American Feast's Sustainable Food Blog
Learn more about natural & organic foods, sustainable food, your health and our planet at the American Feast Blog
January 17, 2012
Mexicali Chicken Recipe from Denise Szarek
We love to cook from scratch as much as anyone, but on nights when time is of the essence it’s nice to include some prime, pre-made ingredients such as a good chutney, or in this case a very high quality fruit salsa. The salsa and the recipe come from Denise and Bernie of Szarek Farms in upstate New York, the founders of Old Goat Foods.
Szarek Farms is a great example of the old maxim, "necessity is the mother of invention." A small greenhouse grower in Central New York, the husband and wife team of Denise and Bernie Szarek grows tomatoes, peppers, fruits and herbs. They do not use pesticides on their farm.
Here's what The Nibble had to say about their delicious salsas, "Like sweet fruit salsa? Like adorable pygmy goats? Here’s the salsa for you. The line has four mascots: pygmy goat triplets and their canine “brother.” Together, they dish out nice, sweet-and-spicy salsas."
Your desired level of spiciness is made easy, as Denise and Bernie’s premium salsa comes in three degrees of heat: Hot, Medium and Sweet.
Ingredient for 4 Servings
• 4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Cup seasoned bread crumbs
• ½ Cup chopped green onions (scallions)
• 1 Cup your favorite Old Goat Salsa
• 1 Cup fat free shredded cheddar
Preparation
1. Coat chicken breast in bread crumbs, place in 8in square glass baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
2. Top with Old Goat Salsa, chopped green onions and shredded cheddar cheese, bake another 15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Enjoy with rice!
If you’d like to purchase some delicious Old Goat Salsa from Szarek Farms go to:
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Over the holidays, the United States Department of Agriculture announced its approval of a novel strain of genetically engineered corn, developed by Monsanto, purportedly being “drought tolerant.”
Despite receiving nearly 45,000 public comments in opposition to this particular genetically engineered (GE) corn variety (and only 23 comments in favor), the Obama administration gave Monsanto the green light to release its newest GE corn variety freely into the environment and American food supply, without any governmental oversight or safety tracking.
“President Obama and Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack just sent a clear message to the American public that they do not care about our concerns with genetically engineered food and their questionable safety, adverse environmental impacts, and detrimental effects on farmers, especially organic farmers,” says Mark A. Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst with The Cornucopia Institute.
Change We Can Believe In?
“This is just the latest in a string of approvals of genetically engineered crops, and it is clear that despite campaign promises of change from Obama, he has not had the courage to stand strong against the powerful agribusiness and biotechnology lobbies,” Kastel added.
In addition to its announcement approving Monsanto’s newest GE corn variety, the USDA also opened a 60-day public comment period for two additional petitions – one for Monsanto’s GE soybean containing higher levels of an omega-3 fatty acid, that does not naturally occur in soybeans, and the other from Dow AgroSciences for corn that has been genetically engineered to better resist the poisonous herbicide 2,4-D.
While the USDA attempts to assure the public that 2,4-D is safe, scientists have raised serious concerns about the safety of this herbicide, which was used as a key ingredient in “Agent Orange,” used to defoliate forests and croplands in the Vietnam War.
2,4-D is a chlorophenoxy herbicide, and scientists around the world have reported increased cancer risks in association with its use, especially for soft tissue sarcoma and malignant lymphoma. Four separate studies in the United States reported an association with chlorophenoxy herbicide use and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
"The concern is that, just like Monsanto's genetically engineered corn that is resistant to RoundUp™ (glyphosate) herbicide, the approval of a cultivar resistant to 2,4-D will cause an exponential increase in the use of this toxic agrichemical," Kastel stated.
Research by the EPA found that babies born in counties with high rates of 2,4-D application to farm fields were significantly more likely to be born with birth defects of the respiratory and circulatory systems, as well as defects of the musculoskeletal system like clubfoot, fused digits and extra digits. These birth defects were 60% to 90% more likely in counties with higher 2,4-D application rates.
The results also showed a higher likelihood of birth defects in babies conceived in the spring, when herbicide application rates peak.
In its petition, Dow AgroSciences states that 2,4-D is increasingly important for chemical farmers because of the presence of weeds that have developed resistance to glyphosate, as a result of the widespread use of Monsanto’s genetically engineered glyphosate-resistant crops.
When Monsanto introduced glyphosate, it was touted as a safer and less toxic alternative to herbicides like 2,4-D. Now, an emerging body of scientific literature is raising serious concerns about the safety of glyphosate as well.
“The concern that the use of GE crops, which are resistant to particular herbicides, leads to the creation of 'superweeds' is now shown to be valid and serious, as even the chemical companies now recognize and admit this is a problem,” says Kastel.
“In 2012 the USDA is proposing approving a new GE corn variety that is resistant to a different toxic herbicide, escalating the toxic treadmill in chemical-dependent agriculture,” said Jay Feldman, Executive Director of Beyond Pesticides. “This is nothing more than a band-aid solution to a serious problem, and will only give rise to more superweeds, more herbicide pollution in our environment, more herbicide poisoning, while likely leading to the need for even more toxic herbicides a couple of years down the line. This foolish circle has to end,” Feldman said.
A Very Real Threat to Organic Farmers
Farm research groups like The Cornucopia Institute are also concerned with the impact of genetically engineered crops on organic farmers, whose organic crops are already at risk of contamination with Monsanto’s unnatural DNA, from pollen drift.
In its Environmental Assessment of the “drought tolerant” Monsanto corn, the USDA conceded that gene flow of corn pollen is likely to occur. It is well-established that corn pollen travels, and pollen from genetically engineered plants will contaminate natural corn plants.
“The irony, of course, is that organic fields and crops are much more drought tolerant, because common sense and field trials show healthy and biologically active organic soil retains moisture much better than tired and depleted soil on conventional monoculture farms, and organic crops are healthier and more robust than conventional crops,” said Charlotte Vallaeys, a researcher at Cornucopia.
“But Monsanto cannot profit from healthy soil and healthy organic crops, while they can profit from genetically engineering, patenting, and owning new life forms,” Vallaeys continued. “It’s unfortunate that the Obama administration is equally misguided by supporting Monsanto and Dow’s petitions and ignoring citizens' demand for an immediate end to approving these genetically engineered crops in our food supply.”
About The Cornucopia Institute
The Cornucopia Institute is dedicated to the fight for economic justice for the family-scale farming community. Through research, advocacy and economic development our goal is to empower farmers both politically and through marketplace initiatives. Its Organic Integrity Project acts as a corporate watchdog assuring that no compromises to the credibility of organic farming methods and the food it produces are made in the pursuit of profit. We will actively resist regulatory rollbacks and the weakening of organic standards to protect and maintain consumer confidence in the organic food label.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site, email Jeff Deasy at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
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.
Having made pancake mix at the family’s New Hope Mills for 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 they make 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.
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
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site, email Jeff Deasy at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
"We found inadequate, overgrazed pasture adjacent to their milking facility, and we were told by Shamrock employees that the confined cows had not been out in weeks," said Mark A. Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute.
An industrial-scale organic dairy, located south of Phoenix in the desert Southwest, is poised to lose its USDA organic certification. The enforcement action at Shamrock Farms is the result of a USDA investigation into organic livestock management practices that was triggered by a formal complaint from The Cornucopia Institute.
Shamrock operates a massive dairy that was milking approximately 16,000 cows at the time of an inspection by Cornucopia staff in 2008. Between 700 and 1,100 of the cows at the split operation were in the organic milk herd; the remainder were part of a conventional dairy that is part of the same sprawling complex. Shamrock is Arizona's first-ever certified organic dairy.
"We found inadequate, overgrazed pasture adjacent to their milking facility, and we were told by Shamrock employees that the confined cows had not been out in weeks," said Mark A. Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst for Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute, an organic industry watchdog.
Federal organic regulations require that cows be grazed, and the practice has been a contentious issue in the organic arena. A number of factory-scale dairies — some milking thousands of cows each — have been spotlighted by Cornucopia's investigations for skirting the law. Formal complaints to the USDA from the farm policy group have led to similar enforcement actions against other giant dairies that they say are "masquerading as organic."
"As an organic dairy farmer who believes in and follows the law, I am upset that outfits like Shamrock are allegedly cheating and deceiving organic consumers," said John Boere, a Modesto, California dairy producer who ships his milk to Organic Valley, a cooperative of primarily family farmers. "Over the past few years there has been a surplus of organic milk, which injured plenty of farms like mine. Ethical producers like me could have recovered some of our income if certifiers and the USDA had been doing their jobs," added Boere.
Shamrock's organic certifier, Quality Assurance International, has been asked by the USDA to handle the suspension.
"This dairy operation never should have been certified in the first place," Kastel noted, "and it's unacceptable that it took more than three years from the time of our complaint to the announcement of this enforcement action. There's simply no excuse for this level of foot-dragging and procrastination at a USDA administration that proclaimed this the 'age of enforcement.'"
The Wisconsin-based organization has been increasingly critical of the Obama/Vilsack administration at the USDA for failing to live up to its own rhetoric, and high expectations after appointing widely respected industry participants to run the National Organic Program.
"We filed the formal legal complaint against Shamrock towards the end of the Bush administration," said Kastel. “This kind of delay, as consumers apparently were continuing to unknowingly buy fraudulent organic milk, is a grave disservice and abdication of the USDA's congressional mandate to protect the industry from improprieties."
Shamrock Food Company's milk and sour cream products are distributed in the Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions and available at such retailers as Walmart.
The Cornucopia Institute
The Cornucopia Institute, with almost 6,000 members, has more organic farmer-members than any other policy group in the country. On the organization's website (www.cornucopia.org) pictures of Shamrock's industrial-scale dairy can be viewed in the photo gallery.
"At a time when conventional and organic dairy producers are all being squeezed by extraordinarily high feed prices, there is no doubt that large corporate-owned, vertically-integrated operations like Shamrock put downward pressure on farm gate prices," said Will Fantle, Cornucopia's Research Director. "If this dairy was indeed violating the law, they have taken profits out of the pockets of hard-working family farmers in the Southwest."
Cornucopia has also produced an online scorecard for consumers rating all organic dairy brands sold in grocery stores around the country for their adherence to the spirit and letter of the federal law and regulations governing organic food and agriculture.
"The good news for organic consumers in the Southwest, and elsewhere, is that based on our research 90% of all organic dairy brands are produced with high integrity," Kastel affirmed. "In every market buyers can find organic milk, cheese and yogurt, butter and ice cream that truly respect organic consumers' values and the federal law. Scofflaws like Shamrock are unfortunate aberrations."
Flagrant Violation of the Law
The Cornucopia Institute was formally notified by the USDA that it had completed its investigation of Shamrock's Arizona dairy by referring the 2008 complaint to the operation's certifier, Quality Assurance International (QAI).
"Since Shamrock, based on our allegations, was in flagrant violation of the law, which should have been evident to its certifier, upon initial inspection and on subsequent annual inspections, we question the propriety of the USDA depending on QAI rather than conducting their own investigation," said Fantle.
In the past, when Cornucopia filed formal legal complaints against other industrial dairy operations, such as Aurora Dairy in Colorado, which USDA investigators found was in "willful" violation of federal law, the certifier was also found complicit and was initially earmarked, by the USDA, for suspension.
In 2007, another giant dairy certified by QAI, owned by Case Vander Eyk Jr., in Pixley, California milking 10,000 cows, in a split operation, also lost its organic certification after a Cornucopia investigation and subsequent legal complaint.
"The USDA's job, operating an accreditation program, is to assure that the certifiers are performing their duties properly," said Fantle. "Subcontracting investigations to certifiers, when serious allegations crop up, when the certifier itself could also be responsible, is inappropriate."
The USDA's letter to Cornucopia states that, "QAI issued a Letter of Proposed Suspension to Shamrock" and that the corporation has appealed the action and their milk remains in the market.
"Besides the unacceptable delay, what is outrageous about this notice is its lack of transparency," added Fantle. The USDA has refused, thus far, to release the actual Letter of Proposed Suspension, breaking from tradition.
"Even the Bush administration was willing to inform the public when an enforcement action took place and fully delineate the violations that were confirmed," lamented Kastel.
Although, on at least one occasion, The Cornucopia Institute was forced to sue the Bush USDA in order to compel the release of documents that the public was legally entitled to, it now states it is more disappointed in the Obama administration's approach to openness at the USDA.
"This isn't exactly news, as the mindset of the Obama administration has been well documented in the media, including the New York Times, in terms of their increasing levels of secrecy, after professing, as President Obama took office, its commitment to transparency. This level of secrecy is highly disappointing to find at the National Organic Program (NOP),” said Kastel.
"There wasn't anything positive in terms of governmental openness at the NOP during the Bush years, but now we find that documents that had been previously released are being withheld. What’s more, when the Department now complies with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests most of the documents are so heavily redacted they are rendered useless to the public and media endeavoring to understand whether or not our regulators are properly enforcing the law," Kastel added.
About The Cornucopia Institute
The Cornucopia Institute is dedicated to the fight for economic justice for the family-scale farming community. Through research, advocacy and economic development our goal is to empower farmers both politically and through marketplace initiatives. Its Organic Integrity Project acts as a corporate watchdog assuring that no compromises to the credibility of organic farming methods and the food it produces are made in the pursuit of profit. We will actively resist regulatory rollbacks and the weakening of organic standards to protect and maintain consumer confidence in the organic food label.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site, email Jeff Deasy at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Wintry weather and early sundowns can leave you feeling a little blue, but there are some seasonal delicacies to brighten your mood. One that often gets overlooked is the leek, a wonderful winter vegetable in the same family of vegetables as onions and garlic, but with a mild flavor. (It’s also one of the national emblems of Wales, where citizens wear it on St. David's Day.)
Below is a terrific recipe for combining the flavor of leeks with goat cheese, shallots, and garlic, taught by Chef Melanie Underwood in a class called, “The Food Shed: Cooking Local and Seasonal” at Manhattan’s Institute of Culinary Education. She had the class using fresh ingredients from local farms and I highly recommend you do the same. One of Melanie’s tips: if you buy nothing else at your farmers market, get some fresh garlic, you'll taste the difference.
The Chef has been an enthusiast for cooking with fresh ingredients since her days growing up on a farm in Virginia. Since leaving Virginia she’s demonstrated her culinary talent during stints at the Plaza Hotel and the Four Seasons Hotel. She’s been sharing her expertise with I.C.E.’s students since 1996, and offers private cooking classes as well.
Ingredients for Tart Filling (One 9-Inch Tart)
• 2 Tablespoons L'Autunno Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Shallots, minced
• 2 Cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Large leaks, cleaned & white part only, finely chopped
• 5 Ounces of Cypress Grove’s Truffle Tremor Goat Cheese
• 1 Cup heavy cream
• 2 Eggs
• Salt & pepper
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan and add the shallots, cook until lightly golden. Add the garlic and leeks and cook until very soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
2. Meanwhile, mix together the goat cheese, heavy cream, eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
3. Place the leek mixture on the dough and top with goat cheese mixture. Place in the oven and bake about 45 minutes or until the filling is set and the crust is golden.
Ingredients for Dough for 1 Tart
• 1¼ Cups all purpose flour
• ¼ Cup finely crumbled, cooked bacon
• ½ Teaspoon salt
• 1 Stick butter, cut into 8 pieces, or 4 ounces solidified bacon fat
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons ice water
Preparation of Dough
1. Combine the flour, bacon and salt in a bowl. Add in the butter and using a pastry blender, work in the butter to form small pea size pieces. Stir in 2 tablespoons ice water and mix until just combined. (Do not overwork the dough.) If the mixture appears dry, add in 1 more tablespoon of water. Flatten the dough into a disk and refrigerate about ½ hour.
2. Place the dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and roll out until 1/8-inch thick. Place the dough into a 9-inch tart shell. Chill the dough ½ hour.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site, email Jeff Deasy at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Americans demand for fresh, local food drives growth winter markets
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today announced that the number of winter farmers markets is increasing. According to the updated National Farmers Market Directory, since 2010, the number of winter markets has increased 38%, from 886 to 1,225. These winter markets also account for nearly 17% of the nation's 7,222 operating farmers markets.
"Consumers are looking for more ways to buy locally grown food throughout the year," said Merrigan. "Through winter markets, American farmers are able to meet this need and bring in additional income to support their families and businesses."
Farmers markets operating at least once between November and March are considered winter farmers markets. The top 10 states for these markets are:
Winter Markets in 2011
1. New York 180 (up from 152)
2. California 153 (up from 137)
3. Pennsylvania 78 (up from 35)
4. North Carolina 73 (up from 53)
5. Ohio 50 (up from 34)
6. Maryland 48 (up from 30)
7. Florida 46 (up from 31)
8. Massachusetts 43 (up from 30)
9. Virginia* 40 (up from 21)
10. Michigan* 33 (up from 19)
* New to the top 10 list
Hoop House Technology
The expanded adoption of hoop house technology, which has enabled many smaller growers to extend their production seasons at low cost, has been a contributing factor to the growth of winter farmers markets. Hoop houses have allowed growers to produce locally-grown products for longer time periods and in colder climates.
USDA provides support to farmers markets through numerous programs, including AMS Specialty Crop Block Grants Program and Farmers Market Promotion Program. The agency also sponsors its own indoor farmers market during the winter months at USDA's headquarters in Washington, D.C. The market features local products such as fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, eggs, honey, herbs, handmade soaps, baked goods and more.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site, email Jeff Deasy at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Occupy Wall Street Meets & Greets America's Farmers in New York City
In a classic David and Goliath struggle, America’s organic farmers and “seed” farmers are suing Monsanto, et al, to protect their rights to do business
I’d never met Farmer Jim Gerritsen before Sunday, when I attended the Occupy Wall Street Food Justice event held in La Plaza Cultural in Manhattan, but I had been a beneficiary of his organic seed business, Wood Prairie Farm. Last year, I bought organic seed potatoes and potato growing bags from Maine. Guess where that product came from? The family farm of Jim and Megan Gerritsen.
What I didn’t know was that Jim Gerritsen has taken a leadership role in the lawsuit brought by an alliance of organic farmers against the monolithic Monsanto.
All I knew was that the potatoes I grew in that big black bag in the back yard seemed like a miracle every time I pulled up another spade full. But now, I can see that Jim Gerritsen is planting more than seeds in the ground. He’s planting hope for America's food crops, and for all of us.
The Farmers' March with Occupy at La Plaza Cultural Garden
In a classic David and Goliath struggle, America’s organic farmers and “seed” farmers are suing Monsanto, et al, to protect their rights to do business.
It seems impossible to believe, but this one monolithic company has made an aggressive attempt to squelch conventional farming worldwide. How? They have patented their own seed, and if any farmer in the vicinity of a Monsanto seeded farm is caught planting their own saved seed, they are sued for copyright infringement.
Monsanto is huge, aggressive and not afraid to go after small and larger farmers who assert their right to save and plant seed.
So when the Farmers met the Occupy Wall Street people in New York’s La Plaza Cultural, it was all systems go for the farmers as they told their story.
If you’ve ever been anywhere near farming, you know that farmers make an art and a science out of saving back their best seed to plant the next year. Or, they make alliances with seed farmers of their choice to buy the best seed to grow their crops. Young Farmers March with Occupy
And, before I go one step further, I want to plant this fertile idea in your head. The lawyer who worked for Monsanto at the time of this litigation, and who crafted their argument was none other than Clarence Thomas, who now sits on the Supreme Court, having prevailed in a very public battle with a female lawyer who accused him of sexual harassment. You don’t say? What a surprise.
