U.S. Government Poster from World War II (courtesy of Library of Congress)
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. Today’s 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.
We could help 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. It 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, than spread the word: Bring Back Victory Gardens!
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
U.S. Government Poster from World War II (courtesy of Library of Congress)
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. Today’s 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.
We could help 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. It 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, than spread the word: Bring Back Victory Gardens!
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
Fresh Food & Fine Design (photo by Mary R. Vogt, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Some time back we asked if local was the new organic when it came to the preferences of American consumers. A survey recently released by the Food Marketing Institute and Prevention magazine, "Shopping for Health 2008," indicates that health conscious consumers are choosing locally grown produce over organic alternatives.
The researchers wanted to know how healthy eaters succeed when it comes to shopping for food. They found that nearly everyone (80%) tries to eat healthily. Among those who try a lot, 10% say they are “always successful.” The survey profiled the one in 10 who succeeds.
When presenting the results of the survey, Cary Silvers, director of consumer insights for the company that publishes Prevention said, “Shoppers’ new interest in locally grown food reflects their strong desire to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables…The battle between organic and locally grown represents who shoppers believe can deliver the freshest produce.”
There are plenty of reasons to choose local produce. It is when it is fresh that food is at its most nutritious and most flavorful. Buying local is a choice that supports a community's farmers. Buying it limits the environmental harm done when foods are transported over great distances.
Many foodies buy local produce to savor the singular flavors of seasonal offerings that are part of their regional food heritage. The chance to talk to the farmers who produce the fresh fruit and veggies and learn from them makes shopping at a farmers market a pleasure for those concerned about personal health and the health of the environment.
To read the press release on which this item was based go to: Shopping for Health 2008: Setting Specific Goals and Plans Key to Healthy Eating
Bok Choy (photo by Dawn M. Turner, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Spring is in full force and delivering a growing abundance of fresh produce to delight home chefs and those lucky friends and family members who get to enjoy their concoctions. With the recipe below, our friends at Organic Valley Family of Farms have provided us with a delicious way to celebrate spring with “a rich and creamy combination of asparagus, wild rice, and everything else!”
Organic Valley is 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.” The organization started with 7 farmers forming an organic cooperative in 1988. Today, more than 1,200 family farms are members and their high standards shine through in their delicious, award-winning, certified organic foods.
We highly recommend you try this recipe using Native Harvest Wild Rice, which grows naturally in the lakes of Northern Minnesota and is hand-harvested by indigenous Ojibwe communities using traditional methods. Unlike the genetically manipulated "wild rice" grown in paddies, this truly wild rice is an important American heirloom crop and a central part of Ojibwe culture and tradition. One taste of the distinctive flavor of authentic wild rice and its mass-produced cousin will dull by comparison.
As always, try and get the freshest veggies you can find at your local farm stand or farmers market!
Ingredients for 10 Servings
• 2 Tablespoons Organic Valley Salted Butter
• 2 Tablespoons fresh garlic, peeled & minced
• 2 Tablespoons shallots, peeled & minced
• 1 Cup mushrooms (your seasonal choice: shitakes, criminis, etc.), wiped clean & sliced thin
• ¾ Cup Native Harvest Wild Rice, rinsed
• ¾ Cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed
• 4 Medium carrots, cut lengthwise & diagonally sliced
• 2 Quarts veggie broth
• 2 Bunches asparagus, trimmed & cut into 1” pieces
• 2 Cups seasonal & regional greens (beet greens, baby spinach, bok choy, etc.)
• 2 Cups Organic Valley Half & Half
• 1 Medium red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, washed & patted dry; then chopped fine
• ½ Teaspoon dried tarragon
• Sea salt & black pepper to taste
Preparation
1. In a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, sauté garlic, shallots and mushrooms in butter, over medium heat, for 5 minutes. Add rinsed wild and brown rices and cook for another 3 minutes. Add carrots and herb broth, and turn up the heat to medium-high until boiling. Allow mixture to boil for 10 minutes or so, then reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Allow soup to simmer for 35 minutes.
2. While the soup is simmering, prepare the asparagus by trimming the tough ends off and cutting the spears into 1” pieces, reserving the beautiful tips in a separate bowl. Simmer the asparagus spears and seasonal greens in a bit of water until bright green and crisp-tender.
