Still Wild Coast in Costa Rica (photo courtesy of La Cuisinga Lodge)
Red snapper was long one of my favorite meals. The unique flavor always brings a fond memory of dining on it within a couple of hours of seeing it caught from a beach in Costa Rica with a simple rod and reel. I regarded it as a delicacy, but for the local residents it was a naturally plentiful seafood.
I gave up red snapper well over a year ago after reading that it was being seriously overfished, hoping it would some day return to abundance. Unfortunately, I just learned from the nonprofit Care2 that “…government assessments from 2008 show that the species is being overfished at eight times the sustainable level.” The population has dwindled to just 3% of its historic levels.
The good news is that the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is working on new rules that should enable red snapper to make a big comeback. Our friends at Care2 write, “In less than 10 years, the population of red snapper would skyrocket -- and with it, so could catches of the species. Scientific projections suggest that it could be as high as a 25-fold increase, from 78,000 pounds of fish in 2006 to nearly 2 million pounds by 2036.”
Regretfully, “The red snapper's not the only species at risk; the speckled hind, warsaw grouper, golden tilefish, snowy grouper, black grouper, black sea bass, gag, red grouper and vermilion snapper are all at risk.”
The time for environmental action is now, so Care2 is asking for some grassroots help. They are collecting signatures in support of changes to fishing rules so populations have time to replenish themselves. They need thousands of signatures by November 22nd in order to hand-deliver them to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council as part of a public comment period.
To learn more about the issue and add your signature in support of the rule changes go to: Save a Snapper
To view previous posts on the topic of Conservation scroll down after you go to: American Feast's Posts on Conservation
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Fresh Produce (photo by Scott M. Liddell, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Diets that very low in carbohydrates are often recommended for weight loss, but little is known about the long term effects on mental health. Recent research conducted in Australia found that despite similar weight loss from low carb and low fat diets, and rapid improvements in mood during the first eight weeks with both, over the long term the mood of those on low carb diets regressed to their original state. The positive effect on mood was maintained for those on low fat diets.
The results of the study were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. In the article’s introduction it was noted that “…the obesity epidemic has led to widespread interest in alternative dietary patterns for weight management, including very low-carbohydrate ‘ketogenic’ diets that are typically high in protein and fat (particularly saturated fat).”
Mood was assessed using three questionnaires that measure six separate aspects of mood, including tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility, vigor-activity, fatigue-inertia, and confusion-bewilderment. The scientists also looked into the effects of the two diets on cognitive functions, e.g. working memory and speed of processing, but “there was no statistically significant difference between groups.”
The researchers wrote,
Despite these results, it is important to note that mood state scores on average for both groups at baseline and throughout the study remained within the normal range for healthy adults. Consequently, the present findings are limited to healthy, obese, young to middle-aged adults with normal mood state and cannot be generalized to clinical populations.
What to Eat?
Dieticians tend to agree that if you want to slim down and then maintain the weight loss the empty calories from refined sugar and bleached flour are best kept to a minimum, but eating whole grain foods will improve your health.
Omnivores who work more vegetarian meals with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables into their regular diets will enjoy better health. Doing so on a large scale will reap environmental benefits as well and purchasing produce in season can keep costs down.
Fast food, Junk food, highly processed foods and sodas containing high fructose corn syrup are not recommended for good health or the health of the planet. When you combine a healthy diet with regular exercise it’s a near certainty that you will look and feel better.
To view the full text of the article in the Archives of Internal Medicine cited above go to: Long-term Effects of a Very Low-Carbohydrate Diet and a Low-Fat Diet on Mood and Cognitive Function
To view all the previous posts on weight control on the American Feast web site (just scroll down) go to: American Feast's Weight Control Archive
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Raspberries! (photo by Marcin Modestowicz, courtesy of morguefile.com)
It’s the combination of hard work and best practices on the part of Heidi and her brother Doug that make the incomparable organic jams of Heidi’s Raspberry Farm possible. It all starts with hand-picked, fresh fruit, and making their mouth-watering and nutrtious jams begins with a meticulous approach to sustainable methods on their farm in Corrales, New Mexico.
Corrales is a unique agricultural village farmed by families who have been living there for generations. Located on the Western bank of the Rio Grande, the land has been tilled since 500 A.D. Back then the ancestors of the present day Pueblo Indians reaped harvests in the fertile valley. Subsequent populations of Spanish, French and Italian families settled there to raise grapes, apples, livestock, and now, gloriously healthy raspberries!
Having grown up in this special place Heidi and Doug are dedicated stewards of the land and keepers of a healthy environment. They are truly “walking the walk” when it comes to best practices for preserving the sustainability of their farmland and the health of their community. Doug has converted the farm to a drip irrigation system that makes the most efficient use of precious water. He provides hives in the field for the honeybees that pollinate the delicate raspberry blossoms. A flock of native Rio Grande turkeys control the insect population amongst the hedge rows, so there's no need for poisonous pesticides!
Heidi, Maker of the Best Raspberry Jam We've Ever Tasted!
They’ve been selling organic raspberry jam, fresh raspberries and cut flowers at the local farmers markets in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Corrales and Albuquerque for several years now. By personally selling their delicious fare Heidi and Doug have made a lot of wonderful friends. They’ve also built a loyal following of appreciative customers who keep coming back for more of their amazing jams!
If you'd like to order some of Heidi's incredible raspberry jams click on any of the following:
Organic Raspberry Jam
Organic Raspberry Ginger Jam
Organic Raspberry Red Chile Jam
Organic Raspberry Red Chile & Ginger Jam
New Mexico Organic Raspberry Jams Variety Mix
If you'd like to try a simple recipe using one of Heidi's great jams go to: Chicken Breasts with Raspberry Ginger Sauce
To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection
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Healthy Besse of New Jersey (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morguefile.com)
With frightening reports of contamination and foodborne illnesses arriving with alarming regularity it’s no surprise that a recent national survey of affluent consumers found safety to be their number one concern when purchasing food.
The majority of consumers surveyed are looking at labels and menus for assurances that undesirable things, such as antibiotics and artificial hormones, are not present. Food safety was especially important to women. Ethical claims are frequently linked to safety issues and of special importance to a “large subset of consumers,” according to the researchers.
The survey by Context Marketing, a San Francisco Bay Area consulting firm, did not include nutrition, focusing instead on “quality claims having to do with safety and health, as well as ethical considerations and their role in purchase decisions.” The firm’s research results were issued in a report, Beyond Organic – How Evolving Consumer Concerns Influence Food Purchases.
The researchers confirmed that price played a major role in decisions on purchasing specialty foods and making menu choices at restaurants, and it is the main reason for making a purchase at a supermarket. Still, educated and prosperous consumers are familiar with the issues behind the claims being made by producers, manufacturers and restaurants, and ethical behavior is vital to gaining consumer trust and loyalty.
Seventy-two percent (72%) of those surveyed say they are willing to pay “more for food that promises to be healthier, safer or produced to higher ethical standards.”
To view the report from Context Marketing cited above go to: Beyond Organic – How Evolving Consumer Concerns Influence Food Purchases
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Hannah Kaminsky's Vegan Cheesecake (Images courtesy of the Boston Vegetarian Society)
This year our friends at the Boston Vegetarian Society are delighted to expand the Annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival to a two-day event! The Festival brings together an amazing array of vegetarian natural food providers, top national speakers and chefs, and educational exhibitors in a fun and welcoming environment.
The event couldn’t be more family-friendly, offering free admission, free food sampling, free speaker presentations, free parking, a T Subway stop just across the street, and activities for kids.
The 2009 Festival is on for Saturday, October 31st, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Sunday, November 1st during those same hours, at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, 1350 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts
The Festival offers the chance to talk directly to food producers, learn the newest items in the marketplace, get some cooking tips, taste free food samples, shop with special discounts, or simply learn what vegetarian foods are available and where you can find them.
Whether you are a longtime vegetarian or vegan, or someone simply wanting to add more healthy and delicious foods to your meal repertoire, or if you are just curious what it's all about, you will be very welcome! While your enjoying the fun you can also learn of ways to benefit the environment, help animals, and enhance your health and well being.
  
Sponsored by the Boston Vegetarian Society
The sponsoring organization, the Boston Vegetarian Society, is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization. The organization seeks to make a better world for people, animals, and the earth through advancing a healthful vegetarian diet and a compassionate ethic. It provides education, encouragement, and community support for vegetarians and for anyone wishing to learn more about a healthy, environmentally friendly and humane way of life.
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To visit the sponsoring organization's web site & get more information about the Festival go to: The Boston Vegetarian Society
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Food, Inc. lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing how our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our environment. Food, Inc. reveals often shocking truths about what we eat, how it’s produced and who we have become as a nation.
The “powerful wake-up call for consumers,” (New York Times) Food, Inc., arrives on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on November 3rd. “Bracing, compassionate, witty and compelling,” (Time) Food, Inc. exposes the highly mechanized substructure that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of the government’s regulatory agencies, the USDA and the FDA. Using animation and graphics, Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Robert Kenner reveals the shocking truth behind corporate ‘factory farms,’ which churn out genetically modified produce and meat from diseased animals, detrimentally impacting the lives of millions.
Profits Before People
Putting profit before the health and safety of Americans, companies have utilized scientific advancements to create bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop and insecticide-resistant soybean seeds. The unfortunate by-product of advancement results in the evolution of new, more resistant strains of the sometimes-deadly E. coli bacteria, which sickens over 73,000 Americans annually.
Featuring interviews with Stonyfield Farm’s Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms’ Joel Salatin, and investigative authors Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma), Food, Inc. is an eye-opening expose reminiscent of Super Size Me. Detailing how corporate food monopolies influence government regulations, the “smart and expertly shot” (Los Angeles Times) documentary also addresses the nation-wide epidemics of obesity and diabetes, which have drastically escalated over recent decades as a result of the lack of proper nutrition due to the consumption of poor quality food.
Ongoing Impact
Participant Media partnered with 20 nonprofit and social sector organizations to bring awareness to the film and the issues it addresses through a substantial cause marketing and social action campaign. The partnerships with groups including the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention will continue beyond the DVD’s release. Celebrities Kelly Preston, Alyssa Milano and Martin Sheen, among others created public service announcements on the issue and they will be included on the DVD.
Bonus Features
Additional bonus features include deleted scenes – 40 minutes of footage and segments not shown in theatres, “Nightline’s” interview with Chipotle’s CEO, and more. The film will be available for the suggested retail price of $26.98 and Blu-ray Disc for $34.98.
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. "King Corn" the Movie: We Are What We Eat
2. Fast Food Nation on DVD
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D & E Farms in Franklinville, N.J. (photo by Emily Roesly , courtesy of morguefile.com)
Earlier this month Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the number of farmers markets in the U.S. increased by 13% from last year, a great illustration of just how many communities and consumers across the country are eagerly reaching out for fresh food and supporting their local farms. Farmers and consumers connected at 5,274 farmers markets this year, up from 4,685 in 2008.
“This growth in the number of farmers markets is a good indicator of just how important local farms and food are to people today,” says Julia Freedgood, managing director of American Farmland Trust’s Growing Local initiative.
As Julia Child once said, “You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.”
Ms. Freedgood went to say:
Farmers markets play a crucial role in bringing fresh food to areas where it’s not always available. And by getting to know the farmers who grow their food, people are able to better understand where their food comes from, something that is hard to do in most grocery stores. This relationship between farmer and consumer underscores the fact that food comes from farmland nearby, and how without that land there would be no food.”
American Farmland Trust launched a national online contest this summer so consumers could vote for their favorite farmers markets. The contest illustrated several key concepts including AFT’s “No Farms No Food” message and the importance of farmers markets to local economies, access to healthy food, farmland protection and the environment.
“Not only does this mean the number of farmers markets has increased,” adds Stacy Miller, Executive Secretary of the Farmers Market Coalition, “but it also represents growth in the number of people participating in nutrition and food assistance programs, and the degree to which communities are building partnerships and connections that support local food systems and access to local food.”
Ms. Freedgood concludes, "As AFT enters our 30th anniversary it is important to reflect on past successes but also to look ahead at how to engage a new generation in understanding the importance of protecting farmland. Farmers markets are a great way to accomplish this.”
AFT’s national office is located in Washington, D.C. The phone number is 202-331-7300. To visit the organization’s web site go to: American Farmland Trust
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Reefs in Galley Head (photo by Enzo Cositore, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The Irish Government will ban the cultivation of all genetically modified (GM) crops and introduce a voluntary GM-free label for food – including meat, poultry, eggs, fish, crustaceans, and dairy produce made without the use of GM animal feed.
The policy was adopted as part of the Renewed Programme for Government agreed between the two coalition partners, the center-right Fianna Faíl and the Green Party, after the latter voted to support it on Saturday.
The agreement specifies that the Government will “Declare the Republic of Ireland a GM-Free Zone, free from the cultivation of all GM plants”. The official text also states, “To optimize Ireland’s competitive advantage as a GM-Free country, we will introduce a voluntary GM-Free logo for use in all relevant product labeling and advertising, similar to a scheme recently introduced in Germany.”
Michael O’Callaghan of GM-free Ireland said the policy signals a new dawn for Irish farmers and food producers:
The Irish Government plan to ban GM crops and to provide a voluntary GM-fee label for qualifying animal produce makes obvious business sense for our agri-food and eco-tourism sectors. Everyone knows that U.S. and E.U. consumers, food brands and retailers want safe GM-free food, and Ireland is ideally positioned to deliver the safest, most credible GM-free food band in Europe, if not the world.
This past February, American Feast and Organic Valley joined more than 70 companies in pledging not to use or sell genetically modified beet sugar. The companies and many doctors believe there has been insufficient study of the long term effects of genetically modified crops on human health and the environment.
The measures taken by Germany and Ireland may will spread across the European Union and make GM-free food more competitive against the stiff competition from the giant agri-businesses that see genetically modified food as a means to greater profitability. In doing so, those governments have not only improved their countries’ economic prospects, they have taken a great step toward protecting the health of people and our planet.
To view the press release on which this item was based go to: Ireland Adopts GM-Free Zone Policy
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. Doctors Warn: Avoid Genetically Modified Food
2. 70 Companies Vow Not to Sell Genetically Modified Sugar Beets
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To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
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Alaskan Red King Crab (© Ngweikeong | Dreamstime.com)
If you’re not already part of a crew you probably won’t get to join Alaska’s crab fishermen on the Bering Sea for the 2009-2010 crab season. The harvest seasons for Alaska’s two largest crab fisheries opens today, October 15th, but there’s always next year.
Alaska red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) is the largest and one of the most impressive of all shellfish, prized for its sweet flavor and rich tender white body meat. This year’s harvest limits were set by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The Alaska Bristol Bay king crab harvest is set at 16 million pounds, a drop from last year, but above the 10-year average.
Also announced were the Bering Sea tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi) fishery with a harvest level of 1.35 million pounds, and the Saint Matthew Island blue king crab (Paralithodes platypus) fishery with 1.17 million pounds.
The harvest levels point to Alaska’s ongoing practice of managing all of its fisheries to ensure their long term health and sustainability. State and federal fisheries managers continually adjust harvest limits based on the most current available scientific data. This is one key element within Alaska’s model of sustainability.
The history of crab fisheries in Alaskan waters extends back to 1930. The harvest season for Alaska king crab typically ranges from October through November and again from January through March. Alaska snow crab is usually harvested from October through mid-February. This year's harvest should ensure that your favorite Alaskan crab will be available at your favorite seafood store or restaurant throughout the year.
"The Last Frontier" state is celebrating its 50th anniversary of statehood and Alaska's Constitution states that “fish…be utilized, developed, and maintained on the sustained yield principle.” This dedication to sustainable management has resulted in an ever-replenishing supply of wild seafood for markets around the world.
For more information and recipes go to: Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
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Our friend Serena Ingre at the National Resources Defense Council has just let us know that the Natural Resources Defense Council is now accepting nominations for its second annual Growing Green Awards. New this year, in addition to the previous award categories, is a “Water Steward” category just for 2010. Applications are due December 4, 2009 and a $10,000 prize will go to the winning green “Food Producer.”
Through these national awards NRDC will recognize extraordinary contributions that advance ecologically integrated farming practices, climate stewardship, water stewardship, farmland preservation, and social responsibility from farm to fork. Author and sustainable food activist Michael Pollan will again be on the selection panel, along with Chair Susan Clark, the Executive Director of the Columbia Foundation, A.G. Kawamura, California’s Secretary of Agriculture, and Nora Pouillon, founder of the nation’s first certified organic restaurant.
A Growing Green Award will be given to an outstanding individual in each of four categories including “Food Producer,” “Business Leader,” “Thought Leader,” and “Water Steward.” All winners will be widely celebrated through outreach to media and NRDC’s networks.
Growing Green Awards Criteria
In selecting from nominees the awards selection panel will consider the following criteria:
• Innovation in promoting ecologically-integrated food systems. This may include minimizing inputs of energy water and chemicals; reducing pollution and global warming gas emissions; use of on-farm polyculture; increasing natural resilience; and stewardship of biodiversity pollinators open space and land resources.
• Potential to achieve wide scale adoption implementation or behavioral change.
• Advancement of health safety and economic viability for farmers farmworkers and rural communities.
To visit the organization's web site & get more information go to: National Resources Defense Council
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Founder and CEO of Seattle’s Theo Chocolate, Joseph Whinney, witnessed the effects of unfair, unsustainable cocoa trading as a conservation volunteer in Central America. That experience led him to pioneer the manufacture and supply of organic chocolate products as the first individual to import organic cocoa beans into North America in 1994. Over a decade later, Theo is proud to be the first to roast organic cocoa beans and the first roaster of Fair Trade certified cocoa beans in the United States.
Food and Wine Magazine honored Theo with an Eco-Epicurean Award for making the world "a better — and more delicious — place." Theo also won "Outstanding Chocolate" at the NASFT Fancy Food Show in New York City.
Eco-entrepreneurs deserve kudos for the risks they take to start up companies that strive for sustainability. Joe Whinney of Theo Chocolate is among the most deserving, so it’s quite fitting that the popular environmental news site Grist named him one of its top 15 green business founders.
All of Theo’s ingredients are carefully selected to ensure they meet the company’s high standards for social and environmental responsibility. As true chocolate makers, they carefully steward cacao (cocoa beans) through the process of roasting, blending and conching in order to coax out the distinctive flavor imparted by each unique growing region. Theo’s production is guided by their passion for chocolate and their ultimate goal is to lead the industry with the excellence and integrity of their offerings.