A pig in a black robe is still a pig.
But I digress.
So the intended consequences of this law are thus. Say you are Farmer Brown and you are growing corn. The wind blows seed from a nearby farm into your “bar pit”. You harvest it along with your own crop.
Then Monsanto discovers that this seed which simply was carried on the wind to your place is their “patented” seed, so they sue you for patent infringement.
It can cost lots of money and lots of time to fight this. Many farmers cave, and begin purchasing seed from Monsanto to avoid litigation.
So what’s wrong with that besides the plain bullying tactics the company uses? Isn’t that the American Way? Big dog wins?
The Monsanto seed has been genetically engineered to resist “Roundup”, Monsanto’s signature herbicide. The process is this. The land is sprayed with Roundup before the crop is planted. Then, nothing will grow on the land but the Roundup resistant seed.
So what, you say? This also means no earth worms, no bees, no butterflies, no birds. It means the earth itself is essentially “dead”, and must be fertilized with chemicals from – guess who? Monsanto.
It means the farmer is married to Monsanto until death do them part.
Now this might be all fine and dandy but the crop yields go DOWN, the crop cost goes UP, and the poor farmer is left in the squeeze.
In India, literally thousands of depressed farmers who have been bankrupted by this system have reacted by drinking Roundup themselves. Yes it’s a nerve toxin and yes, it kills humans too.
So a coalition of 84 plaintiffs, organic farmers and seed farmers representing 300,000 people have sued Monsanto.
Jim Garritsen, an organic seed farmer representing the lawsuit, known as Osgata vs Monsanto and owner of Wood Prairie Farm, http://www.woodprairie.com from Bridgewater, Maine, came to New York City to and the Occupy Wall Street Food Event at La Plaza Cultural, December 4, 2011, and here’s what he had to say.
“Seed is the ultimate defense against Big Ag. You can farm in an ecologically sound way, in a responsible way, and feed people.
“We are faced with a broken system in this country. We must assert our control.
"This Occupy Movement has become the Conscience of America."
“We farmers stand with you. We need to protect our organic seeds.
“We don’t want the corporations to keep us under their thumb.
“I had never been to New York City before today. But I believe it is important for us to stand together. We brought this lawsuit against Monsanto because organic seed is the basis for agriculture. Healthy seed yields healthy crops and healthy food.
“According to the patent lawyer we have consulted, Monsanto made many mistakes in its pleading. And we believe we will prevail.”
So maybe Clarence Thomas wasn’t any better lawyer than he is Supreme Court Justice where he is widely known as the Do Nothing Judge.
“People need to eat,” continues Mr. Garritsen. “We need to reach out to kids, to get them involved. Lots of rural farmers welcome city kids to come and work on the farms.
“Start your own farm on public property in the city. Our country and our democracy depends on it.”
The crowd of 500 people in the park gave Mr. Garritsen a vigorous round of applause. A number of other impressive speakers continued. Then the participants joined in The Farmers' March to Zuccotti Park and ultimately to Trinity Church for a Communal Supper.
(This article was previously published on Everybody Eats News.)
Linda West Eckhardt
About the Author
Linda West Eckhardt, is an award winning journalist, food writer, and nutritionist. Her more than 20 cookbooks have garnered prizes including the James Beard prize for the best cookbook for a text she wrote with her daughter, Katherine West DeFoyd, entitled Entertaining 101, Doubleday. Their follow-up book, Stylish One Dish Dinners, Doubleday, was also nominated for a James Beard prize. Their next book, The High Protein Cookbook, Clarkson Potter, remains a best seller after 12 years.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
The Farmers' March in NYC to Occupy the Food System!
As Wall Street’s corrupt influence on the economy has grown, the corporate ownership of our food system has hurt the health and livelihood’s of some of our most vulnerable communities.
This Sunday, December 4th food justice activists and occupiers will be travelling from as far as Colorado, Iowa, Maine and Upstate New York to join together for the Occupy Wall Street FARMERS’ MARCH. Through a day of dialogue, musical performances, and a march, farmers and their urban allies working for food justice in their communities will form alliances to fight and expose corporate control of the food supply.
Events throughout the day will call and inspire participants to fight against the corporate manipulation of the agriculture system. An industry that is responsible for using chemical toxins tied to soaring obesity rates, heart disease and diabetes and limiting access to affordable, wholesome food to the country’s poorest citizens.
The event will kick off at 2pm at La Plaza Cultural Community Garden with a musical performance followed by remarks from food justice activists and occupiers. They will share their stories and listen to their peers as they highlight the role of urban-rural solidarity in building a sustainable food system as well as challenges of family-scale farmers in a culture of corporate dominance.
March Begins at 4pm from La Plaza Cultural Community Garden
At 4pm, musicians will be among those leading the Farmers’ March in a colorful parade from La Plaza to Zuccotti Park/Liberty Plaza, the site of a Solidarity Circle at 5pm. Stories of struggle, triumph and ruminations about the role OWS might assume in the food justice movement will help form the circle. The circle will close with a Seed Exchange.
Participants are encouraged to express their dissent creatively, donning fruits hats, wearing burlap sacks, carrying brightly colored signs and moving in time to the beat of the drums. Please join us, farmers, ranchers, farm workers, urban gardeners, foodies and supporters of all kinds in the Occupy Wall Street FARMERS’ MARCH.
Speakers will include:
George Naylor - Iowa farmer and president of the National Family Farm Coalition.
Jim Gerritsen - Maine based farmer who was named one of 20 world visionaries by Utne Reader in 2011 and is the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against Monsanto.
Karen Washington - Founder of City Farms Market and board member at NYC based organization Just Food.
Severine von Tscharner - Food advocate and producer of the film “Green Horns”, profiling young farmer entrepreneurs.
Jalal Sabur - Founding member of the Freedom Food Alliance and advocate working on the alliance of black urban communities with black rural farmers.
Mike Callicrate - Colorado cattle rancher, entrepreneur and rural advocate .
Andrew Faust - World renowned permaculture expert and educator.
Milling Sustainably for Almost 200 Years in Upstate New York
Historic New Hope Mill (photo courtesy of New Hope Mills)
New Hope Mills has produced quality products for more than 180 years; earning it the distinction of being one of America's oldest flour mills. It may be one of the oldest, but this water-powered mill is also one of the most environmentally sound.
Leaving Clear Skies & Clean Water Over the Centuries
The mill has been operating on water power since 1823, leaving clear skies and clean water by milling the old fashioned way. In fact, at New Hope Mills, the water is improved by its use; it is aerated as it passes over the waterwheel or through the turbine. The wheel does not put a drop of oil into the water because the wheel bearing is made of a rare wood, Liqnum Vitae, that has its own lubricant.
The mill originally contained three runs of stone capable of 200 bushels a day. In 1892, the mill began grinding with roller mills which are still there today. Just over 60 yeasr ago the mill was purchased by Howard Weed, Hubert Latta, & Leland Weed. To this day it remains in the capable hands of the Weed family.
The big waterwheel is the mill's most visible feature, but the mill's real power comes from the water turbine underneath the mill. The turbine can run all year round providing there is sufficient water. The mill has an ideal location and facilities for water power near a mill pond with a 28-foot waterfall. With solid management by the Weed family this venerable operation remains competitive while operating much as it did in the 1800's.
No Chemical Additives or Artificial Ingredients
For the Weed family the quality of the product is paramount. Any product that is made at New Hope Mills is absolutely free from chemical additives & artificial ingredients. The family’s commitment to quality has made New Hope Mills Pancake Mixes the number one pancake flour in central New York.
Most old mills today are a novelty. If still standing, they are deteriorating fast. At New Hope Mills, the Weed family takes pride in preserving an important piece of our American Heritage. You’ve got to love how they preserve our Heritage by making delicious products that protect the health of our families, while using methods that protect our environment.
There is FREE SHIPPING on all premium pancake mixes from New Hope Mills. For further info on them, go to:
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
The Great American Caviar Comes Fresh from the Kelley Family
Mike Kelley was a pioneer of the American caviar industry when he began selling the roe from the indigenous wild paddlefish he caught in the fresh waters of Tennessee more than 20 years ago.
What makes Kelley’s Katch the best caviar in America? As Mike Kelley will tell you, “We know exactly where our fish come from. Because we caught them ourselves in our boats. That’s how we can honestly say we are the freshest in the nation.”
Here's what Charles Passy had to say about it in the Wall Street Journal, "Ah, The world's great caviars. Beluga from Russia, Osetra from Iran. And, of course, Kelley's Katch from Tennessee...Our Chef's Favorite...with a balanced flavor, nice shine and evenly gray-colored eggs with the right degree of `pop'."
When buying caviar nothing is more important than trust. Mike and Vickie Kelley have two decades of experience in the caviar business and are involved in every step of the production. From the first catch, through processing and packaging, to the time it leaves their facility, they are there every step of the way to make sure that their American caviar is the freshest in the nation.
A Kelley's Fresh Catch
Kelley's Katch Caviar is pearl gray in color and has a firm texture that is lightly salted (Malossol). The appearance and size are very comparable to Sevruga caviar. Kelley's Katch Caviar has received national recognition as being "The Best Value" among American Caviars.
If you’d like to purchase the Kelley’s fresh delicacy go to either of the following:
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A team of long time gardeners, parents, teachers, activists, legal counsel and staff with elected officials in New York have crafted legislation to preserve community gardens in New York City and issued a call for public support to get their NYC Garden Law passed.
According to GreenThumb of the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, over 100 community gardens in NYC are now privately owned as part of a Land Trust. But since a survey jointly conducted by the nonprofit GrowNYC and Green Thumb in 2009-2010 said there are nearly 500 community gardens in New York City, many remain vulnerable to destruction and development for far less green purposes.
As Isabel, a gardener in the Bronx, put it, “Our gardens are getting bulldozed one by one. Our children and elders, everyone needs these green spaces. Our City Council can do it. Please help.”
The struggle to preserve New York City's community gardens has been ongoing for decades. Many have been saved from destruction at the 11th hour following grassroots efforts to save them. In 1999, Bette Midler, founder of the New York Restoration Project, saved 114 community gardens from commercial development and established the New York Garden Trust to ensure these precious resources survived in perpetuity.
To learn more about the proposed legislation, go to: NYC Garden Law
About the New York Restoration Project
New York Restoration Project (NYRP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming open space in underserved communities to create a greener, more sustainable New York City. In partnership with the City of New York, NYRP is also leading MillionTreesNYC – an initiative to plant and care for one million new trees throughout New York City’s five boroughs by 2017.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Artificial preservatives and genetically modified ingredients have no place in a healthy food system, but some powerful corporations are urging members of the USDA's National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to allow them in food labeled organic.
Allowing their use in food labeled organic may sound Orwellian to longtime organic farmers and consumers but, the USDA panel is deeply divided between corporate agribusiness representatives and organic advocates. An upcoming meeting of the panel in Savannah, Georgia could be critical to the survival of sustainable agriculture.
"We think this meeting may well decide the fate of organic food and agriculture in this country," said Mark A. Kastel, Codirector of The Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit watchdog group which represents family-scale organic farmers and their consumer allies across the U.S.
Corporate Profits vs People’s Health
Under the Bush and Obama administrations, the USDA Secretaries have been criticized for appointing a significant number of corporate representatives, whose primary interest appears to be loosening the federal organic standards, allegedly in pursuit of enhanced profits.
The 15-member NOSB is a citizen panel, set up by Congress, to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on organic policy and rulemaking. Upcoming votes concern the use of genetically modified and synthetic additives that have been petitioned for use in organic foods and drinks, including baby foods and formula.
Infant Formula Made with “Hazardous Pollutant”
Additives being recommended for use in organics include nutritional oils manufactured by Martek Biosciences Corporation, part of the $30 billion multinational conglomerate Royal DSM. These oils, genetically modified to provide isolated omega-3 and omega-6 nutrients DHA and ARA, are derived from algae and soil fungus, and stabilized with a wide variety of synthetic ingredients.
When incorporated in infant formula, these oils are processed with a neurotoxic solvent, n-hexane. A byproduct of gasoline refinement, n-hexane is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency as a hazardous pollutant. The recommendation to approve Martek’s oils, processed with hexane, has industry observers scratching their head since solvents, commonly used in conventional food production, are expressly forbidden in organic food production.
“What is most egregious about the NOSB push to approve the Martek Biosciences Corporation petition is that these DHA and ARA oils are in no way essential in organics, as claimed by Martek,” states Cornucopia's Kastel. “Other organic manufacturers have successfully used fish oil and egg yolks as legal and natural alternative sources of supplemental DHA.”
"They Are Caving to the Factory Farm Lobby”
Meanwhile, the Livestock Committee of the NOSB, which is refining the standards aimed at ensuring high levels of animal welfare on organic farms, appears to be backing away from adopting strong, enforceable standards for laying hens and other species.
"They are caving to the factory farm lobby, listening to giant vertically integrated egg producers, and ignoring the voice of rank-and-file family farmers," said Tim Koegel, a nationally prominent certified organic farmer producing pastured eggs and chickens. "The NOSB has an opportunity to make organics the true gold standard in terms of animal husbandry but instead might choose to make the organic label a joke."
The proposal for chickens would give animals as little as one square foot of living space. "Like allowing synthetics, this woefully inadequate standard would violate the organic law that requires animals be allowed to exhibit their natural instinctive behaviors," added Koegel. "Hell, those birds will not even be able to fully span their wings, let alone forage outside for insects, seeds and worms."
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Vermont Students Teach Guerrilla Gardening at Occupy Wall Street
Students from Sterling College in Vermont visited with the protestors of Occupy Wall Street to show how easy it is to plant seeds and grow healthy food.almost anywhere.
The young gardeners are passionate on the topic of knowing where our food comes from and rightly concerned about the heavy use of poisonous chemicals in American agriculture.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Farmers Market Pumpkins (photo by Mary K. Baird, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
The Fall Harvest is in full swing across the northern states with seasonal produce on display at markets and farm stands. This recipe is the creation of Vermont Organic Valley dairy farmer Amy Forgues and makes a classic seasonal soup. With cooler winds beginning to blow a bowl of her hearty pumpkin soup is just the thing to keep you warm and healthy.
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 seven farmers forming an organic cooperative in 1988. Today, more than 1,600 family farms are members and their high standards shine through in their delicious, award-winning, certified organic foods.
As always, try and get the freshest veggies you can find at your local farm stand or farmers market!
Seasonal Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
• 2 Tablespoons Organic Valley Salted Butter
• 1/4 Cup green bell pepper (diced)
• 1 Small onion (peeled and chopped)
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1 Teaspoon sea salt
• 2 Cups canned pumpkin* (see below)
• 2 Cups Organic Valley Whole Milk
• 2 Cups chicken stock (or substitute vegetable stock)
• Dash thyme (crumbled)
• Dash nutmeg
• 1 Tablespoon parsley (chopped)
Preparation
1. In a large kettle, over medium low heat, melt butter, then add: green pepper and onion, saute until soft. Sprinkle flour and sea salt over the top to thicken.
2. Then add pumpkin, milk, chicken stock, herbs and spices to taste. Cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.
3. Enjoy! For thanksgiving this soup is nice served in baked jack-be-little pumpkins
*There's some question as to whether fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin is better. Many say that either choice will produce a very different tasting soup. If you substitute fresh pumpkins for canned make sure the fresh is well drained & pureed Smaller pumpkins tend to be sweeter than the big ones. To do a little online research on this, copy & paste "canned pumpkin vs fresh pumpkin" into a search box and you'll find lots of advice.
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The beloved American tradition of milk and cookies is a crime for some mothers, according to the Farm Food Freedom Coalition, organizers of a planned civil disobedience on November 1.
A US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation makes the transport of raw milk intended for human consumption across state lines illegal, even for individuals purchasing it legally in one state and carrying it into the states where they live.
On Tuesday, November 1, 2011, a group of moms will challenge the FDA’s ban on interstate transport of raw milk by picking up fresh milk in Pennsylvania, transporting it to Maryland, then distributing it, along with cookies, in front of FDA headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland at a rally from 12:00-3:00pm.
After numerous armed federal assaults and undercover investigations on farmers, coops and buying groups that supply their raw milk, mothers across the country are disgusted with the FDA’s aggression and ready to take action to protect their families’ food.
“By criminalizing me for the food choices I make for my family, the FDA is effectively saying that I have no right to feed my family what I, as the parent, know is best for them,” says Suzy Provine, one of the “raw milk freedom riders” who chooses fresh milk for her family. “It is one thing to inform me about my choices, but the FDA goes too far by forcing what they think is best on my family.”
The FDA is disrupting thousands of families’ food supplies by pressuring states to restrict access to raw dairy. States like Wisconsin and California are shutting down family farms by threatening penalties and jail for farmers.
(This article was previously published on Everybody Eats News.)
Linda West Eckhardt
About the Author
Linda West Eckhardt, is an award winning journalist, food writer, and nutritionist. Her more than 20 cookbooks have garnered prizes including the James Beard prize for the best cookbook for a text she wrote with her daughter, Katherine West DeFoyd, entitled Entertaining 101, Doubleday. Their follow-up book, Stylish One Dish Dinners, Doubleday, was also nominated for a James Beard prize. Their next book, The High Protein Cookbook, Clarkson Potter, remains a best seller after 12 years.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
More than 300 chefs and members of the culinary community gathered in New Orleans, from October 23 to 25, for the Chefs Collaborative third Annual National Summit.
The Collaborative galvanizes and educates culinary professionals, from farmers and fishers to chefs and writers, on issues where food and sustainability intersect. Summit attendees fully embraced the conference theme of “Hands on New Orleans – Sustainability in Action” with four butchery workshops and demos, charcuterie and classic cocktail workshops, and numerous conversations and practical workshops on timely topics including grass-fed beef, Gulf seafood, dead zones, farm worker justice and climate change.
The centerpiece of this year’s National Summit was the Sustainability Awards dinner at the Riverview Room held last night featuring Mistress of Ceremonies, Poppy Tooker, guest speaker, author Jessica Harris, and a dinner prepared by Chef Adolfo Garcia of Rio Mar, and a team of some of the Crescent City’s best chefs.
Sustainability Award Winners
The 2011 Sustainability Award winners, chosen by a panel of their esteemed culinary peers, are:
Chef Sam Hayward of Fore Street in Portland, Maine
Hayward was honored with the “Sustainer of The Year” award, which recognizes a chef who has been both a great mentor and a model to the culinary community through his purchases of seasonal, sustainable ingredients and the transformation of these ingredients into delicious food. "Sam has very quietly been doing this for a long time and has trained generations of chefs," said chef Michael Leviton of Lumiere and Area Four restaurants in Newton and Cambridge and chair of the Chefs Collaborative Board. "Not only that, but he has been a champion of a cuisine that is uniquely representative of Maine's bounty,” added Leviton.
Fedele Bauccio, founder and CEO of Bon Appétit Management Company (BAMCO) in Palo Alto, Calif
Bauccio received the “Pathfinder Award,” which recognizes a visionary working in the greater food community who has been a catalyst for positive change within the food system through efforts that go beyond the kitchen. “This is a company that empowers its chefs to find creative ways to source, develop menus, motivate their staff and educate their customers,” said Melissa Kogut, executive director of Chefs Collaborative. “We’re impressed with Fedele’s vision and execution – once Bon Appetite Management is successful in one area of sustainability, they set new company-wide ambitious goals,” said Kogut.