3. Place semi-cooled greens in a food processor with 2 cups of half and half, and process until smooth and creamy. Add the creamy greens to the rice mixture, the rice will still be slightly firm, along with the chopped red bell pepper, parsley and tarragon. Simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes, then add the reserved asparagus tips. Allow to simmer for another 20 minutes or until the soup is of desired consistency. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
4. Top with fresh watercress, chives or parsley. Enjoy!
Copyright by Organic Valley Family of Farms ©
To visit the web site of the farmers' coop go to: Organic Valley Family of Farms
To purchase this authentic heirloom wild rice, hand-harvested by Ojibwe communities go to: Native Harvest Wild Rice: Sacred Manoomin
Organic Lemon Crop (© photo by Lisa Solonynko, courtesy of morguefile.com)
By our count there have now been at least 6 studies establishing a link between pesticides and Parkinson disease. We just read about the latest study from an article published by BBC News. 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.
Providing American families with the option of enjoying food raised without pesticides has been one the great achievements of the organic farmers movement. The great demand for organic foods by consumers is a wonderfully 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.
Still, there’s a long way to go to overcome decades of unhealthy practices driven by the industrial food system. 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.
If you’d like to read the BBC News article cited above go to: Pesticide Parkinson's link strong
Pacific University (photo by LaRae, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Across the U.S. college students are asking their schools to serve whole and organic foods, purchase locally so as to support local food sheds, and conduct the business of food in an environmentally sustainable manner. Some schools are trying to accommodate the students, but are not always having an easy time of it.
The schools and students face the same difficulties we all do when we try to eat healthier with an eye toward sustainability. Inevitably, we face choices. Sometimes we are asked to decide if we want organic vegetables imported from overseas or locally grown produce raised with pesticides. What if all the ingredients in our favorite artisnal delicacies are not all organic or loca? Do we give them up?
Do you give up foods that are not produced with 100 miles? If you are in New Haven there is no wheat grown within 100 miles and giving up fresh-baked, whole grain bread is not a very appealing option. Seeking the purity of heirloom foods? You may find that wild game birds and grass-fed American Bison are not entirely to your liking.
Still, we'd rather being facing the choices and quandaries like those above than continue supporting an industrial food system that has stripped food of its flavor and healthiness through heavy processing, genetic engineering, poisonous chemicals, and dangerous additives. And it's great to hear that today's students want to challenge the industrial food system and replace it with a healthier and more sustainable system based on family-scale farming and organic principles
If you'd like to read an article from Advertising Age on the challenge faced by college food services go to: College Students Demand 'Organic' Fare
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. Rensselaer's Terra Cafe Dishes Up Local and Organic Foods
2. Sustainable Campuses
Market Fresh (photo by Roswitha Schacht, courtesy of morguefile.com)
If the views of today’s culinary students offer clues to the culinary trends of tomorrow we can expect considerations of sustainability to play a major role in tomorrow’s menus. The International Culinary Schools at The Arts Institutes has released a survey of its students that found the chefs of tomorrow want to serve more globally diverse dishes and conduct business in a more environmentally sensitive manner.
Nearly all the responding students (97%) said environmental responsibility will play some role in their culinary careers and more than half said environmentalism is “very important”. Knowing a food’s origins and supporting local farmers was also fundamental. Three out of four are interested in including locally supplied ingredients in their repertoires and more than half want to include organic foods in their ventures.
If the survey is a good indicator, we can expect the influences on future menus will come from an exciting array of cuisines, including Spanish, French, Italian, South American, Thai and Mexican. Most of the students (81%) are considering opening a restaurant during their careers. Eight out of ten would consider specializing in fusion cuisine.
Sounds like tomorrow’s chefs will be serving imaginative menus that will make for some fantastic dining experiences. Adventurous chefs, flavorful food, and a healthier environment are a future we should all embrace.
Free Roaming Red Angus (© Photographer: Caroline Klapper | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
If you needed another reason to only eat organically raised beef, a California meat company has issued the largest beef recall in history, 143 million pounds. Much of the suspect meat has already made its way into school lunch programs and been consumed by children.