The company is located in a beautiful, historic building in Seattle, Washington. They welcome visitors for tours of the chocolate factory at 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm, seven days a week, with additional tours at 10:00 am and 12:00 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The cost is just $6.00 per person. You can reserve a place on the tour by calling 206-632-5100. Tours last about 1 hour and include a thorough explanation of artisanal chocolate making and delicious samples! Theo’s factory is in the Fremont district of north Seattle at the intersection of Phinney Avenue North and 35th Avenue North.
If you’d like to purchase some of Theo’s award-winning gourmet chocolate click on any of the following:
Organic Chocolate from the Ivory Coast's Cacao - 74%
Theo Organic Chocolate Confections
Organic Chocolate from Ghana's Cacao - 84%
Organic Bread & Chocolate Bars
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A Healthy Pig (photo courtesy of morguefile.com)
Giant agribusinesses like to claim that industrial farming produces an abundance of food at affordable prices, but once the costs of government subsidies, environmental devastation, and the impact on human health are factored in, industrial food is expensive indeed! And those costs are born by ordinary people through taxes and medical bills, while top executives from the world of big agribusiness live splendid lives of luxury.
The Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming is working to protect human health by eliminating the misuse of antibiotics and related drugs in food animals, joining the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, and countless others in an effort to improve public health.
At the Pew Charitable Trusts’ web site, the nonprofit organization explains:
To reform health care we need to reduce health care costs, and that includes reducing the drug-resistant diseases that cost our country billions. This means stopping the misuse of the antibiotics our families rely on. Many industrial farms routinely feed these drugs to chickens and livestock that aren't sick, which promotes the development of deadly antibiotic-resistant infections.
This past July, the New York Times published an article saying, “The Obama administration announced Monday that it would seek to ban many routine uses of antibiotics in farm animals in hopes of reducing the spread of dangerous bacteria in humans.”
The Times article reported that Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner of food and drugs, told the House Rules Committee that feeding antibiotics to healthy chickens, pigs and cattle should cease, because the practice leads to the development of bacteria that are immune to many treatments.
To visit the Pew organization's web site, get more information, and/or get active, go to: The Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming
To read the New York Times article cited above go to: Administration Seeks to Restrict Antibiotics in Livestock
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. We Want to Know What's in Our Children's Milk!
2. Highest Quality, Healthiest Meat is Sustainably Produced
3. What is Sustainable Food?
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For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Alice Waters (photo by David Liittschwager, courtesy of USF)
The University of San Francisco has just announced that legendary chef and restaurateur Alice Waters has been named the recipient of its 2009 California Prize for Service and the Common Good. The award recognizes significant service in pursuit of the common good for all members of society, and comes with a $10,000 purse and a handcrafted medal.
Alice Waters is a renowned chef and champion of food grown locally. She is credited with helping found the “slow food” movement that has revolutionized how we think about sustainable and organic agriculture. As owner of the legendary Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, her influence is felt across the country as she raises consciousness about how the food we choose affects our health and our planet.
The Edible Schoolyard & the School Lunch Initiative
Waters also created the Chez Panisse Foundation in 1996 to support educational programs that use food to nurture, educate, and empower youth. Through The Edible Schoolyard and the School Lunch Initiative, the Foundation envisions a public school curriculum that includes hands-on experiences in school kitchens, gardens, and lunchrooms, and provides healthy, freshly prepared meals as part of each school day.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this year's California Prize for Service the Common Good from the University of San Francisco,” Alice Waters said upon learning of the honor. “This award recognizes the work of the Chez Panisse Foundation and shows that the university supports a school curriculum that gives students the knowledge and values to build a humane and sustainable future.”
“Alice has championed an understanding that raising and preparing what we eat is both an ethical exercise and an acknowledgement that we share the earth's resources and hold it in trust for future generations,” said Stephen A. Privett, S.J., University President. “She has worked tirelessly to introduce school children to responsible food production and healthy eating, especially those in underserved communities.”
Waters will be honored Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at a dinner hosted on the USF campus. Proceeds from the dinner will directly benefit USF student programs—including internships and service learning projects at home and abroad.
About the University of San Francisco
Established in 1855, USF is the city’s oldest university and is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically diverse universities in the country. The University of San Francisco is committed to being a premier Jesuit Catholic, urban university with a global perspective that educates leaders who will fashion a more humane and just world. With nearly 8,500 enrolled, the university offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional students the knowledge and skills needed to succeed as persons and professionals, and the values and sensitivity necessary to be men and women for others.
For more information about USF’s California Prize for Service and the Common Good, or for details about the dinner event on November 5th, please visit: USF California Service Prize
To purchase a Bestseller by Alice Waters go to: The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution
To view a previous post on the topic go to:
1. Getting Their Hands Dirty at School (The Edible Schoolyard)
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For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Soil-Saving Farming in Pennsylvania (photo by Scott Bauer, courtesy of USDA)
Our friends at the Food Alliance have sent us some great news for everyone who wants a healthier and more sustainable food system. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that Miles McEvoy has been hired to serve as Deputy Administrator of the National Organic Program (NOP). McEvoy assumes his position on October 1st.
"Miles McEvoy has worked in the field of organic agriculture for more than two decades and has a solid understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the organic community," Vilsack said.
Organically grown and marketed agricultural products are of key interest to the Obama Administration, and the NOP will be receiving increased funding and staffing in the new fiscal year.
Vilsack also announced that the NOP will become an independent program area within AMS because of the increased visibility and emphasis on organic agriculture throughout the farming community, evolving consumer preferences, and the enhanced need for governmental oversight of this widely expanded program.
For more than 20 years, McEvoy led the Washington State Department of Agriculture's (WSDA) Organic Food Program, one of the nation's first state organic certification programs. In 2001, he helped establish the WSDA Small Farm and Direct Marketing Program. From 1993 until 1995, McEvoy was the founding Director of The Food Alliance, a program that blends sustainable farming practices and social welfare components into an eco-label program.
McEvoy helped establish the National Association of State Organic Programs in 1998 and currently serves as its President. He also assisted the Montana Department of Agriculture to develop the state's organic certification program and has been helping the Oregon Department of Agriculture in developing its own organic certification program.
According to the USDA, NOP is responsible for regulating the fastest growing segment of U.S. agriculture, the organic industry. U.S. sales of organic foods have grown from $1 billion in 1990, when the Organic Foods Production Act established the NOP, to a projected $23.6 billion in 2009. Congress increased NOP funding to $2.6 million in FY08 and to $3.2 million in FY09, just a fraction of the billions in subsidies that go to giant agribusinesses.
To learn more about the efforts of the Food Alliance go to: Food Alliance
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Fresh Seafood (photo by Sister Rahel, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Can you create a savory seafood dinner for under $25? If you’re up to the challenge, here’s a chance to win a cash prize, get your recipe published, and support a great cause in one fell swoop.
Food & Water Watch is calling for all creative cooks to participate in this year's Get Cookin' contest: Frugal Fish! This time last year they asked for your best sustainable seafood recipes and then published the winners in their booklet, Fish & Tips.
This year’s contest recognizes our tough economic times, but they want to show “you can eat well and have fun, even when you're on a budget.” So they want you to show them your best sustainable seafood dinner for under $25.
Send in your most delicious seafood recipe that doesn't break the bank -- using, of course, sustainable seafood! Food & Water Watch has a Smart Seafood Guide to help you figure out which types of fish are good for you and our planet, so be sure to use the seafood cited in their Guide!
To see the best choices for creating memorable & sustainable dishes go to: Smart Seafood Guide
For full contest information and rules go to: Frugal Fish Recipe Contest Rules
To have a look at last year’s booklet with its tasty compilation of seafood recipes and useful tips go to: Fish & Tips
About Food & Water Watch
Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and by transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink.
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
Organic Oranges (photo by Darnok, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Organic products have shifted from being a lifestyle choice for a small share of consumers to being consumed at least occasionally by a majority of Americans, according to a recent briefing from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The USDA says consumer demand for organic goods has shown double-digit growth for well over a decade and provided market opportunities for American farmers across a broad range of products. Organic food is now available in nearly 3 of 4 grocery stores and account for over 3% of total U.S. food sales, according to recent industry statistics. The USDA has found that:
• Organic food is sold to consumers through three main venues in the United States—natural food stores, conventional grocery stores, and direct-to-consumer markets.
• A typical organic consumer is difficult to pinpoint, but new research continues to shed light on consumer attitudes and purchasing behavior.
• Organic price premiums continue to remain high in many markets as the demand for organic products expands.
Providing American families with the option of enjoying food raised without pesticides has been one of the great achievements of the organic farmers movement. Growing demand for organic foods by consumers continues to be a promising trend for the American food system. Along with quests for more flavor and better nutritional value, the desire to avoid pesticides has been a key driver of the demand for organics.
There’s a long way to go to overcome decades of unhealthy practices driven by the industrial food system. By our count there have now been at least six studies establishing a link between pesticides and Parkinson disease. Another found evidence that pesticides made it more likely to develop cancer. Some researchers have theorized that the reason organic produce has a higher nutritional content than conventionally-grown food is due to pesticides inhibiting the production of nutrients in plants.
We can all play a part in creating a healthier and more sustainable food system by demanding that our food be raised without toxic pesticides. Our bodies, our planet, and our children will be the beneficiaries.
The nonprofit Environmental Working Group offers a guide you can carry in your wallet, "so when you're shopping you'll know which produce to buy organic, and which conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables are okay if organic isn't available.”
For a free download of the EWG’s guide go to: Shoppers Guide to Pesticides
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
Flag & Fireworks (© Daniel Padavona | Dreamstime.com)
"The strongest bond of human sympathy outside the family relation should be one uniting working people of all nations and tongues and kindreds." - Abraham Lincoln
"If capitalism is fair then unionism must be. If men have a right to capitalize their ideas and the resources of their country, then that implies the right of men to capitalize their labor." - Franklin Lloyd Wright
"Only a fool would try to deprive working men and working women of their right to join the union of their choice." - Dwight David Eisenhower
A Napa Oak Overlooks Vines (image courtesy of Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group)
There's an excellent chance that your favorite Napa Valley winegrower is a member of the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group which was formed in 1995 to promote integrated pest management practices in Napa County, California. The mission of the Group is to identify and promote winegrowing practices that are economically viable, socially responsible and environmentally sound.
Specifically, the Group promotes viticultural land stewardship through educational outreach to:
• Optimize ecological stability and winegrape productivity and quality by understanding and emulating natural processes such as biodiversity, carbon and nutrient cycling, and plant-soil interactions.
• Reduce pesticide inputs through cultural practices, biological control, and use of alternative materials.
• Promote soil health through erosion control, reduced tillage, soil analysis, and the amendment of soils with cover crops and compost.
• Enhance returns on investment by promoting the value-added nature of sustainable winegrapes along with terroir and increased vineyard longevity.
The Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group is comprised of members representing Napa winegrape growers, vintners, and local government and educational organizations. The Group represents over 25,000 acres of farmed vineyard land and over 20,000 acres of un-farmed/wild land as of March 2007.
In a 5-part podcast interview, American Feast's Doug Ferber has a talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group to learn more about their important work.
To listen to Part 1 click on: A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 1
To listen to Part 2 click on: A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 2
To listen to Part 3 click on:
A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 3
To listen to Part 4 click on:
A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 4
To listen to Part 5 click on:
A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 5
(photo courtesy of Library of Congress)
An advocate for sustainable farming once said that when it comes to farming everything you're great-grandfather did was better. Today, a major challenge facing all of us who want to see a healthier and more sustainable food system is overcoming the predominance of factory farms across America.
Giant factory farms are the prime culprits when it comes to the unhealthy use of pesticides, herbicides, anitbiotics, and hormones. They foster inhumane conditions for animals and wreak environmental devastation. The government purchases their surplus production and much of that food ends up being served to children for school lunches.
The food they produce is making people sick and the vast majority of people find themselves on the hook for the medical costs that result. Enormous quantities of fossil fuels are burned to transport their products to population centers. Dealing with the pollution they cause incurs enomrmous costs for environmental cleanups. Who pays?
And if you love eating good food as much as we do, you already know that food from factory farms is quite bland when compared to food that is fresh and sustainably produced.
There's no quick and easy solution to the problem, but every small step forward takes us closer to a brighter future. We just received this message from our friends Sarah, Alex, Noelle and The Food Team at the nonprofit Food & Water Watch:
Small farmers across the country are struggling to make ends meet, yet the USDA is helping new factory farms come on line by encouraging banks to give them guaranteed loans. Family farm groups from across the country are calling on the USDA to stop backing new factory farms. Can you take action to stop new factory farms?
Factory farms have already forced out many small producers by lowering the price that farmers are paid for chickens and pigs. The tough economic times are hitting everyone hard and many farmers are losing their contracts. The USDA has bought up surplus pork, chicken and eggs for nutrition and school lunch programs to absorb some of the over-supply, but still, the agency continues to back loans for new factory farms.
To make matters worse, taxpayers pay for this bad policy twice - when the government buys up surplus production and again when low prices drive producers out of business and USDA pays for the defaulted loans.
Tell Secretary Vilsack it's time to cut off the factory farm industry. Sign a petition calling for USDA to impose a moratorium on guaranteed loans to build new factory farms.
To sign the petition go to: Food & Water Watch
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
Since June 1, thousands of people have cast their vote through American Farmland Trust’s (AFT) America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest. AFT’s website lists and continually updates the top twenty vote getters in each of three categories at www.farmland.org.
The top 20 markets list holds lots of surprises including the fact that the current market with the most votes overall is in the “small” category meaning that the market has only 30 vendors or less. This is a true testament to what even a small farmers market means to the community.
According to one farmers market customer, shopping at their local market is the highlight of their week:
“It is just a lot of fun. Besides the wonderful vegetables, fruit and prepared foods, there is music, chef demonstrations and many other special events. I really like seeing the faces [of the people] who grow my food and getting to know them.”
So far this summer, thousands of individuals have voted for over 700 farmers markets representing just about every state in the country. But there is still time for more votes and for the top 20 markets to change! Farmers market consumers are encouraged to vote for their favorite markets (one vote per market) at the America’s Favorite Farmers Market website, www.farmland.org/vote - and to tell their friends.
American Farmland Trust has sponsored the nationwide contest to promote the value of farmers markets in communities, and to make the connection between fresh local foods and the local farms and farmland that supply them. Farmers markets play a critical role in keeping farmers on the land. America is losing two acres of farmland per minute because many farmers find it more profitable to sell their land for development. Keeping farms viable, by providing them with a venue where they can provide their much sought after products, is one of the best ways to save the land that sustains us.
“Farmers markets are more than a passing fancy, they're here to stay” says Jane Kirchner, AFT Senior Director of Marketing. “They are a connection point in communities-where customers can connect directly with the people who grow their food, and come together socially. I also think we all intrinsically like the idea of supporting our local businesses!”
In 2007, direct sales from farms to consumers totaled $1.2 billion, an increase of 49% from 2002. Much of that increase comes from America’s growing number of farmers markets – 4,685 in 2008, compared to 3,137 in 2002. In addition to supplying seasonal fresh fruits, vegetables and agricultural products, farmers markets help support public health and can drive economic development in communities.
At the end of the contest, the top market in each category will win a shipment of No Farms No Food ® totebags to distribute to the customers that made it happen!
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
Boston Skyline (©andrebrilliant, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Boston has joined a growing list of cities taking steps to promote the purchase of locally grown food with Boston Bounty Bucks, a program providing vouchers that double the value of food stamps at 14 of the city's roughly 22 farmers markets.
Atlanta, San Diego and Providence already have similar programs benefiting low-income shoppers and local farmers who sell their products in urban neighborhoods. The city efforts complement new federal policies in the 2008 Farm Bill to improve access to farm-fresh fruits and vegetables for seniors, children and low-income residents.
Local farmers will get a much-needed boost in revenue from an eco-friendly program that reduces the need to ship and truck food over great distances. Shoppers who purchase fresh, locally grown produce will avail themselves of the most flavorful and most nutritious food, something that can be a real challenge for low-income urban residents, according to studies conducted at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
According to the Bloomberg School's Department of Epidemiology, “Our findings show that participants who live in neighborhoods with low healthy food availability are at an increased risk of consuming a lower quality diet.”
Some of the communities examined were found to have no supermarkets within easy traveling distance, but plenty of fast food outlets serving processed foods high in calories and saturated fats. Even in some communities with nearby supermarkets “the availability of items like fresh fruits and vegetables, skim milk and whole wheat bread” in those stores was often found lacking.
"Place of residence plays a larger role in dietary health than previously estimated," said Manuel Franco, MD, PhD, lead author of the two studies.
If you’d like to read a Boston Globe article on the topic go to: Vouchers double value of food stamps at Boston farmers' markets
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
Underwater Tuna (© Tamas | Dreamstime.com)
The thought of mercury in your seafood is enough to ruin anyone’s appetite.
That’s why Damon Stainbrook, former Sous Chef of French Laundry, is leading the way in a new “conscientious cooking” movement. He’s working with a mercury certification program, Safe Harbor, to ensure the fish used in his delicious recipes meet strict standards for mercury content and are caught using only sustainable methods – verified through its traceability program.
He’d like to share the following recipe and let people know that there is a way to create delicious, healthy and sustainable dinners.
Those in Northern California wishing to create this recipe with Safe Harbor-certified fish can do so at any local Andronico’s, DeLano’s, Woodlands Market, and The Fish Market. If these retailers aren’t nearby, those wishing to prepare the recipe should be careful if purchasing Bluefin, Albacore, and imported Bigeye/Yellowfin tuna caught by longline as they tend to have higher mercury levels and should not be consumed too often.
Ingredients for 4 Servings
• 4 Tuna steaks, 6 ounces each
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
Zucchini Pasta:
• 4 Cups julienne green and gold zucchini
• 2 Teaspoons kosher salt
Artichoke Sauce:
• 16 Ounces peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes
• 1 Medium yellow onion diced
• 3 Cloves garlic minced
• 1 Teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 Cup diced marinated baby artichokes
• 1 to 2 Teaspoons finely minced hot or mild chile pepper, or to taste
• ¼ Cup chopped fresh basil
• Black pepper to taste
Black Olive Tapenade:
• 1 Cup pitted Kalamata olives chopped (or olives of your liking)
• 1 Big garlic clove minced
• 1 Tablespoon capers
• ¼ Cup fresh basil leaves chopped
• ¼ Cup fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 Tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
• ½ Cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Combine all tapenade ingredients, tasting and adding salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let stand at room temperature before serving. Makes 1 ½ cups.
2. Julienne the zucchini into long thin pasta like shape. Toss with salt and let sit in colander for 15 minutes. Zucchini will soften to an al dente consistency.