Sal and Al Sunseri of P & J Oysters in New Orleans
Sal and Al Sunseri received the “Foodshed Champion Award,” which recognizes a food producer (farmer, fisher or artisanal producer) committed to working with chefs who also exemplifies the following principle: Good food begins with unpolluted air, land, and water, environmentally sustainable farming and fishing, and humane animal husbandry. “No institution has played a larger role in the advancement of south Louisiana's oyster industry than New Orleans' P&J Oyster Company, the oldest business of its kind in the United States,” said Kogut. “Since the oil spill, many are worried about the long-term sustainability of this important Louisiana business. P & J Oysters is working with amazing energy to ensure Louisiana oysters have a future," said Kogut.
“We were thrilled to recognize people in the food industry who have been doing outstanding work to positively and measurably impact the sustainable food landscape,” said Leviton.
The 2012 Chefs Collaborative National Summit will be hosted in Seattle, Washington.
Chefs Collaborative was founded in 1993, the Boston-based nonprofit a national network of chefs changing the sustainable food system landscape using the power of connections, education, and responsible buying decisions.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Our friends at Slow Food USA have sent us their ‘Recipe for Change’
The organization's recipe is as simple to follow as 1- 2- 3 and meant for elected representatives looking to trim the federal budget while we all move toward a healthier and more sustainable food system:
1. Reform subsidies for commodity crops like corn and soy.
2. Protect all funding for nutrition assistance programs (food stamps).
3. Maintain funding for conservation, new farmers, and other programs that support sustainable farming and ranching.
Sounds like a great start for a better future!
To tell elected representatives to support the recipe, go to: Slow Food USA
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Millions of Americans want a healthier and more sustainable food system for themselves and future generations and doing what they can to see it happen, even taking to the streets.
From an article in The New York Times about Occupy Wall Street, published: October 11, 2011:
Robert Strype, 29, a protester from the Poughkeepsie, N.Y., area who was wearing a T-shirt that expressed his displeasure with Monsanto, said that anger about practices like factory farming and the genetic modification of vegetables was one of the factors that had roused him and some of his fellow occupiers. “Food plays a huge part in this movement,” he said. “Because people are tired of being fed poison.”
Donations to the Occupiers continue to pour in from around the world. People have sent donations of tarps, home baked pies, hand-knit mittens, and pizzas — with personal notes of solidarity and support. "The support has truly been overwhelming," says the movement's website.
To spotlight the tens of thousands of people from across the United States and around the world who are supporting the Occupy Wall Street movement by contributing blankets, clothing, food, money, and other needed supplies, the Occupiers have compiled notes from supporters on a Tumblr site called Occupy Wall St. Care Packages.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Over 20,000 coffee drinkers join former barista Sam Greenblatt’s campaign on Change.org calling on Starbucks to sell at least one brewed fair trade coffee option in each U.S. store every day of October, which is National Fair Trade Month.
Greenblatt, a former Starbucks barista and coffee enthusiast, launched the online petition campaign on Change.org after learning that European Starbucks stores offer 100% fair trade-certified coffee and espresso to customers.
“When I worked as a barista for Starbucks, I admired the company’s commitment to treat employees and customers with fairness and respect,” said Greenblatt, who worked at a Starbucks store in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2006 and 2007. “It’s time for Starbucks to expand that commitment to the farmers who grow Starbucks coffee by offering at least one daily brewed fair trade coffee option in their U.S. stores.”
Americans Want the Same Fair Trade Choices as Europeans
News of the campaign’s success is likely to increase pressure on Starbucks. In just a fews days, thousands of people have joined the campaign, and Greenblatt says he hopes the thousands of signatures from Starbucks customers in the U.S. will prove to the company that Americans want the fair trade-certified choices European customers have.
“Sam has done an impressive job organizing thousands of supporters around an issue he cares deeply about,” said Amanda Kloer, Director of Organizing for Change.org, the world’s fastest-growing platform for social change. “As a former Starbucks barista, he’s in a unique position to call for change within the company. Change.org is about empowering people to fight for the issues that matter to them, and it’s been incredible watching Sam’s campaign take off.”
To learn more about the campaign & petition, go to: Change.org
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
A new survey of 566 moms across the U.S. from Nature's Path reveals there's something that has many moms re-thinking the food they feed their families: 90% would want Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) clearly labeled, and that might make them change the way they shop.
The survey found that most moms (80%) feel confident they know what's in the food they're putting on the table each day, and for seven in ten that's due to the detailed ingredient labeling on products. However, the reality is that not every aspect of a food's ingredients is shared – namely, GMOs, also called genetically engineered ingredients.
According to the survey, close to half (45%) of mothers have never heard of genetically engineered ingredients. Obviously, these moms wouldn't know to seek out GMO labeling; however, once they learned what GMOs are, an overwhelming majority – 9 out of 10 moms – think it's important for brands to indicate whether such ingredients are used in their foods.
Law Requiring Labeling of GMOs Badly Needed
GMOs are made from crops that have had their DNA modified with genes from other plants, animals, viruses or bacteria in a laboratory. They may be in up to 80% of the packaged food we eat, but there is presently no law requiring that they be labeled.
"We're not sure how GMOs will affect our health because there haven't been any long term studies to date. That said, in 30 countries around the world there are significant restrictions or outright bans on GMO foods, because they're not considered proven safe," says Arjan Stephens, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Nature's Path. "This is cause for concern for many consumers, and why more and more are demanding labeling in the U.S."
If brands were required to indicate whether genetically engineered ingredients were used to make their food, the survey found:
• Many moms (59%) would want to learn more about these ingredients
• 46% would be left feeling worried about the effect they would have on their health and that of their family
• Some (38%) might even consider switching to a brand that doesn't include genetically engineered ingredients
• 33% might not feed that food to their family at all
After learning more about genetically engineered ingredients, more than half (52%) of moms surveyed think that one of the three most important things products should show on their labeling is an indication that a food is free of such ingredients. This is far greater than the less than one third (31%) of moms who felt the same before receiving information on genetically engineered ingredients. This is not surprising since more than half (52%) of moms think genetically engineered ingredients would have a negative impact on their health and that of their families.
"We believe everyone has the right to know what's in their food, and this survey shows that moms want information," continued Stephens. "We are committed to not only providing products that are the best choice for avoiding genetically engineered ingredients, but to educating consumers and working to make mandatory labeling a reality."
The Non-GMO Project
Nature's Path is a founding member of the Non-GMO Project, and voluntarily submits all products to rigorous, independent testing so they that can bear the Non-GMO Project Verified Seal, letting consumers know they are the best choice to avoid GMOs.
About Nature's Path
Founded in 1985, Nature's Path Organic Foods is headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia and employs more than 350 people at its four facilities in Canada and the United States. The privately held, family-owned company produces breakfast foods and snacks sold in specialty foods stores and retailers in 40 countries around the world. The company's innovative brands include Nature's Path®, Flax Plus, EnviroKidz®, and Optimum®.
To learn more about the company, go to: Nature's Path
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Genetically engineered Monsanto sweet corn has been approved by the USDA and could be on your plate next year.
Monsanto’s genetically engneered Bt corn is already the dominant corn grown on America’s farms. Most of the high fructose corn syrup found in highly processed foods is manufactured from Bt corn. It is not the sweet corn you might buy from a trusted local farmer as it is not suitable for eating off the cob, a point made crystal clear in the award-winning documentary film, “King Corn.”
Our friend Sarah Alexander of the nonprofit Food & Water Watch tells us, “Monsanto's new genetically engineered sweet corn, is the first GE crop designed to be eaten directly by people. This sweet corn will not be labeled, has not been tested for food safety, and has been genetically engineered to produce a pesticide and withstand herbicide applications.”
American Feast has been calling for the labeling of genetically engineered foods in the U.S. for some time now. Many countries around the world already requiring labeling, as scientists have raised serious concerns about their safety and consumers have made clear they do not want to eat them.
To tell grocery stores you do not want to buy the new GE sweet corn, go to: Food & Water Watch
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Hey General Mills, How About Some Truth in Labeling?
"There is absolutely no mention of either blueberries or pomegranates in the ingredients panel of General Mill's Total Blueberry Pomegranate Cereal." - Citizens for Health
Citizens for Health also tells us that demand for high fructose corn syrup, which is manufactured almost entirely from genetically engineered Bt corn, has hit a 20 year low. In reaction the corporations selling high fructose corn syrup want to change the name on food labels to "corn sugar".
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
We’ve just received some exciting news from our friends at the Organic Consumers Fund. They have undertaken a campaign to make it the law to label genetically modified organis (GMOs).
For years American families have been unwittingly consuming GMO foods because unlike many countries around the globe, no labeling is required, even though there is scientific evidence that GMOs pose a threat to the health of people and the environment. Contamination of farm fields by by gmo seeds blowing in the wind may be the greatest threat to organic farming in the U.S. today.
Here’s what we’ve learned from our friends at Organic Consuners Fund:
• California is poised to be the first state with mandatory GMO labeling laws through the 2012 California Ballot Initiative process.
• Polls show support to get this initiative on the ballot & voted in. Over 80% of those polled supported mandatory labeling.
• A win for the California Initiative would be a huge blow to biotech and a huge victory for food activists.
• Monsanto and their minions have billions invested in GMOs and they are willing to spend millions to defeat this initiative.
• California is the 8th largest economy in the world. Labeling laws in CA will effect packaging and ingredient decisions nation-wide.
• The bill has been carefully written to ensure that it will not increase costs to consumers or producers.
Have you heard the saying, "As California goes, so goes the nation?" California has the biggest economy in the country and a win in CA would be a huge blow to biotech and a huge victory for food activists everywhere.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
The Non-GMO contest that drew more than 40,000 votes on 139 designs has a winner!
The winner was selected by Threadless Tees, a company working in cooperation with the Institute for Responsible Technology, one of the world's leading sources of information about genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
There's an amazing $10 sale price (regular price $24) that ends today, October 11th for this organic shirt, in guys or girls styles: Wear it for GMO rallies! Buy them as holiday gifts! Give one to your favorite teacher!
IRT FACEBOOK T-SHIRT CONTEST PHOTO GALLERY: Take a picture of yourself in this winning design and upload it to our Facebook page! http://facebook.com/responsibletechnology
OUR GRATITUDE AND THANKS: So many talented designers entered, we can't thank you enough for your energy and passion!
OUR WORK: Threadless donates 25% of each sale to the Non-GMO Campaign of The Institute for Responsible Technology.
Thanks for your support!
The Staff of the Institute for Responsible Technology
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Ingredients for Turkish Pumpkin Soup (photos by Timur Kocak)
Our friend Timur Kocak is a New York-based actor and playwright, who regularly performs with the Actors Shakespeare Company. The company garnered rave reviews for his very entertaining adaptation of “The Three Musketeers.” Timur scored extra kudos for adding a fine performance in the role of Athos.
But the theater isn’t the only place where he performs well. His good taste and creativity extend to the kitchen. We asked him to contribute a recipe and he’s come through with a terrific seasonal dish with an ethnic twist. We can’t think of a vegetable more iconic than the pumpkin this time of year. Timur has taken the emblematic squash and added the richly unique flavor of leeks, another of our favorite seasonal delights. But his artistry really shines through with the way the soup is flavored with traditionally Turkish ingredients. The result is a healthy pumpkin soup delicious for the way it tantalizes the taste buds.
Here’s what Timur wrote us about his pumpkin soup, “…or in Turkish: Balkabagi Corbasi (with a ˘ over the "g" and no dot over each "i") is a recipe from the villages around the old Ottoman capital, Bursa. Not a common dish in Turkey, as far as I've heard, but seems ideal for the weeks after Halloween when the price of pumpkins plummets in North America.”
As a tasty way to warm up in cool weather it is Ideal indeed!
Ingredients for 12 Servings
• 1 Large, or 2 small pumpkins
• 2 Large leeks
• 4 Cloves of garlic
• 1 Large onion
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 Cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 4 Tablespoons of butter
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1/2 Gallon of chicken stock (vegetarians can use vegetable stock)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 Cup of yogurt (optional)
Preparation
1. Cut pumpkin(s) in half, remove the seeds and bake face-down on a cookie sheet at 350 for about an hour. The seeds can be salted and roasted at the same time to go with cocktails before dinner - remove at the first appearance of brown.
2. Soften chopped leeks, onion and garlic with butter and oil in a deep, thick-bottomed pan with cinnamon, allspice and pepper. Let pumpkin halves cool and then scoop out the flesh with a large spoon and add to the pan.
3. Add stock, honey and salt bring to a boil then simmer for at least an hour. Soup can be pureed in a blender or pushed though a sieve.
4. Stir a small amount of yogurt into each serving and garnish with some thinly-sliced sautéed leek or fresh parsley.
Our Friend Timur
If you’d like to learn more about the splendid work of Timur’s talented theater company go to: Actors Shakespeare Company
If you’d like to see a view a selection of our favorite honeys from a boutique honeybee farm in Connecticut go to: Red Bee Farm’s Natural Honeys
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice, MU Extension program implements grant to encourage better nutrition, physical activity
It is no secret that Americans are facing an obesity epidemic, exacerbated by high consumption of unhealthy foods and too little physical activity. Nearly two thirds of Americans are now overweight, and half of those are obese. Childhood obesity and diabetes are at epidemic levels and according to the National Cancer Institute, the U.S. does not produce or import enough fruits and vegetables for Americans to consume the recommended daily amount.
October is National Farm to School Month. Enacted last year by the U.S. Congress, National Farm to School Month recognizes the strong role that Farm to School programs play in promoting good health and strong economies. More than 2,300 Farm to School programs exist across the nation. In Missouri, 78 school districts are using locally grown produce. Now, a national grant has allowed University of Missouri Extension to expand two projects that promote healthy diets and physical activity for Missourians.
“We are trying to change policies and environments to make healthy choices easier for Missourians,” said Donna Mehrle, extension associate in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. “The goal is to give citizens access to nutritious foods and safe environments that promote physical activity.”
Donna Mehrle
Missouri Farm to School/Farm to Institution Project
The grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funds the Missouri Farm to Institution Project, designed to provide tools and support to schools, hospitals and other institutions that use locally grown produce in their cafeterias. The grant also funds Livable Streets, a program aimed at educating citizens to advocate for “livable or complete streets” or those that are safe for all modes of transportation, including pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.
The Missouri Farm to School/Farm to Institution Project connects schools and institutions with local farmers and distributors and supports the institutions as they implement programs for purchasing and serving locally grown produce. The support includes a food service guide that provides information about buying produce in season to get the best price and advice on storing and preparing fresh produce.
Missouri Green Beans!
“Along with the added nutritional bonus of eating fresh foods, Missouri Farm to School is a way to educate students about how food is grown and where it comes from, along with putting a face to the food they are eating on a regular basis,” said Lorin Fahrmeier, Farm to Institution project coordinator. “When students try new foods at school that they like, they are more likely to ask their parents for the same foods at home. This encourages healthier eating habits for families too.”
Lorin Fahrmeier
Livable Streets
The purpose of Livable Streets is to give citizens access to streets that are safe for a variety of transportation modes. Program directors provide training for advocacy groups throughout the state. The groups share the training with citizens who encourage locally elected officials, transportation planners and engineers to consistently design streets and sidewalks for users of all ages and abilities.
During October, school success stories will be featured on Missouri Farm to School’s website and families are encouraged to share photos of their own locally grown, home-cooked meals.
“Farm to School month is a great way to highlight the different programs and schools that are supporting the movement state wide,” Fahrmeier said. “The key to success is to start small and tailor a program that fits into your school and community.”
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Will AquaBounty's salmon be the first genetically engineered (GE) animal to be approved for the U.S. food supply?
Despite public opposition and over the objections of members of the U.S. Congress, the Department of Agriculture is funding research that could lead to genetically engineered salmon landing in supermarkets. Since there is no requirement for the labeling of genetically engineered foods, consumers will be unaware they are feeding a genetically modified organism (GMO) to their families.
According to the nonprofit Non-GMO Project, “In 30 other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs, because they are not considered proven safe.”
AquaBounty Technology's salmon has been given a gene from the ocean pout, an eel-like fish, which allows the salmon to grow twice as fast as a traditional Atlantic salmon. It also contains a growth hormone from a Chinook salmon.
New Government Funding is Just the Latest
The new USDA funding for AquaBounty Technology's GE salmon was recently reported in Grist. According to a story by Clare Leschin-Hoar, on Monday, September 26, "the agency awarded the Massachusetts-based company $494,000 to study technologies that would render the genetically tweaked fish sterile."
Environmentalists are concerned that should GE salmon escape into the ocean they would endanger wild Atlantic salmon through unintended breeding.
Research conducted by the nonprofit, consumer watchdog Food & Water Watch indicates that the new funding is just the latest support for GE salmon provided by the government. Prior funding has totaled almost $2 million dollars in federal research grants since 2003. With the new USDA grant the total is now approximately $2.4 million.
Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch, has this to say:
"The U.S. government is giving taxpayer money to fund a project in Canada while our economy is faltering. Why is our government bailing out AquaBounty at a time when we're radically cutting our federal budget? This is research the company should do to prove their product is safe -- the American people shouldn't be paying for it."
On September 7, the Washington Post reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was poised to approve the GE salmon, while noting that, "Anne Kapuscinski, a professor at Dartmouth College and an expert on the safety of genetically modified organisms, said she is uncertain how well the FDA is able to assess the risks to the natural world that may be posed by an organism created in a laboratory."
We Have a Right to Know
A recent poll released by ABC News found that 93% percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods. As ABC News stated, "Such near-unanimity in public opinion is rare."
Yesterday, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) announced its filing of a groundbreaking new legal petition with the FDA demanding that the agency require the labeling of all food produced using genetic engineering. CFS prepared the legal action on behalf of the Just Label It campaign; a number of health, consumer, environmental, farming organizations, and food companies are also signatories.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Artisans Craft Gourmet Oils & Vinegars at the O Olive Oil Company
Champagne Vinegar, Jalapeno Lime Oil & Ginger Rice Vinegar (Images courtesy of O Olive Oil Company)
Artisanal & Sustainable
If you’re interested in tasting some of California’s finest gourmet delicacies, the products of O Olive Oil will help you make a wonderful start. The company’s premium products have won 10 awards from the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, including Best Product and Best Design. Rest assured that this company operates sustainably. Founder Greg Hinson is also an environmental consultant with a background in reforestation, botanical gardening, and native food sources.
O Olive Oil has been producing original California oil using hand-picked California Mission olives since 1995. Bringing home an idea that Greg and his wife, Marta Salas-Porras Hinson, came across in Italy, they use an old stone mill to crush the olives with some of California’s most distinctive produce between two-ton granite wheels. The company's highly praised and innovative product line includes some of the world's best hand-crafted artisanal vinegars. Marta gets credit for the design of the company's handsome and award-winning packages: slender, glass bottles with a vibrant label.
Just Ask Oprah!
Prestigious publications such as Bon Appetit Magazine, Cook’s Illustrated Magazine, and the Chicago Tribune have raved about the company’s gourmet products. Oprah Magazine had the following praise for the company, “The O on these terrific oils and vinegars doesn’t stand for Oprah, so I can’t take credit for them, but I can say they are a delicious gift for friends who like cooking or eating.”