Reports indicate that cows at the Westland/Hallmark Meat Company were so sick they could not walk, which can be an indicator of mad cow disease. The Humane Society of the United States has distributed undercover footage of workers at the factory farm kicking sick cows and using forklifts to force them to walk. Federal law bans cows that can’t walk from the food supply.
Government officials have said this is an isolated incident and mad cow disease is extremely rare, but there were 21 recalls of beef related to potentially deadly E. coli last year, compared with 8 in 2006 and 5 in 2005. The recall on Sunday by Westland/Hallmark was more than four times bigger than the previous record.
Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, has stated:
Long term, however, the federal government must step up and meet its responsibility for assuring both the integrity of food and the humane treatment of animals at all slaughter plants. A recall of this staggering scale proves that it's past time for Congress and the USDA to strengthen our laws for the sake of people and animals.
To read an article from Bloomberg.com on the recall go to: Westland/Hallmark Recalls Record Amount of U.S. Beef (Update4)
If you’d like to purchase the safest & finest Red Angus Organic Beef we’ve been able to find click on any of the following:
Organic Red Angus New York Strip Steaks
Organic Red Angus Rib Eye Steaks
Organic Red Angus Tenderloin Steaks
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. USDA Bans Cloned Animals from Organic Livestock
2. Paying More to Eat Well & Stay Safe
3. Organic Dairy & Meat Improves Mothers' Breast Milk
4. Damar Farms: Raising Red Angus Organically
Pennsylvania Farm (photo by Michelle Kwajafa, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The reasonably well-informed have good reason to prefer organic foods. Many are willing to pay more for them to avoid the health risks of processed foods produced on factory farms, and do something positive for the health of the environment.
Pesticides have been linked to Parkinson’s by multiple studies. Besides pesticides, parents would also like to avoid feeding their children growth hormones, antibiotics, herbicides, and chemical ingredients they cannot recognize or pronounce. People who live near massive factory farms and those who have visited them are understandably upset by the environmental degradation and the treatment of livestock.
We’re convinced that a more sustainable food system would greatly improve the general health and the overall quality of life. We’re not alone. Farmers in the United States and the United Kingdom have been unable to keep up with the rapidly growing demand for organics. For many small, eco-friendly farmers the cost and process of obtaining certifications is itself an obstacle.
Consumers would like to purchase organic foods that are locally grown, but find they must often make a choice. With demand outstripping supply, organic food prices have soared. Many families must consider whether the best foods for their children’s health are within their means.
Alternatives to reliance on a food system that is not serving the best interests of the community are being pursued. Farmers markets are proliferating at an impressive rate. Community gardens are offering a wonderful alternative to a diet of highly processed and unhealthy food. Educational programs are teaching children about growing and cooking healthy foods. Every individual has an opportunity to help these positive trends to flourish with their choices and actions. It doesn’t get more hopeful than that.
If you’d like to read an Associated Press article on the topic go to: Organic Food Industry in a Supply Crunch
To read an article in Food Production Daily on the topic go to: UK organic market stifled by supply problems
When the Weed family of Cayuga County in upstate New York began Schoolyard Sugarbush to make pure maple syrup they had already been making pancake mix for three generations. A young Danielle was puzzled at receiving a gift of 25 metal spikes from her grandparents one winter when her mom told her, “You’ll learn to use them this spring.”
And learn she did. There in the schoolyard of an old one-room schoolhouse where several aunts and uncles had received their first years of formal education, Danielle and her father began yet another science lesson in her home education.
The first people to make maple syrup were the Native Americans of the Northeast who called their syrup, "sinzibukwud," which means, "sweet buds." The Native Americans used it as a flavoring for breads, stews, teas and vegetables. They taught the making of the indigenous treat to French and English settlers. During the colonial period maple sugar became the principal sweetener in North America, widely preferred to the cheaper cane sugar.
Having made pancake mix at the family’s New Hope Mills for so many years it was only natural to combine pancakes and maple syrup. The family’s background gave them a good understanding of the quality, flavor and coloring of pure maple syrup. For the Weed family the quality of the product is paramount. Any product that is made at New Hope Mills is produced in the most eco-friendly way; absolutely free from chemical additives and artificial ingredients. Under organic standards the maple forest must be protected by buffer zones from poisonous run off and environmentally harmful fertilizers, exactly as the family would have it.