3. To make the sauce, cook onion and garlic with salt over a low heat in a heavy bottom pot until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for thirty minutes. Add artichokes, chile pepper and basil and simmer another ten minutes. Add black pepper to taste and set sauce aside to cool.
4. Right before grilling the tuna toss the sauce and zucchini together in large bowl.
5. Pull tuna steaks out of fridge fifteen minutes before cooking which will help to keep the tuna from sticking to the grill (If using). Season the tuna steaks with salt and pepper, then brush lightly with olive oil.
6. Lightly brush a grill rack, or broiler pan with a little oil. Grill tuna over coals medium high heat. Turn after about 2-3 minutes for rare tuna, 4 to 6 minutes for more medium to well done. Tuna should maintain a pink center, but will flake easily around edges.
7. To finish, twist equal portions of pasta onto four plates, top with grilled tuna and a tablespoon of tapenade.
If you'd like to purchase our favorite artisanal olive oil from Stella Cadente, click on: L'Autunno Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
To purchase Black Olive Tapenade from the Aaron Baum and his creative team at Hand to Mouth Edibles go to: Black Olive Tapenade
The following item includes a link to help you find safe and sustainable seafood: A Guide to Safe & Guilt-Free Seafood
To learn more about Safe Harbor and its traceability program go to: Is Your Fish High in Mercury?
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
The campaign for Building Sustainable Futures for Farmers Globally is a not-for-profit group seeking changes in public policy for the benefit of farmers and farm workers around the world. It is a collaboration of grassroots and civil society organizations. The campaign's web site explains:
U.S. agriculture and trade policy has become a lightning rod for criticism of broader U.S. economic policies worldwide, as well as a source of widespread concern among farmers, consumers, and taxpayers in the United States. We must change these existing policies in order to create a food system that supports, rather than undermines, family farmers and farmworkers, and that enables sustainable agriculture and food production to thrive, both in the United States and around the world.
To learn more about the campaign's efforts to bring changes in agricultural policies: Building Sustainable Futures for Farmers Globally
(photo by Nesstor4u2, courtesy of morguefile.com)
A new wine company donates 20% of its net profits to organizations that help protect threatened animals around the world. Aptly named Endangered Wines, it has just launched four varietals of wines, a Merlot, a Chardonnay, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Sauvignon Blanc. The wines’ labels include stunning photographs of a Tiger, Elephant, Panda and Polar Bear.
The winemaker for Endangered Wines is a Frenchman named Phillipe Pla who is a well known for his skillful wine making throughout South America. The wines are produced and bottled in Chile and exported to the United States for sale to retailers and customers. The wines are reasonably priced at around $9.00 a bottle.
Endangered Wines has partnered with reputable nonprofit organizations including Save China’s Tigers, The International Elephant Foundation, Pandas International, and Polar Bears International. The work being done to protect threatened animals around the world will directly benefit from donations by the wine company.
Endangered Wines was founded by Scott Day who is the owner of the Caribbean Vineyards wine brands based in St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Scott is an avid animal lover and naturally blended his two passions to create a wine company with a good cause. The wine company is based in Wilmington, Delaware and currently negotiating with distributors across the United States to sell the wines.
Endangered Wines’ labels says it all with “Great Wines Working For a Greater Cause.”
You can find out more about the new wine company at their website: Endangered Wines
Organic Produce (photo by Dmitri Jeltovski, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Fresher ingredients. Increased health benefits. More environmentally friendly packaging. These are the top priorities global consumers are placing on food companies.
Those are the findings of a new study conducted by Ipsos Marketing, Consumer Goods indicates that global consumers have readjusted their priorities regarding food products.
According to David Pring, Executive Vice President at Ipsos Marketing, "These are key developments in the food market, and not just in North America and Europe. We are also seeing that taste, convenience and product difference - aspects that were probably more characteristic of food product drivers towards the end of the last millennium - are taking a back seat in a world now more focused on making a positive impact on freshness and health as well as the sustainability of the planet."
When asked to choose one area on which companies should concentrate most when developing new food products, consumers from around the world suggested that fresh ingredients, additional health benefits, and more environmentally friendly packaging should be top priorities. With this in mind, factors such as improving taste, developing more convenient packaging, developing foods that are totally different, and making food products that are quicker and easier to prepare appear to have a lower priority.
"We are seeing a global consumer movement toward heightened consciousness of health, wellness and environmental factors in their food purchasing decisions," says Pring.
"For food marketers, the challenge is to ensure that innovation platforms are clearly focused on these consumer needs, not merely in developed markets but also in emerging ones that will undoubtedly become increasingly salient in the near future," concludes Pring. "At the same time, Marketers must be careful not to compromise taste, although this should go hand-in-hand with the use of fresh ingredients."
Blue Marlin (© Diomedes66 | Dreamstime.com)
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., based in Rochester, N.Y., affirmed its commitment to selling sustainable seafood by becoming the first supermarket chain to endorse the Take Marlin Off the Menu Campaign (www.takemarlinoffthemenu.org) and refusing to sell marlin, sailfish and spearfish at its 72 stores located throughout New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland.
In recognition of Wegmans' commitment to not selling marlin, the Take Marlin Off the Menu Campaign, launched eight months ago by three leading marine conservation non-profits, wants consumers to know they can purchase seafood at their nearest Wegmans supermarket with the full knowledge that Wegmans is officially "Marlin Free."
The Take Marlin Off the Menu Campaign was launched by the International Game Fish Association (www.igfa.org), the National Coalition for Marine Conservation (www.savethefish.org), and The Billfish Foundation (www.billfish.org).
As a leader in the supermarket industry, Wegmans urges other supermarket chains throughout the United States to follow its lead in not selling marlin, and helping to raise awareness among consumers that marlin populations are in serious danger due to overharvesting by commercial fishing fleets.
Supporting the Take Marlin Off the Menu Campaign is in keeping with Wegmans' reputation for innovation. Founded in 1916, Wegmans published its Sustainable Seafood Sourcing Philosophy, a policy that has been followed for many years and is promoted at all Wegmans stores, as well as on its website (www.wegmans.com). Wegmans also posts a chart of items sold in its stores that are certified sustainable and those which are not sold due to sustainability concerns.
"As an industry, we have a great deal of influence in what Americans eat," says Carl Salamone, vice president of seafood. "Every day, in supermarkets across the country, consumers ask seafood professionals what's great to eat. That's when we can point consumers to fish and seafood that is flavorful and good for our environment. Because when the marlin are gone, we all lose."
The ultimate goal of the Take Marlin Off the Menu Campaign is, through education and political advocacy, to end the commercial harvest, sale and importation of marlin, sailfish and spearfish in the United States, according to Jason Schratwieser, conservation director for the International Game Fish Association (IGFA).
"This is a huge step for our campaign because Wegmans is respected by consumers for its commitment to customer service," adds Ken Hinman, president of the National Coalition for Marine Conservation, located in the Washington D.C. area, "as well as throughout the supermarket industry for its innovation. We applaud Wegmans for stepping forward among its peers in the supermarket industry and coming out on the side of marlin and other billfish."
In addition to Wegmans, a growing number of restaurants support Take Marlin Off the Menu, including Wolfgang Puck Companies, which operate some of the most well known restaurants in the world.
The challenge facing the Take Marlin Off the Menu Campaign is drawing awareness to the plight of marlin and other billfish, says Ellen Peel, president of The Billfish Foundation. Unfortunately, many Americans are not aware that marlin have suffered a dramatic population decline. According to a national Harris Interactive consumer survey of 2,078 consumers conducted on February 25, 2009, and sponsored by the Take Marlin Off the Menu Campaign, 93 percent of American consumers were unaware that the populations of marlin have declined 80 percent from their peak several decades ago, before the advent of large-scale commercial fishing worldwide.
"However, according to our national consumer survey," Peel added, "when consumers become aware of the plight of billfish such as marlin, 78 percent of American consumers say they won't order or buy marlin. With this insight, we know that our job is to increase awareness of this issue and to persuade restaurants and seafood retailers to embrace our cause."
Marlin, sailfish, and spearfish are collectively called "billfish" because the long extension of their upper jawbone looks like a spear or bill. Marlin, the largest of the billfish species, have powerful muscular bodies, can weigh as much as a ton, and roam throughout the oceans feeding on smaller fish and keeping marine ecosystems in balance. As apex predators in the ocean, they serve the same role as lions, tigers and wolves on land.
About IGFA
The International Game Fish Association (www.igfa.org), based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is a not-for-profit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping. Founded in 1939, the IGFA is internationally known for maintaining and publishing world records for saltwater and freshwater catches, and for maintaining the world's most comprehensive fishing hall of fame and museum.
About the National Coalition for Marine Conservation
The National Coalition for Marine Conservation (NCMC), based in Leesburg, Va., was founded in 1973 by conservation-minded anglers and is dedicated exclusively to conserving ocean fish and their environment. NCMC works to prevent overfishing, reduce fish bycatch and protect habitat for a wide variety of ocean fish. The group specializes in identifying problems and finding solutions; educating the public; developing proactive conservation strategies; and networking with like-minded fishing and environmental organizations. For more information about the NCMC, visit www.savethefish.org.
About The Billfish Foundation
The Billfish Foundation (TBF) is a science-based, non-profit organization dedicated to conserving and enhancing billfish populations worldwide, working through research, education and advocacy. TBF's comprehensive network of members and supporters includes anglers, captains, mates, tournament directors, clubs, and sportfishing businesses. TBF provides support to regional groups by contributing expertise in science, socio-economics, education and fisheries policy to help find solutions to billfish threats so fishing opportunities will remain available. For more information about TBF, visit www.billfish.org.
A Solar Roof at Fresh & Easy (PRNewsFoto/Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market)
We just learned about a very encouraging survey from an article published in Gourmet Retailer. The survey "...found that a product's "energy footprint" influences 77 percent [of] consumers' purchasing decisions, with 76 percent willing to pay more at the register for environmentally friendly products."
More surprisingly, the article states,
Green appeal carries over to the workplace, where 74 percent of U.S. employees believe organizations should take action to lead eco-friendly initiatives. The majority of these green-minded workers (64 percent) would be willing to support their organization's green initiatives at the cost of a smaller paycheck.
Aaron Franklin, project director at ORC Guideline, which conducted the survey, is quoted as saying, "The study's findings seem to debunk a common perception that people will go green as long as it doesn't cost them...In fact, in both the workplace and in the store, people seem to be willing to put their money where their values are."
If you'd like to read the article in Gourmet Retailer cited above go to: Study: Being Green More Valuable Than Price
Just recently Washington State University removed Michael Pollan’s ground-breaking book, Omnivore’s Dilemma from the school’s Common Reading Program, which is required reading for all incoming freshman. It seems the University had come under pressure from corporate agribusinesses unhappy with the book’s central theme: The time has come for a healthier and more sustainable food system.
School officials claimed the book was removed due to tough financial times, but 4,000 copies had already been purchased. We’re guessing WSU’s administration didn’t realize just how many people agree with Michael Pollan’s message and didn’t anticipate the firestorm of protest that ensued from concerned citizens across the country.
Within hours of the University’s announcement Food Democracy Now! sent out an alert and the president's office was flooded with calls. One alum had a talk with the school’s President Floyd and offered to pay for Michael Pollan to visit the campus, as well as pay for the full cost to cover the Common Reading Program. Within days the book was restored to the Program’s required reading list.
Thanks to all those folks who made their voices heard. Nice to see democracy in action!
For more info on Michael Pollan’s ground-breaking book go to: Omnivore’s Dilemma
For more info on Michael Pollan’s most recent bestseller go to: In Defense of Food
To learn more about the efforts being made by a fine organization working for a more sustainable future go to: Food Democracy Now!
 
There’s a pretty good story about how Hand To Mouth Edibles got to be such a great place to get delicious and healthy vegetarian alternatives.
Have you ever made a wonderful gourmet dish and then have someone say, "Hey, this tastes great! You could sell that...people would love to buy your food!"
Well, that's pretty much how Hand To Mouth Edibles Gourmet Foods was founded. Aaron Baum, a Communications Consultant and self-described "guy who loves to cook" listened to the suggestions of friends and family. He took their advice and changed careers to start his own gourmet food company.
Aaron knew from the beginning that the key to making his gourmet foods taste so great was using the finest all-natural ingredients. Aaron also realized that high quality spreads and tapenades were not so easily available. In 1997, Hand To Mouth Edibles was brought to the market with all-natural gourmet tapenades and spreads. Ambrosias and tapenades are delicious, versatile products that the professional and the home-cook alike can appreciate. They're an appetizer in a jar, a distinctive condiment to spice up a meal, or a special addition to a gift or picnic basket. Day-by-day, Hand To Mouth Edibles is spreading the word about good food!
Hand To Mouth Edibles believes in giving something back to the community. They’re pleased that a portion of their profits benefit Share Our Strength - a national non-profit organization working to alleviate hunger and poverty. Aaron and the folks at Hand To Mouth Edibles are working hard to make great food while making a difference in the world we live in.
If you’d like to purchase some veggie delights from Hand To Mouth Edibles click on any of the following:
Appetizer Gift Box
Black Olive Tapenade
Caramelized Onion Confit
Sun-Dried Tomato Delight
Tantalizing Tapas
Artichoke Ambrosia
Roasted Red Pepper Rhapsody
Spicy Green Olive Tapenade!
Best Selling Tapenades Gift Box
To view a simple vegetarian recipe calling for Roasted Red Pepper Rhapsody go to: Mediterranean Pasta
Brooklyn Bridge (photo by Seemann, courtesy of morguefile.com)
If last year’s Slow Food Nation in San Francisco was the Woodstock of the sustainable food movement, then last week’s Brooklyn Food Conference was a wonderfully successful local concert. The first-time event was expected to draw 2,000 participants, but approximately 3,000 showed up, according to spokesperson Alia Hanna.
A chief goal of the conference was to “Bring Brooklynites together to demand-and participate in creating-a vital, healthy, and just food system available to everyone,” according to the literature made available.
It wasn’t just Brooklynites who were there. Slow Food USA was one of more than 70 exhibitors, as was Sustainable Table, New York Farms, Equal Exchange, several environmental organizations, film makers, food artisans, and community organizers. There were dozens of workshops that seemed to cover every topic of interest to those who want a more sustainable food future for themselves and their children. All in all it was a terrific networking opportunity.
Keynote Speakers
Key-note speakers included well-known activist Dan Barber, executive chef and owner of Blue Hill Restaurant, and a leader of fair trade development and healthy food; Anna Lappé, co-founder of the Small Planet Institute and the author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen; Raj Patel of the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System; as well as LaDonna Redmond, head of the Institute of Community Resource Development in Chicago.
“Never before have there been such compelling reasons to rethink our energy policy, our environmental policy, and our health care system – and we cannot make headway on any of these without addressing food,” said Dan Barber.
300 Volunteers Made it Happen
The conference was entirely volunteer driven – from event planning to fundraising and community outreach. A team of over 300 volunteers planned the conference for seven months More than 75 organizations, including non-profit and community organizations, schools, elected officials and local businesses were partners in this effort.
“We hope to change our food system on local, state and federal levels so that all people have access to healthy food, and to ensure consumers and workers are treated with fairness and justice,” said Nancy Romer, the conference’s General Coordinator. “This conference is the official beginning of our collective efforts.”
Co-Sponsors
Co-Sponsors for the conference included: The Park Slope Food Coop; Caribbean Women’s Health Association; World Hunger Year; Brooklyn Rescue Mission; and Brooklyn’s Bounty. The conference was generously hosted by the administrators, teachers, students, and parents of John Jay High School and P.S. 321.
The Conference was free to all, but we couldn’t help purchasing a copy of the Manhattan restaurant guide, Clean Plates N.Y.C. It was co-authored by nutritional consultant and wellness counselor Jared Koch, and restaurant reviewer Alex Van Buren. It’s the first time we’ve seen a guide that selected restaurants because they were among both the tastiest and the healthiest.
By increasing awareness and educating around food issues the organizers expected to establish a Brooklyn Food Coalition that will develop a Legislative Food Agenda. The Conference included a town hall event to give participants the opportunity to speak out on issues vital both locally and globally.
For more information, visit the official web site: Brooklyn Food Conference
Farm Windmill at Dawn (photo by Wally Irwin, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The three winners of the first-ever Growing Green Awards have been announced by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The winners are: Will Allen of Growing Power, Fedele Bauccio of Bon Appétit Management Company and James Harvie of Institute for a Sustainable Future, in the categories of Food Producer, Business Leader and Thought Leader, respectively. A $10,000 cash prize will be awarded to Will Allen for his achievements in sustainable food production.
“The extraordinary contributions of these individuals are making a difference for how people produce, consume and think about food and our natural environment,” said Michael Pollan, best-selling author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and chair of the award selection panel. “We’re delighted that Will Allen, Fedele Bauccio and James Harvie are the winners of the first-ever Growing Green Awards.”
An independent panel of sustainable food experts selected the three winners from a pool of 140 impressive candidates that included diverse growers, entrepreneurs and business leaders across the country.
Will Allen of Growing Power
Will Allen, Founder and CEO of Growing Power, won in the Food Producer category for his innovative urban farm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that integrates year-round urban aquaculture and vegetable production. Waste from the fish is used to fertilize the plants, which in turn filter the water so it can be returned to the fish, both eliminating the need to add fertilizers or release polluted waste-water. The farm provides fresh fish, produce and jobs to an underserved community, in addition to training and outreach through on-farm classes and lectures.
“People should have access to healthy, affordable food regardless of their economic situation. Growing Power’s goal is to dismantle injustice and discrimination in the food system in order to build equitable and sustainable communities.” said Allen. “It is an honor to receive this award for the work that I love to do.”
Fedele Bauccio of Bon Appétit Management Company
Business Leader winner Fedele Bauccio, CEO and Founder of Bon Appétit Management Company, has been a pioneer in addressing the connection between food and climate change through Bon Appétit’s Low Carbon Diet initiative, which is on track to reduce its associated carbon emissions by 25% from 2007 to 2010. To get there, Bauccio has made sweeping changes to the menu at Bon Appétit’s 400 cafeterias nationwide, reducing foods with the largest global warming impacts (beef and air-transported ingredients), sourcing locally, and reducing food waste.
“Bon Appétit Management Company strives to change the way people view their food,” said Bauccio. “A decade ago, we created direct purchasing relationships with small family owned farms; today, we’re tackling food’s connection to climate change through the Low Carbon Diet initiative. I’m honored to be recognized by NRDC and the panel for our business initiatives.”
James Harvie of Health Care Without Harm
Thought Leader winner James Harvie, founding member of Health Care Without Harm, has helped catalyze a national campaign to encourage the inclusion of social and environmental awareness in hospital food service. To date, 240 hospitals around the country have signed the Health Food in Healthcare Pledge, which aims to support methods of food production and distribution that are better for public and environmental health.