To learn more about the specialty oils & vinegars crafted by the artisans at O Olive click on any of the following:
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Chefs, Farmers and Activists to be Honored in New Orleans by their Peers
An esteemed panel of 21 judges with impressive culinary credentials have selected 15 finalists for the 2011 Chefs Collaborative Sustainability Awards. The awards will be presented on Monday evening, October 24th, at the Riverview Room in New Orleans, during the 3rd Annual Chefs Collaborative National Summit.
"The field of nominees was especially competitive this year, which indicates the growing commitment to sustainable sourcing and food production," said Chef Michael Leviton of Lumiere and Area Four restaurants and chair of the Chefs Collaborative board.
Hands-On New Orleans: Sustainability in Action
The National Summit brings together more than 300 sustainability-minded chefs and food professionals from around the country for an educational and community-building conference on sustainability in restaurant and food service kitchens. This year's theme is "Hands-On New Orleans: Sustainability in Action."
Chefs Collaborative initiated its Sustainability Awards in 2010 to recognize individuals who have played an exemplary role in changing the sustainable food landscape. Each finalist is deserving of special recognition for their contributions to both food and sustainability. More than 300 chefs, food professionals, producers and food writers from around the country will applaud these leaders' achievements at the Chefs Collaborative National Summit. Last year's winners were: Chef Peter Davis of Henrietta's Table in Cambridge, MA; Chris Koetke of Kendall College, Chicago, IL; Allison Hooper and Bob Reese of Vermont Butter and Cheese, Webstervile, VT.
The 2011 Finalists in 3 Categories
Sustainer:
This award will recognize a chef who has been both a great mentor and is a model to the culinary community through his/her purchases of seasonal, sustainable ingredients and the transformation of these ingredients into delicious food.
Frank Brigsten
Chef/owner, Brigsten's, New Orleans, LA
Chris Ivens Brown
VP of Culinary Development, executive chef of Eurest, Compass Group, Charlotte, NC
Michael Foust
Chef/owner, the Farmhouse, Kansas City, MO
Sam Hayward
Executive Chef, Fore Street, Portland, ME
Mike Lata
Chef/Partner, FIG, Charleston, SC
Donald Miller
Executive chef, University of Notre Dame, IN
Pathfinder:
This award will recognize a visionary working in the greater food community who has been a catalyst for positive change within the food system through efforts that go beyond the kitchen.
Fedele Bauccio
Founder/CEO, Bon Appetit Management Company, Palo Alto, CA
Deborah Kane
VP, Foods and Farms, Ecotrust, Portland, OR
Bill Niman
Rancher and proprietor of BN Ranch, Bolinas, CA
Foodshed Champion:
This award will recognize a food producer (farmer, fisher, artisanal producer) committed to working with chefs and who exemplifies the following principle: Good food begins with unpolluted air, land, and water, environmentally sustainable farming and fishing, and humane animal husbandry.
Ben Burkett
Mississippi Association of Cooperative Farmers, Jackson, MS
Lance Nacio
Captain/Owner, Anna Maria Seafood, Dulac, LA
Bill Ryals
Farmer, Rocking R Dairy, Tylertown, MS
Sal and Al Sunseri
P & J Oyster Company, New Orleans, LA
Kurt Unkel
Owner/producer, Cajun Grain Rice, Kinder, LA
Nick Usner
Farmer, Grow Farms, Bush, LA
Chefs Collaborative is a national chef network that's changing the sustainable food landscape using the power of connections, education, and responsible buying decisions.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
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.
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.
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.
Bar Harbor Jam Company
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 and preparing its Wild Blueberry Pies. 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.
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.
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:
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Two national surveys indicate that most Americans "constantly" think about food production, yet have little connection to farming or ranching.
Yesterday, the findings of two national surveys about food and how it is grown and raised were released by the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA). The surveys focused separately on the opinions, attitudes and questions consumers and farmers/ranchers have about the current and future state of how food is grown and raised in the U.S. Results reveal that lack of access to information, as well as no interest or passion for the topic, have divided consumer opinion on the direction of agriculture.
"Americans have a lot of questions about where their food comes from, how it is raised and if it is good for their health long-term," said Bob Stallman, chairman of USFRA and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. "The findings of both surveys indicate there is an opportunity for more dialogue between farmers, ranchers and the American public about how food is grown and raised in the U.S."
• While nearly all Americans agree that food production is important to the success of the country, they are split over whether it is going in the right or wrong direction
• Consumers think about food production constantly, yet know very little about how food is brought to the dinner table
• Overwhelmingly, farmers and ranchers share the same values as consumers on issues related to environmental stewardship and animal care
Additional Consumer Survey Highlights
The purpose of the consumer survey was to ask Americans what additional information they want to learn more about related to how food is grown and raised in the U.S. The survey revealed that consumers have become disconnected from their food, yet think about the subject regularly. According to the survey findings:
• 72% of consumers know nothing or very little about farming or ranching
• 69% of consumers think about food production at least somewhat often
• 70% say purchase decisions are affected by how food is grown and raised, with three-quarters (72%) of Americans saying they think about this topic while purchasing groceries
• 42% or two-in-five Americans say the way that food is grown and raised has improved in the last 10 years, while a slightly smaller group say it has worsened (37%)
• Those who say the way that food is grown and raised has improved cite food safety (22%) and food quality (17%), whereas respondents who said the way food is grown and raised has worsened also cite food safety (21%) and food quality (21%)
• Of all the aspects of how food is grown and raised, Americans are most satisfied with the availability of healthy foods (73%) and food safety standards (66%)
• One in five consumers who say food production has worsened in the last 10 years cite environmental impact as the top area of demise
• 79% of consumers say producing healthy choices for all consumers is very important for farmers and ranchers to consider when planning farming and ranching practices
Consumers also were asked to identify the Top 5 topics they want more information about; responses included:
1. How chemicals are used in farming/ranching
2. How pesticides are used in farming/ranching
3. Food safety standards
4. Effect of government regulations on farming/ranching
5. How antibiotics are used and genetic engineering in crops
Additional Farmer/Rancher Survey Highlights
The goal of the farmer/rancher survey was to identify topics that farmers and ranchers wished Americans had more information about when it comes to food and how it is grown and raised in the U.S. According to the survey, farmers and ranchers said the top misconception they need to overcome as an industry is that a few "bad actors" are representative of the entire industry. Additionally, farmers and ranchers identified the effect of pesticides, antibiotics and fertilizers on food as the most important priorities they should address when communicating with consumers. Additional findings included:
• 86% of farmers/ranchers responded that the average consumer has little to no knowledge about modern farming/ranching
• 58% of respondents in this survey felt consumers have a completely inaccurate perception of farming and ranching
• Nearly all farmers and ranchers say that protecting the environment (99%) and practicing humane animal care (96%) are very or somewhat important goals or practices related to their business
• 80% of farmers/ranchers say that consumers have little to no knowledge about proper care of livestock or poultry
• 83% of farmers/ranchers responded that new ways of improving yields with fewer environmental inputs will have a major impact on farming/ranching in the future
When asked which Top 5 topics were most important to educate consumers about, farmers and ranchers responded:
1. The effect of pesticides, fertilizers and antibiotics on food
2. Where food comes from in general
3. Proper care of livestock and poultry
4. Effect of government regulations on farming/ranching
5. Economic value of agriculture
"We want all Americans to join us to ask questions and regularly get information from farmers and ranchers who are growing and raising their food,” added Stallman.
About the Surveys
The 2011 USFRA Farmer/Rancher Survey was fielded by phone for USFRA by Ketchum Global Research Network and Braun Research between August 6-18, 2011, reaching 1,002 farmers and ranchers nationwide. The base sample has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%. The 2011 USFRA Consumer Survey was fielded by phone for USFRA by Ketchum Global Research Network and Braun Research between August 24-31, 2011, reaching 2,417 consumers nationwide. The base sample has a margin of error of +/- 2.0%.
About U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance
U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), established in 2010 and headquartered in Chesterfield, Mo., currently represents more than 50 of the top farmer- and rancher-led organizations and agricultural partners. The Alliance includes prominent agricultural groups at the national, regional and state levels that have collaborated to lead the dialogue about their commitment to continuous improvement and best production practices. For more information on the Alliance, affiliates and partners and the movement to lead the conversation with Americans about today's agriculture, visit: http://www.facebook.com/pages/US-Farmers-Ranchers-Alliance/103189669746931
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
The Other Inconvenient Truth: How Agriculture is Changing the Face of Our Planet
In this TEDx video, Institute on the Environment director Jonathan Foley offers a striking view of the impact of agriculture on Earth’s landscape and proposes a strategy for creating a future in which we can produce sufficient food while protecting the planet.
Jonathan Foley is the director of the Institute on the Environment (IonE) at the University of the Minnesota, where he is a professor and McKnight Presidential Chair in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior. He also leads the IonE’s Global Landscapes Initiative.
Foley’s work focuses on complex global environmental systems and their interactions with human societies. He and his students have contributed to our understanding of global-scale ecological processes, global patterns of land use, the behavior of the planet’s climate and water cycles, and the sustainability of our biosphere. This work has led him to be a regular advisor to large corporations, NGOs and governments around the world.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
In fewer than 48 hours, more than 300 people joined a campaign calling on Los Angeles City Council members to support gardening in the city.
Ron Finley, a South Los Angeles resident who launched the online petition campaign at Change.org, is asking that councilmembers amend an ordinance which requires residents to obtain costly permits before growing gardens on parkways, the city-owned strips of land between curbs and sidewalks.
High Cost is a Barrier to Healthy Eating
"The high cost of the permit to plant is very prohibitive for communities will very little excess income," said Finley. "A lot of these places have very few options for healthy fruits and vegetables, so they are being called 'food deserts.' Parkway gardens would add food options, enhance lives, open up communication, and build stronger ties in communities."
Los Angeles residents are required to maintain their parkways by mowing and watering them. But under a local ordinance, citizens wishing to grow plants on parkways must first obtain permits which cost at least $400 and up to thousands of dollars. Even with the permits, plants can be no taller than 36 inches.
First, One Person Takes a Stand
Finley uses his parkway garden to produce food for himself and to give away to neighbors. He is also a founder of L.A. Green Grounds, an organization formed to help establish gardens in the South Los Angeles community.
Finley began growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers on the parkway in front of his Crenshaw-area home in December of 2010. The city threatened to make Finley get rid of the garden, but backed off in August after community members, local press, and Change.org members rallied support.
"The response to Finley's petition in just 48 hours has been impressive," said Sarah Parsons, Senior Organizer at Change.org. "It's encouraging to see gardeners like Ron get so much support for their campaigns for change in local communities."
In August, Councilman Herb Wesson expressed support for Finley's garden and for a resolution that would eliminate costly, time-consuming permits for growing produce on parkways.
About L.A. Green Grounds
L.A. Green Grounds is an organization formed to help South Los Angeles residents establish edible gardens. They are committed to empowering residents and working to eliminate food deserts.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
We once published a photo of a duck who keeps strawberries free of pests on an organic farm in the Catskills region of New York State. At Heidi's farm in Corrales, New Mexico a flock of native Rio Grande turkeys do the same amongst the hedge rows of raspberies. No need for poisonous pesticides!
It’s the combination of hard work and best practices on the part of Heidi and her brother Doug that make the incomparable organic jams of Heidi’s Raspberry Farm possible. It all starts with hand-picked, fresh fruit, and making their mouth-watering and nutrtious jams begins with a meticulous approach to sustainable methods on their farm in Corrales, New Mexico.
Corrales is a unique agricultural village farmed by families who have been living there for generations. Located on the Western bank of the Rio Grande, the land has been tilled since 500 A.D. Back then the ancestors of the present day Pueblo Indians reaped harvests in the fertile valley. Subsequent populations of Spanish, French and Italian families settled there to raise grapes, apples, livestock, and now, gloriously healthy raspberries!
Stewards of the Land
Having grown up in this special place Heidi and Doug are dedicated stewards of the land and keepers of a healthy environment. They are truly “walking the walk” when it comes to best practices for preserving the sustainability of their farmland and the health of their community. Doug has converted the farm to a drip irrigation system that makes the most efficient use of precious water. He provides hives in the field for the honeybees that pollinate the delicate raspberry blossoms.
Heidi, Maker of the Best Raspberry Jam We've Ever Tasted!
They’ve been selling organic raspberry jam, fresh raspberries and cut flowers at the local farmers markets in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Corrales and Albuquerque for several years now. By personally selling their delicious fare Heidi and Doug have made a lot of wonderful friends. They’ve also built a loyal following of appreciative customers who keep coming back for more of their amazing jams!
If you'd like to order some of Heidi's incredible raspberry jams click on any of the following:
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Once again, our friends at Organic Valley are proud to be a sponsor of Harvest Fest. It is a great opportunity to show kids farming as it ought to be, during a full day of family fun.
Starting at 10:00 am on Saturday, October 1st , the day will be non-stop celebration of food and farming heritage, hosted by the Stone Barns Center in Pocantico Hills, New York, features live music, hayrides, farm Olympics, raffles and giveaways, food and farming workshops, and a farmers market highlighting delicious local products.
Highlights of Harvest Fest 2011:
* Live music featuring Dan Zanes & Friends, Spuyten Duyvil, and the all-kid band Outer Child
* Theatrical performances by Story Pirates
* Children's workshops on cooking, gardening, bees and honey and more!
* Adult workshops on cooking and gardening led by Stone Barns Center farmers, Blue Hill chefs and special guests!
* Farmers Market featuring local purveyors with delicious seasonal fare.
* Hayrides around the property for visitors of all ages.
* Demonstrations and interpretation by farmers in Stone Barns Center's fields & pastures.
* An opportunity to show off your farmer skills at Stone Barns Center's farm Olympics.
A wide selection of seasonal food and beverages, including Stone Barns Center's famous Berkshire pig roast, will be available for cash purchase all day at the Farmers Market.
Meet Organic Valley Farm Friends
Local Organic Valley farmer-owners will encourage you to sample many of the lip-smacking, healthy Organic Valley products they’ve so carefully created, like NY Fresh Milk. They’ll be making butter, too, so go take a turn at the churn! You’ll definitely want to sign up for the raffle that could win you, among other things, A YEAR OF FREE ORGANIC VALLEY PRODUCT!
Before the festivities begin, there’s a special treat for Organic Valley Farm Friends. Two lucky Farm Friends could win a very special package consisting of:
• Two tickets to Harvest Fest and 10 raffle tickets (a $170.00 value!)
• Stone Barns Center “Seedling” membership ($75 value) will give the winners early access to popular events like Harvest Fest and Sheep Shearing Day, a 10% discount on Stone Barns programs, onsite benefits such as free parking, and more.
• Winner can pick up tickets at will on October 1st.
Harvest a Great Day!
8th Annual Harvest Fest, October 1, 2011, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at Stone Barns Center, Pocantico Hills, New York. (Tickets $15 - $35)
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture is a non-profit farm and education center located 25 miles north of Manhattan. The Center operates an 80-acre, four-season farm and is working on broader initiatives to create a healthy and sustainable food system. Proceeds from Harvest Fest support education programs for students and beginning farmers.
Proceeds from Harvest Fest support Stone Barn’s year-round education programs for students and beginning farmers.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Grilled Tilapia with Tomato Basil Relish (image courtesy of Regal Springs Tilapia)
Labor Day Weekend is almost here and that means it will be grilling time in backyards from coast to coast. Our friends at Regal Springs Tilapia have provided us with this recipe and we think it suits the season beautifully. They were also kind enough to send us some simple tips for grilling perfect fish along with the recipe:
Grilling fish doesn’t have to be intimidating if you master two basic skills: preventing the fish from sticking and knowing when it’s cooked through.
The Right Cut: Select the thickest cut you can to avoid breakage when you turn the fish. If one part of the fish is much thicker than the other, consider cutting uneven filets into two to avoid drying out the thinner portion. Cook the thicker half first, and when it’s halfway cooked, put the thinner half on.
Prevent Sticking: Achieving a non-stick cooking surface is critical and is a two-part process: First oil the grill, then oil the fish.
Oil before you light the grill: Spray a light coat of non-stick cooking spray on the grate or wipe a light coat of vegetable or olive oil directly on the grate with a paper towel. Never spray non-stick spray on a grate if the fire is lit!
Oil after the grill is lit: This technique is preferred over oiling the grill before it’s lit since heating and then oiling is key to getting those spiffy grill marks seared into the fish. Start with a very hot grill. Brush briskly with a wire brush. Oil the grate by tightly folding a paper towel and dipping it in vegetable oil. Protect your hands from the heat by using tongs to grip the oiled paper towel as you rub it across the grate.
Oil the fish, too. Lightly brush both sides of the fish with olive, vegetable or sesame oil. Take caution to not over-oil, though, which leads to flare-ups and sooty residue.
It’s All In The Presentation: For professional-grade crosshatches, turn the fish a quarter turn after 2 minutes on the grill.
Prevent Breakage: Do not flip the fish repeatedly, and do use a wide-headed spatula. You can tell when filets are ready to flip when edges are flaky and opaque.
Check for Doneness: The meat is done when the meat is opaque all the way through and the juices run clear. If any part of the meat is still glossy and partially translucent, it's not done. Remember, too, that fish continues to cook a little after it's removed from the grill.
And here’s the fine recipe they’ve provided so you can try out their fish grilling technique:
Grilled Tilapia with Tomato Basil Relish
Ingredients for 4 Servings
• 4 (6-Ounce) Regal Springs tilapia filets
• 3 Medium red onions
• 4 Cups cherry tomatoes
• 2 Lemons
• 2 Cups of fresh basil
• 1 Cup of pine nuts
• 1/3 Cup L’Autunno Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 Tablespoons O Olive White Balsamic Vinegar
• Salt & pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Preheat grill to medium high heat.
2. Prepare the tomato relish by slicing tomatoes in half. Wash and pat dry the basil leaves and slice into 1-inch thin strips (removing tough center vein). Toss the tomatoes, 3 tbsp. of the olive oil and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss again and set aside.
3. Toast the pine nuts by placing in a frying pan over medium high heat and tossing until golden brown–this happens quickly so tend to them carefully. When toasted, set aside to cool.
4. Prepare the onions for grilling by slicing into 1 inch slices and brushing each side with olive oil, salt and pepper. Prepare the tilapia in the same way with the addition of a squeeze of lemon juice.
5. Place onions on the grill first and cook the slices until golden charred and soft (depending on the heat of the grill, about 8 minutes). Turn carefully so onion does not fall apart. (Onions can be cooked in tin foil as well).
6. Wrap tilapia filets in tin foil and seal tightly. Place on hot grill and cook 3-4 minutes each side until tender.
7. Arrange the grilled onions and tilapia filets on a platter–tilapia in the center and grilled onions around the edge of the platter. Pour the tomato relish over the fish.
8. Squeeze fresh lemon and balsamic vinegar over the entire mixture and top with toasted pine nuts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Most taxpayers in the United States are probably unaware that they’ve been paying for a big helping hand to immensely wealthy biotech corporations such as Monsanto. But according to U.S. embassy cables published by Wikileaks, the taxpayer-funded U.S. diplomatic corps has been working hard to get foreign countries to approve genetically engineered (GE) crops, especially in Europe.
France and six other countries in Europe (Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Greece) currently have a ban on the growing of GM crops, a ban based on safety concerns.
