys and sustainable products. Using old world techniques, 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 aspectacular success at the New Canaan Farmers Market each summer for the last 6 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.
Today, Marina’s love of honeybees and painting has led her to the ancient technique of painting with beeswax, made popular by the Etruscans. She has just completed her first book, Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper, about beekeeping and artisanal honey, which is scheduled to be released on September 1st of 2009.
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:
Chunk Honey
Clover & Creamed Honey Gift Box
Comb Honey
Creamed Honey
Spring Clover Liquid Honey
Wildflower & Comb Honey Gift Box
Wildflower Liquid Honey
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
Chuck Wagon (photo courtesy of Library of Congress, circa 1902)
Spring is here and vacation planning is on the agenda of many American families. Quite a few will likely choose travel in the U.S. for a vacation in these times of economic uncertainty. For those planning to blaze a trail for vacation this summer here's some advice from the American Dietetic Association on eating healthy when traveling:
Summer vacations are a time for both relaxation and travel. Whether you’re traveling by plane, train or automobile, being “on the road” can often disrupt a healthy eating routine.
As you plan your trip, take time to think about eating, physical activity and hydration. Keep meals and snacks three to four hours apart. If it means carrying snacks, plan accordingly. If you’re worried about airport food or eating on the road, pack nonperishables like peanut butter and crackers, nuts and dried fruit or trail mix.
And drink plenty of water or water-based beverages to stay well-hydrated.
For more tips on eating healthy from the ADA go to: American Dietetic Association
For times when you won't be on the road take a look at this excellent article by Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist
Renee Simon: What to Feed Your Kids this Summer
To listen to a podcast interview with Renee Simon go to: American Feast's Wellness Expert Renee Simon Podcast
To purchase Renee's book go to: Take Back Your Health, A Total Wellness Guide for You and Your Family
You can get a lot more info on healthy eating by visiting Renee Simon's web site: Total Wellness Nutrition
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
Edible Boletus Mushroom (© Danijelm | Dreamstime.com)
Mushroom-loving cooks will be pleased to learn that the versatile ingredient might do more than just enhance the blend of flavors in a meal, they might improve your health.
Researchers from Arizona State University and Pennsylvania State University have concluded that whole mushroom extracts are “…predicted to be beneficial for boosting anti-tumor immunity.” The humble white button mushroom was found to be more effective than some of its pricier cousins. The researchers published their results in the journal, BMC Immunology.
Traditional Chinese medicine has used mushrooms for thousands of years. Japanese and Chinese practitioners have long recommended Shitake mushrooms in particular for enhancing immunity. Mushroom extracts sold as dietary supplements around the world have been valued at $5 billion annually.
If you’d like to read the BMC Immunology article cited above go to: The effects of whole mushrooms during inflammation
Dairy Cows in Vermont (photo by Tara, courtesy of morguefile.com)
This week we received messages from two organizations urging folks to take steps to keep milk for schoolchildren hormone-free. “Studies found that in the 2005-2006 school year, about one in every five pints of milk offered in cafeterias came from cows injected with recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH),” according to Care2, a nonprofit, consumer watchdog organization.
The message from our friend Liana of Care2 tells us:
RBGH causes increased risk for birth defects, potentially dangerous pus to form in milk and clinical lameness in cows. Cows treated with rBGH have an increased rate of mastitis, a bacterial infection on the udder, by 25 percent. Often given antibiotics to counter mastitis, rBGH-treated cows grow antibiotic-resistant bacteria that put humans at risk.
Canada, the European Union and several other countries have already banned the use of rBGH in milk production, and U.S. consumers are increasingly opting for milk produced without it. Now, companies may be looking to school lunch programs as an outlet for milk consumers don't want.
The second message we received was from Sarah Alexander of Food & Water Watch, another nonprofit concerned with keeping milk in schools hormone-free. The organization’s message:
Over the last month we've gotten more than 10,000 petition signatures and over 100 groups supporting our campaign for better milk in schools. This is great news, but now it's time to turn up the heat on Congress. That's why we're having the first annual National "Know Your Milk" Day next Wednesday, March 11, 2009.