Applying their long held values to the making of maple syrup they began by crafting it from a roaster pan on a pot-bellied stove. It wasn’t long before that old pan just couldn’t keep up. A year later their endeavor grew to 100 taps as they produced 23 gallons of syrup from sap carried by hand or pulled across the snow on a toboggan. Returning from college in 1993, Dan Weed took over the process in the family’s third year of operation. Within two years there were 500 taps along the roadways and in the ravines near the sugarhouse.
If you’re in Moravia, Cayuga County in upstate New York, visitors are welcome anytime they’re boiling at the roadside sugarhouse. Guests entering the sugarhouse comment most on the amazing aroma of the syrup. Some even say a perfume should be developed. So stop in. You’ll learn the taste and aroma of Natures Sweetener. The address of the sugarhouse is 5967 Appletree Point Road in Moravia; within 300 feet of corner at 41A and Appletree Point Road.
If you can’t make it to the sugarhouse but would like to purchase some of the Weed family’s fine syrup go to:
100% Pure Organic Maple Syrup
Ernie’s Berry, Elmo’s Punch & Bird’s Apple (images courtesy of Apple & Eve, LLC)
With pesticides linked to Parkinson’s Disease and other debilitating health effects, many parents are keeping food raised with pesticides away from their children by serving them organic foods. Warnings about the ill effects of soft drink consumption has stopped moms and dads across America from giving soda to thirsty kids.
But the battle parents face is a tough one. Some of America’s largest companies spend enormous amounts of money marketing junk food to children. Kids can recognize corporate logos before they can read. Facing daily grinds, parents get weary of the struggle to resist their kids’ calls for unhealthy snacks and beverages. Heavily processed fast foods masquerading as children's meals are an enormous temptation. It’s time beleagured parents got more help from both government and business.
Some help has just arrived. Apple & Eve has just announced that it has expanded its popular Sesame Street line of juice boxes with the new Sesame Street Organics 100% Fruit Juice Boxes, providing families who prefer organic products with a fruit juice that will make following an organic lifestyle as easy as “ABC.”
Sesame Street Organics 100% Fruit Juice Boxes are fortified with calcium and contain a full day’s supply of Vitamin C, and available in three favorite flavors: Big Bird’s Apple, Elmo’s Punch and Ernie’s Berry. Each of the three Sesame Street characters is dressed as a farmer. Hopefully, today's kids willl be tomorrow's customers at local farmers markets looking for fresh-from-the-farm fruits and veggies. Sesame Street Organics are packaged in kid-friendly boxes for kids ages 2 to 5, to fit young hands to holding onto them at the playground, pre-school or a birthday party.
“For years, parents have turned to our Sesame Street line of juice for a wholesome, all-natural 100% fruit juice that is healthy and fun for their kids to drink,” says Ken Gootkind, VP, Organics Division, Apple & Eve. “As more and more parents seek out organic products for their families, we wanted to offer an organic fruit juice designed specifically for young kids that we know will also appeal to health-conscious parents.”
Sesame Street Organics are USDA-certified organic, and carry the Quality Assurance International seal that verifies that they are produced according to the strictest USDA standards.
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. Selling to Kids
2. Safety of Soft Drinks Under Scrutiny
3. What to Feed Your Kids this Summer
4. TV’s Fast Food Ads Contribute to Obesity of Children
Free Roaming Sheep (photo by Bianca Meyer, courtesy of morguefile.com)
It seems U.S. government agencies have unsettled differences when it comes to the safety of cloned animlas in the American food supply. Even though the USDA strictly bans the use of cloned animals and their offspring from the production of organic food, the FDA insists, "...meat and milk from cattle, swine and goat clones are as safe as food we eat every day."
In light of the numerous health warnings and recalls of foods sold to American consumers, we don't find the assurances of the FDA to be at all reassuring.
The Center for Food Safety, a non-profit public interest organization, has stated, “Given the lack of data regarding human health impacts, CFS believes the FDA was premature in pronouncing food from cloned animals to be safe to eat."
An article in the Washington Post by Rick Weiss offers the following troublesome news:
Executives from the nation's major cattle cloning companies conceded yesterday that they have not been able to keep track of how many offspring of clones have entered the food supply, despite a years-old request by the FDA to keep them off the market pending completion of the agency's safety report.