“It is critical that we improve people’s health and our healthcare system through better agricultural polices that promote affordable, nutritious and sustainably produced food in hospitals and other healthcare institutions,” said James Harvie. “I’m honored to receive this award as I continue to work on this vital issue in supporting sustainable agriculture.”
Members of the selection panel include: Larry Bain, Founder of Nextcourse and Food from the Parks and Co-Founder of Let’s Be Frank; Fred Kirschenmann, Distinguished Fellow of the Leopold Center, and President of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture; and Karen Ross, President of the California Association of Winegrape Growers.
The winners will be honored at NRDC’s 2009 benefit, “Food for Thought,” an event that will also honor Michael Pollan for his contributions to the field of sustainable food. The event will take place at San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences on May 9th.
Find out what's fresh in your state, get local food recipes from restaurants around the country, and take Natural Resources Defense Council's new local food widget with you at: NRDC's Food Miles Page
To read Michael Pollan’s blog and the articles and essays from some of the awards finalists and winners in NRDC’s OnEarth/Greenlight go to: Natural Resources Defense Council
Solar Panels (© Maxfx | Dreamstime.com)
Whole Foods Market recently contracted to add solar energy to more than 20 locations; including existing installations, solar will be brought to the rooftops of more than 30 of the Company's stores nationwide.
With an installation at its Berkeley, California store in 2002, the Company became the first retailer to introduce solar power as its primary lighting source. Including potential future rollout phases, Whole Foods Market hopes to have close to 70 total locations with rooftop solar panels, close to one-fourth of the Company's total number of stores.
"Whole Foods Market is thrilled to set the environmental bar even higher by pioneering the development and deployment of alternative energy sources such as solar and wind power," said Lee Matecko, Whole Foods Market Global Vice President of Construction and Store Development. "We are also reducing energy consumption in new and existing stores with some exciting innovative technologies that are making a real difference."
If you’d like to read the press release on which this item was based go to: Whole Foods Market Announces Alternative Energy Investment
Wheat & Sky (photo by Cheryl Rankin, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Nine finalists for the first-ever Growing Green Awards were announced today by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary contributions to sustainable food in advancing farming practices, climate and water stewardship, farmland preservation and social responsibility from farm to fork.
“While food is an essential part of our day-to-day lives, most Americans are unaware that climate change and our food system are inextricably linked,” said Michael Pollan, best-selling author of "The Omnivore’s Dilemma" and chair of the award selection panel. “The Growing Green Awards finalists are leaders and innovators whose sustainable food production, business and practices contribute to improving the health of people and the planet.”
The finalists’ achievements include ingenious on-farm practices to minimize reliance on chemical inputs, energy and water; ecologically integrated urban aquaculture; leadership in influencing large institutions to purchase more sustainable food; and outreach to help consumers better understand the relationship between food and environment.
“By recognizing the achievements of these individuals, we want to inspire other entrepreneurs and opinion leaders to follow their example,” said Jonathan Kaplan, Director of the Sustainable Agriculture Program at NRDC. “The Growing Green Awards are our way of saying thanks for their extraordinary contributions.”
NRDC received nearly 140 nominations from diverse growers, entrepreneurs and business leaders across the country. The nine finalists were selected in the categories of Food Producer, Business Leader, and Thought Leader. The winners will be announced in early May followed by an award ceremony on May 9.
Members of the selection panel include: Larry Bain, Founder of Nextcourse and Food from the Parks and Co-Founder of Let’s Be Frank; Fred Kirschenmann, Distinguished Fellow of the Leopold Center and President of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture; and Karen Ross, President of the California Association of Winegrape Growers.
Winners will celebrate at NRDC’s 2009 San Francisco benefit, Food for Thought, an event that will also honor Michael Pollan for his contributions to the field of sustainable food. The event will be held at the California Academy of Sciences on May 9. Following are the nine finalists:
Food Producer
Will Allen of Growing Power in Milwaukee, WI
Judith Redmond of Full Belly Farm in Guinda, CA
Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm in Swoope, VA
Business Leader
Fedele Bauccio of Bon Appétit Management Co. in Palo Alto, CA
Michael Rozyne of Red Tomato in Canton, MA
Thaleon Tremain of Pachamama Coffee Coop in Davis, CA
Thought Leader
Ann Cooper of Berkeley Unified School District in Berkeley, CA
James Harvie of Institute for a Sustainable Future in Duluth, MN
Sibella Kraus of Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE) in Berkeley, CA
Find out what's fresh in your state, get local food recipes from restaurants around the country, and take Natural Resources Defense Council's new local food widget with you at: NRDC's Food Miles Page
Read Michael Pollan's blog in GreenLight: A food revolution in the making from Victory Gardens to White House Lawn
Read Jonathan Kaplan's blog in Switchboard: NRDC's Growing Green Awards: An olive branch (organic of course) to agriculture
Spring Orchard (photo by clconroy, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Belt-tightening of family budgets is widely underway, but consumers are showing a willingness to purchase products perceived as promoting a healthier and more sustainable future despite their higher cost.
Though it represents a slowing of the double-digit growth of years past, Nielsen Company research indicates that the growth of organic food sales was 5.6% in December compared to the same month a year ago. According to Nielsen’s findings, sales at natural food stores reached $4.2 billion in 2008, an annual increase of 10.9%.
A survey by GlobeScan, commissioned by the non-profit Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International, found international support among consumers for companies they believe are dealing justly and ethically with producers in developing countries. Sales of products certified Fairtrade were up by 24% in Austria, by 40% in Denmark, by 57% in Finland, by 22% in France, by 75% in Sweden, by 43% in the United Kingdom and by 10% in the United States in 2008, when compared with 2007. The majority of consumers expect companies to actively support community development in developing countries.
A Harris Interactive poll found that of the 73% of consumers who purchase "green" products, about 67% are purchasing the same amount of green products, while 26% are buying more, and only 8% are buying less. The Harris poll asked adults how recent economic conditions had affected their purchasing of "green" products or services such as non-toxic or biodegradable cleaning products and restaurants that serve locally sourced food.
A Native American says a prayer & hands out tobacco as an offering of thanks to Nature (photo by Greg Peterson)
Eat well with the "food that grows on the water." Native Harvest Wild Rice grows naturally in the lakes of Northern Minnesota and is hand-harvested by Ojibwe communities on the White Earth Indian Reservation using traditional methods.
Unlike the genetically manipulated "wild rice" grown in paddies, this authentic wild rice is an important American heirloom crop and a central part of Anishinaabeg culture and tradition. Anishinaabeg is a self-description often used by people belonging to the indigenous Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonkin peoples of North America, who share closely related Algonquian languages. Ojibwe communities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Canada, harvest and process wild rice in the tradition of their ancestors.
Manoomin, as the wild rice is known, is part of the Anishinaabeg migration stories and prophecies. It continues to define what it means to be Anishinaabeg. One definition of Anishnaabeg is Original-People. Another refers to ideas about the good people that are on the right path given to them by the Creator.
The campaign to protect the integrity of this authentic wild rice is an important aspect of the White Earth Land Recovery Project in Ponsford, Minnesota. The Project’s mission is to facilitate recovery of the original land base of the White Earth Indian Reservation, while preserving traditional practices of sound land stewardship, language fluency, community development, and the spiritual and cultural heritage of the people of White Earth.
Winona LaDuke is the organization’s Founder and Director. A graduate of Harvard and Antioch Universities, Ms. LaDuke received the Reebok Human Rights Award in 1989, with which, in part, she began the White Earth Land Recovery Project. The Project’s wild rice campaign is working to prevent the taking of the essence of the wild rice by the paddy rice industry, which would leave the Native Americans who have been the stewards of this resource for many centuries with nothing.
The campaign began in 2002, with the historic gathering that brought together traditional rice harvesters from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan to meet with members from the academic, scientific and non-profit communities. That meeting set the foundation for the ongoing struggle to protect the sacred wild rice from issues of bio-piracy, further genetic manipulation, patent struggles and labeling issues.
The four main components of the wild rice campaign are:
1) Protecting the intellectual property rights of the Anishinaabeg.
2) Opposing genetic modification and contamination of wild rice.
3) Promoting a fair trade for traditionally hand-harvested, natural lake wild rice.
4) Educating on the tradition and culture surrounding wild rice.
Manoomin
To purchase this authentic heirloom wild rice, hand-harvested by Ojibwe communities go to: Native Harvest Wild Rice: Sacred Manoomin
To view a wonderful recipe employing Sacred Manoomin go to: American Black Walnut & Wild Rice Pilaf
Amish Farm (photo by Marianne Venegoni, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Since the mid-1990s the biotech industry has claimed that genetic engineering (GE) would improve crop yields and help feed the world’s growing population, but a recently released report concludes “…that GE has done little to increase overall crop yields.”
The report, “Failure to Yield: Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops," was authored by Doug Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist in the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) Food and Environment Program.
In a press release accompanying the report Gurian-Sherman stated,
The biotech industry has spent billions on research and public relations hype, but genetically engineered food and feed crops haven't enabled American farmers to grow significantly more crops per acre of land. In comparison, traditional breeding continues to deliver better results.
Recommendations
In light of the report, the Union of Concerned Scientists recommends government agencies and universities should redirect substantial funding, research, and incentives toward proven approaches that show more promise than genetic engineering. “These approaches include modern methods of conventional plant breeding as well as organic and other sophisticated low-input farming practices,” according to UCS.
UCS urges food-aid organizations to work with farmers in developing countries, where increasing local food production is urgent, and make “these more promising and affordable methods available.”
Scientists at UCS also assert, “Relevant regulatory agencies should develop and implement techniques to better identify and evaluate potentially harmful side effects of the newer and more complex genetically engineered crops. These effects are likely to become more prevalent, and current regulations are too weak to detect them reliably and prevent them from occurring.”
"If we are going to make headway in combating hunger due to overpopulation and climate change, we will need to increase crop yields," said Gurian-Sherman. "Traditional breeding outperforms genetic engineering hands down."
Funders
Funding for the report was provided by C.S. Fund, CornerStone Campaign, Deer Creek Foundation, The Educational Foundation of America, The David B. Gold Foundation, The John Merck Fund, Newman’s Own Foundation, Next Door Fund of the Boston Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and UCS members.
If you’d like to read the UCS report cited above go to: Failure to Yield: Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops
To view a previous post on the topic go to: Study: Genetic Modification Reduces Crop Yields
Brooklyn Bridge (photo by Seemann, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Food activists, local farmers, health advocates, academics, union leaders, elected officials, restaurateurs, and concerned citizens will gather on Saturday, May 2nd to discuss the changes and challenges in our global food economy and how it impacts our communities. Workshops and speeches will provide education and networking opportunities for individuals to get involved for improving our diet, health and environment.
Keynote Speakers
The Brooklyn Food Conference will have dozens of community groups and hundred of volunteers participating. Key-note speakers include well-known activists Dan Barber, executive chef and owner of Blue Hill Restaurant, and a leader of fair trade development and healthy food; Anna Lappé, co-founder of the Small Planet Institute and the author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen; Raj Patel of the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System; as well as LaDonna Redmond, head of the Institute of Community Resource Development in Chicago.
“Never before have there been such compelling reasons to rethink our energy policy, our environmental policy, and our health care system – and we cannot make headway on any of these without addressing food,” said Dan Barber, who will speak at the opening plenary session.
The Brooklyn Food Conference aims to increase awareness and education around food issues and establish a Brooklyn Food Coalition that will develop a Legislative Food Agenda. A town hall event will give participants the opportunity to testify in front of the elected officials expected to attend.
300 Volunteers Make it Happen
The conference is entirely volunteer driven – from event planning to fund raising and community outreach. A team of over 300 volunteers has been planning the conference for 7 months, and 2,000 participants are expected to attend. More than 75 organizations, including non-profit and community organizations, schools, elected officials and local businesses are partners in this effort. There will be a full program of workshops and
activities for children.
“We hope to change our food system on local, state and federal levels so that all people have access to healthy food, and to ensure consumers and workers are treated with fairness and justice,” said Nancy Romer, the conference’s General Coordinator. “This conference is the official beginning of our collective efforts.”
Co-Sponsors
Co-Sponsors for the conference include: The Park Slope Food Coop; Caribbean Women’s Health Association; World Hunger Year; Brooklyn Rescue Mission; and Brooklyn’s Bounty. The conference is generously hosted by the administrators, teachers, students, and parents of John Jay High School and P.S. 321.
Who: The Brooklyn Food Conference is a project of the Brooklyn Food Coalition.
What: The Conference is a grassroots event for a just, secure, sustainable, healthy and delicious food system.
Where: P.S. 321 and at John Jay High School, 7th Avenue in Park Slope
The Conference is FREE and open to all!
To register and for more information, visit the official web site: Brooklyn Food Conference
"The 'First State' may be small in size, but it’s still a leader in farmland protection. Delaware has protected more acres of farmland per capita than any other state and just celebrated the protection of the state’s 500th farm." So we just learned from our friends at American Farmland Trust.
Such milestone's don't come easy. In the late 1800s the state had more than one million acres of farmland. By the 1990s, almost half of that farmland was gone, but the desire to preserve what remained resulted in the formation of the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation in 1991. Under the preservation program, landowners agree not to develop their lands for at least 10 years, using the land only for farming. In exchange, the state provides tax benefits, right-to-farm protection, and the option to sell a preservation easement, keeping the land permanently free from development.
American Farmland Trust’s President, Jon Scholl, commended the program in a letter to Delaware's Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee:
Protecting the most basic resource of agriculture—the land—from non-agricultural development ensures that our farms and farmland will continue to provide the bounty of food and fiber along with continuing to contribute to our environment, local communities, heritage and well-being for generations to come.
Less sprawl and more land capable of producing healthy food for generations to come...Bravo Delaware!
If you’d like to learn more about the efforts of AFT go to: American Farmland Trust: Saving the Land that Sustains Us
Organic Produce & Egg (photo by Mary Thorman, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Like those in countries around the globe, the people of the United Kingdom are feeling the effects of the world’s financial downturn. Since last summer unemployment has risen and retail sales have fallen. Still, the 2009 Organic Market Report from the U.K.’s Soil Association says:
…there is a core of consumers who are in no mood to ditch their commitment to organic products. They are far more likely to cut their spending on eating out, leisure activities and holidays than to reduce what they spend on organic food. They would rather economize by buying cheaper cuts of organic meat or by buying frozen organic vegetables than by compromising their organic principles.
The report says that to trim spending, U.K. consumers have been “shopping less often, buying fewer premium products and prepared foods, and switching to lower-cost retailers.” Organic consumers have engaged in belt-tightening measures along with the rest of the populace, according to the report, but “36% of these committed organic consumers expect to spend more on organic food in 2009, and only 15% expect to spend less.”
The authors of the report see the expansion of organic farming as essential to the reduction of carbon emissions and are optimistic about the future of the organic market in the United Kingdom:
Against this background it is encouraging to report that sales of organic food increased by 1.7% last year – in marked contrast to the prophecies of doom made by some. This growth points to some underlying resilience in the organic market, suggesting that it has the potential to grow dynamically once the economy picks up.
If you’d like to read the full report from the Soil Association go to: 2009 Organic Market Report
U.S. Government Poster from World War II (courtesy of Library of Congress)
(Editors' Note: As our way of offering small thanks to all those who took the time to develop, dispense and sign petitions for the first vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt plamted a Victory Garden, we decided to republish the following item.)
Are Victory Gardens an idea whose time has come back? Could a quick history lesson lead to a better future?
During World War II Americans lived with rations of such necessities as tires, gasoline, sugar, and other foodstuffs. The US government encouraged ordinary people to create Victory Gardens; small plots of fruits and vegetables to stave off food shortages so more mass-produced food could be sent to feed the troops.
The people responded. Two million Americans created Victory Gardens in their backyards or communities. According to author Michael Pollan, "...during World War II, Victory Gardens supplied as much as 40% of the produce Americans ate."
Victory Gardens were more than a war time activity, they were a social phenomenon. Schools and families planted Victory Gardens together, often on communal land. Families caught up on news as they planted and harvested. Nutrition information was widely disseminated to help home cooks create balanced meals for their families. Our current obesity epidemic must have been unimaginable to those gardeners.
Today there are many gardens that are very much like the Victory Gardens of old. In backyards across America folks are growing their own produce, spices and herbs. They harvest fruits and vegetables that have been raised without pesticides and enjoy them when they are at the peak of their freshness and nutritional value. Adding home-grown fare to the fresh produce from a local farm stand or a farmers market gives gardeners the best of both worlds.
If you’d like to try your hand at growing some food of your own but don’t have your own backyard, you can join a community garden. In 2004, the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) estimated that there were already 18,000 community gardens across the USA and Canada. Urban community gardens can be found from South Central Los Angeles to the Bronx in New York City. If there’s no community garden near your home, think about organizing your neighbors to get one started.
Funded by federal grants, GreenThumb has been a program of the NYC Parks Department since 1995. The nonprofit organization has over 600 member gardens serving 20,000 city residents. New York University released a study of the effect of community gardens on nearby property values. The study of 636 community gardens in NYC showed a positive effect on sales prices of residential properties within a 1,000-foot radius of a community garden when compared to properties outside the 1,000-foot ring, but still in the same neighborhood. The effect was significant and increasing over time. The tax benefit to the city over a 20-year period was estimated at $647 million dollars or $1 million per garden. Who knows how much might be saved on medical costs by the healthier diet the gardens make possible.
Not all benefits are measured in dollars. Here’s what Karen Washington from the Garden of Hope in the Bronx had to say about her experience:
To grow your own food gives you a sort of power and it gives people dignity. You know exactly what you’re eating because you grew it. It’s good, it’s nourishing and you did this for yourself, your family and your community.
Victory Gardens could bring down the cost of food for American families and make organic poroduce more widely available. We could reduce America’s reliance on oil simply by keeping vegetable gardens and cutting down on the amount of food that has to be transported by truck. Victory Gardens would reduce the need for petroleum-based fertilizers on giant corporate farms. If you’re unhappy about where all the money Americans spend on oil and gasoline is going, then spread the word: Bring Back the Victory Gardens!
Our friend Eve Sibley has asked that you "Please consider signing and passing on the petition below urging our next leadership to reestablish the Victory Garden model in the United States. We have done it before, we can do it again."
Bring Back the Victory Gardens Petition
If you'd like to start a garden in your community or your backyard here's some info that should help:
American Community Gardening Association
Funding & Other Support for Community Gardens
Cooking from the Heart of the Garden
Midtown Manhattan (photo by Kevin Connors, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Our friends at American Farmland Trust tell us, “Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer and a coalition of food activists recently recommended that the City of New York adopt a wide-ranging plan for making healthy food available to its residents.”