We're having a call-in day to Congress to ask our Representatives to support artificial hormone-free milk in schools. We need your help to make it a success. Can you host an event for National "Know Your Milk" Day to get at least 10 people to make a call to Congress? This could be as simple as organizing a call-in coffee break at work or an rBGH-free milk and cookies party.
We'll give you everything you need to host an event for National "Know Your Milk" Day, sign up now. The more calls we can get in to Congress, the better chance we'll have to get healthy milk for schools.
If you’d like to sign the petition from Care2 destined for the U.S. Congress go to: Expel the Hormones from School Milk!
To get everything you need to host an event for National "Know Your Milk" Day go to: Food & Water Watch
Fresh Food at the Dallas Farmers Market (photo by Doug Ferber)
"Place of residence plays a larger role in dietary health than previously estimated," said Manuel Franco, MD, PhD, lead author of two recent studies conducted at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
According to a press release from 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.
The research from Johns Hopkins echoes the findings of a number of local studies, including one published in 2008 by the N.Y.C. Department of City Planning:
The analysis shows a widespread shortage of supermarkets and neighborhood grocery stores in the city. It also measures the areas with the greatest level of need for fresh food purveyors based on neighborhoods with the highest levels of diet-related diseases and largest populations with limited opportunities to purchase fresh foods. Approximately three million New Yorkers live in high need areas.
The good news is that there are now a number of efforts underway across the country to address the lack of access to healthy food. “Move to Fruits and Vegetables" is part of a broad effort in New York City to increase access to healthy foods that includes support for farmers markets. The Food Trust, a nonprofit based in Philadelphia, was instrumental in creating a $120 million initiative in Pennsylvania to assist in financing supermarkets in underserved communities. Milwaukee’s Fondy Farmers Market is the centerpiece of efforts to promote access to wholesome food in central Milwaukee where there are only a handful of supermarkets.
The Fondy Farmers Market web site states:
…the market’s fundamental purpose is to provide the community with a place to buy fresh produce directly from producers in a congenial atmosphere and to provide producers with a direct market for their goods. Further goals include education about and support of regional sustainable agriculture. Fondy Food Center believes that small family farms are an essential component to growing a socially just, economically viable and environmentally sustainable local food systems. In operating the farmers’ market, our goal is to support small entrepreneurs and stimulate the local economy. We are committed to making educational and economic connections between urban residents and local farmers.
If you’d like to read the press release from Johns Hopkins cited above go to: Healthy food availability could depend on where you live -- so does the quality of your diet
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
Pitcher of Milk (photo by Lisa Rowell, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Great news for those who love good cheese, a bowl of cereal, or a glass of organic milk with some fresh-baked cookies.
Scientists sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and AARP have published recently completed research in the Archives of Internal Medicine and concluded, “Our study suggests that calcium intake is associated with a lower risk of total cancer and cancers of the digestive system, especially colorectal cancer.”
The researchers indicated that women are more likely than men to benefit from a calcium-rich diet. The study included an average of seven years of follow-up, and identified 36,965 and 16,605 cancer cases in men and women, respectively.
If you’d like to read the study cited above go to: Dairy Food, Calcium, and Risk of Cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study
The New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods is a non-profit organization that works to promote nutrition education and help kids make healthier food choices at school. It's work of vital importance to today's kids and provides busy parents with a helping hand to keep their children healthy. There are plenty of resources at their site to help you get a program started at your child's school.
The group's motto is "Healthy Foods + Exercise = Better Health, Better Grades, Better Behavior." According to the organization's web site:
New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods works to promote optional plant-based entrees, healthy snack foods, farm to school programs, and nutrition education to encourage healthier choices. Plant-based entrees contain no cholesterol, are low in saturated and total fat, and contain fiber. This helps schools to better meet their requirement for meals to meet the US Dietary Guidelines. We encourage schools to apply nutrition standards to meals, snack foods, vending machine items, school stores, snack bars at school events, fund-raisers, and not to use unhealthy food as rewards nor exercise for punishment.
The organization promotes a plant-based diet and cites research indicating "... that with proper education, children will select healthy options at a much higher rate than those who do not have such education."
To visit the organization's web site & get more information go to: New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods.