U.S. diplomats have made efforts to influence the biotech policies of developed countries such as Egypt and Turkey, but France continues to stand out as a high-profile target. There is widespread popular resistance to genetically engineered food in France, and a French farmers movement militantly opposed to GE crops.
According to a U.S. diplomatic cable from 2007:
Monsanto, Dupont/Pioneer, Dow Agro-Sciences…raised concerns about security conditions, i.e., increasing acts of vandalism, particularly in light of an expected regulation which could require French farmers to make public the location of their biotech plots. The three companies emphasized their concerns about the security of their information, property and staff, due to the annual destruction of two thirds of biotech test plots in France, demonstrations and attacks on their buildings and on a silo containing GM corn harvested in 2006 (Reftel). Consequently, the companies loose (sic) money and data, while staff morale suffers.
A report by Mike Ludwig of Truthout says, "Several cables describe 'biotechnology outreach programs' in countries across the globe, including African, Asian and South American countries where Western biotech agriculture had yet to gain a foothold. In some cables American diplomats ask the State Department for funds to send U.S. biotech experts and trade industry representatives to target countries for discussions with high-profile politicians and agricultural officials."
The nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists states on its web site:
So far, scientists have identified a number of ways in which genetically engineered organisms could potentially adversely impact both human health and the environment…In addition to posing risks of harm that we can envision and attempt to assess, genetic engineering may also pose risks that we simply do not know enough to identify.
GE Foods Are Not the Answer to World Hunger
As for the claim that GM foods are needed to feed a hungry world, Doug Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist in the Union of Concerned Scientists Food and Environment Program has concluded "...that GE (genetic engineering) has done little to increase overall crop yields." And a major study conducted at the University of Kansas has found that the controversial technology actually reduces crop yields.
In May of 2009, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine called on “Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks."
Require the Labeling of GM Foods
Many people are unaware that they are regularly consuming GM foods because they are not labeled as such. Giant agribusinesses do not want the labeling of GM foods because consumers don’t want to buy them. They are even opposed to the labeling of foods as GM-free. (GM foods are prohibited from being used in food that carries the USDA’s organic label.)
As Elise Pearlstein, producer of the Oscar nominated film Food Inc. has said, "It's outrageous that genetically modified foods don't need to be labeled...Whatever your position, you should have the right to make informed choices, and we don't."
More than 30 countries have mandatory labeling of GMO's, including all the European Union countries, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Why not the U.S.? Because the Big Biotech industry doesn't want such labeling. As one biotech executive put it, “If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it.”
To view tips from the Organic Consumers Association on avoiding GM foods, go to: Non-GMO Shopping Guide
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Szarek Farms is a great example of the old maxim, "necessity is the mother of invention". A small greenhouse grower in Central New York, the husband and wife team of Denise and Bernie Szarek cultivates tomatoes, peppers, fruits and herbs. The tomatoes are grown hydroponically using coir, an organic material made from coconut husk fiber. They do not use pesticides on their family farm.
Here's what The Nibble had to say about their delicious salsas, "Like sweet fruit salsa? Like adorable pygmy goats? Here’s the salsa for you. The line has four mascots: pygmy goat triplets and their canine 'brother' Baylee. Together, they dish out nice, sweet-and-spicy salsas."
Some years back the family found itself with an overabundance of culled tomatoes and needed a way to turn them into a value-added product. With some updates to some tried and true family recipes, and the help of the adroit folks at Nelson Farms near Morrisville, New York, the "Old Goat Foods" product line was born. The flavorful ingredients include the farm fresh tomatoes, onions, and habanero peppers. Apples, peaches and pears fresh from local orchards are added to the mix.
Spike, Vinca and Violet are the three pygmy goats who make up Szarek Farms’ “quality control team”. The family knows the tomatoes are ready to be picked when they see the “quality control team” being chased out of the greenhouses, by the “Old Goat” himself, (husband Bernie), after an unauthorized taste testing,
The goats are triplets and the Szareks have matched each salsa to their personalities. Spike is the big brother of the three; strong willed, stubborn and prideful of the fiery Spike’s Hot Fruit Salsa. Violet is the mild-mannered, good-natured middle “kid” for whom Violet’s Medium Fruit Salsa is named. (Miss Violet, also has a very tasty tomato-basil jam.) Vinca is a gentle baby boy and Vinca’s Sweet Fruit Salsa is a favorite with human “kids” because it’s not spicy at all!
Baylee is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi who helps keep the “quality control team” from wreaking too much havoc. He's also the newest member of the Szarek Farms family to introduce his own product. Baylee's Drunk'n Raisin Sauce was developed from a recipe used by Denise’s Grandma Tucker. She would serve it over the family’s Easter Ham or over spice cake. The Szarek’s have added just “a little” rum to give it some “zip”. It makes a delicious glaze over a grilled center cut pork chop.
The Nibble says, “…our favorite (Old Goat) product is the magnificent Drunk’n Raisin Sauce. Redolent of rum and raisins (dark and gold) in a buttery orange base, this is the product we’ll buy by the case for house gifts and stocking stuffers."
If you’d like to purchase some of the delicious products from Szarek Farms go to:
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Ever meet a serious person of science who didn’t believe that all the toxicity in our environment wasn’t directly related to our soaring cancer rates? Absolute causal links are hard to come by, but regular reports of toxic chemicals in the air, food, beverages, household and bodycare products should be enough to give pause about the dangers to the health of our families and loved ones.
If you’re worried, you’re far from alone. The Keep A Breast Foundation is conducting the Non Toxic Revolution campaign to inform and educate young people about the dangers of toxic chemicals in our environment and food supply and the link to breast cancer. The program focuses on prevention as a means to maintain long-term health and well-being by providing alternatives so that young people everywhere can make educated decisions.
Keep A Breast executive director Shaney jo Darden stated, “We are launching NTR because we care about people and their health. We want to provide people with information to empower their own lives, as well as to inspire them to empower their friends and family to do the same. We all have the right to safe products, healthy food and to live in a toxic free society.”
Keep A Breast has partnered with the design firm Studio Number One founded by artist Shepard Fairey, known for his widely recognizable and iconic Barack Obama “Hope” poster, to create a campaign that will encourage youth to embrace prevention as a deterrent to breast cancer and other diseases. NTR strives to enlighten youth about some of the common toxins that scientists and informed health advocates are advising the public to avoid. Keep A Breast believes the more this generation understands, the better choices they will make to stay healthy and cancer-free.
"I have been a supporter of The Keep A Breast Foundation for over 10 years,” stated Fairey. He went on to say:
When they asked me to be a part of their Non Toxic Revolution initiative, I jumped on the chance to help create images. Social causes and issues related to art is what drives the Obey Awareness projects, so a graphic program for Keep A Breast to raise awareness about toxic chemicals was a perfect fit. Breast cancer prevention is personal for me because I have lost two Aunts to breast cancer, and my Mother is a breast cancer survivor. I feel privileged to work with KAB and hope that the work my studio, Studio Number One, and I created can be helpful to this important cause.
The campaign includes information on how to make your environment non toxic by following ten simple rules for different aspects of your life including: Your House, Your Mouth, Your Body, Plastic Sucks, Heart and Soul and Your Pet. NTR breaks down scientific journals into easy to read and comprehend tips, as well as educate people on how they can get involved and petition for safer products and better legislation.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Sushi and sashimi are such an integral part of the Manhattan restaurant scene that it’s hard to imagine a time when the city’s diners would have been aghast at the notion of having raw fish and hot wine served for dinner. Now, whether it is served at the intimate Sasabune on the Upper East Side or a humble, neighborhood takeout place, artfully presented sushi sells and shows no sign of decline in its popularity.
But with ever growing concern about the depletion of the world’s fisheries, we’ve come to wonder if the seafood on those lovely platters is sustainable. Since we don’t want to give up enjoying sushi, we’re happy to report that a major sushi preparer believes it should be.
Genji Sushi is the provider of fine sushi and Japanese-inspired cuisine at 137 Whole Foods Markets around the country and in the U.K. Their traditional and modern menu items are made with all-natural ingredients, free of harmful chemicals.
“Seeking out environmentally-friendly sources is a company mission and we continuously strive to be at the forefront of our industry in the area of sustainability. Running our business in an environmentally sound manner is important to our company, our customers, and is vital to our planet,” says Shingo Kanai, President & CEO.
In April of 2011 Genji began featuring its newest addition, sustainable Bay Scallops, in a special Earth Month promotion at Whole Foods Markets. From March 28th thru April 24th 2011 5% of sales from three specially marked sustainable items were donated to the Whole Planet Foundation.
“Our world is calling for the sushi industry to be more environmentally conscious in our business practices and we’re heeding that call,” adds Kanai.
With 70% of the world’s fisheries harvested at capacity or in decline, it’s essential for companies and consumers to select seafood that is sustainable in order to keep the culinary art of sushi for future generations. Wild albacore tuna, wild salmon, shrimp and shellfish are delicious options for customers interested in eating sustainably.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
With the news that 1,000 farmers markets have just been added to the USDA’s list we have to assume that there are many thousands of folks who will now have easy access to a local farmers matket for the first time.
Farmers markets are fun places to explore and it seems that every time we speak to a farmer we learn something new about our food. Some of the offerings at our local market have become must buys on each visitt, with those funny looking, but oh-so-delicious heirloom tomatoes taking center stage for us this time of year.
We want everyone to have as much fun as we do at our local farmers market, especially people new to the scene. We were very pleased when our friend Amelia Winslow sent us her tips for beginners. Here’s some of her advice for newcomers:
1. Stick with what you know. If you’re new to the market or to cooking, skip the exotic fruits & veggies and go for produce you’re familiar with. You’ll be much less overwhelmed if you focus on carrots and tomatoes rather than kholrabi & ramps (yes, those are real vegetables).
2. Limit the number of items you buy. It’s easy to go nuts when you see all this beautiful produce, but overbuying will lead to wasted food, wasted time thinking about what to do with the food, and of course wasted money. Instead, stick to 2-3 veggies and 2-3 fruits per week, plus one kind of fresh herb and one kind of citrus fruit to use for dressings and sauces.
3. Do some meal planning before you go. This isn’t always possible, but when you remember or have time, plan a couple of meals before you shop, so you can buy the specific produce you need to make those meals. I usually buy a few veggies I can use for salads and hot meals, plus a few veggies and fruits for snacking.
4. Prep produce when you get home. If you can’t do it right when you get home, plan a time within a day or so when you can wash and chop lettuce (here’s how I do it), wash and cut veggies for snacking, and wash some fruit (most fruits are better prepped right before eating, but you can always wash cherries & grapes, wash and slice strawberries, melons, & oranges). Having a fridge full of ready-to-go veggies and fruits makes it much more likely that you’ll reach for these healthy items when you’re hungry for a snack or ready to make a meal.
5. Keep it simple. No need to reach into the depths of your recipe collection or biggest cookbook to figure out what to make for dinner. During summer especially, produce is so good that it’s best eaten in it’s simplest form. Salads can simply be a platter of tomato chunks drizzled with olive oil or a bowl of sliced cucumbers with salt, lime juice, and hot sauce. Snacks can be melon wedges, snap peas with hummus, or berries topped with yogurt. For a main dish, toss pasta with fresh basil and cherry tomatoes (like in this recipe), or lightly saute greens to serve with fried eggs (like this). The great thing about summer is that good food is plentiful, and the time and effort needed to make something tasty is minimal.
Simple preparation of fresh, seasonal foods, who can argue with that?
Amelia Winslow
Amelia has a website that’s full of great info and recipes for thoughtful home cooks. To have a look, go to: Eating Made Easy
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Despite a tough economy that has American families making ever more purchasing decisions based on price, more than 1,000 new farmers markets were added across the country, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2011 National Farmers Market Directory.
Last year, the USDA reported that 6,132 farmers markets were operating across the country. The new report indicates a total of 7,175 now operate in the U.S., an increase of 17.0%, meaning more farmers are marketing their products directly to consumers than ever before.
“The remarkable growth in farmers markets is an excellent indicator of the staying power of local and regional foods,” said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan.
She added, “These outlets provide economic benefits for producers to grow their businesses and also to communities by providing increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables and other foods. In short, they are a critical ingredient in our nation’s food system.”
The Directory reveals that several states have experienced rapid growth in farmers markets since 2010, reflecting a growing interest outside of the Far West and Northeast states, where the popularity of farmers markets is more well-established. Alaska and Texas ranked at the top for most growth in farmers markets at 46% and 38%, respectively.
The Top 10 list for growth includes:
1. Alaska (35 markets, up 46%)
2. Texas (166 markets, up 38%)
3. Colorado (130 markets, up 38%)
4. New Mexico (80 markets, up 38%)
5. Indiana (171markets, up 37%)
6. Oklahoma (61 markets, up 32%)
7. South Dakota (29 markets, up 32%)
8. Pennsylvania (266 markets, up 31%)
9. Ohio (278 markets, up 31%)
10. Michigan (349 markets, up 30%)
The Top 10 states for number of recorded farmers markets in 2011 were spread across the country:
1. California (729 markets)
2. New York (520)
3. Michigan (349)
4. Illinois (305)
5. Ohio (278)
6. Pennsylvania (266)
7. Massachusetts (255)
8. Iowa (237)
9. Wisconsin (231)
10. North Carolina (217)
Customers with Various Incomes
Nearly 12% of the famers markets reported at are able to accept SNAP (formerly known as food stamp) benefits, a % increase since 2010. SNAP redemptions in 2010 totaled $7.5 million at all certified farmers market and direct-to-consumer food retail establishments. Program participants made 453,711 purchases at farmers markets and direct farm marketing outlets nationwide, with an average purchase amount of $16.69.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Founder Marina Marchese and the rest of the folks at Red Bee are passionate about the culinary delights of honey. Their philosophy is that every bottle of their artisanal honey is a gourmet food and can be tasted and evaluated much like wine, each one having a unique flavor profile determined by the kind of flowers visited by the bees.
The essence of a honey is dictated by the terroir, the unique combination of geographic location, climate, soil and temperature that gives each honey its complex composition and individual personality. As in winemaking, terroir dramatically affects the flavor profiles of the honeys produced.
There is just no comparison between the homogenous, processed honey common to supermarket shelves and honey crafted by a true artisan. Here is an excerpt from Marina's terrific book, Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper, on her journey to becoming one of the country's finest food artisans:
It can be said that honey is only as good as the beekeepers that harvest it. Artisanal honeys are those produced by individuals using traditional methods and thus preserving the integrity of their products. With artisanal honey, quality and character are highlighted, rather than quantity and consistency. Beekeepers have to make many decisions regarding the management of their honeybees during a single season. Timing is everything, so colonies have to be at their peak strength and available to forage the fields at the exact time of the nectar flow. Beekeepers must select appropriate field locations for their honeybees and know when the nectar flow begins, when to add and remove honey shallows, and the best procedure to use to extract the honey.
(Excerpted with permission from Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper by C. Marina Marchese, published by Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2009.)
Red Bee Farm
Marina's Red Bee is a boutique honeybee farm located in the historical Bradley Tool section of Weston, Connecticut. The company’s charming red cottages were once the home of ballerina Gelsey Kirkland, who partnered Mikhail Baryshnikov. Working there they are inspired to create the purest artisanal honeys and sustainable products. Using old world techniques, their products are handmade in small batches using only plant-based ingredients to insure the finest quality. They never use pesticides, alcohol, paraffin waxes, petroleum or preservatives.
Red Bee's organic gardens produce culinary and medicinal herbs, vegetables and flowers for cutting. They make their organic, free range chicken eggs available locally. Red Bee Honeybee products have been a spectacular success at the New Canaan Farmers Market each summer for the last 8 years.
Red Bee Founder Marina Marchese (photo: jeffbeckerphoto.com)
Marina Marchese is a second generation Italian sharing her love of crafting artisanal products. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts, Marina traveled to Europe and Asia as an illustrator and product designer. Her unique sense of style and love of color was defined in designs that have graced the cover of WWD and greeting cards sold worldwide by UNICEF including children's products, books and magazines.
Her own Red Bee® cards were recognized by The National Honey Board after appearing in Victoria Magazine and on the cover of American Bee Journal. Marina’s love of honeybees and painting has led her to the ancient technique of painting with beeswax, made popular by the Etruscans. (The portrait at the top of this item is one of her paintings in beeswax.)
(Photo Reprinted with permission from Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers.)
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If more evidence was needed about the dangers of industrialized agriculture, with its densely packed animals and toxic waste, this week’s recall of 36 million pounds of ground turkey by agribiusiness giant Cargill should satisfy the remaining skeptics. Ironically, for years many Americans, including yours truly, have purchased turkey burgers as a healthy choice for their families.
In light of the massive recall Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch, released this statement:
Last night’s announcement by Cargill of a recall of 36 million pounds of ground turkey products is just the latest example of why we need strong regulatory and public health programs in place to protect consumers.
People have been getting sick with Salmonella for several months, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments struggled to identify a likely source of the contamination. Budget cuts have hampered the ability of federal and state health agencies to effectively protect public health, and this outbreak and recall offer compelling proof that there are human costs to budget cuts to critical public health programs.
The illnesses that triggered this recall were caused by an antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg, which makes the illnesses more serious and harder to treat. This once again points to the public health crisis that is being caused by the overuse of antibiotics in livestock production.
Unfortunately, it’s not the first time that meat and poultry have been recalled because of contamination with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and it’s not even the first time a Cargill meat plant has had this problem. Until the overuse of antibiotics in livestock production stops, consumers will be faced with the additional threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Because it covers several months of production at a very large plant, this recall covers a huge amount of product sold across the country, just the latest example of the tremendous impact that just one large plant can have on national public safety when something goes wrong.
As Congress gets ready to debate funding for federal agencies, this recall is a timely reminder of how vital public health programs like meat and poultry inspection and foodborne illness surveillance are to all of us.
To protect our families from the dangers of over centralized farmer we can make choices that make a difference. We can support local farmers by buying from them directly through community supported agriculture (CSAs) and at farmers markets, raise protein-rich beans in our gardens, and all the while spread the word that purchasing food from industrial farms comes at a price, one that can prove fatal.
About Food & Water Watch
The nonprofit organization works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainable. So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink, it helps people take charge of where their food comes from, keep clean, affordable, public tap water flowing freely to our homes, protect the environmental quality of oceans, force government to do its job protecting citizens, and educate about the importance of keeping shared resources under public control.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Thriving community gardens are one of the bright spots in America's food system, bringing neighbors together, providing folks with fresh, healthy produce, and bringing some beauty along with it. Community gardens were part of the Victory Gardens campaign during World War II, when they produced 40% of the produce Americans ate.
After a successful spring and summer campaign, DeLoach Vineyards has proudly announced the winners of its Community Garden Campaign in partnership with Organic Gardening Magazine. Over the past four months, 15 community gardens across the country from California to Florida participated in the online campaign to win a coveted total award of $20,000 ($4,000 per garden) to improve the communities they serve.
Wine and garden enthusiasts in communities across the country showed their support with more than 70,000 site visits to www.deloachcommunitygardens.com, where they watched videos produced by the gardens and voted for the garden of their choice.