Entitled Food in the Public Interest, the report notes, “There is currently a dearth of stores selling fresh fruits and vegetables in many of the city’s poor neighborhoods.”
It recommends designating a New York City “foodshed” with a radius of 200 miles that would give farmers increased access and incentives to sell at city markets. The Borough President and his allies also believe the city should encourage new development projects to include gardening in neighborhood development plans.
The number of Americans who are obese continues rising and now represents 30% of the population, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s a 100% increase from 25 years ago. American adults are now more likely to be obese than to be cigarette smokers. Studies have linked obesity to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, poor bone health, periodontal disease, and other health conditions. Some believe that obesity will soon overtake smoking as the leading cause of preventable death.
The Manhattan Borough President’s report says, “New York City is outpacing the nation in obesity and its related health issues. Both obesity and diabetes rates rose by 17% between 2002 and 2004 among city residents.”
The report goes on to explain,
The causes for this trend are generally oversimplified, often described as the result of changing lifestyles or overeating. The scope of the problem, however, is a great deal more complicated. Highly processed, fatty, and sugary foods are easily accessible, both by proximity and price, whereas fresh produce is not. This is particularly true in many low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.
There is currently a dearth of stores selling fresh fruits and vegetables in many of the city’s poor neighborhoods. The Department of City Planning recently found that three-quarters of a million New Yorkers live in areas with limited access to fresh produce. Many of these same neighborhoods have an overabundance of fast food options: one in six restaurants in East and Central Harlem serves fast food compared to one in 25 on the more affluent Upper East Side. These unhealthy options often cost less calorie-to-calorie.
The report offers an extensive number of recommendations. Included in those recommendations are steps to alleviate hunger, improve upstate farmers’ access to the New York City food market, protect the environment, expand nutrition education campaigns, and stimulate job creation through small-scale food producers.
If you’d like to read the full report with all of its recommendations go to: Food in the Public Interest
Scenic Chicago (photo by Dave Cameron, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Chicago magazine has announced the recipients of its third annual Green Awards, honoring Chicagoans who are pioneering smart, new environmental ideas. Two of the organizations receiving awards have made remarkable use of sustainable food practices to help those in the City of Big Shoulders who face tough barriers to employment.
Growing Home
Harry Rhodes and Orrin Williams operate Growing Home, a nonprofit that uses organic farming to provide job training for hard-to-employ individuals. The organization harvested its first crop of vegetables from a ten-acre organic farm in LaSalle County in 2001. Since then, Harry Rhodes, 49, and Orrin Williams, 59, have graduated 130 trainees from their program. About 80% of them have been homeless at one time or another and about 90% have been incarcerated.
Growing Home now also operates an organic garden in Back of the Yards, and a year-round urban organic farm on the once deserted industrial lot in hardscrabble West Englewood. The fruits of the labor are sold at a seasonal Wood Street farm stand, through a booming home delivery program, at Green City Market in Lincoln Park, and at the Englewood Farmers Market, which Williams launched in 2008, with the help of students from Lindblom Math and Science Academy, his alma mater. In a neighborhood devoid of grocery stores and with little access to fresh produce, Williams sees the farmers market as the first small step in a string of green ventures that will bring new life and jobs to the area and become a model that others can use.
Sweet Beginnings
Employment Network is a not-for-profit agency that helps neighborhood residents find jobs. With a labor force in waiting, and a yard for beehives, Palms Barber began an urban apiary program called Sweet Beginnings. The business teaches ex-offenders to produce the Beeline brand of all-natural honey and honey-based skin care products, and, along the way, the workers attain job skills for permanent employment.
Beeline products leave a low carbon footprint, are made of natural ingredients, and can be purchased at several boutiques and Whole Foods stores in the Chicago area. Palms Barber hopes to soon distribute to more locations and open a bigger production facility. So far, Sweet Beginnings has been a success: Only three of the 108 employees that have graduated from the Sweet Beginnings program have returned to prison.
The winners were selected from more than 100 nominees suggested by readers, community leaders, and Chicago magazine staff. “We are delighted to honor such an illustrious group of individuals for our third annual Green Awards,” said Richard Babcock, editor of Chicago magazine.
Chicago magazine is a subsidiary of the Chicago Tribune Co., publisher of the award-winning Chicago Tribune newspaper.
To view profiles of all six of the individuals honored with Chicago magazine’s Green Awards in 2009, go to: Galvanized: Six Profiles in Green
Organic Tomatoes (photo by Dmitri Jeltovski, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Providing American families with the option of enjoying food raised without pesticides has been one of the great achievements of the organic farmers movement. The growing demand for organic foods by consumers continues to be a promising trend for the American food system. Along with quests for more flavor and better nutritional value, the desire to avoid pesticides has been a key driver of the demand for organics.
Even in these challenging economic times research from the Mintel International Group indicates that hormone-free milk and organic baby food, are expected to continue to sell well. Mintel says households with small children that ate organic before the recession will probably continue doing so.
Still, there’s a long way to go to overcome decades of unhealthy practices driven by the industrial food system. By our count there have now been at least six studies establishing a link between pesticides and Parkinson disease. Scientists from Duke University, Miami University and the Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center of Excellence “found those exposed to pesticides had a 1.6 times higher risk” of suffering from the debilitating disease. A study conducted at India’s Patiala University found evidence that pesticides have damaged the DNA of farmers in that country, making them more likely to develop cancer. Other researchers have theorized that the reason organic produce has a higher nutritional content than conventionally-grown food is due to pesticides inhibiting the production of nutrients in plants.
We can all play a part in creating a healthier and more sustainable food system by demanding that our food be raised without toxic pesticides. Our bodies, our planet, and our children will be the beneficiaries.
The nonprofit Environmental Working Group offers a guide you can carry in your wallet, "so when you're shopping you'll know which produce to buy organic, and which conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables are okay if organic isn't available.”
For a free download of the EWG’s guide go to: Shoppers Guide to Pesticides
Here's the EWG's link to its full guide: FoodNews.Org (You must provide your email address for the full guide.)
Make a tax deductible contribution to the Environmental Working Group and they’ll send the guide in the form of a refrigerator magnet!
Organic Produce (photo by Dmitri Jeltovski, courtesy of morguefile.com)
In the rapidly changing world of foods and their origins, most people know that products labeled “Organic” and “Natural” are good for them and the environment. But many people don’t know why. This is the premise of a new video series, Discovering Our Organic Planet - USA, produced by Wide World HD Productions, Seattle, WA.
The series is being created to bring the public up close and personal to develop a better understanding of organic and natural farming practices, foods and products that are produced in harmony with nature. Enthusiasm for the series has been extremely positive, but securing sponsorship funding from the organic community has proved to be a challenge for the producers.
“A better informed public will make smarter choices for the food they consume and for the environment we live in…,” said John Wehman, Producer for Discovering Our Organic Planet – USA in a press release, “…and we believe that one of the best ways to reach a larger audience is to create an intriguing and entertaining documentary series that will explain the basics of organics so all can understand.”
As an independent production company, creating a documentary series of this scale is a massive undertaking. “It’s definitely a challenge, but well worth the adventure.” states Wehman. “The support for our series, from the organic and natural food community has been tremendous. But raising funds to cover production costs has been a constant frustration for us.”
Discovering Our Organic Planet – USA, a not-for-profit project, is being funded solely by tax-deductible sponsorship contributions from companies, farms and organizations active in the organic community, philanthropic foundations, and individual contributions.
If you’d like to learn more about the documentary series or make a tax-deductible contribution go to: Discovering Our Organic Planet - USA
You can also contact John Wehman, the Producer, via email: DiscoveringOurOrganicPlanet@comcast.net, or call him 206-427-4978
Losing family farms not only means losing an important part of our heritage; it means losing our finest source of food. The National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) provides a voice for grassroots groups on farm, food, and trade issues to ensure fair prices for family farmers, safe and healthy food, and vibrant, environmentally sound rural communities here and around the world.
According to the nonprofit organization's web site:
The National Family Farm Coalition represents family farm and rural groups whose members face the challenge of the deepening economic recession in rural communities. The NFFC was founded in 1986.
The combination of our member groups' grassroots strength and NFFC's experience working on the national level enables us to play a unique role in securing a sustainable, economically just, healthy, safe and secure food and farm system. Additional power comes from collaborative work with a carefully built network of domestic and international organizations that share similar goals.
NFFC chooses its projects based on the potential to empower family farmers by reducing the corporate control of agriculture and promoting a more socially just farm and food policy.
Learn more about the efforts of the NFFC by clicking here: National Family Farm Coalition
Colorado Farmer with Non-GM Sugar Beet (photo by Arthur Rothstein, ca. 1939, courtesy of Library of Congress)
American Feast and Organic Valley have joined more than 70 companies in pledging not to use or sell genetically modified beet sugar. The companies believe there has been insufficient study of the long term effects of genetically modified crops on human health and the environment.
The companies have signed a registry sponsored by a dozen food safety and environmental organizations. One reason for establishing the registry is the absence of mandatory labeling for genetically modified foods. The sponsoring organizations believe consumers should be given a choice as to whether or not they want to eat genetically modified food.
Food Navigator has quoted Jeffrey Smith, director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, “We need to avoid the all-too-common situation of finding out a product is harmful after it has been approved and widely distributed. Requiring that GM foods be labeled is the only protection consumers have if they want to avoid eating GM foods.”
The sugar beets were genetically modified to be resistant to a herbicide, making it easier to kill weeds without destroying the sugar beet plants. Opponents fear the genetically modified plants will cross-pollinate with related crops such as chard and table beets, needlessly affecting non-GM foods and food ingredients.
Tom Stearns, president of High Mowing Organic Seeds, told Food Navigator, “Overseas markets have already rejected other GM products, so the economic future of many of our nation’s farmers is being needlessly risked.”
To see a list of the companies that have signed the registry go to: Non-GM Beet Sugar Registry
If you’d like to read the Food Navigator article cited above go to: Food companies pledge to avoid GM beet sugar
To view previous posts on the topic go to any of the following:
1. Study: Genetic Modification Reduces Crop Yields
2. Global Debate Over Genetically Modified Food
3. Judge Halts Planting of a Genetically Modified Crop
Fresh Food & Fine Design (photo by Mary R. Vogt, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Good economic news has been less plentiful than we’d like of late, but we just got some very encouraging news from our friends at American Farmland Trust:
According to the new 2007 Census of Agriculture, direct farm-to-consumer food sales at farm stands and farmers markets rose 49 percent, and sales of organic foods were significant. These statistics are two of many in the new census that give a comprehensive look at what constitutes U.S. agriculture today. Such market growth offers producers fresh opportunities to stay economically viable, a key factor in helping our farmers keep their land in agriculture.
This not just good news for farmers. More and more folks are getting to know the farmers who grow their food, and that is great news for everyone who wants a healthier and more sustainable food system. Buying from a local farmer means you’re getting the freshest, best-tasting and most nutritious food available. The sharp rise in the number of people who want that experience means slow food thinking is becoming increasingly pervasive. As it does, ever more folks will have access to food that is "Good, Clean and Fair."
If you’d like to learn more about the efforts of AFT go to: American Farmland Trust: Saving the Land that Sustains Us
Fresh Strawberries (photo by Ken Hammond, courtesy of USDA)
The Sunshine State may have gotten a later start than some of the country’s other urban centers, but The News-Press reports, “So-called urban farms are sprouting around Southwest Florida, cultivating a colorful cornucopia of produce and changing the agricultural landscape.”
According to the article:
After years of farmland being eaten up by development, small growers are turning the tables by nurturing specialty, hydroponic or organic produce on little plots of land. Their crops appeal to consumers who want to know where and how their peas and carrots are grown at a time when food poisoning scares continue.
Denise Muir of Rabbit Run Farm in Buckingham is a former chef and financial adviser. She is now “harvesting hydroponic greens and strawberries” as well as “selling patty-pan squash, golden beets and purple carrots.” Despite working six-day weeks, Ms. Muir remains enthusiastic about the progress she’s making on just half an acre of land. The News-Press quotes her as saying, “I thought I would have to market to chefs but found the community to be so excited. It's all word of mouth."
If you’d like to read The News-Press article cited above go to: Urban farms catch on in Lee County
Pacific Sunset (photo by Lisa Welbourn)
Making an eco-friendly investment in your home can save money on taxes, reduce utility bills over the long term, and increase the value of your home. Those are the benefits to the homeowner, but since that investment also makes for a cleaner, safer and more secure environment for every citizen, we wanted to provide some information for interested homeowners.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy web site:
Consumers who install solar electric systems can receive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2016; the previous tax credit cap of $2,000 no longer applies. In addition, consumers who install small wind systems can receive a tax credit up to $4,000. Geothermal heat pumps also qualify for tax credits up to $2,000.
For more detail on tax incentives on federal tax incentives go to: U.S. Department of Energy Tax Breaks
The California Solar Energy Industries Association is a non-profit business association supporting the widespread adoption of solar thermal and photovoltaic systems by educating consumers and supporting solar legislation.
The State of California has put in place a range of financial incentives that substantially reduce the costs of solar energy systems. For CAL SEIA's info on the incentives click here: California Energy Rebates
Soil-Saving Farming in Pennsylvania (photo by Scott Bauer, courtesy of USDA)
A message just in from our friends at American Farmland Trust is good news for those who want a healthier and more sustainable food system for America. Here's what they had to tell us:
Last year, 10 Pennsylvania farmers took on American Farmland Trust’s Best Management Program Challenge to grow their crops on their fields using less nitrogen fertilizer than the recommended levels. The results of their year long experiment are good news for the environment and the wallet.
In 2008, these farmers reduced a total of 24,658 pounds of nitrogen that otherwise would have been applied to their fields. Not only did these farmers remove thousands of pounds of nitrogen that could have ended up clouding the Chesapeake, they did it at a fraction of the cost of other nitrogen removal strategies—at only $2.74 per pound versus the up to $8-9 per pound it is estimated it could cost tax payers to remove the nutrient through other means.
It isn’t just farmers that can make a difference; you can do your part too! Whether you live in the Mid-Atlantic or in the plains of North Dakota, water always makes its way downhill.
To find out what you can do and take a challenge of your own, go to: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Nitrogen Calculator
Veggies (photo by Michelle Kwajafa, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Sharply rising food prices have been stretching family budgets for more than a year, but at least the rate at which they've been increasing is expected to slow a bit.
The Chicago Tribune has reported that falling prices for corn, wheat and soybeans, as well as the fuel needed to get food to market, have already occurred. Still, it takes time, perhaps six months, before consumers see price differences at their local stores.
Though sticker shock at the high cost of food staples should lessen in the coming year, the Tribune notes that “…long-term trends that have been pushing food prices higher—growing global demand and an increasing flow of grains to fuel production —may hibernate a bit as the world's economy slows. But don't expect them to go away.”
If you’d like to read the Chicago Tribune article cited above go to: Grocery inflation likely to ease in 2009
Christmas Pine (photo by Scott Liddell, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Many American families have become concerned that the cutting down of so many pine trees every Christmas Season poses a danger to the environment. Some have opted for trees with the roots intact so that they can be replanted.
Our friends at American Farmland Trust have sent us a message explaining that Christmas trees can be farmed and enjoyed in an eco-friendly way:
Tis still the season for farming at 21,904 Christmas tree farms throughout the country. Christmas tree farms can help sequester carbon dioxide, prevent erosion, protect water and provide habitat for wildlife; for every tree cut down, two to three seedlings are planted. Some tree farms are taking extra steps by adopting integrated pest management or organic practices to reduce pesticide use and by planting buffers to prevent runoff. Christmas trees have always been cherished for their green branches, and the many environmental benefits of live trees give us another reason to praise “O Tannenbaum.”
Happy Decorating!
Our friends at American Farmland Trust have sent us the following message:
According to policy experts, the Obama transition team is finalizing decisions about top posts overseeing the environment. The Secretary of the Interior pick is expected to come out within the next few days. With the fulfillment of this post, which oversees the management of huge swaths of key land across the nation, now is the time to act and tell the transition team about the importance of supporting good stewardship practices on our farm and ranch land. While the environment is top of mind, vote for your 2009 priorities if you haven't already, or invite your friends and family to join us in putting together our farm and food priorities for the Obama administration. 2,600 people have already voted, providing over 10,000 votes for top priorities in 2009.
If you'd like to voice opinion on some vital farm & food issues go to: Priorities for the Environment 2009
Can a meal be truly great without a dessert? "Maybe" was a reply that came up a few times during a small, informal poll. And then there was a welcome completion of the thought: "But why chance it?"
Our friend Robin sees no need to to take that chance and she has created a selection gourmet chocolate sauces capable of satisfying dessert lovers everywhere. Place a jar of her creation in a microwave oven for just 30 seconds and a warm sauce du jour is ready for service over a favorite treat. Iice cream, cheesecake, fresh fruit, or homemade pound cake will all do nicely.
Robin’s Chocolate Sauce is handcrafted in northern Maine from a family recipe using only the finest, freshest ingredients. She combines pure organic cocoa, organic cane sugar and organic vanilla with local farm-fresh dairy ingredients to create a dessert topping that is simple and sophisticated, exotic and homemade. No artificial ingredients, just pure decadent goodness.
What began as a holiday gift for friends and family has gained quite a reputation among sweet tooths, cocoa connoisseurs and grandkids throughout Maine . Robin made her first batch of “Original Recipe” organic chocolate sauce in a 12-gallon steam kettle in 2004. Since then, she, her husband, and their two sons have built up the family business to produce six distinct varieties. Robin processes the sauce patiently in small batches to produce a luscious, creamy texture and flavor.
Great Dessert for a Great Cause
Awareness of global environmental issues is at the heart of the business. Robin became conscious of the not-so-sweet realities of the chocolate trade by researching where and how her ingredients are grown and produced, and by whom. She is committed to using organic, shade grown and local or Fair Trade Certified™ ingredients whenever possible. These standards are crucial to maintaining a sustainable environment, protecting migratory birds and creating healthy communities—and your children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren will notice the sweet difference.
Robin Herself
Robin’s Chocolate Sauce is more than a delicious dessert topping. It’s a resource for the education, awareness and advocacy of the issues concerning communities and the environment both locally and globally. Every delicious spoonful of sauce is helping make a difference.
With every purchase of Robin’s Chocolate Sauce, you’re supporting the mission of the National Wildlife Federation to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future. What could be better than getting some delicious treats and supporting a great cause!