At least one Kansas cattle producer also disclosed yesterday that he has openly sold semen from prize-winning clones to many U.S. meat producers in the past few years, and that he is certain he is not alone.
According to the Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit farm policy research group, the realities of cloning include some disturbing phenomena:
• 64% of cattle, 40% of sheep, and 93% of cloned mice exhibit some form of abnormality, with a large percentage of the animals dying during gestation or shortly after birth
• High rates of late abortion and early prenatal death, with failure rates of 95% to 97% in most mammal cloning attempts
• Defects such as grossly oversized calves, enlarged tongues, squashed faces, intestinal blockages, immune deficiencies, and diabetes
• When cloning does not produce a normal animal, many of the difficult pregnancies cause physical suffering or death to the surrogate mothers
Mark Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute says:
Regardless of what the proponents claim this is all about bottom-line profit and producing more and more of our food from giant industrial-scale farming operations. We are getting so, so far away from farmer Jones and the intimate connection between the land, animals, and the people who care for them in a sustainable and regenerative system. I wish I could say this was science fiction.
If you'd like to read the Washington Post article cited above go to: USDA Recommends That Food From Clones Stay Off the Market
To learn more about this & other food safety issues click on the following organizations:
The Cornucopia Institute
Center for Food Safety
Organic Consumers Association
Consumers Union
USDA’s National Organic Program
Real Free-Roaming Cows (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morguefile.com)
In a scandal now ensnaring some of the nations leading retailers, a series of lawsuits have been filed accusing Wal-Mart, Costco, Target, Safeway, and Wild Oats of consumer fraud for marketing suspect organic milk.
The legal filings in federal courts come on the heels of class action lawsuits against Aurora Dairy Corporation, based in Boulder, Colorado. The suits against Aurora and the grocery chains allege consumer fraud, negligence, and unjust enrichment concerning the sale of organic milk. This past April, Aurora officials received a notice from the USDA detailing multiple and “willful” violations of federal organic law that were found by federal investigators.
“This is the largest scandal in the history of the organic industry,” said Mark Kastel of The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group. Cornucopia’s investigation in 2005, first alerted USDA investigators to the improprieties occurring at Aurora. “Aurora was taking advantage of the consumer’s good will in the marketplace toward organics, and the USDA has allowed this scofflaw-corporation to continue to operate,” Kastel added.
Aurora, with $100 million in annual sales, provides milk that is sold as organic and packaged as private label, store-brand products for many of the nation’s biggest chains. In addition to Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Safeway, and Wild Oats, Aurora serves as supplier to 15 other national and regional chains.
The stores sell Aurora's milk under their own in-house brand names, such as Costco's Kirkland and Target's Archer Farms, in cartons marked "USDA organic," typically with pictures of pastures or other bucolic scenes.
"That's not even close to the reality of where this milk was coming from," said Steve Berman, a Seattle lawyer whose firm is among those suing. "These cows are all penned in factory-confinement conditions."
Independent investigators at the USDA concluded earlier this year that Aurora—with five dairy facilities in Colorado and Texas, each milking thousands of cows—had 14 “willful” violations of federal organic regulations.
Cornucopia points out that Aurora is a "horrible aberration," and that the vast majority of all organic dairy products are produced with high integrity. In a scorecard published last year, and available on their web site, Cornucopia rates over 90% of organic name-brand dairy products as truly subscribing to the letter and spirit of the law.
"We have learned that Wild Oats and the Publix supermarket chain in Florida are no longer buying milk from Aurora,” stated Kastel. "In addition, the nation's largest distributor of natural and organic products, United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) has also secured an alternative source for their Woodstock Farms brand."
“Aurora’s actions have injured the reputation of the more than 1500 legitimate organic dairy farmers who are faithfully following federal organic rules and regulations,” noted Kastel. “We cannot allow these families to be placed at a competitive disadvantage.”
Mark Pepperzak, Aurora CEO, said, "The allegations in this smear campaign against AOD are based on false information and, therefore, completely unfounded."
"It is unconscionable that the USDA allowed Aurora to continue, after making millions of dollars, in this ‘ethics-based’ industry, when they had concluded that Aurora willfully violated the law," Kastel added. "However, there is a higher authority in terms of organic integrity than the USDA—that's the organic consumer. And they are about to make their voices heard through the courts."