The following 2011 DeLoach Community Garden Award Winners will each be awarded $4,000 each and will be featured in the October/November 2011 issue of Organic Gardening:
• Center for Growing People, Dallas
• Long Beach Organic Community Garden, Long Beach
• Magnuson Community Garden, Seattle
• Ocean View Farms, Los Angeles
• Three Brothers Garden, Chicago
Center for Growing People, Dallas
As an additional retail component to support the campaign, bottles of DeLoach wine were adorned with neckers that included a QR code that allowed consumers to instantly link to the contest microsite via smart phones.
DeLoach Vineyard’s estate vineyard in the beautiful Russian River Valley is a Demeter-certified Biodynamic® property. In harmony with organic and Bioydynamic principles the DeLoach estate includes an exquisite Biodynamic garden that not only nourishes the staff at the winery, but also provides the necessary natural remedies to optimize the health and fertility of its Biodynamic vineyards.
The Community Garden Campaign is a part of DeLoach Vineyard’s commitment to a healthy, sustainable lifestyle from garden to table that includes the appreciation of wine, food and community and to support the role of community gardens in promoting good living. Equally as important, the campaign is part of an effort to help educate a new generation to better the communities in which they live—something DeLoach has been passionate about cultivating since the inception of the winery.
About DeLoach Vineyards
DeLoach Vineyards has been a pioneering producer of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley since 1975. DeLoach seeks to produce exceptional wines that spotlight the singular personality of the Russian River Valley, with its rare and bountiful convergence of the sea, the soil and the stars. The Boisset family of Burgundy purchased DeLoach in 2003, bringing the techniques and approaches of Burgundy to its winemaking in the Russian River Valley, which they believed to be California’s most expressive terroir for cultivating Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Under Boisset, DeLoach has grown its small-lot vineyard designate wine program, converted to organic and Biodynamic farming practices, and implemented traditional Burgundian winemaking techniques such as open-top wood fermentors, native yeast fermentations, and hand punch-downs. Wine & Spirits magazine named DeLoach Vineyards a Top 100 Winery for the tenth time in the winery’s history in 2009.
Located at 1791 Olivet Road in Santa Rosa, the DeLoach Vineyards tasting room, picnic area and organic garden are open to the public daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 p.m.
For 70 years, Rodale’s Organic Gardening, the leading magazine resource for living a healthier, more environmentally conscious lifestyle, has been empowering its readers with the most trusted, eco-friendly news and information. With the mission to “live lightly from the ground up,” the brand’s editorial agenda sets an accessible and easy-to-embrace course toward the goal of living a healthier, more environmentally sustainable lifestyle, delivering the safest and most natural approach to health, home, food and garden.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Our friends at Oxfam have just released the map below to illustrate the impact of record increases in food on the world's most vulnerable people. The ‘food price pressure points map’ provides a global snapshot of the impacts of the global food price crisis.
“The poorest people from Kansas to Yemen are suffering the impacts of high and volatile food prices,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America. “Food price volatility has pushed tens of millions of people into poverty and contributed to violence and instability that is dangerous for global security and costly to American taxpayers. Meanwhile Congress, the Obama administration and the private sector have their heads in the sand hoping for it all to go away.”
Food prices have hovered near an all time peak since late 2010 sending tens of millions of people into poverty. After decades of steady progress in the fight against hunger, the number of people without enough to eat is again rising and could soon again top one billion. Leaders from the US and other G-20 nations have delivered little more than band-aid solutions giving little hope to struggling communities.
The map displays countries that are highly vulnerable to price spikes, have seen price spikes contribute to violence or unrest, or have suffered extreme weather events that have contributed to price hikes. Some examples of the impacts the map reveals include:
Tanzania: Despite a strong economic performance, more than half the population lives in extreme poverty and is vulnerable to increasing food prices.
Russia: In most of Russia’s regions, the price of the average food basket went up by 20-30 percent between July 2010 and March 2011. Russian food prices remained high even after the Russian government introduced a grain export ban that led to a surge in prices on the international markets.
Guatemala: Nearly half of children under 5 in Guatemala are chronically undernourished, and the proportion of the population suffering from malnutrition has been rising. In rural areas, up to 70 percent of children are malnourished.
To learn more, go to: Oxfam America, Food Price Spikes
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
It’s not easy being a seafood lover, not if you care about your family’s health and the health of America’s fisheries.
The fresh bluefish I grew fond of eating as a boy on Long Island is now a victim of pollution to the extent that it is only considered safe to eat when consumed very occasionally. The Atlantic cod, once so mighty an economic engine that one was proudly mounted on the wall of the Massachusetts statehouse, is now a depleted species with no encouraging signs of recovery.
What’s a seafood lover to do? Fortunately, our friends at the nonprofit Food & Water Watch have come up with some pretty good answers in their newly released, 2011 Smart Seafood Guide. Here’s what F&WW’s Lauren Wright has to say:
This year we recommend eating invasive species, many of which sound like they came straight out of a sci-fi flick! European green crabs, Asian swamp eels and rusty crawfish are just a few of the strange animals that are jeopardizing native species and taking over local ecosystems throughout the U.S. Our solution? Eat 'em!
The nonprofit organization recently had major event at NYC's famed James Beard House demonstrating how to prepare some of these species, including the deadly lionfish.
For those that might be feeling a bit squeamish about eating species they find strange, keep in mind that species have been going in and out of fashion for hundreds of years. The now venerated lobster served in the toniest of eateries was once considered so undesirable that it was largely fed to prison inmates, something the inmates resented. Prisoners complained that they were being fed far too much lobster!
About Food & Water Watch
The nonprofit organization works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainable. So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink, it helps people take charge of where their food comes from, keep clean, affordable, public tap water flowing freely to our homes, protect the environmental quality of oceans, force government to do its job protecting citizens, and educate about the importance of keeping shared resources under public control.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
La Quercia's Founders (Images courtesy of La Quercia)
Herb and Kathy Eckhouse founded La Quercia to create premium quality American prosciutto. Their appreciation for prosciutto grew out of the three and a half years they lived in Parma, Italy, prosciutto's area of origin. Their ambition to create their own came from a desire to take advantage the bounty that surrounds them in Iowa.
Herb and Kathy are contributing to the growth of premium, artisan-made American foods by offering fine quality, dry cured meats -- and Iowa with its abundance is the natural place to do this.
La Quercia’s Founders believe that the food we eat can delight us every day. It is their mission to help you make that happen. With each product, they strive to offer a memorable eating experience, one that causes you to stop and savor the moment.
Green Label Organic Prosciutto
For Herb and Kathy great food is more than great taste. It is healthful, nutritious, and pleasurable. It is satisfying sensually, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. It tastes good and it feels good. It pleases and it nourishes. It is part of a responsible food system that sustains you, producers, craftspeople, restaurants, and stores who support their communities and respect the environment.
Great food is made from the highest quality materials, careful adherence to the best of tradition, and the judicious use of modern tools. La Quercia incorporates these principles in determining how they produce and what they select to offer.
Humanely Raised
All of the pork they use comes from suppliers who subscribe to humane practices. To Herb and Kathy this means that the animals have access to the out of doors, have room to move around and socially congregate, and root in deep bedding. They do not use meat from animals that have been given antibiotics, kept in large animal confinement facilities, fed animal byproducts, or given hormones.
Kathy and Herb work in all aspects of the business–selecting and buying pork, salting, trimming, and handling hams and leading a small group of dedicated staff who participate in their production.
Kathy Eckhouse is a long time "foodie" who lived in Europe for several years as a child and adolescent. She is the person all of her friends describe as the best cook they know. Kathy says, "I feel good about what we do, because we use pork from animals that have had a good life. I think prosciutto is a great thing for a well-raised pig to become."
Says Herb, “I love making prosciutto; it's like assisting at a miracle."
If you'd like to learn more about La Quercia's critically acclaimed, artisan cured meats, click on any of the following:
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Along with farmers markets, farm-to-table dining is one of our favorite trends. So kudos to pioneers like Chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill in Greenwich Village and thank you to all those joining the movement to serve the freshest, healthiest and most flavorfull food to be found.
That would of course be the freshly harvested produce and other foods raised on local, sustainble farms, made convenient to we urban dwellers, for whom enjoying the talent of a great restaurant chef is far easier than visiting a a great farm.
Blenheim Hill Farm
We’ve just learned that Smörgås Chef Restaurant Group has launched Blenheim Hill Farm-a 150-acre eco-farm located about 150 miles north of Manhattan in New York's Catskill Mountains. The farm will supply the group's Smörgås Chef restaurants and Crepes du Nord creperie and wine bar with naturally grown produce and meats.
Featuring large maple tree forests, rolling pastures and a large spring-fed lake, the farm will produce hydroponic salads, legumes, and heirloom tomatoes-grown year-round in a state-of-the-art greenhouse-as well as herbs, mushrooms, fruit and lingonberries, a Scandinavian staple. The farm will also supply eggs, chicken, beef, pork, and lamb. Heritage animal breeds that produce improved flavor and composition will be pasture-raised to promote animal welfare and proper meat production processes.
A Model for Small-Scale Local Farming
"Our mission is to develop a financially viable model for small-scale local farming, while remaining good stewards of the land and its resources," said Morten Sohlberg, who founded Smörgås Chef Restaurant Group and Blenheim Hill Farm with his wife, Min Ye. "We will adopt, develop and promote innovative ideas and new agricultural technologies that will invigorate a disappearing segment of small businesses in America-the small, sustainable commercial farm."
Mr. Sohlberg and Ms. Ye are not traditional farmers. The entrepreneurial duo-who founded Sessions.edu, the world's largest online design school with over 10,000 students from over 140 countries-have diverse professional backgrounds that span fine cuisine, design, finance, business administration and education.
Mr. Sohlberg, who oversees the creative aspects of Smörgås Chef Restaurant Group's operations, was born and raised in Norway. He has worked as a designer in Milan and an educator at Parsons School of Design. He is as guest lecturer at The Institute of Culinary Education in New York-one of the most acclaimed cooking schools in the nation.
Ms. Ye, who manages Smörgås Chef's financial, operational and business development activities, is a native of China. She worked as a Wall Street investment banker for several years before attending the French Culinary Institute in SOHO, where she obtained her certificate in La Technique training in French classic cuisine.
Diversity Breeds Innovation
"Collectively, we speak over a dozen languages," said Ms. Ye. "It is our varied and non-traditional experience that will help us innovate, compete and thrive as a new breed of farmers. In addition, we will be aided by top experts in the field of sustainable farming and agriculture who will assist us in further developing our vision."
"We are looking forward to the next step, which include providing advanced educational training programs on the farm for agriculture students at various upstate universities," said Mr. Sohlberg, who noted that maple syrup from Blenheim Hill Farm has already been introduced into the group's restaurants.
To learn more about the latest from these dynamic eco-entrepreneurs, go to: Blenheim Hill Farm
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Though millions of Americans find themselves in belt-tightening times, a new poll has found that most still buy organic foods whenever possible.
In a new survey conducted by Thomson Reuters and National Public Radio, 58% percent of Americans say they choose organic over conventional when they have the opportunity. In a sign that the preference for organics is a trend that is here to stay, 63% of respondents under the age of 35 prefer organic foods, as do 64% of those with a bachelor's degree or more.
Avoiding Toxins & Supporting Local Farms
Among those who prefer organic foods, 36% said they do so to support local farmer's markets and 34% said they wanted to avoid exposure to toxins in non-organic foods. Complete survey results are available here: http://www.factsforhealthcare.com/pressroom/NPR_report_OrganicFoods.pdf
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), there were 6,132 farmers markets as of 2010, up from 1,755 in 1994.
"There appears to be a generational difference in preference for organic foods," said Raymond Fabius, M.D., chief medical officer at the healthcare business of Thomson Reuters. "The strong, positive sentiment among young people indicates they are more concerned with exposure to toxins and place a higher premium on supporting local markets. It stands to reason that, by expanding the network of farmer's markets, we could see a further groundswell around the support for organic foods."
Unique & Conscious Food Choice
"This month's poll gives us some insight into what is going through consumers' minds when they're making the choice of what they will feed themselves and their families," said Scott Hensley, NPR health correspondent and blogger. "We find it especially intriguing that a very small percentage of respondents are choosing organic foods based on taste. This makes organic vs. conventional a really unique case where food decisions are being made consciously by consumers."
The figures in the poll are based on 3,014 participants interviewed from May 2-13, 2011. The margin of error is 1.8%.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Wild Salmon Leaping Upstream (photo by Matthew G. Hull, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
As we know, there is tremendous pressure coming from Big Biotech to get genetically engineered (GE) salmon into America’s food supply. The industry may have millions to spend on public relations and campaign contributions, but science and a wary public are not on their side.
Right now there is legislation in the works that would prohibit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from spending funds to approve the controversial fish. Last month, the House of Congress passed such an amendment and members of the Senate have informed the FDA that they are moving forward with similar legislation.
The Senate stated in a letter that, "Given the strong and growing Congressional opposition to the approval of GE fish in both chambers, spending time on further review of genetically engineered fish would be a waste of taxpayer dollars".
Wenonah Hauter, executive director of consumer watchdog Food & Water Watch, has this to say:
"We're in the middle of an intense budget debate and we have to make some difficult decisions about where to spend federal dollars. The last thing the federal government should be doing is frivolously throwing taxpayer money at a corporate science experiment that could devastate both the public's health and the health of the environment."
New Study Cites GE Threat to Wild Atlantic Salmon
If genetically modified Atlantic salmon were to escape, they could succeed in breeding and passing their genes into the wild, researchers at Canada’s Memorial University of Newfoundland have found. Their research, just published in the journal Evolutionary Applications, explores the potential reproductive implications of genetically modified salmon as they are considered for commercial farming.
“The use of growth-enhancing, transgenic technologies has long been of interest to the aquaculture industry and now genetically modified Atlantic salmon is one of the first species to be considered for commercial farming,” said lead author Darek Moreau, a graduate student who co-wrote the paper along with Corinne Conway, a research assistant, and Dr. Ian Fleming, a professor, all with the Ocean Sciences Centre.
“Yet, little is known about the potential impact on wild salmon populations if the genetically modified species were to escape captivity.”
Trojan Gene Could Lead to Eventual Extinction
One of the key concerns about a transgene escape is the “Trojan gene effect,” caused when a genetically modified fish outcompetes or reproduces equally against wild rivals. If the resulting offspring are genetically inferior this could lead a species towards eventual extinction. Until now there has been no empirical research to demonstrate the ability of transgenic salmon to breed naturally and infiltrate the gene pool of wild Atlantic salmon.
To measure the ability of GE salmon to breed with Atlantic salmon in the wild, the team of researchers from Memorial University’s Ocean Sciences Centre monitored breeding behaviour in a naturalized laboratory setting and used genetic analysis to determine the success of competing individuals at producing offspring.
Wild Males are More Potent Breeders
The scientists found that migratory wild males outperformed their captivity-reared transgenic counterparts in terms of a variety of spawning behaviours, and despite being less aggressive, wild males also achieved higher overall fertilization success, but the threat from GE salmon remains.
“While the transgenic males displayed reduced breeding performance relative to their non-transgenic rivals they still demonstrated the ability to successfully participate in natural spawning events and thus have the potential to contribute modified genes to wild populations,” said Mr. Moreau.
Very Real Threat to Wild Gene Pool
While the study provides an estimate of breeding performance under only a single set of physical and demographic environmental conditions, it does mimic a likely invasion scenario where the genetic background of the transgenic population differs from that of the wild population.
“Our study provides the first empirical observations on the natural reproductive capacities of growth hormone transgenic Atlantic salmon,” concluded Mr. Moreau. “While the resulting ecological and genetic effects of a transgene escape remain uncertain, these data highlight the importance of preventing reproductively-viable genetically modified salmon from entering natural systems.”
To tell your elected representatives to prohibit funding for GE salmon, go to: Food & Water Watch
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Call for GMO-Free Labeling of Foods Whenever We Shop
Organic Farm (photo by Tana Butler, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
“If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it.” – a Biotech Executive
For years American Feast has called for the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods because we believe consumers should be allowed a clear choice on the consumption of food we believe to be dangerous to human health and the environment.
The most prominent, nonprofit food safety organizations agree with us, as do many socially responsible businesses. We are not alone. Most Americans would like to know whether they are eating food from genetically modified organisms (GMO). A poll by CBS said that 87% of Americans want labeling and that 57% would not buy foods with GMO. More than 30 countries have mandatory labeling of GMO's, including all the European Union countries, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Of course, the Big Biotech industry, with many millions of dollars available for advertising, public relations, lobbying and campaign contributions, is fiercely opposed. As a president of a Monsanto subsidiary put it, “If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it.”
The Revolving Door
According to Andrew Kimbrell, director of the Center for Food Safety, there has been a revolving door between the biotech companies producing GMO food and the FDA, which approves these foods. In Kimbrell's book, “Your Right to Know, Genetic Engineering and the Secret Changes in Your Food”, he writes about how Michael Taylor went directly from working as an attorney on Monsanto's behalf to becoming the FDA's deputy commissioner for food policy. Under his watch, rBGH (a GMO growth hormone for cows) was approved and studies indicating that rBGH posed health risks were virtually ignored. Eventually, large companies, including Walmart, banned it from their own brands of milk.
There are dozens of other individuals like Taylor, that alternate working for biotech companies and holding high positions in the FDA and other federal agencies pushing through GMO products without thoroughly evaluating their health risks. These officials regularly ignore warnings from scientists within the FDA that caution about placing GMO foods in our food chain without more testing.
Has Big Biotech Made a Single Credible Claim for GMO Foods?
Over the years we have published articles supported by research from independent scientists around the world that have refuted virtually every claim Big Biotech has made about the benefits of genetically engineered crops and animals. GE crops do not increase farm yields and have been shown to decrease them. They are not known to be safe to eat. They have caused severe consequences to the health of animals tested. Yet the industry continues running a grand experiment on human beings, mostly unaware they are consuming GE foods.
Here's Our Solution
There is a short term alternative. Companies, especially food producers and food retailers, can make “GMO-Free” labels on products and store shelves pervasive in the marketplace. A similar strategy has already enjoyed success with “Hormone Free” labels on dairy products. It did take a costly legal battle pitted against Big Biotech for companies like Ben & Jerry’s to establish their right to labels their products as such. (Note: The hormone in question was recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone or rBGH, now easily avoided!)
It is way past time that consumers were given a clear choice on what they purchase to feed their families.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Fresh Radishes (photo by Xenia Antunes, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
American Farmland Trust holds the annual America’s Favorite Farmers Markets™ contest to raise national awareness about the importance of buying fresh food from local farms and saving the farmland where it's grown. Market shoppers will vote to support their favorite farmers market starting June 1st at 12:00 PM until midnight on August 31, 2011. Participants can vote for as many participating farmers markets as they choose, but can only vote for each market once.
At the end of the contest, one small, medium, large, and boutique, farmers market will win the title of “America’s Favorite Farmers Market” for 2011. The reward for the winning market in each category will be a shipment of No Farms No Food® totebags, a feature article on the award winning foodsite Epicurious.com, and other prizes from our partners and sponsors.
The categories are based on the number of vendors the farmers market has. Here is how the voting is going in my home state of New York:
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
It’s been a year since we started watching BP’s oil spew into the Gulf day after day. Although that’s been plugged and cleanup is underway, a more insidious form of pollution continues without containment, with much longer term consequences. You might think I’m talking about Fukushima’s nuclear catastrophe. Actually, the pollution I’m referring to about can outlast even thousands of years of active nuclear waste.