If you'd like to order some of Robin's sublime chocolate sauces go to any of the following:
Robin's Fair Trade™ Variety Pack
Robin's Original Chocolate Sauce
Tropical Dark Chocolate Sauce
Blueberry Chocolate Sauce
Ginger Pear Chocolate Sauce
Orange Spice Chocolate Sauce
Raspberry Chocolate Sauce
Robin's Original Chocolate Sauces
Along the Dead River a Native American guide says a prayer & hands out tobacco as an offering of thanks to nature (photo by Greg Peterson)
Written by Greg Peterson
Teenagers, an American Indian guide and volunteers recently held the fourth annual planting of wild rice in a project aimed at restoring the once abundant grain to northern Michigan. The groundbreaking Manoomin Project has teamed hundreds of at-risk teens with American Indian guides. Together, they’ve planted over a ton of wild rice since the summer of 2004.
Wild rice disappeared from Michigan over a century ago and is a vital part of Native American ceremonies and traditions. Manoomin means wild rice in Ojibwa. “You are the first ones to bring wild rice back to the area,” the teens were told by American Indian guide Dave Anthony of Marquette, Michigan. Centuries ago, American Indians moving inland from the east coast settled around the Great Lakes.
“We were told at one of the stopping points that we would find food that grows on water and that is what we call Manoomin. It’s the wild rice you are planting,” Anthony said.
“This is very, very significant - this is a gift from the Creator,” said Anthony, who attends Northern Michigan University and belongs to the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa (Ottawa) Indians based in Harbor Springs, Michigan. “Wild rice is the original North American grain and is very nutritious.”
Manoomin is a difficult crop to plant; conditions must be ideal. Besides facing the hurdle of a late planting, the wild rice is a favorite food of geese and other wildlife. Still, the seeds that reach maturity through the harsher weather will be more likely to thrive in future years.
Manoomin Project volunteer Tom Reed of Marquette said the at-risk youth volunteer to plant and study wild rice "in lieu of community service." The teens are taught respect for themselves, nature and American Indian customs while planting wild rice at seven remote lakes and streams in Marquette and Alger counties.
"This is about educating the kids and not about punishment," said Reed.
“We had a good time planting wild rice,” Native American Don Chosa said of his work with the teens. He said some teens arrived angry because it was something they had to do, but they started to enjoy it and by the time they were done with one year of planting wild rice they were willing to come on a volunteer basis the following years.
“They learn how to plant, harvest and cook wild rice and they learn how to take water samples,” said Chosa. “A lot of them hadn’t been outside very much - so for them it was a good experience because it was miles and miles of hiking and mountain climbing.”
The project is sponsored by the Superior Watershed Partnership and the Cedar Tree Institute, non-profits based in Marquette; and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC).
KBIC elder Glenn Bressette of Harvey met with a group of at-risk teens and explained how he had similar problems when he was a youth but overcame issues like scrapes with police, and drinking alcohol, an addiction that was exacerbated by “a lot of prejudice in Marquette.”
The Manoomin Project falls under the umbrella of the Earth Keeper Initiative, a faith-based coalition of adults, university students, and the leaders of 9 faith communities with 140 churches and temples. It was founded by Rev. Jon Magnuson. Recently, the Earth Keepers/Cedar Tree Institute were declared one of the 15 hardest-working faith-based non-profits in America by the Acton Institute and World Magazine. It was the the second year in a row they received that honor.
The Earth Keepers hold an annual Earth Keeper Clean Sweep that has collected 370 tons of household poisons and other waste turned in by 15,000 Upper Peninsular residents across northern Michigan on the past three Earth Days.
To learn more about The Manoomin Project go to: The Cedar Tree Institute
To view videos of Earth Keeper activities go to:
1. Manoomin Project Music Video
2. YooperNewsman
To purchase wild rice hand-harvested by Ojibwe communities on the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota go to: Native Harvest Wild Rice: Sacred Manoomin
Fishing Boats at Sunset (photo by Michelle Kwajafa, courtesy of morguefile.com)
It’s become clear to foodies who love wild fish that a lot of wild seafood that was once widely available and affordable, including cod, salmon and striped bass, have become much tougher to find. There’s plenty of farmed seafood, but much of it lacks the rich flavor of the wild versions and industrialized fish farming can pose environmental and health risks, and deplete wild fish stocks used to feed farmed fish.
The good news is that something can be done about it and some action is already taking place. According to a fine article by Mark Bittman in the New York Times:
…with monitoring systems that reduce bycatch by as much as 60 percent and regulations providing fishermen with a stake in protecting the wild resource, it is happening. One regulatory scheme, known as “catch shares,” allows fishermen to own shares in a fishery — that is, the right to catch a certain percentage of a scientifically determined sustainable harvest. Fishermen can buy or sell shares, but the number of fish caught in a given year is fixed.
Mr Bittman explains that not all fish farming is bad, “China alone accounts for an estimated 70 percent of the world’s aquaculture — where it is small in scale, focuses on herbivorous fish and is not only sustainable but environmentally sound.”
The bad news is that if steps are not taken to protect ocean fisheries, which are already being harvested at their maximum levels, wild fish stocks may be depleted entirely by 2048.
If you’d like to read the New York Times article cited above go to: A Seafood Snob Ponders the Future of Fish
Free Grazing Cows (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Farsighted chefs were some of the first to embrace the use of local, seasonal foods as essential to the menus they offered their guests. That movement has been flourishing for years and spread throughout the country.
According to an article in USA Today, it is becoming increasingly common for chefs and farmers to work together to plan a growing season to produce ingredients desired by chefs, including “pesticide-free produce and hormone-free meat.”
High fuel prices have made turning to local farmers for produce that would otherwise have to be shipped in from afar an economical and eco-friendly choice. It also allows the chef to serve the produce when it is at its peak freshness, most flavorful, and most nutritious.
Kevin McCarthy, the chef at Lake Placid Lodge in New York, likes that the money he spends on local produce goes into his local economy. The USA Today article quotes him as saying, "We're driving down streets that are paved because the money stays in the community."
If you’d like to read the USA Today article cited above go to: Chefs, local farmers sow partnerships
Dallas Farmers Market (photo by Doug Ferber)
Don't you want to know where your food comes from? You can find out at your local Farmers Market. Stacey Caldwell, President of the Dallas Farmers Market Friends, a non-profit organization benefiting the Dallas Farmers Market, says that if you want quality, fresh produce, Dallas Farmers Market is the place and so is your local farmers market. In this 4-part interview, Stacey tells American Feast's Doug Ferber how her market has evolved over the years, and why it is important to your community that you support local and regional farmers.
To listen to Part 1 of the podcast interview click: here
To listen to Part 2 of the podcast interview click: here
To listen to Part 3 of the podcast interview click: here
To listen to Part 4 of the podcast interview click: here.
Visit the Dallas Farmers Market Friends home page at www.dfmfriends.org.
Hannah Kaminsky's Vegan Cheesecake (photo courtesy of Boston Vegetarian Society)
If you love great food that’s good for your health and the heath of our planet, get yourself to the 13th Annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival on Saturday, November 1st, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center at 1350 Tremont Street. The longest-running event of its kind in the country, the Festival offers Free admission, Free food sampling, and Free parking!
Fantastic Food, Fun & Learning
With 120 exhibitors, the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival is a full day of fun, good food, and learning! It is a chance to explore and taste free samples of a great variety of delicious and natural vegetarian foods, talk to food exhibitors from all over the country, learn about the latest veggie products, and shop for special "show priced" bargains. There’s also fun with nonfood exhibitors such as a producer of high-fashion, animal-friendly women's dress shoes. Book and cookbook publishers, educational exhibits on protecting animals and the environment, and a children's activity center will round out the day.
Stellar Speakers & Cooking Demonstrations
The Festival also offers a stellar lineup of top national speakers and superb chefs. They will bring cutting edge nutrition information as well as the how-to's of delicious plant-based eating in presentations that are lively and often hilarious as well. The talented chefs will teach mouth-watering dishes and share kitchen tips, while other experts will speak on living in harmony with animals and the environment.
The Festival's national speakers:
• Sarah Kramer, hip British Columbian author of the cookbook "La Dolce Vegan!" and coauthor of "How It All Vegan!" and "The Garden of Vegan". Her latest book is "Vegan à Go-Go: A Cookbook & Survival Manual for Vegans on the Road".
• Hannah Kaminsky, 19-year old author of the cookbook "My Sweet Vegan" and the Bittersweet Blog, is passionate about dessert. She will give a cooking demo of some of her dairy- and egg-free desserts that will rock your world.
• jae steele, registered holistic nutritionist from Canada, and author of "Get It Ripe: A Fresh Take on Vegan Cooking and Living". In this cooking demo jae will teach whole foods breakfasts and lunches that will keep you energized for the day.
• Danielle Nierenberg, Senior Fellow with the Worldwatch Institute, expert on animal agriculture's impact on the environment and climate change.
• T. Colin Campbell, world-famous nutritional biochemist, author of "The China Study", leader of the renowned Cornell, Oxford, China study on how diet effects health. Topic: "Understanding the Scientific Evidence for a Plant-Based Diet"
• Michael Greger, MD, packs a ton of vegan nutrition information in a hilarious package. His talk, "The Latest in Human Nutrition-2008," will present cutting-edge nutrition research of the last 12 months in a lively style.
• Karen Dawn, author of "Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals", and creator of the animal advocacy media listserv DawnWatch, counts celebrities and critters among her personal friends in advancing the animal cause.
Delicious! (photo courtesy of Boston Vegetarian Society)
Sponsored by Boston Vegetarian Society
The sponsoring organization, the Boston Vegetarian Society, is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization. The organization seeks to make a better world for people, animals, and the earth through advancing a healthful vegetarian diet and a compassionate ethic. It provides education, encouragement, and community support for vegetarians and for anyone wishing to learn more about a healthy, environmentally friendly and humane way of life.
To get more info on the Festival and learn more about the sponsoring organization go to: Boston Vegetarian Society
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!
The mill has been operating on water power since 1823, leaving clean 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 petroleum into the water because the wheel bearing is made of a rare wood, Liqnum Vitae, that has its own lubricant.
The mill was built in 1823 by Judge Charles Kellogg; just two years before he was elected to the United States Congress. Local history has it that the community of New Hope was given its name from the top of its newly built mill. After the 40-foot, 5-sided ridge pole was put in place, a man climbed to the top and threw a gallon jug of whiskey over his shoulder declaring the town of Sodom to be renamed New Hope. Charles Kellogg owned the mill until 1851, when he sold it to Horace Rounds.
The mill originally contained three runs of stone capable of 200 bushels a day. In 1892, the mill began grinding with roller mills which are still there today. In 1947 the mill was sold to Howard Weed, Hubert Latta, & Leland Weed. Today, it remains in the capable hands of the Weed family.
The most visible feature indicating New Hope Mills’ water power is the picturesque waterwheel. Although the waterwheel is its most visible feature, the mill's real power comes from the water turbine underneath the mill. The turbine can run all year round providing there is sufficient water. The mill has an ideal location and facilities for water power near a mill pond with a 28-foot waterfall. With solid management by the Weed family this venerable operation remains competitive while operating much as it did in the 1800's.
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.
If you’d like to taste some premium pancake mix from New Hope Mills click on any of the following:
Apple Cinnamon Pancake Mix
Blueberry Pancake Mix
Buttermilk Pancake Mix
Old Fashioned Buckwheat Pancake Mix
Variety Pack of All 4 Natural Pancake Mixes
Would you like to purchase some syrup worthy of New Hope Mills Pancake Mixes? Try one of these:
100% Pure Organic Maple Syrup
Wild Blueberry Syrup from Maine
100% Pure Organic Cotton Apron (photo by Rick Tango)
These sturdily attractive American Feast Cooking Aprons come in the naturally beautiful coloring of 100% pure organic cotton with embroidery done in navy blue organic thread.
Organically grown cotton is a beneficial, caring choice - for you & our planet. Conventionally-grown cotton occupies only 3% of the world's farmland, but uses 25% of the world's chemical pesticides. Most pesticides were originally developed as toxic nerve agents during World War II; so it's no wonder they have been linked to Parkinson's disease & many cancers.
American Feast had these aprons made with the most eco-friendly organic cotton we could find. And we wanted our aprons made in accordance with strict Fair Trade practices. To get what we wanted we worked with Hae Now, a family business with an office in the beautiful San Francisco Bay area. The folks at Hae Now take pride in their clothing & it shows! Premium stitching, classic styling & superior quality make an attractive, durable product that has a lower eco-impact over its lifespan. They recognize that quality & durability are also measures of environmental friendliness!
Hae Now goes to extraordinary lengths to deliver clothing both eco-friendly & labor friendly. Hae Now's eco-friendly practices have been certified by Skal of the Netherlands. The company's Fair Trade practices have been recognized by Oxfam-Benelux & Amnesty International. We're also pleased to report that they use the most eco-friendly transportation mode: the ocean-liner!
If you'd like to purchase an organic apron for yourself or as a sustainable gift for someone special go to: 100% Organic Cotton Cooking Apron
Wheat & Sky (photo by Cheryl Rankin, courtesy of morguefile.com)
For years the U.S. has enjoyed the world’s cheapest food and borne the world's the highest medical costs. Now, rising prices for food and fuel, along with environmental concerns, are making America's need for a healthier and more sustainable food system ever more urgent
This past weekend the New York Times devoted its Sunday magazine section to the subject of food. It included an excellent piece from author Michael Pollan. Here’s part of what he wrote about the current state of affairs:
Whenever farmers clear land for crops and till the soil, large quantities of carbon are released into the air. But the 20th-century industrialization of agriculture has increased the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the food system by an order of magnitude; chemical fertilizers (made from natural gas), pesticides (made from petroleum), farm machinery, modern food processing and packaging and transportation have together transformed a system that in 1940 produced 2.3 calories of food energy for every calorie of fossil-fuel energy it used into one that now takes 10 calories of fossil-fuel energy to produce a single calorie of modern supermarket food.
Mr. Pollan points out that the situation is all the more absurd since “...every calorie we eat is ultimately the product of photosynthesis — a process based on making food energy from sunshine. There is hope and possibility in that simple fact.”
The article is a call to action for the next President of the United States. The days of cheap food in America may have come to an end as fuel prices have soared and made industrial farming far less cost efficient. Regardless of whether the industrial system can bring back inexpensive food, its intensive use of fossil fuels pose a threat to the health of people and the planet. Pollan also writes that food is a national security issue. A country that must import much of its food is “…not only at the mercy of global commodity markets but of other governments as well.”
Mr.Pollan lays out some long term policy goals for bringing about much needed change, including “…a transition to a new solar-food economy” and “well-designed polyculture systems” explained in some detail.
If you’d like to read the New York Times article cited above go to: Farmer in Chief
If you'd like to purchase one of Michael Pollan's excellent books exploring the American food system go to:
1. "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" by Michael Pollan
2. "Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals" by Michael Pollan
Fresh & Easy Solar Roof. (PRNewsFoto/Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market)
Grocer's 500,000 sq ft, $13 million solar installation proves its value
Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has announced the solar panel installation at its California distribution center is providing nearly three quarters of the facility's energy. In a time of rising energy costs, solar power is helping ease the grocer's energy bills, and helping keep Fresh & Easy's prices affordable.
At 500,000 square feet, the solar panel installation is the size of five football fields and is considered to be one of the largest roof-mounted solar installations in North America. The installation was a $13 million investment for the company. Since March, the solar panels have provided enough energy to power over 300 typical homes, 4,200 televisions or 10,000 light bulbs for a year.
“We try to be thoughtful in how we operate as a business, including being considerate about our impact on the environment. It only seems natural for us to use California's remarkable sunshine to power our distribution center," said Fresh & Easy CEO Tim Mason. "At times, the meter at the facility even runs backward because we are producing so much solar energy."
According to Southern California Edison's Savings by Design, Fresh & Easy stores use about 30% less energy than a typical supermarket. The company is a pilot member of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) volume certification program, recycles or reuses all its display and shipping materials, and voluntarily discloses its greenhouse gas emissions.
About Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market
At roughly 10,000 square feet, Fresh & Easy markets are smaller than the typical supermarket to give customers a faster, easier shopping experience. In addition to fresh, prepared meals and produce, Fresh & Easy offers favorite national brand products and household items. Fresh & Easy currently has 90 stores open in Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada.
If you’d like to read the press release on which this item was based go to: Sun Generates Nearly 75% of Power at Fresh & Easy Distribution Center
Yale Campus (photo by Kevin Rosseel, courtesy of morguefile.com)
We’ve published several items about student demand for sustainable food sweeping through America’s colleges. The demand is so great that meeting it has become integral to attracting the best and brightest students. In New Haven, Connecticut the Yale Sustainable Food Project is working to meet the challenge. The YSFP aims to "nourish a culture in which the interwoven pleasures of growing, cooking, and sharing food become an integral part of each student's experience at Yale."
According to Yale University’s web site students lined up for organic entrees when given “the opportunity to dine at any of the colleges for a month.” Today, “students across campus can eat a few local, sustainably produced food items each day in their own dining halls.” Those food items include, “Fresh greens from South Glastonbury, CT, apples and pears from an orchard in Meriden, CT, and naturally raised beef from the New England Livestock Alliance.”
If you’d like to visit Yale’s web site to learn more about the university’s sustainable food efforts go to: Yale Office of Sustainability
To view previous posts on the topic click on any of the following:
1. Sustainable Campuses
2. Rensselaer's Terra Cafe Dishes Up Local and Organic Foods
3. American College Students Want Sustainable Food
4. Sustainability Takes Hold on Boston Area Campuses
Solar Panels (© Maxfx | Dreamstime.com)
Our friend Annie Carmichael of the Vote Solar Initiative is in celebratory spirits and the message she’s just sent has got us ready to uncork the bubbly. She wrote to tell us the U.S. Congress has just passed a long-term extension of the solar investment tax credit and the President has signed the bill into law.
We’re thrilled because we believe clean, renewable energy is the key to a more secure, prosperous and healthier future for ourselves and generations to come. In her message Annie wrote:
It's been a long road and we want to thank each of you for adding your voice to this campaign; the consistent public pressure saved this credit. We also want to give props to the hard working folks at the Solar Energy Industry Association who walked the halls of Congress day in and day out for two years rallying support for this vital tax credit. Thanks to all of you over 440,000 jobs will be created in the solar field in the next 8 years, and over $232 billion of investment will be pumped into our economy. Now that's economic stimulus.
To visit the web site of Annie’s hardworking organization go to: The Vote Solar Initiative
To view previous posts on the topic of solar energy go to:
1. Going Solar & Getting Credit
2. Inspiring Sustainable Living
3. California Is Leading the Way on Solar Power
4. Congress Approves Taxing Big Oil to Support Alternative Energy
Farm Fresh Produce (photo by Kevin Connors, courtesy of morguefile.com)
It’s more challenging for a restaurant to serve farm fresh food than use large distributors, but as an Associated Press report observes, doing so “allows customers to know where their food is coming from.” The AP article published by Yahoo! describes Founding Farmers, a new restaurant in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood near The White House in Washington, D.C.