If you'd like to learn more about the excellent work of the Institute & how you might help go to: Cornucopia Institute
Terra Cafe (photo by Kris Qua, courtesy of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)
Written by the Polytechnic Institute/Office of Media Relations
The popularity and taste for a new and original fare choice has made its way onto the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. In an effort to please the palates of socially conscious students, faculty, staff, and members of the surrounding community, the Terra Cafe is dishing up a weekly selection of local and organic meals, desserts, and beverages every Wednesday afternoon in the Russell Sage Dining Hall.
The brainchild of Ella Braco, a native of Binghamton, N.Y., the student-run cafe had a test run last spring in Mother’s Wine Emporium in the Rensselaer Union with support from EcoLogic, one of the Rensselaer Union environmental clubs. Braco and several students worked with Jackie Baldwin, culinary director with Sodexho Campus Services, to develop a menu for the cafe.
“I have always been interested in the fresh taste of locally grown and organic foods, and I wanted other students and members of the campus community to have a similar experience,” says Braco.
Braco is a junior majoring in Design, Innovation, and Society, a program that prepares students to design new products, services, and media while considering the social needs and environmental concerns of the 21st century. Following the success of the initial launch, she used the idea as part of a class project to develop a business plan in the Product, Design, and Innovation course.
“Since I was really little, I always wanted to open a cafe,” says Braco. “The idea of establishing a cafe on campus seemed like a good opportunity to bring students, faculty, and staff together in a more social setting outside of the classroom.”
Ella Braco
There’s a lot of planning involved. Prior to this year’s debut in the Russell Sage Dining Hall, Braco and the Terra Cafe Club members developed a business plan, and discussed aspects related to the business structure, branding, marketing, and education, among others. The 15 members meet on a weekly basis and also staff the cafe on Wednesdays. In addition, Braco and Baldwin meet every Thursday to discuss the previous day’s activities and meal planning and preparation for the following week.
“People are becoming more health-conscious consumers who favor foods without synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or hormones,” says Baldwin. “I shop locally and I have been doing so for years. Local farms need community support to stay in business, and this effort also helps to eliminate the use of fossil fuels which over time have an impact on the environment.”
According to the Organic Trade Association, the allure and taste for organic products is on the rise with food sales totaling $10.4 billion. Over the last few years, the industry has seen a 17 to 20 percent growth.
“There are challenges that we encounter in this process. We can’t consistently offer the same meal, as supply does not equal demand,” says Baldwin. “We have to use the combination of local and organic foods based on the growing seasons and the selection of meats, produce, fruits, and vegetables that are available.”
Baldwin recalled the first day that the cafe opened and all meal products had to come from within 100 miles of the Capital Region. She needed oil to prepare part of the meal, and since oil is a product that does not come from the area, she used heavy cream from Meadowbrook Dairy Farm, churned it into butter, and then clarified it – a process that simply melts butter so the water evaporates from it and the milk solids separate from the fat.
The cafe is modeled after Cafe Ozone, a similar student-run eatery at Union College. A far cry from the usual grab-and-go lunch, the Terra Cafe offers a weekly menu that features a meat option, vegetarian option, dessert, and beverage--all at a cost of $5. One week’s menu featured included whole wheat penne with organic meatballs or roasted vegetables, Prinzo’s garlic bread, mixed greens with organic dressing, a mango raspberry cobbler, and a choice of Fair trade organic coffee or Divinitea Pomegranate ice tea.
The Terra Cafe captures the essence of a family-style atmosphere with diners sitting together at various tables covered with burgundy clothes and floral centerpieces. So far, more than 60 members of the campus community have eaten at the cafe on a regular basis. The cafe also features live entertainment that is organized by Alessandro Gerbini, a native of Delmar who is majoring in science and technology studies, and an education table staffed by organizations involved in local and organic foods business.
“In this process, I am learning to become a leader and trust that others share my vision,” says Braco. “I think that the students involved are having a lot of fun because we are able to take ownership of the cafe. We know that this is a work in progress that we will pass onto the next generation of students.”
Future plans may include expanding the cafe’s days of operation. For now, heading into the fall season, the shift will focus on more organic foods that may come from local farmers or items shipped from other producers with special meals that feature squash, apples, and pears.