Watch this two-minute video Cap the Gene Spill, directed by Alex Bogusky, to find out how genes from genetically modified crops self-propagate and permanently alter the gene pool—for all future generations.
Alex is described by Fast Company as “the Elvis of advertising,” a “pop-culture Houdini,” and the “daddy of 21st-century advertising.” He designed the Truth Campaign for tobacco, brought the king to Burger King, was crowned “Creative Director of the Decade” by Adweek, and was a partner at a $1.5 billion company that Advertising Age named “Agency of the Decade,”…and then he walked away. Alex realized he could no longer speak his truth.
Now, under his own banner of The Fearless Revolution, he’s harnessing the power of truth to create “an educated and empowered consumer,” who will act as “a sudden and powerful counterbalance to corporate power.”
Alex and I would like you to know the truth about genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Enjoy this first in a series of videos, appropriately released on Earth Day.
After viewing, please consider making a donation to our Institute for Responsible Technology, which works everyday to help cap the gene spill. Your donation will be doubled this month by a generous matching grant from Nutiva.
International bestselling author and filmmaker Jeffrey Smith is the leading spokesperson on the health dangers of genetically modified (GM) foods. His first book, Seeds of Deception, is the world’s bestselling and #1 rated book on the topic. His second, Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, provides overwhelming evidence that GMOs are unsafe and should never have been introduced. Mr. Smith is the executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, whose Campaign for Healthier Eating in America is designed to create the tipping point of consumer rejection of GMOs, forcing them out of our food supply.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
New Web Series Asks the Question: Is the Seafood Safe?
The Food Channel® (foodchannel.com) is releasing a WebTV video that takes a look at the future of seafood following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill which occurred a year ago, April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico. The crew shot in New Orleans, La., over a ten day period to catch up with what is happening.
“One of the goals of The Food Channel is to document what is happening in food,” said Kay Logsdon, editor of The Food Channel. “Obviously the story that has been unfolding over the past year in the Gulf has impact on the future of our seafood. We found out that the oyster is one of the most impacted products of the Gulf, and we wanted to bring that story to life.”
The program series, titled “Beneath the Surface: Gulf Seafood’s Fight for Survival,” is hosted by The Food Channel ’s Andy Ford, who spent time on the oyster boats, at the shucking house, and cooking with some of New Orleans’ finest chefs while researching the short-form series. “We uncovered a story of resiliency, combined with some of the creativity that is bringing the seafood back to the table,” said Ford. “We think it will give a different picture than a lot of the media coverage that focuses purely on the negative impact of the spill, and open people’s eyes to what the real impact is.”
The teaser is currently playing on foodchannel.com, with several segments set to air during the month of May. Additionally, features on some of the New Orleans’ restaurants, including recipes, will be available on the site.
About The Food Channel®
The Food Channel is a place for great food inspiration, the latest trends, the most compelling stories, and original perspective. This website offers insightful original content that is distributed to everywhere foodies interact with culinary creativity by influencing, contributing to, learning from, gaining inspiration through, and being a part of the experience around great food. For more information, visit foodchannel.com . Follow The Food Channel on Twitter at twitter.com/foodchannel or twitter.com/aford, or on Facebook at facebook.com/FoodChannel .
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Long ago in southern Arizona, the Hohokam people tapped the waters of the San Pedro River to irrigate their food crops. Today, so does third generation rancher Mike Mercer. Though Mercer runs a modern cattle operation—with tractors and center pivot irrigation rigs—you might say he’s gone “native.”
Eyes squinting in the mid-morning sun, Mercer jabs his boot at a clump of emerging grass. “Plains lovegrass is my favorite,” he says. “I’d like to grow more of that.”
Mercer’s ranch is nestled in the shadow of the Galiuro Mountains near the tiny town of Mammoth.
“There were Hohokam camps on all these buttes overlooking the river,” said Mercer. Below the most prominent of these buttes— Sombrero Butte—Mercer, like the Hohokam before him, is raising a crop on the river’s floodplain.
His 75-acre field is “greening up” with 14 native grasses, including Arizona cottontop, sacaton and plains bristlegrass.
Conserving Water and Growing Food in the Desert
Mercer began planting the native grass seed in the spring of 2008, purchased with financial assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. The Conservancy helped secured the financing.
The switch to native grass—after years of growing non-native sudangrass and sorghum grain—has been a big win for Mercer, and for the environment.
He estimates he uses about half the water that his father did. The perennial grass, once established, is low maintenance: No need for annual plowing, re-seeding or harvesting, except for occasional baling of some of the grass for feeding elsewhere on the ranch.
Using hay from these native grasses creates a new seed source in the grazed uplands, as the cattle spread the seed through their manure.
“We’re saving millions of gallons of water on this grass, and we are cutting our use of equipment and fuel,” says Mercer, whose family has ranched here since the 1920s.
Mike Mercer, Arizona Rancher
The Land Responds
The switch to native grass wasn’t risk free. The first year, coming off a decade of drought, “the grass didn’t look that great. I was sweating it. But I decided to plant some more last year, and so far this year, it’s really taking off.”
The land is responding in kind. “Since we planted this I’m seeing less run-off of water, because the grasses are helping the ground soak it up. I figure if times get tough again and there isn’t enough water in the river to irrigate, this seed will just go dormant and then sprout when the moisture is available again.”
Mercer learned of the Partners program through Rob Burton, the Conservancy’s former Lower San Pedro preserve manager. Rob had planted the grasses at the preserve, restoring what were once catfish ponds.
“We’re pleased at how well this has worked out,” says Kris Randall, state coordinator for the Arizona Partners program. “Grasslands are a declining plant community in Arizona. We are interested in providing financial and technical assistance to private landowners who want to do restoration projects.”
Dan Wolgast, who now manages some of the Conservancy’s properties, echoes the benefits of native grasses. “We’ve had some successes and challenges, but this grass is helping us control weeds. It’s very adaptable to unpredictable weather systems, and it’s a good thing for the river because it improves the health of the floodplain,” says Wolgast.
Seeding the Future
Something as seemingly simple as planting native grass is actually part of a paradigm shift for the Mercers. Not only is it a change in how they operate, but also who they work with.
One change is the market for their beef. By feeding their cattle native grass, the Mercers are tapping into the grass-fed, locally grown beef market. The Mercers sell their beef—under the name Sombrero Butte Beef—at local farmers’ markets and at a gourmet Tucson restaurant.
Mercer’s cattle are Brahman cows bred by Angus-Charolais bulls, which makes them genetically well suited for the desert; they withstand heat well, according to Mercer, and they eat desert plants like cat claw, cholla and jojoba leaves. Two months before they are butchered, Mercer grazes them on the native grasses to tenderize their meat.
“My cows love it,” he says. “They see me coming to open the gates, and they run to get there.”
Grazing issues have historically been a point of contention between ranchers and conservationists. The Conservancy, in Arizona and around the country, has been working to improve its relationships with those who produce the food we eat.
Mike Mercer’s willingness to work with the Conservancy signifies a sea change for his family. In the early 1990s, Mike’s father, Virgil, filed an appeal with the Bureau of Land Management to gain grazing access to the Conservancy’s public land leases at Aravaipa Canyon Preserve and the Muleshoe Ranch Cooperative Management Area. The Conservancy found itself on the opposite side from the Mercers in the judicial process. That appeal was tied up within the BLM for several years, and Virgil didn’t prevail.
So, the result has been that the Conservancy and BLM have continued a limited grazing regime at Aravaipa and no grazing at the Muleshoe in order to restore the properties. In the meantime, Virgil passed away in 2006, and his son Mike took over the ranch. Now he not only actively works with the Conservancy, he is also our neighbor—the Conservancy manages the 3,100-acre 7B Ranch adjacent to the Mercer property.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.
Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, a 2008 recipient of the MacArthur “genius” grant and recently named one of Time’s 100 most influential people; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur Joel Salatin, made famous by The Omnivore’s Dilemma, the best-selling book by Michael Pollan, who is also featured in the movie; and, Kansas City supermarket owner David Ball, who is challenges our Wal-Mart-dominated economy every day by stocking his stores with products from local suppliers.
The film's director, ana Sofia joanes, says:
FRESH portrays a movement that is happening in America and worldwide. The alternative food market is the fastest growing market in the United States, even though it still makes up a minuscule percentage of the food economy. And it’s incredibly energetic. Where it will lead us, I don’t know. Lin Yutang, a Chinese writer and inventor, said that “Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.”
Director ana Sofia joanes
FRESH tells the stories of real people, connecting audiences not with facts and figures or apocalyptic policy analysis, but with examples of personal initiative and concrete ways to engage in a new food model.
To learn where you can see the film, or possibly host a screening, go to: FRESH the Movie
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Genetically engineered alfalfa poses so severe a threat to the $2 billion organic dairy industry that a lawsuit has been filed to prevent its introduction to the nation’s farm fields. The suit was filed by attorneys for the Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Earthjustice against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The GE crop is engineered to be immune to the herbicide glyphosate, which Monsanto markets as Roundup. USDA data show that 93% of all the alfalfa planted by farmers in the U.S. is grown without the use of any herbicides. With the full deregulation of GE alfalfa, USDA estimates that up to 23 million more pounds of toxic herbicides will be released into the environment each year.
Watching Out for Consumers or Big Biotech?
“USDA has once again failed to provide adequate oversight of a biotech crop,” said Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director of the Center for Food Safety. “This reckless approval flies in the face of overwhelming evidence that GE alfalfa threatens the rights of farmers and consumers, as well as significant harm to the environment. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has refused to apply and enforce the law and instead has chosen to bow to the wishes of the biotech industry.”
This is the second case challenging the legality of USDA’s handling of GE alfalfa. In 2007, in another case brought by CFS, a federal court ruled that the USDA’s approval of the engineered crop violated environmental laws by failing to analyze risks such as the contamination of conventional and organic alfalfa, the evolution of glyphosate-resistant weeds, and increased use of Roundup.
Toxic Monsanto
Earthjustice attorney Paul Achitoff commented: “We expect Monsanto to force-feed people genetically engineered crops—that’s its business model. We hoped for better from the USDA, which has much broader responsibilities. GE alfalfa will greatly increase use of toxic chemicals from coast to coast, threatens the organic dairy industry, and will have farmers going back to Monsanto every year to buy its patented seed and Roundup.”
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
How do turmoil in the Middle East and a deep freeze in Mexico impact U.S. families?
These events will not only cause the rise in food prices to continue; they will change the way we eat, according to George Ball, chairman of national garden company W. Atlee Burpee & Co.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts the food inflation rate will increase by 3%. Given the volatile food market top economists contend this rate could be even higher. This would add more than $20 to the average monthly food bill for a family of four.
Although the average household now spends $2,658 on food served outside the home, families who looked to fast food restaurants for low-cost meals during the recession won’t be able to rely on the drive-thru in 2011. McDonald's, for example, recently said it might have to raise the cost of a Big Mac and other menu items by more than 2%.
Mr. Ball expects more Americans to turn to vegetable gardening now to offset food and soaring gas prices.
A pack of red pepper seeds will produce about 20 pepper plants each, producing 15 peppers per plant. Mr. Ball asks, “Would you rather pay $2.00 for one red pepper, or is it more sensible to grow $600 worth of red peppers in your own backyard for an investment of $4.95 in seeds?”
Home grown tomatoes, cucumbers and even lettuce result in similar savings. Mr. Ball added, “Saving money ‘growing your own’ will add value to not only your pocketbook, but also your taste buds and overall physical health. Gardening gets you—and your kids—outdoors.”
To have a look at the heirloom seeds & plants available from Mr. Ball’s company, go to: W. Atlee Burpee & Co.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
"It’s time to use our collective power to move the market directly. It’s time we let the food companies know that we have new healthier criteria if they want to keep us as customers."
We’re angry! MILLIONS of us are angry and outraged at the approval of GM alfalfa. And on top of that, the USDA also did an end-run around the courts to keep GM sugar beets growing, AND approved a GM corn used for ethanol.
So what do we do? Surrender? Never!
Before I propose a way forward, I want to share a victory you may have missed in the first paragraph. I said MILLIONS. That’s right, there are millions of us. And you can hear our frustration flying around in blogs, emails, press reports, petitions, etc. Do you remember the reaction just four years ago when GM sugar beets were approved for sale? There was nothing close to this response. It was hardly a blip. Where we have come in just a few years is a cause for celebration. And an unprecedented opportunity to throw our new weight around.
Within the first six months of last year, we witnessed more people in the US than ever before enthusiastically getting the word out about the dangers of GMOs. This was in part due to the huge internet distribution channels that have been getting articles and videos out to MILLIONS every month. (Thank you all!) And then there was the high profile media coverage of GE salmon and the sugar beet and alfalfa court cases.
In spite of their bitter outcomes at the hands of the USDA, the prolonged alfalfa and sugar beet fights actually helped elevate GMOs on our personal and national radar screens.
And now with MILLIONS of us grasping the significance and devastating loss of yet another crop, we have the components in place for a national revolution. We have the knowledge, the emotion, the network, and the profound injustice. Now we need an action plan. Enter Alfalfa: Plan B.
Commit to No GM Alfalfa
It’s time to use our collective power to move the market directly. It’s time we let the food companies know that we have new healthier criteria if they want to keep us as customers. And front and center in those new criteria is to commit to no GM alfalfa in their supply chain (which is used as animal feed, particularly to dairy cows).
This is our moment! Send a letter to dozens of dairies and food companies simultaneously. Let them know how strong we feel and how MILLIONS strong we are. When they get the message about the coming non-GMO tipping point, they’ll realize it’s time to remove all GM ingredients, not just alfalfa.
Share this “click and send revolution” with your friends, shop using the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, and tell the food companies the truth about GMOs. And for those who want to do even more, you are invited to join a local or national Non-GMO Action Group, to expand our numbers even further!
International bestselling author and filmmaker Jeffrey Smith is the leading spokesperson on the health dangers of genetically modified (GM) foods. His first book, Seeds of Deception, is the world’s bestselling and #1 rated book on the topic. His second, Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, provides overwhelming evidence that GMOs are unsafe and should never have been introduced. Mr. Smith is the executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, whose Campaign for Healthier Eating in America is designed to create the tipping point of consumer rejection of GMOs, forcing them out of our food supply.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
U.S. Government Poster from World War II (courtesy of Library of Congress)
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."
A Social Phenomenon
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.
Community Gardens
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!
If you'd like to start a garden in your community or your backyard here's some info that should help:
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Organic Farm (photo by Tana Butler, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Most Americans would like to know whether they are eating GMO foods. A recent poll by CBS said that 87% of Americans want labeling and that 57% would not buy foods with GMO.
Written by Steven Yellin
This is a story that affects everyone, every day. It is about the food we eat and the uncontrolled experiment biotech companies are conducting on us. They have done a marvelous job in convincing us that GMO foods are safe, but are they?
You may not have thought twice about the food you ate today that contained GMO's, (that is part of the problem because there is no labeling of them!), but if you dig just a little under the surface, you may become more cautious about consuming foods that contain GMO products and more cautious about letting your children eat these foods.
More GMO Food Coming Soon
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just announced its favorable decisions in producing genetically engineered salmon and GMO alfalfa, but three months ago a federal judge in California revoked the government's approval of genetically altered sugar beets until regulators complete a more thorough review of how scientifically engineered crops affect other foods.
Consider the following facts:
• 75% of all processed foods contain genetically modified products.
• 91% of all corn, 85% of all soybean 88% of all cotton, and 95% of all sugar beets grown in the US are GMO produced.
The GMO issue affects everyone in America. No company has the right to place ingredients in our food without us knowing what they are, especially with scientific evidence indicating that they may cause us harm.
Some Very Worrisome Science
A recent 2-year study by the Russian Academy of Science, the equivalent of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S., showed that 3rd generation off-spring of hamsters that were fed GMO food were virtually sterile, had a 25% higher death rate than the control groups and were growing hair in their mouths. This study will be published this summer.
Dr. Airpaud Pusztai at the prestigious Rowett Food Institute of Scotland, a part of the University of Aberdeen, is considered to be one of the world's foremost experts on plant lectins and author of 270 papers and three books on the subject, A study conducted by him showed that GMO potatoes induced intestine damage, harm to the immune system and organ damage to rats. After he concluded his research Dr. Pusztai went on national television in the U.K. and said he would not eat GMO foods. He subsequently was fired from the university and his research was ridiculed.
The Revolving Door
According to Andrew Kimbrell, director of the Center for Food Safety, there has been a revolving door between the biotech companies producing GMO food and the FDA, which approves these foods. In Kimbrell's book, “Your Right to Know, Genetic Engineering and the Secret Changes in Your Food”, he writes about how Michael Taylor went directly from working as an attorney on Monsanto's behalf to becoming the FDA's deputy commissioner for food policy. Under his watch, rBGH (a GMO growth hormone for cows) was approved and studies indicating that rBGH posed health risks were virtually ignored. Eventually, large companies, including Walmart, banned it from their own brands of milk.
There are dozens of other individuals like Taylor, that alternate working for biotech companies and holding high positions in the FDA and other federal agencies pushing through GMO products without thoroughly evaluating their health risks. These officials regularly ignore warnings from scientists within the FDA that caution about placing GMO foods in our food chain without more testing.
Americans Want to Know What is in Their Food
Most Americans would like to know whether they are eating GMO foods. A recent poll by CBS said that 87% of Americans want labeling and that 57% would not buy foods with GMO. More that 30 countries have mandatory labeling of GMO's, including all the European Union countries, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Why don't we?
The biotech companies have done an excellent job of creating the impression that GMO foods are safe, while ignoring the warning of leading scientists, including many in the FDA, that question their safety and are pushing for more testing before they are introduced into the food chain.
Why is it that our government requires very serious long term tests for safety in drugs we take, and yet doesn't seem concerned about fundamental changes in the foods that we and our children eat each day?
This is a story that needs to be told to everyone.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
"We believe all food can be produced safely, including raw milk." - Tim Wrightman
A state assembly panel recently approved a measure sponsored by Assemblywoman Connie Wagner to aid New Jersey farmers by allowing them to sell raw milk. The neighboring states of Pennsylvania and New York already allow the sale of raw milk.
Many medical professionals and nutritionists have concluded that raw milk from grass-fed cows is more nutrient dense than conventionally produced milk, while foodies around the world have long appreciated the rich flavor of artisanal cheeses crafted with raw milk.
Family Farms Face Unhealthy Competition
A previous post on American Feast's Sustainable Food Blog explained further about what is at stake:
Family-scale dairy farms feeding free-roaming cows on healthy grass face tough competition from concentrated animal feeding operations. The densely penned cows at CAFOs are sickened from being fed the abundance of corn grown with massive government subsidies, posing a very real threat to human health. Cow droppings make good fertilizer on small farms, but at CAFOs the immense amount of waste is a toxic threat to the health of people and the environment.
Of course, people around the globe have been safely consuming raw milk and handcrafted cheeses for thousands of years.
According to the nonprofit Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund:
The bill (A-743) would create a permit program through the New Jersey Department of Agriculture to allow for the sale of raw milk in New Jersey. The legislation would require the testing of cows intended to be used for the production of raw milk, with ongoing testing as necessary. The permit holder would also be required to conduct tests to measure the levels of certain bacteria and pathogens in the raw milk produced. The bill also stipulates that no growth hormones can be used in the process of producing raw milk.