According to the restaurant’s web site, Founding Farmers is dedicated to serving “the goodness and incredible flavors of fresh Farm-to-Table American inspired true food and drink.”
The farm-to-table movement includes restaurants buying from family farmers and occasional dinners prepared and served at a farm. Founding Farmers is unique in that it is the first of two restaurants developed with $6 million from a collective of North Dakota farmers. They “believe that everyone benefits by all of us knowing more about the source of our food and its journey from seed to harvest to table.”
The AP says the restaurant’s management also aims to be "Washington's greenest restaurant." It “was built to comply with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a third-party certification for the design, construction and operation of green buildings.”
If you’d like to read the Associated Press article cited above go to: Farmers bet 'green' eatery will catch on
To visit the web site of Founding Farmers restaurant go to: Welcome to Founding Farmers
For more information on the concept and the firm that developed and managed the concept visit: Vucurevich Simons Advisory Group
Beautiful Bouchaine Vineyards in Napa Valley (photo by Dona Kopol-Bonick)
Bouchaine Vineyards inhabits the oldest continually operated winery in the Carneros wine region of California's Napa Valley. The planting of vines on the site by pioneer Boon Fly dates back to the mid-1800s.
Today, the family-owned winery is dedicated to the pursuit of delicious Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; the varietals best suited to the climate and soils of the estate’s lovely 100-acre vineyard. Besides being a venerable producer of some of America's finest estate wines, Bouchaine Vineyards is one of the country's most devoted adherents to principals of sustainable agriculture.
In a 6-part podcast interview, American Feast's Doug Ferber has a talk with Bouchaine's Lee Hodo to learn more about what sets Bouchaine apart.
That's Lee with the trusty red pickup.
To listen to Part 1 click on: A Talk With Bouchaine's Lee Hodo (Part 1)
To listen to Part 2 click on: A Talk With Bouchaine's Lee Hodo (Part 2)
To listen to Part 3 click on: A Talk With Bouchaine's Lee Hodo (Part 3)
To listen to Part 4 click on: A Talk With Bouchaine's Lee Hodo (Part 4)
To listen to Part 5 click on: A Talk With Bouchaine's Lee Hodo (Part 5)
To listen to Part 6 click on: A Talk With Bouchaine's Lee Hodo (Part 6)
Soil-Saving Farming in Pennsylvania (photo by Scott Bauer, courtesy of USDA)
Our friends at American Farmland Trust have alerted us that elected leaders in Washington are looking to “cut conservation funding for the upcoming year through the appropriations process—undermining important gains achieved in the 2008 Farm Bill.”
According to the message we received from AFT:
Cuts are proposed for several conservation programs including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Farmland Protection Program and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program. These programs provide important funds for the environment to assist farmers and ranchers in applying conservation measures on their land. In addition, cuts are proposed to funds that supply fresh fruits and vegetables for school lunch programs and assistance to fruit and vegetable growers.
The folks at AFT are asking Americans to tell Congress to help farmers keep our water clean and provide fresh, local foods.
To send that message to your elected officials go to: Take Action Now!
Fresh Seafood (photo by Roswitha Schacht, courtesy of morguefile.com)
You know you really should eat more fish. But one of the excuses we frequently hear is, "well, with all the mercury and PCBs, I don't know which fish are safe!"
Let us remove that objection with a list of safe and sound seafood from Ocean's Alive, an initiative of the Environmental Defense Fund. In the organization's own words:
The Environmental Defense Oceans program works to find constructive solutions to the most critical problems facing the world's marine environments.
Our team of scientists, attorneys, policy experts and economists focuses on protecting ecosystems and fisheries. Our Oceans Alive campaign builds on the team's decades of experience and efforts to stem the tide of decline in our seas.
Keep in mind that Oceans Alive is not just trying to protect you from bad fish. They are also trying to protect fish from the bad people polluting the oceans and depleting stocks with overfishing.
Link to Oceans Alive
Link to a printable pocket guide to fish selection (.pdf format) that you can take to the supermarket.
Prince Charles (© Leksele | Dreamstime.com)
"At a time when food sovereignty is becoming an increasing issue with high fuel prices, there cannot be a better time to encourage people to grow their own food where possible." That’s the advice of Great Britain’s Prince of Wales and we couldn’t agree more.
An article published in the Telegraph says the Prince was giving a nod to “the famous Dig for Victory campaign of the Second World War.” In the U.S. the wildly successful campaign to get Americans to grow their own produce during World War II was known as “Victory Gardens.” At the height of the two wartime campaigns, people in Great Britain and the U.S. grew 40% of the produce they consumed.
The Telegraph quotes the Prince as saying, "It doesn't need an acre of garden, a window box is a very good start."
If you’d like to read the Telegraph article cited above go to: Prince Charles implores the nation to Dig for Victory
Our friend Eve Sibley has asked that you "Please consider signing and passing on the petition below urging our next leadership to reestablish the Victory Garden model in the United States. We have done it before, we can do it again."
Bring Back the Victory Gardens Petition
If you'd like to start a garden in your community or your backyard here's some info that should help:
American Community Gardening Association
Funding & Other Support for Community Gardens
Cooking from the Heart of the Garden
Slow Food Nation, the largest celebration of American food in history, will take place in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend (August 29 to September 1, 2008). An unprecedented event, Slow Food Nation will bring together tens of thousands to experience an extraordinary range of activities highlighting the connection between plate and planet. The majority of Slow Food Nation’s events will be free and open to the public with certain events ticketed.
At the peak of harvest season, and on the eve of a Presidential election, Slow Food Nation will bring together local citizens and visitors, farmers and food artisans, political leaders, environmental advocates and health-care experts, community educators and artists. Participants will savor food from across the U.S. at Taste, a 50,000 square foot pavilion; meet farmers and producers at a marketplace surrounding a 10,000 square foot newly-planted urban garden in the heart of the City; learn from visionary speakers; and engage in political discourse to shape a more sustainable food system. Slow Food Nation will also feature a music festival, workshops, films, dinners, hikes and journeys.
“Slow Food Nation will catalyze a huge shift in how Americans perceive and prioritize food. Through the four-day event, we hope to build momentum and demand for an American food system that is safer, healthier and more socially just,” said Anya Fernald, Executive Director of Slow Food Nation.
“Our founder Alice Waters has set the stage for a delicious revolution through decades of leadership and advocacy and our parent organization, Slow Food U.S.A., has built a wide membership base across America. By creating a framework for a deeper environmental and community-based connection to our food and farmers, Slow Food Nation will help participants learn how everyday choices affect our well-being, our culture and the health of the planet.”
In collaboration with Victory Gardens 2008+, Slow Food Nation will herald the era of self-sufficiency through the creation of an ornamental edible garden in the heart of San Francisco’s Civic Center. Planted on the same site as 60 years ago during World War II, the Slow Food Nation Victory Garden demonstrates the potential of a truly local agriculture practice and brings together and promotes Bay Area urban gardening organizations, while producing high quality food for those in need. The Slow Food Nation Victory Garden will be introduced to the public on Saturday, July 12 in a ceremony with Mayor Gavin Newsom and Slow Food Nation Founder Alice Waters.
If you’d like to purchase tickets and get further info on events and scheduling go to: Slow Food Nation ‘08
(images courtesy of the Solar Living Institute)
Looking for some eco-friendly family fun? Then get yourselves to California's Mendocino County for the weekend of August 16th and 17th and visit SolFest 2008, the world’s premier two-day celebration of renewable energy and sustainable living. Since SolFest was created by the Solar Living Institute in 1996, over 100,000 people have learned how to change the world while having fun.
SolFest is a family affair with more programs and workshops for children added each year. The Family Stage features music, clowns, puppets and ‘edu-tainment’ for all ages. Musical acts New Monsoon, Maria Muldaur, Blane Lyon, Albino and more will be taking the stage this year.
The nearby Central Oasis features a fun zone where kids can cool off in the bubbling stream while learning about solar energy and the characteristics of life-giving water. The "flow-form," designed by Rudolph Steiner soothes the children's spirits while activating their imaginations. And the Solar Living Institute is also home to the world’s only solar-powered carousel featuring indigenous Mendocino County critters, and the kids love to take a spin on the ‘solar skunk!’
Saving the world can be hungry work, so be sure to enjoy the offerings of the many organic food vendors. Naturally, organic and sustainable beer is also on tap for those hot summer days, and the finest fair trade coffee will keep you going through the nighttime Moondance. SolFest now also features a wine tasting area where over a dozen local and organic wineries offer the fruits of their vines.
In an effort to make SolFest as waste-free as possible, food vendors are required to provide reusable or compostable utensils. If you can eat it, or eat from it, it goes into compost bins. Hard-working interns and volunteers turn it all into compost for next year’s garden! You are also encouraged to bring your own utensils and mugs for use throughout the event, and don’t forget a water bottle so you can fill up for free all weekend long!
 For more details click on: SolFest 2008
To see a previous post on the work of the Solar Living Institute go to: Inspiring Sustainable Living
Basket of Heirloom Tomatoes at Love Apple Farm, Ben Lomond, California (photo by Tana Butler, courtesy of morguefile.com)
One of the founding principles of American Feast was our company’s call for a healthier and more sustainable food system. In the short time since we launched our business there’s been a relentless repetition of food safety problems that have only deepened our commitment to be advocates for a more sustainable system.
It seems the most recent scare associating tomatoes with more than 1,000 cases of salmonella, with government officials unable to track the contaminated food to its source, has many Americans agreeing with us that major changes in food policy are in order.
According to a poll jointly conducted by the Associated Press and Ipsos, nearly half of Americans are concerned they may get sick from eating contaminated food and are avoiding items they normally would buy. People have good reason to be avoiding food whose safety they don’t trust, but that should not be the long term solution to a deeply systemic problem.
Even though the poll found that three in four Americans remain confident about the overall safety of foods, the Associated Press reports, “The poll found that 80% of Americans said they would support new federal standards for fresh produce. Meat and poultry have long been subject to enforceable federal safeguards, but fruits and vegetables are not, although produce increasingly is being implicated in outbreaks.”
We can all play a part in creating a healthier and more sustainable food system by demanding that our food be raised organically, by the standards already practiced on family scale farms across the country. Our bodies, our planet, and our children will be the beneficiaries.
If you’d like to read the AP article posted by Yahoo! & cited above go to: Food safety worries change buying habits
Free Roaming Sheep (photo by Bianca Meyer, courtesy of morguefile.com)
We just cane across an article in Plenty expressing a belief we’ve held for some time: the “highest quality, healthiest meat” is “sustainably and humanely produced.” We couldn’t agree more that, “Neither standard is remotely approached in conventional animal factory farms, also known as concentrated feeding operations (CAFOs).”
Summer grilling only gets better when sustainable meat is on the menu, and as the Plenty article points out:
Most conventional U.S. beef cattle are given antibiotics, which contribute to drug-resistant bacteria in people, and growth hormones, which are being studied for possible links to cancer. The air and water pollution caused by CAFO manure lagoons is unhealthy for humans and aquatic creatures alike.
The article includes some terrific clarification of terms and certifications to help American consumers who want to purchase sustainable meat for their families.
If you’d like to read the article in Plenty cited above go to: Summer Grilling: Go for sustainable meat
Here's where you can order some prime cuts to make your next grilled meal really special:
Organic Red Angus New York Strip Steaks
Organic Red Angus Rib Eye Steaks
Organic Red Angus Tenderloin Steaks
Fresh Halibut (© Enid Arvelo | Dreamstime.com)
“The Sustainable Kitchen” is one of the recipe books we highly recommend. It’s the work of Stu Stein and Mary Hinds, the executive chefs and founders of Peerless in Ashland, Oregon, a restaurant known for exceptional Pacific Northwest Cuisine and a Wine Spectator Award winning wine list. Their book focuses on using local ingredients, offering a chef's insights into how and why to combine several together for optimum flavor. The sumptuous recipes are offered as a basis for inspiration, not as absolutes, to allow readers to substitute their local ingredients and add a dash of spontaneity.
The book offers a tremendous selection of recipes of all types and of varying degrees of complexity. Pacific Halibut a la Nage is particularly easy prepare and full of flavors to delight the taste buds.
Here’s what the authors had to say about their recipe:
A chef’s trick that you can easily accomplish at home is a traditional French technique for poaching fish in the oven and using the liquid as the sauce – a la nage. Ina skillet, we place a piece of halibut, or any fish, on top of a layer of vegetables, add a flavorful liquid and cover with parchment paper. The whole dish is contained in a single pan, th method of cooking is quick and flavorful, and as a bonus there is no added fat.
The chefs suggest you pair this dish with a fine Pinot Gris from Southern Oregon or the Willamette Valley.
Ingredients for 4 Servings
• 1 Carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 1 Parsnip, cut into matchsticks
• 1 Turnip, cut into matchsticks
• 1 Stalk celery, cut into matchsticks
• 1 Leek, cut into matchsticks
• 1 Medium onion, thinly sliced
• ½ Pound fingerling potatoes, red potatoes or yellow creamer potatoes, thinly sliced
• 4 5-Ounce Pacific halibut filets
• Kosher salt & white pepper, to taste
• 1½ Cups fruity white wine such as Pinot Gris
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 Cups fish stock, chicken broth or water
• 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a skillet large enough to hold all of the fish, spread the carrots, parsnips, turnips, celery, leek, onion and potatoes in a thin layer on the bottom. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Place the halibut on top of the vegetables, making sure the halibut fillets do not touch each other.
3. In a small bowl, combine the wine, lemon juice and stock and pour the liquid over the fish. Make sure the liquid reaches halfway up the sides of the fish. Cover the pan with a piece of parchment paper. Place the skillet over high heat until the liquid begins to simmer. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the fish is cooked to the desired doneness. Fillets that are 1½ to 2 inches thick take approximately 8 to 10 minutes to reach medium – just slightly opaque in the center, but still moist. Keep warm.
4. Discard the parchment. Carefully remove the halibut from the skillet. Place the vegetables on a serving plate and place the halibut on top of the vegetables.
5. Bring the cooking liquid to a boil on high heat and cook until the liquid thickens and just coats the back of a spoon. Add the chopped parsley and chives. Adjust seasoning and pour liquid over the fish.
If you’d like to purchase a copy of Stu Stein and Mary Hinds' excellent book go to: The Sustainable Kitchen: Passionate Cooking Inspired by Farms, Forests and Oceans
In the final hours of the legislative session, the New York State Senate and the Assembly passed a bill making land trusts eligible for annual funding. The American Farmland Trust worked with a broad coalition of allies including Assemblyman Magee, Senator Young, Governor Paterson’s office, farm groups and land trusts to advance this legislation that makes New York land trusts eligible for annual funding of up to $50,000 per organization for farmland protection projects. This increased capacity for local farmland protection efforts will help projects funded by the state’s Farmland Protection Program to be completed more quickly
$106,000 Goes to Promote Farmers’ Markets
Commissioner Patrick Hooker recently announced 30 grants awarded to farmers’ markets across New York state to assist in promotion and marketing. The grants will help community markets develop advertising and marketing tools, an essential part of raising public awareness about local food and farmland. There are currently more than 400 community farmers’ markets in New York State.
To read more about outcomes of key state farmland protection & learn more about the efforts of AFT go to: American Farmland Trust: Saving the Land that Sustains Us
To visit the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets to see a list of the grant awards or to find a market in your area go to: NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets News
Tabouleh Salad (photo by Digiology, courtesy of morguefile.com)
When it comes to growing the safest possible food veganic farmers are tough to beat, according to a report in the Associated Press.
Like organic farmers they shun the use of “synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified ingredients.” But veganic farmers take further steps to ensure the safety of the food they produce. They do not use pesticides approved for organic farming, and most importantly, they won’t use animal fertilizers either.
As the AP article explains,
Salmonella and e-coli are bacteria that live in the intestines of livestock and are present in their waste. Livestock waste, or manure, can be used to fertilize fields, potentially contaminating crops with the disease-causing bacteria.
Crops can also be contaminated by contact with infected animals or their byproducts, including bone meal and blood meal, which are used as fertilizer as well.
Veganic farmers use crop rotations and composted plant matter — or "green manure" — to fertilize their crops.
Organic and veganic family farmers have blazed an impressive trail for a healthier, more sustainable food system, employing methods that produce food that is more nutritious and safer for American families. The standards they have set deserve to be universally adopted, with the dangerous methods of massive factory farms tossed into the “dustbin of history.”
As George Bernard Shaw put it, “People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.”
If you’d like to read the Associated Press article cited above go to: Veganic farmers work without animal fertilizers
On the evening of June 26th, Park Slope locavores will be mingling with Wall Street bankers, while learning about local wines, tasting organic food fresh from the farmer’s market, and interacting with local food expert Joan Gussow and Slow Food’s executive director Erika Lesser.
The benefit event will take place at the CUE Art Foundation at 511 West 25th Street in Manhattan. Proceeds will benefit Play 4 Life, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing cooking, gardening, nutrition and yoga programs for underserved youth.
During the event, renowned chefs such as Top Chef's Andrea Beaman, will be presenting local food entrees to donors and attendees and local wine vineyards will be providing the wine. Remarks will be given by Joan Gussow on the nutritional, environmental and societal benefits of supporting local farms. Ms. Gussow is a professor emeritus for nutrition at Columbia University Teachers College, a director of the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation and a member of the National Organic Standards Board.
Play 4 Life seeks to transform underprivileged communities’ ideas about nutrition and lifestyle by teaching both kids and parents about affordable healthy food. Through its nutrition, cooking, gardening and yoga programs, Play 4 Life teaches kids how to live a healthy life in a fun, playful way.
Carrot Break (photo courtesy of Play 4 Life)
“We’re very excited to have some incredible partnerships with local food experts for this event. Our intention is to introduce people to ways to get food that is good for the body and the planet. Of course, we want people to have fun while learning and experiencing healthy food that is mouth-watering-delicious. They will want to come back for more,” executive director Tanya Paluso said.
The festivities will run from 7:00 to 10:00 PM on Thursday, June 26th. Please contact Capera Clement at (619) 981-5111 or capera@play4lifeonline.org for more information.
To learn more about the terrific work of the nonprofit organization go to: Play4 Life, Inc.
 
Red Angus Rib Eye & Filet Mignon (Images courtesy of Damar Farms)
Amid disturbing reports of tainted meat being sold for mass consumption, it's nice to know that the people at Damar Farms have succeeded at sustainably producing gourmet beef that couldn't be safer. The folks at Damar like to say, "The difference is in Mother Nature."