Fresh Blueberries (photo by Christina Dreesen, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Blueberries are simply delicious in pancakes, oatmeal, pastries and pies. They also happen to be one of nature’s healthiest gifts, being loaded with antioxidants.
Antioxidants are the "natural zappers" of free radicals, the unstable molecules associated with cancer, heart disease, and the effects of aging. When U.S. Department of Agriculture studies measured the antioxidant activity of more than 40 fruits and vegetables they ranked blueberries #1. The health benefits of the tasty little berries have led many people to make them part of their daily diet.
The wild blueberries of Maine contain even more antioxidants than their cultivated cousins. All it takes is a half-cup of wild blueberries to deliciously satisfy one of the recommended "five-a-day" servings of colorful fruits and vegetables. Some of the most powerful antioxidants are highly concentrated in the deep blue pigments of wild blueberries
According to an article in WebMD:
Ohio State University researchers say they found that feeding a blueberry extract to mice with blood vessel tumors safely decreased the size of the tumors and improved survival… Tumors made from the types of cells in question are found in blood vessels and affect 3% of children, the researchers say. The tumors, they add, usually occur within four weeks of birth and often affect premature infants.
Gayle Gordillo, MD, principal investigator of the Ohio State team said in a press release, "Our hope is that if we feed blueberry juice to a child with this type of tumor, we can intervene and shrink the tumor before it becomes a big problem."
If you’d like to read the WebMD article cited above go to: Blueberries May Shrink Tumors in Babies
To purchase some splendid wild blueberry products from Maine’s Bar Harbor Jam Company go to any of the following:
Deluxe Wild Blueberry Gift Basket
Maine's Wild Blueberry Jam
Wild Blueberry Syrup
Colorado Farmer with Non-GM Sugar Beet (photo by Arthur Rothstein, ca. 1939, courtesy of Library of Congress)
American Feast and Organic Valley have joined more than 70 companies in pledging not to use or sell genetically modified beet sugar. The companies believe there has been insufficient study of the long term effects of genetically modified crops on human health and the environment.
The companies have signed a registry sponsored by a dozen food safety and environmental organizations. One reason for establishing the registry is the absence of mandatory labeling for genetically modified foods. The sponsoring organizations believe consumers should be given a choice as to whether or not they want to eat genetically modified food.
Food Navigator has quoted Jeffrey Smith, director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, “We need to avoid the all-too-common situation of finding out a product is harmful after it has been approved and widely distributed. Requiring that GM foods be labeled is the only protection consumers have if they want to avoid eating GM foods.”
The sugar beets were genetically modified to be resistant to a herbicide, making it easier to kill weeds without destroying the sugar beet plants. Opponents fear the genetically modified plants will cross-pollinate with related crops such as chard and table beets, needlessly affecting non-GM foods and food ingredients.
Tom Stearns, president of High Mowing Organic Seeds, told Food Navigator, “Overseas markets have already rejected other GM products, so the economic future of many of our nation’s farmers is being needlessly risked.”
To see a list of the companies that have signed the registry go to: Non-GM Beet Sugar Registry
If you’d like to read the Food Navigator article cited above go to: Food companies pledge to avoid GM beet sugar
To view previous posts on the topic go to any of the following:
1. Study: Genetic Modification Reduces Crop Yields
2. Global Debate Over Genetically Modified Food
3. Judge Halts Planting of a Genetically Modified Crop
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
Brown Eggs (photo by Clara Natoli, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Lovers of omelettes, soufflés, custards and cakes take heart, BBC News has reported that, "A University of Surrey team said their work suggested most people could eat as many eggs as they wanted without damaging their health."
There is a popular misconception that eating more than three eggs a week increased the risk of heart disease. But the Surrey team of scientists wrote in the British Nutrition Foundation's Nutrition Bulletin that, "eating saturated fats was far more likely to cause health problems."
The BBC News report quoites Researcher and Professor Bruce Griffin, "The UK public do not need to be limiting the number of eggs they eat - indeed they can be encouraged to include them in a healthy diet as they are one of nature's most nutritionally dense foods."
If you’d like to read the BBC article cited above go to: Regular eggs 'no harm to health'
|