Safe & Nutritious
Food safety and optimal nutrition aren’t mutually exclusive goals according to organic farming legend, Tim Wightman. A farming expert of 35 years, Wightman teaches dairy farmers to reach well beyond conventional food safety goals. He mentors farmers in low-tech yet high quality approaches to production of intrinsically safe and optimally nutritious raw milk.
A modern pioneer of the cowshare/herdshare concept, Mr. Wightman now serves as president of the Farm-to-Consumer Foundation. The educational nonprofit aims to equip farmers and consumers with safety advice on raw dairy products via conferences, tele-seminars and printed materials.
Free Handbook & DVD Now Available Online
The Foundation now provides two of Mr. Wightman's educational tools to the public free of charge. These free resources include online copies of Raw Milk Production Handbook and a micro dairy farm educational DVD, Chore Time. Both are available at: Farm to Consumer Foundation
"We believe all food can be produced safely, including raw milk," says Mr. Wightman.
"These materials are the starting point for a collaborative effort to develop 'best practices' to guide dairy farms working to meet the rising demand for raw milk from pasture-raised cows, whether the legal framework is loose (as with voluntary farm-to-consumer standards for cow shares) or more formal (as with larger scale retail sales)."
Steve Bemis, attorney and Farm-to-Consumer Foundation board member, asserts that these free resources are an important step in building a working relationship on raw dairy safety issues.
Mr. Bemis explains, "In many cases, academic and government entities will not (for policy and ethical reasons) link to resources that are for sale; so, by providing these 'freeware' resources, we hope to encourage links from others' websites, and thereby engage a broader audience.”
There are currently 15 states that allow farmers to sell raw milk directly to consumers, while 10 states allow the sale of raw milk in retail stores.
About Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund
The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund is a 501 (c) (4) non-profit organization made up of farmers and consumers joining together and pooling resources to:
• Protect the constitutional right of the nation’s family farms to provide processed and unprocessed farm foods directly to consumers through any legal means.
• Protect the constitutional right of consumers to obtain unprocessed and processed farm foods directly from family farms.
• Protect the nation’s family farms from harassment by federal, state, and local government interference with food production and on-farm food processing.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
The current industrial agriculture is heavily dependant on petroleum. It will not be sustainable forever.
Great chefs have been saying it for a long time. When you dine on fresh food produced locally through natural methods you enjoy it when the flavors are their most vibrant and the nutritional value is at its peak.
Besides making for pleasurable dining, it’s nice to know that a meal of seasonal ingredients is also an eco-friendly choice. Giant agribusiness likes to point out that their industrial farming methods have provided the most abundant and affordable food on earth. But it is grown with petroleum-barsed fertilizers and travels well over 1,000 miles before reaching the family table. It is an oil dependent system and oil is both an environmental threat and a finite resource.
Have the Saudis Been Lying?
So what happens when oil inevitably becomes more scarce and the law of supply and demand causes its price to climb sharply? We may find out sooner than we imagined. It seems that among the diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks there is one from the U.S. consul general in Riyadh warning that the Saudi government may be overstating the size of its oil reserves by as much as 40%. If so, oil prices may begin climbing, and soon.
According to a report in the Manchester Guardian, the “Saudi energy industry…overstated its recoverable reserves to spur foreign investment.” If Saudi Arabia and its OPEC cartel partners cannot pump enough crude to keep prices down, the cost of oil could begin escalating in 2012. Consumers will face rising prices for home heating fuel, gasoline and the food that comes from an industrial agricultural system.
No Doomsday Theorist
The U.S. consul general cites a warning from a senior Saudi government oil executive, who “is no doomsday theorist. His pedigree, experience and outlook demand that his predictions be thoughtfully considered."
The implications are profound. Rising food costs were among the grievances that sparked the popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. In the U.S., consumers devoting more of their household income to food and fuel will have less discretionary income to spend on other goods and services, stifling economic growth and increasing the country’s trade imbalance.
Is There a Silver Lining?
Maybe. The locally produced food sold at farmers markets could become more price competitive than ever. Home and community gardens could proliferate out of economic necessity. Millions of families could find themselves enjoying meals that are healthier and more delicious than ever.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
"Eating food that's in season means enjoying food at its peak in terms of flavour. It can also make a difference to the weekly shopping bill, as more abundant, in season food is often cheaper.”
Better flavor may be the best reason to eat fresh, local and seasonal food, but better nutrition, more affordable pricing, and sustainability are pretty good reasons as well. But, buying from a local, trusted farmer is not universally possible and many grocery stores offer few clues as to which items are in season.
Research carried out on behalf of the Scottish Government found that the majority of Scots are not aware what food is in season and when - as they have become accustomed to having all the meat, fish, fruit and vegetables they want, all year round.
Peak Flavour & Often Cheaper
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said, "Scotland's seasonal larder offers a fantastic array of fresh produce. This was demonstrated on the global stage last week when the international culinary contest in Lyon, the Bocuse d'Or, selected Scotch Lamb and seafood as its key ingredients.”
Last Thursday, Mr. Lochhead joined top chefs for an in season cooking challenge in Edinburgh to launch the Eat in Season campaign. The challenge tested the chefs' cooking skills by challenging them to cook up a delicious meal in five minutes, using five in season ingredients.
"Eating food that's in season means enjoying food at its peak in terms of flavour. It can also make a difference to the weekly shopping bill, as more abundant, in season food is often cheaper,” said Mr. Lochhead.
The Sustainable Choice
Increased awareness that it is a better choice to buy and consume fresh and in season food will not only support Scotland's economy, but contribute towards a healthier population and a greener, more environmentally sustainable country.
Mr. Lochhead said, "I'm sure that as Scots become more aware of what's in season they will see how easy it is to incorporate tasty and seasonal produce into their everyday lives."
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Healthy, Free-Range Chickens (photo by Digiology, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Editor's Note: Mark Keating was hired on April 11, 2010 to draft livestock production standards and contribute to overall standard development for the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). He brought more than twenty years experience in the field including service as a farm worker, food processor and distributor, county extension agent, grassroots activist, civil servant, university lecturer and journalist. Keating previously worked for the NOP between 1999 and 2002 and was part of the team that won the USA’s prestigious Group Honor Award for finalizing the NOP standards in 2000. No public citizen or USDA colleague objected to his conduct during his return to the NOP. The USDA summarily fired him on November 23, 2010.
Written by Mark D. Keating
At its core, my firing was standard Washington, DC fare: if you can't beat them, destroy them. Power in Washington descends from the pyramid and those of senior rank are entitled to squash those beneath. So powerful is Washington's faith in the pyramid that the person at the pinnacle – the President – is authorized to blow up the planet. So when my presence at the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) became offensive to Departmental leadership, it was standard procedure to set me up and railroad me out the door.
While this plot line is archetypal, the cast of characters will be novel to most audiences. Was it corporate agribusiness targeting an organic stalwart? No - I was much too low lying fruit to merit targeting. Was it bureaucratic bullies ridding their sandbox of a free thinker? No - when the White House cares about an issue as the Obama Administration does about organic agriculture, it calls the shots, not the bureaucrats. My firing was the voice of politically correct organic certification vested in that Executive Branch ostracizing its problem child (problem parent, really), organic agriculture.
Sir Albert & His Sisters
We'll need to highlight a key distinction for the story to come into focus. Organic agriculture involves all the funky, cosmic properties that a biologically active soil imparts to food and the benefits that redound to nature when farming is integrated into the local ecology. These principles were first articulated by Sir Albert Howard and his first and second wives, Gabrielle and Louise (sisters, no less) during the first half of the twentieth century. Supported by three decades of renown field research, the Howards established that the only effective and enduring system of agriculture is one modeled on the principles of Mother Earth. They were adamant that organic systems must incorporate animals, if not as active participants, then through use of their manure as the basis for fertility. The Howards also demonstrated that healthy soils lead to healthy plants including grasses, which lead to healthy animals, which result in healthy humans or, as our own mothers told us, we are what we eat.
By contrast, organic certification is a federally operated, process verification program loosely based on a subset of organic agricultural practices. For example, organic crop standards tend to support biologically rich soils and organically raised livestock consume a far more natural diet than do conventionally raised animals. However, many foundational principles in organic certification are inherently incompatible with natural systems. Mother Nature's garden never looks like the organic agribusiness farms in the Salinas Valley, nor would She insist that the omnivorous chicken be raised as a vegetarian with a synthetic protein supplement. USDA organic certification standards sanction these conditions and many others that compromise the inherent vitality of organic agriculture. Still, organic certification of raw agricultural products has provided generally limited yet meaningful differentiation during both its previous private sector incarnation and under the current guidance (thumb) of USDA.
USDA Embraces Organic Certification
While the deck at USDA and on Capitol Hill remains heavily stacked in favor of industrial agriculture (concentration of production, increased dependence on energy and technology including genetic engineering and global markets), there is now a glimmer of recognition that alternative agriculture production and marketing have merit. Check out the 2008 Farm Bill: it did not take away industrial agriculture's subsidies, but it does contain many excellent if modestly funded programs to support organic certification, direct marketing and local food systems. In particular, USDA is now ready to accept, even embrace organic certification. This is safe because organic agribusiness is not dissimilar to industrial agribusiness: concentrated, large scale production systems feeding into heavily processed, shelf stable convenience foods including homogenized and pasteurized dairy products distributed through chain retailers to worldwide markets.
However, USDA is definitely not willing to embrace or even acknowledge organic agriculture. Doing so remains too threatening to the hundreds of billions of dollars in annual sales generated by industrial agribusiness. USDA denies the fundamental principle of organic agriculture which is that the manner in which a food is raised and handled is determinative of its nutritional and flavor properties. This isn't hard to prove – crack open an egg from a scavenging free range chicken and compare it with an egg from the horribly abused battery cage hen. Then fry them up (lard works wonderfully!) and you can't miss the difference – unless USDA pays your salary. Then you are not allowed to see the difference. So like the old commercial with the “parts is parts” punchline, USDA maintains that all foods are essentially equivalent.
Organic certification is an especially useful tool for supporting this fallacy because it generates a lot of analogue processed foods like organic crackers and soda and soy ice cream and tv dinners that aren't especially different. This is better than trying to make the case in comparison to the bounty of organic agriculture ~ you can't put it in your mouth without knowing it's better for you and the planet (Be sure to give thanks!)
Why Was I Fired?
How does this relate to my firing? I am a huge believer (worshiper) of organic agriculture who respects organic certification as one of many useful tools for making smart choices about food. USDA is currently smiling upon organic certification but staunchly rejects organic agriculture. At no time, nor in any manner did I attempt to supersede USDA dogma with my personal perspective. I was a mid-level regulatory writer who knew that the decisions would be made about five pay grades above my station. I was cool with that and writing intelligent organic standards is no sell out – we need good organic standards. But people who know me will tell you that I don't/can't/won't play the emperor's new clothes. Once my cards were on the table (where I always keep them), I had to be fired as an existential threat to the party line. This is the inevitable consequence when those at the top of the pyramid think they are too busy and too smart to have the time or inclination to learn from the grunts below!
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
There’s ample evidence that the food with the best flavor and greatest nutritional value is that which is sustainably produced, as great chefs and dedicated foodies alike can attest. Heirloom tomatoes provide a good illustration, as anyone who has had the pleasure of enjoying them well knows. By comparison, their conventionally-produced, red cousins offer little to please the palate.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have come up with evidence that the tangerine tomato, a sweet-flavored heirloom variety, might be a better source of a powerful antioxidant called lycopene. So says chemist Betty J. Burri, based at the Agricultural Research Service Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, California.
The study conducted by Ms. Burri and her colleagues supports the findings of an earlier study conducted by scientists in Ohio who found the tangerine tomato's tetra-cis-lycopene is more efficiently absorbed by the body than is the trans-lycopene of red tomatoes. The trans-lycopene form makes up most of the lycopene in common red tomatoes, while most of the lycopene in tangerine tomatoes is tetra-cis-lycopene.
As for flavor, the Sustainable Seed Company website says, “Tangerine is a bright orange beefsteak tomato that makes an excellent slicer. Its sweet, complex flavor is highly sought after in farmers markets.”
The 1932 Burpee Seed Company says, “The flavor is delightful-rich and tasty, of a sub-acid piquancy that stimulates the appetite. The (indeterminate) vines make abundant growth."
If you’d like to add tangerine tomatoes to your garden’s mix, you can purchase seeds from the Sustainable Seed Company, just go to: Tangerine Tomato Seeds
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Under heavy pressure from the biotech industry, USDA chooses total deregulation.
Yesterday afternoon, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ton Vilsack announced that the USDA will fully deregulate Monsanto’s controversial genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa. The choice was favored by the biotech industry and one of three options identified in the USDA’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) released last month.
Over 250,000 public comments were received during the FEIS process, with the vast majority opposing deregulation. Organic farmers and consumers opposed the introduction of GE alfalfa, fearing the contamination of alfalfa fields vital to the organic dairy industry, which is estimated to be worth more than $2 billion annually.
Pressured by Biotech Industry
The USDA could have maintained regulatory status over the perennial crop that is so important as forage for the livestock industry. Or they could have chosen a limited regulation strategy with bans on the planting of GE alfalfa seeds in seed growing regions to attempt to limit the contamination of alfalfa seed stock by foreign DNA from Monsanto’s crop. (Alfalfa is pollinated by bees and other insects and has a pollination radius of five miles). Instead, the agency, under heavy pressure from the biotech sector, chose total deregulation.
Vilsack did announce that the USDA would establish a second germ plasm/seed center for alfalfa in the state of Idaho to try, and the operative word is "try," to maintain GE-free strains of alfalfa. They currently operate such a facility in Prosser, Washington. He said the FEIS process brought home two key points to USDA: choice and trust.
Opponents Likely to Pursue Litigation
The huge numbers of parents who want their children to get the health benefits of milk without exposing them to the dangers of recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) and the antibiotics fed to cows in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), have contributed mightily to organic dairy farming enjoying quite a boom in the United States.
According to the USDA, “Between 2000 and 2005, the number of certified organic milk cows on U.S. farms increased by an annual average of 25%, from 38,000 to more than 86,000.”
The Center for Food Safety, with The Cornucopia Institute and others, has been embroiled in a court case fighting the release of GE-alfalfa. The case has been on hold while the USDA completed its court-ordered EIS. Opponents of GE-alfalfa are evaluating their choices and likely will resume their legal battle.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
It’s easy to think of farmers markets as a warm weather experience, especially in frigid winter climes, but change is clearly afoot. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Farmers Market Directory now lists 898 winter farmers markets across the country - more than 14% of the nation’s farmers markets – offering consumers more opportunity than ever to access locally grown food.
“Fresh, local, and healthful food isn’t just a good weather offering,” said David Shipman, Acting Administrator of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. “Clearly in many places, winter markets are hot despite the cold weather. Even in states where the traditional growing season is short, the market season is long. This allows more small and local farmers to continue bringing in income for their families and their businesses, while also providing great, nutritious food to communities year round.”
Farmers markets are considered winter farmers markets if they operate between November and March. The top 11 states for these markets are: New York (153), California (140), North Carolina (53), Florida (45), Pennsylvania (42), Ohio (34), Massachusetts (32), Kentucky (30), New Jersey (24), Connecticut (20), and Michigan (20).
Since 2009, winter markets have grown 17%. Farmers markets operating more than seven months per year have higher monthly sales than their strictly seasonal counterparts.
In August of 2010, the USDA’s National Farmers Market Directory listed 6,132 operating farmers markets overall, a 16% rise from 2009. The National Farmers Market Directory has been collecting self-reported information about farmers markets since 1994.
Winter farmers markets feature local products, including seasonal produce, honey, herbs and baked goods. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other federal nutrition benefit programs are often accepted.
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Seed Savers Exchange Offers 700 Varieties in Online Catalog
Veggie Garden (photo by Seemann, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
With One Click, Heirloom Veggie and Flower Seeds Arrive in your Mailbox Just in Time for Planting!
Genetically modified seeds have become so pervasive that it's a joy to see efforts to preserve and spread heirloom seeds. There are now 700 varieties of heirloom and open-pollinated vegetable, herb and flower seeds available through the Seed Savers Exchange online catalog for 2011. Gardening enthusiasts/cooks can grow a several varieties to set a table of flavorful and healthy produce.
Seeds are now available for spring plantings. Transplants can also be ordered now and will be shipped after March 21st, just in time for planting. Heirloom produce inspires amateur cooks and professional chefs alike with their bold flavors, intense colors and unusual looks.
Purchasing seeds is a wonderful way to support Seed Savers Exchange, a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to protect North America's diverse but endangered garden heritage by building a network of people committed to collecting, conserving and sharing heirloom seeds and plants.
Community and school gardens can request a donation of seeds through Seed Savers Exchange – Herman’s Garden program.
About Seed Savers Exchange
Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), member supported organization that saves and shares the heirloom seeds of our garden heritage, forming a living legacy that can be passed down through generations. The organization's mission is to save North America's diverse, but endangered, garden heritage for future generations by building a network of people committed to collecting, conserving and sharing heirloom seeds and plants, while educating people about the value of genetic and cultural diversity.
To download a copy of the catalog, access planning, planting and growing information or connect to others gardens through the organization's online forum, go to: Seed Savers Exchange
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Americans will consume about 50 million pounds of avocados on Super Bowl Sunday, mostly in tasty and healthy guacamole. That’s enough to cover a football field 19 feet deep, if you enjoy that sort of thing.
Below is a classic recipe for Guacamole from our friends at the California Avocado Commission, but they’ve come up with a nice little twist. Depending on where your home team does its playing and snacking, they have suggestions for added ingredients that will give your dish a distinctly local flavor.
Home Team Guacamole begins with a party size portion of basic guacamole (4 avocados, salt, lemon or lime juice) served in the center of a serving tray. Line up color-coded ingredients around the guacamole in small bowls. Then mix in “add-ins” to personalize and create your own Big Game Day party dip.
Ingredients for 8 Servings
• 4 Large, ripe, fresh California avocados, seeded & peeled
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 Teaspoon salt, or to taste
Preparation
1. Coarsely mash (DO NOT PUREE) avocados.
2. Stir in lime juice and season to taste.
3. Prepare "add-ins" as directed below.
Regional Variations
Tampa Bay
1. 4-oz. cooked, shelled and de-veined small shrimp
2. 1/2 cup diced green onion
3. 1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
4. 5-10 drops red pepper sauce
5. Tampa Bay's coastal location calls for shrimp. The red pepper sauce and yellow bell pepper represent the team's colors.
Pittsburgh
1. 1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
2. 1/2 cup chopped roasted yellow bell pepper
Oakland
1. 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2. 2/3 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
3. 1/2 cup chopped red onion
4. 1/2 cup chopped tomato
5. 2 pickled jalapeños, chopped
6. Oakland's signature color black is represented in the black beans. Two jalapeños are added to represent the teams extra spice!
Atlanta
1. 1/2 cup peach preserves or peach salsa
2. 1/2 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
New York
1. 1/2 lb. smoked salmon pieces
Philadelphia
1. 8-oz. softened cream cheese
2. 2/3 cup chopped black olives
San Francisco
1. 1/2 lb. cooked Dungeness crab, chopped
2. 1/4 cup diced scallions
3. 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
Tennessee
1. 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet white onion
2. 1 cup chunky red salsa
Copyright Courtesy of California Avocado Commission
To learn more about California avocados, their heath benefits & growing an avocado tree go to: California Avocado Commission
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
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