Reprinted with the kind permission of Inside Rensselaer©
To learn more about the menu & dining in Rensselaer on local & organic food go to: Terra Cafe
If you’d like to view a previous post on the topic go to: Sustainable Campuses
The Royal Treatment™ Facial Cream (image courtesy of BeeCeuticals Organics)
Some green entrepreneurs are new to the world of sustainable living, but for others an eco-friendly endeavor is part of a lifelong commitment to better health and a better world.
Take Julie and Richie Gerber, founders of BeeCeuticals Organics, who have been involved with health and wellness since they first met over 30 years ago. Together, they saw the desire for natural foods evolve from the fringes of society in the early 1970s to the widely popular movement it is today. Now the couple has created BeeCeuticals to offer body care products that are naturally healthy, biodegradable, sustainable, and cruelty free.
In the 1970s Julie was a yoga teacher and Richie a vegetarian jazz sax player. They moved to Maine, started an organic farm, built their own energy efficient home, taught T’ai Chi Ch’uan and vegetarian cooking classes, while also teaching in the local schools. Their veggie diet seems to provide them with an awful lot of energy!
After several years, the two licensed nutritionists moved to Florida and opened a small neighborhood health food store. They shared their knowledge with customers, held educational events, gave cooking classes, wrote wellness newsletters, ran a restaurant, and more. For 10 years Richie hosted the Natural Grocer Radio Show, a pioneer in South Florida talk-radio. They managed all that while raising their son, Isaac. He's now the website designer and webmaster for the family business.
Julie and Richie have created a very special body care line for BeeCeuticals Organics. They select only the highest quality ingredients for their products, using certified organic botanicals, extracts, oils and butters, and of course, therapeutical bee products. Each product contains their healing Organic Holistic Honey Blend™. They never use sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate, parabens or synthetic fragrances.
They strive to be as gentle on the environment as their products are on the body by offsetting 100% of their power usage with wind and solar power in partnership with Carbonfund.org.
If you’d like to learn more about Julie & Richie’s company and their line of healthy and eco-friendly body care products go to: BeeCeuticals Organics
Thank you Susan Tango!
Produce & Egg (photo by Mary Thorman, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Researchers from Great Britain's Newcastle University have found up to 40% more antioxidants in organic fruit and vegetables than in non-organic. The team of scientists raised fruit and vegetables, and reared cattle on adjacent organic and non-organic sites across Europe in a four-year study funded by a £12m European Union grant.
Professor Carlo Leifert, the Project Coordinator, said:
We have shown there are more of certain nutritionally desirable compounds and less of the baddies in organic foods, or improved amounts of the fatty acids you want and less of those you don't want...Our research is trying to find out where the difference between organic and conventional food comes from.
In the past, some researchers have speculated that pesticides might inhibit the production of nutrients in fruits and vegetables.
To read a report by BBC News on the topic go to: Study hails organic food benefits
To view previous posts on this topic go to:
1. Organic Food Offers Flavor, Nutrition, Safety & Sustainability
2. Organic Dairy & Meat Improves Mothers' Breast Milk
3. For a Healthy Heart: Organic Tomatoes
4. Old World Scientists Agree: Organic Is Healthier
5. Organic Is Better
100% Pure Organic Cotton Apron (photo by Rick Tango)
These sturdily attractive American Feast Cooking Aprons come in the naturally beautiful coloring of 100% pure organic cotton with embroidery done in navy blue organic thread.
Organically grown cotton is a beneficial, caring choice - for you & our planet. Conventionally-grown cotton occupies only 3% of the world's farmland, but uses 25% of the world's chemical pesticides. Most pesticides were originally developed as toxic nerve agents during World War II; so it's no wonder they have been linked to Parkinson's disease & many cancers.
American Feast had these aprons made with the most eco-friendly organic cotton we could find. And we wanted our aprons made in accordance with strict Fair Trade practices. To get what we wanted we worked with Hae Now, a family business with an office in the beautiful San Francisco Bay area. The folks at Hae Now take pride in their clothing & it shows! Premium stitching, classic styling & superior quality make an attractive, durable product that has a lower eco-impact over its lifespan. They recognize that quality & durability are also measures of environmental friendliness!
Hae Now goes to extraordinary lengths to deliver clothing both eco-friendly & labor friendly. Hae Now's eco-friendly practices have been certified by Skal of the Netherlands. The company's Fair Trade practices have been recognized by Oxfam-Benelux & Amnesty International. We're also pleased to report that they use the most eco-friendly transportation mode: the ocean-liner!
If you'd like to purchase an organic apron for yourself or as a sustainable gift for someone special go to: 100% Organic Cotton Cooking Apron
Pitcher of Milk (photo by Lisa Rowell, courtesy of morgurfile.com)
“This is the largest scandal in the history of the organic industry,” said Mark Kastel of The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group.
Acting on behalf of organic food consumers in 27 states, class action lawsuits are being filed in U.S. federal courts, in St. Louis and Denver, against the nation’s largest organic dairy. The suits charge Aurora Dairy Corporation, based in Boulder, Colorado, with allegations of consumer fraud, negligence, and unjust enrichment concerning the sale of organic milk by the company. This past April, Aurora officials received a notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) detailing multiple and “willful” violations of federal organic law that were found by federal investigators.
Cornucopia’s 2005 formal legal complaint first alerted USDA investigators to the improprieties occurring at Aurora. “Aurora was taking advantage of the consumer’s good will in the marketplace toward organics, and the USDA has allowed this scofflaw-corporation to continue to operate,” says Kastel.
Aurora, with $100 million in annual sales, provides milk that is sold as organic and packaged as private label, store-brand products for some of the nation’s biggest chains, including Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Safeway, Wild Oats, and about 20 others.
Independent investigators at the USDA concluded earlier this year that Aurora—with five dairy facilities in Colorado and Texas, each milking thousands of cows—had 14 “willful” violations of federal organic regulations. One of the most egregious of the findings was that from December 5, 2003, to April 16, 2007, the Aurora Dairy “labeled and represented milk as organically produced, when such milk was not produced
“We believe that there are tens of thousands of consumers across the United States who have been directly impacted by Aurora’s practices,” said Ronnie Cummins of the Organic Consumers Association. “We are pleased to see this legal action. We will do what we can to ensure that organic continues to mean organic and that consumers get exactly that when they are paying premium prices for organic food,” Cummins added.
To learn more about this topic go to: Cornucopia Institute
Organic Carrots (© Photographer: Rebekah Burgess | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
As advocates of organic food we’re glad to hear we’ve got a lot of company when it comes to recognizing its benefits. Yes, it is more expensive and some small farmers and producers find the cost of getting officially certified to be prohibitive. But we believe organic food is more flavorful, more nutritious, safer from contamination, and a much better choice for a sustainable environment.
We’re far from alone in our views. Health News Digest has reported on the findings of a Harris Poll of 2,392 adults. The report states,
Those who buy organic food regularly are still a small minority, but a growing one. Organic food is seen by most people as safer, better for the environment and healthier, but more expensive. Most organic food buyers overwhelmingly believe it tastes better and is worth the extra cost.
The people who buy organic food, whether regularly or occasionally, are six times more likely to have increased their spending on organic food rather than to have cut back. The Health News Digest report goes on to conclude,
The many people who have positive attitudes to organic food suggest that the increase in consumption of organic food is likely to continue and, in a few years time, could account for a much larger share of the food market.
Americans are not alone in preferring food grown without pesticides. A Japanese publication, The Asahi Shimbun, reports,
Plenty of consumers are keen to purchase organically grown vegetables and rice. According to a survey by the (Japanese) Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2004, 42 percent of respondents said they would like to purchase organic produce in the future. Combined with those who said they would do so "if the price comes down," 94 percent were inclined to go organic.
The Asahi Shimbun quotes Kiichi Nakajima, Professor at Ibaraki University and chair of Japan's Research Association for Organic Agriculture, as saying,
Agriculture is now at a major turning point where it must undergo a change to become sustainable, in complete balance with the environment. For Japan, the best path forward is organic farming that values the works of life, while decreasing the burdens on the environment.
To read the report in Health News Digest cited above go to: Large Majorities See Organic Food as Safer, Better for the Environment And Healthier — But Also More Expensive
To read the report from The Asahi Shimbun cited above go to: Eating green
To view previous posts on the topic click on the following:
1. Going Organic in Scotland
2. Good News for a Future of Organic Food
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