Established by the Hehli family in 1947, Dr. David Hehli & his wife Mary have raised various breeds & combinations of livestock, including Black Angus, Red Angus, Limousine, Murray Grey, and Simmental, to name a few. Over the years Damar Farms settled on Angus livestock, & specifically the Red Angus breed. The Angus breed produces excellent eating quality beef that is tender & well marbled. The herd is bred to produce the finest beef available.
Dr. Hehli & Farm Manager Tim Boortz have gone to great lengths researching & selecting just the right combination of genetics to produce a superior cut of beef in the most humane way possible. For example, they use calving ease bulls, which mean the calves have smaller birth weights, making it easier & less stressful on the cows.
This meat comes only from animals born & raised on Damar Farms in west central Wisconsin. We believe it’s the safest meat you can buy. The organic certification program is a fully verifiable production system that collects information on the history of every animal in the program, including its breed history, veterinary care, & feed.
No antibiotics, growth-promoting hormones, steroids or animal by-products are added to Damar’s organic forage or grain. This means they are never fed rendered animal by-products from slaughter-houses that could have been contaminated with BSE (Mad-Cow-Disease). (BSE is transmitted to cattle through feed containing animal by-products from contaminated animals.)
Damar Farms uses sustainable organic farming practices. These practices avoid petroleum-based fertilizers & chemicals, helping to limit America’s dependence on foreign oil. Organic farming is more time & labor intensive, creating more jobs in rural America. The people of Damar Farms believe this helps produce the finest beef as well as preserving the land for now & for future generations.
If you'd like to purchase some of Damar Farms incredible steaks go to:
Organic Red Angus New York Strip Steaks
Organic Red Angus Rib Eye Steaks
Organic Red Angus Tenderloin Steaks
Harvard Square (© Chee-onn Leong | Dreamstime.com)
The choices made by institutions do make a difference and a recent article in the Boston Business Journal backs that assertion. According to the Journal, several Boston-area colleges are going green as sustainability becomes increasingly popular among campus dining halls.
Among other steps, food scraps are taken from campus dining halls and used as natural lawncare fertilizer and feed for hens. The article in the Journal reports,
Sustainability is all the rage on campuses across the state. And as colleges are going green, the dining hall has become the grass-roots center of activity with food scraps becoming food for farm animals, broken down into fertilizer and compost, and greasy vegetable oil is turned into fuel for vehicles.
Some of the schools with dining halls taking part in the fast growing sustainability movement include the University of Massachusetts' Dartmouth campus, Merrimack College in North Andover, Tufts University, and the University of Massachusetts' Lowell campus.
If you’d like to read the article in the Boston Business Jourmal cited above go to: Campus dining halls put more green on the menu
Wine Pour (photo by Dani Simmonds, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Could England be the world’s next great wine region? Will we see the day that a trip to Scandinavia, China or Russia includes a visit to celebrated wineries? We just might.
According to a report from the Associated Press, published by the Cincinnati Enquirer, “by 2050, the world’s premier wine-friendly zones could shift as much as 180 miles toward the poles.” says climate geographer Gregory Jones of Southern Oregon University.
The report goes on to say, “In theory, that will make northern Europe or New Zealand more grape-friendly than Bordeaux or Australian valleys.”
Recently, the French government relaxed irrigation in the Languedoc region, “where winemaking dates to the 5th century B.C.” There’s also concern about conditions becoming too dry in southern Spain, but in Tuscany the worry is too much rain.
Meanwhile, “The biggest problem with English wineries is keeping up in demand,” says Christopher White, general manager of Denbies Winery in Surrey.
If you’d like to read the article from AP as posted by the Cincinnati Enquirer cited above go to: Wine in a warming world
Organic Wheat Field (photo by Scott Liddell, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Half of American consumers say that considerations of sustainability influence which products they buy and which stores they choose for shopping. That was the conclusion of a survey conducted by Information Resources Inc., according to a report by Gourmet Retailer.
The study asked 22,000 Americans about the impact of “organic, eco-friendly products, eco-friendly packaging, and fair treatment of employees and suppliers.”
The survey found that the significance of sustainability as a factor in shopping decisions included every consumer age group. There was an interesting finding in regard to those groups:
Though contrary to assumptions that the focus on sustainability is a more youth-oriented phenomenon, IRI data shows that older consumers are actually the more likely audience to weigh multiple sustainability factors in their purchases.
If you’d like to read the item from Gourmet Retailer cited above go to: Consumers More Sustainability Driven
Shore Fishing (photo by Daniel T. Yara, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions has issued a press release stating, “More than a dozen Canadian and U.S. organizations have released steps companies can take to develop and implement a comprehensive, corporate policy on sustainable, wild-caught, and farmed seafood.”
"Our Common Vision outlines an ambitious but realistic path toward sustainable seafood that businesses can follow to safeguard the future viability of their industry," said Mark Powell, vice president for fish conservation, Ocean Conservancy.
The Common Vision identifies six critical areas where companies can take action to ensure a sustainable food supply and protect ocean environments for generations to come:
• Making a commitment to develop and implement a comprehensive, corporate policy on sustainable seafood;
• Collecting data to assess and monitor the environmental sustainability of their seafood products;
• Buying environmentally responsible seafood;
• Making information regarding their seafood products publicly available;
• Educating consumers, suppliers, employees and other key stakeholders about environmentally responsible seafood; and
• Engaging in and supporting policy and management changes that lead to positive environmental outcomes in fisheries and aquaculture.
The initiative holds the promise that consumers will become better informed and be able to support the sustainable harvesting of seafood by making environmentally sound choices when shopping.
If you’d to read the press release on which this item was based go to: Businesses Seeking Expertise from the Conservation Community
To visit a web site that can help you choose fish that are good for you and the ocean go to: Oceans Alive
Link to a printable pocket guide to fish selection (.pdf format) that you can take to the supermarket.
Fresh Food & Fine Design (photo by Mary R. Vogt, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Some time back we asked if local was the new organic when it came to the preferences of American consumers. A survey recently released by the Food Marketing Institute and Prevention magazine, "Shopping for Health 2008," indicates that health conscious consumers are choosing locally grown produce over organic alternatives.
The researchers wanted to know how healthy eaters succeed when it comes to shopping for food. They found that nearly everyone (80%) tries to eat healthily. Among those who try a lot, 10% say they are “always successful.” The survey profiled the one in 10 who succeeds.
When presenting the results of the survey, Cary Silvers, director of consumer insights for the company that publishes Prevention said, “Shoppers’ new interest in locally grown food reflects their strong desire to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables…The battle between organic and locally grown represents who shoppers believe can deliver the freshest produce.”
There are plenty of reasons to choose local produce. It is when it is fresh that food is at its most nutritious and most flavorful. Buying local is a choice that supports a community's farmers. Buying it limits the environmental harm done when foods are transported over great distances.
Many foodies buy local produce to savor the singular flavors of seasonal offerings that are part of their regional food heritage. The chance to talk to the farmers who produce the fresh fruit and veggies and learn from them makes shopping at a farmers market a pleasure for those concerned about personal health and the health of the environment.
To read the press release on which this item was based go to: Shopping for Health 2008: Setting Specific Goals and Plans Key to Healthy Eating
Pollinating Bee (Photo by © P.Winberg)
Many people may be unaware that about 30% of all food crops grown in the U.S. are dependent on bee pollination and for a couple of years there have been alarming reports on the strange disappearance of huge numbers of bees.
The implications for American agriculture and the diets of American families are frightening enough, but making matters worse is the fact that no one has been able to pinpoint the cause or causes of the fate of the bees. Now the Washington Post has reported on a study conducted at the University of Virginia suggesting that “emissions from power plants and automobiles may play a part” in the demise of honeybees and bumblebees.
The research was undertaken by Environmental Sciences Professor Jose D. Fuentes at the University of Virginia -- working with graduate students Quinn S. McFrederick and James C. Kathilankal. The results of their work were published in the March issue of the journal Atmospheric Environment.
According to the article in the Post:
In the prevailing conditions before the 1800s, the researchers calculated that a flower's scent could travel between 3,280 feet and 4,000 feet, Fuentes said in an interview, but today, that scent might travel 650 feet to 1,000 feet in highly polluted areas such as the District of Columbia, Los Angeles or Houston.
Timothy H. Tear, a senior scientist at the advocacy group the Nature Conservancy, who studies the impact of air pollution on ecosystems, is quoted as saying, "We know that ozone levels continue to be high and go well beyond EPA standards for public health. What's been pretty consistent is the more we look at air pollution's impacts on natural resources, the more we find those impacts to be."
If you’d like to read the article in the Washington Post cited above go to: Air Pollution Impedes Bees' Ability to Find Flowers
Soya Field (© Fernandomoz | Dreamstime.com)
Contrary to repeated claims that turning to genetically modified crops will be necessary to solve the world’s growing food crisis, a major study conducted at the University of Kansas has found that the controversial technology actually reduces crop yields.
Though the study has received little attention in the U.S. media, The Independent of London reports that University's researchers found that genetically modified soya produces about 10% less food than its conventional equivalent.
According to The Independent:
Professor Barney Gordon, of the University's Department of Agronomy, said he started the research – reported in the journal Better Crops – because many farmers who had changed over to the GM crop had "noticed that yields are not as high as expected even under optimal conditions". He added: "People were asking the question 'how come I don't get as high a yield as I used to?'"
The results of the University of Kansas study supports previous findings. Earlier research at the University of Nebraska found that a GM soya produced 6% less than its closest conventional relative, and 11% less than the best non-GM soya available. The total U.S. cotton crop declined even as GM technology took over.
When asked if GM could solve world hunger, Professor Bob Watson, the Director of the University of Kansas study said: "The simple answer is no."
If you’d like to read the article in The Independent cited above go to: Exposed: the great GM crops myth
California Vineyard (© Rboncato | Dreamstime.com)
Sales of California wines in the U.S. rose 6% to a retail value of $18.9 billion in 2007, according to the Wine Institute. The industry group says the impressive growth was fueled by strong gains by premium California wines. The Wine Institute puts the retail value of worldwide sales of California wines at $30 billion.
The U.S. wine market continues to be dominated by Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, which together account for 45% of total wine sales. Sales of Merlot are more than double those of Pinot Noir, the next best-selling red wine. Domestic premium-priced Merlot is displaying particular strength, and now constitutes 17% of the domestic premium red wine market.
California’s winegrowers have shown a strong commitment to sustainable agricultural practices. The adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) methods is being aided by a $150,000 grant from the American Farmland Trust to the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. The Wine Institute describes IPM as “a sustainable approach to pest control that provides a variety of tactics to prevent, avoid or suppress weeds, insects and crop diseases, while protecting human health, the environment and the profitability of agriculture.”
Many of the state’s winegrowers recognize that being good stewards of the land to maintain a beautiful and healthy environment is good for business, the surrounding community, and wine country visitors. For many the benefit is personal, since vintners and their families often live at their wineries.
For more info on the California wine industry go to: The Wine Institute
To listen to American Feast's interview with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group go to: A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group
Organic Lemon Crop (© photo by Lisa Solonynko, courtesy of morguefile.com)
By our count there have now been at least 6 studies establishing a link between pesticides and Parkinson disease. We just read about the latest study from an article published by BBC News. Scientists from Duke University, Miami University and the Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center of Excellence “found those exposed to pesticides had a 1.6 times higher risk” of suffering from the debilitating disease.
Providing American families with the option of enjoying food raised without pesticides has been one the great achievements of the organic farmers movement. The great demand for organic foods by consumers is a wonderfully promising trend for the American food system. Along with quests for more flavor and better nutritional value, the desire to avoid pesticides has been a key driver of the demand for organics.
Still, there’s a long way to go to overcome decades of unhealthy practices driven by the industrial food system. We can all play a part in creating a healthier and more sustainable food system by demanding that our food be raised without toxic pesticides. Our bodies, our planet, and our children will be the beneficiaries.
If you’d like to read the BBC News article cited above go to: Pesticide Parkinson's link strong
Mowing Oats & Sweet Clover (© Image courtesy of Roxbury Farm)
Roxbury Farm has been a pioneer of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) since getting started in 1990, and it’s been going strong ever since. Located in Kinderhook in New York State’s scenic and historic Hudson Valley, Roxbury Farm was the first CSA to serve members in New York City.
Community Supported Agriculture began as an alternative to giant agribusiness. It is grounded in a philosophy of biodynamic farming, which recognizes that all systems, whether economic, ecological, or biological, are microcosms having their own integrity, while simultaneously being dependent on one another.
To succeed, the alternative farms build direct relationships between farmers and consumers. Consumers become members who pay in advance for a share of the farm’s bounty. At Roxbury Farm a share provides 10-17 pounds of freshly harvested produce each week and members can gather their seasonal goodies at a convenient pickup site. Each member or family is asked to contribute three to four hours of time, helping to set up or clean up the site, delivering leftover food to a pantry, or telephoning other members with reminders.
Healthy, Sustainable Farming
At Roxbury Farm vegetables, strawberries, and herbs are produced without the use of any artificial or genetically modified inputs. Soil fertility is maintained through the use of compost and crop rotations. Roxbury Farm signed the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York’s “Farmer’s Pledge”. The pledge was created as an alternative to the cumbersome USDA organic certification process.
Community supported agriculture means being connected--to each other, to a farm, to the earth. At Roxbury Farm they take the word community seriously and playfully. Members develop close connections to the farm by visiting the U-pick garden, participating in farm workdays, potlucks, and other events.
The harvest gets shared in many ways. Food that is fresh and clean and reasonably priced gets shared along with the responsibility of distributing it. Uncollected food gets shared with homeless shelters and food pantries. The life of the farm and the life of the community become part of a shared alternative that represents a healthier and more sustainable food system.
If you’d like to learn more about the Farm & becoming a member go to: Roxbury Farm CSA
Alamo Square, San Francisco (photo by Kevin Connors, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The Mayor of San Francisco is asking the city’s restaurants to stop serving bottled water and serve tap water instead. Once a restaurateur himself, Mayor Gavin Newsom is only requesting that restaurants make the change, rather then proposing legislation to ban bottled water.
An article in the San Francisco Chronicle points out that, “The mayor made international headlines last year when he banned city government from spending tax dollars on bottled water for its employees, saying the containers clog landfills and pollute the environment.”
Recent testing by the American Waterworks Association Research Foundation found San Francisco’s watersupply to be one of the few tested that were free of contaminants. Blind taste tests revealed that San Francisco’s tap water was preferred over some bottled waters.
Food and Water Watch, a consumer advocacy group, is leading a national campaign to get restaurants to stop selling bottled water. The group’s executive director says that bottled water is a “con job and a scam.” He says customers who decline bottled water and request tap water can feel virtuous, not cheap.
If you’d like to read the San Francisco Chronicle article cited above go to: Restaurants urged to eschew bottles in favor of tap water
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. A Victory for Tap Water!
2. Tap Water as the Sustainable Choice
Sarah Alexander of Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit organization, has sent us the following message:
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rule that would let factory farms get out of reporting their releases of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and other toxic air pollutants caused by the breakdown of animal manure in massive lagoons. We have a right to know what toxic chemicals we're being exposed to.
In her message Sarah included this quote from a recent article in the Washington Post:
Under pressure from agriculture industry lobbyists and lawmakers from agricultural states, the Environmental Protection Agency wants to drop requirements that factory farms report their emissions of toxic gases, despite findings by the agency's scientists that the gases pose a health threat.
She also included the following to illustrate the folly of the EPA’s proposal:
One giant dairy in Oregon, home to more than 50,000 cows, reported that it releases more than 15,000 pounds of toxic ammonia into the air every day. Often these reports offer the only information neighbors of these facilities get about what they are being exposed to.
Food & Water Watch is urging concerned citizens to tell the EPA that factory farms shouldn't be above the law. If you’d like to make your voice heard at the EPA go to: Food & Water Watch: Take Action
If you’d like to read the Washington Post article cited above go to: Farms May Be Exempted From Emission Rules
Windmills at Sunset (photo by Dan Tombs, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Once the capital of North American oil production, Texas is now the leading the way for energy produced by wind power, generating enough energy from the wind to power 1 million homes.
Even billionaire oilman Boone Pickens has become a fan of the alternative energy. An article in the New York Times quotes Mr. Pickens as saying, “I have the same feelings about wind as I had about the best oil field I ever found.” He is planning to build the world’s largest wind farm, which will require an investment of $10 billion.
Wind power now produces about 1% of the electricity used in the United States; enough to power 4.5 million homes. The wind farm planned by Mr. Pickens will be capable of powering a small city by itself.
Besides producing clean and renewable energy, the wind farms are also fueling sustainable economic development. The New York Times article explained, "Teenagers who used to flee small towns like Sweetwater after high school are sticking around to take technical courses in local junior colleges and then work on wind farms. Marginal ranches and cotton farms are worth more with wind turbines on them."
If you’d like to read the New York Times article cited above go to: Move Over, Oil, There’s Money in Texas Wind
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. Suburban Homeowners Turn to Wind Power
2. Greening the Rust Belt
3. An Ancient Idea
Harbor in Wales (photo by King of Coleslaw, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The Sustainable Development Commission has found that too many supermarket practices are “unhealthy, unjust and unsustainable” according to an article published by icWales. The Commission is the independent watchdog on sustainable development for the Government of the United Kingdom.
The article says the Commission has declared that the Welsh Assembly Government “must harness the supermarkets’ power if it is to tackle obesity, climate change and the nation’s growing rubbish mountain.”
Professor Tim Lang of the Sustainable Development Commission is quoted as saying, "Today in the era of climate change, oil dependency, looming global water shortage, fish-stock crises, biodiversity and public health challenges, to aim purely for quantity of supply or cheapness at all costs is hopelessly inadequate."
The icWales article says the Commission “calls on the Government to develop an enforceable definition of 'local' food, to promote fair trade standard systems and to work with industry to develop a system of universal sustainability standards.”
If you’d like to read the icWales article cited above go to: Supermarkets must tackle obesity and waste - report
Solar Panels (© Maxfx | Dreamstime.com)
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation that would eliminate two tax breaks for the oil and gas industry that would amount to $18 billion over the next ten years. Under the legislation the money collected would provide tax breaks for wind power, solar power, other alternative energy sources, and energy conservation.
According to an Associated Press article posted by the Kansas City Star, the oil industry has lobbied strongly against the bill. The bill will face stiff opposition from Republican Senators and President Bush is expected to veto the bill if it is passed by the U.S. Senate.
The AP reports that during debate, Representative Jim McDermott of Washington urged lawmakers to "stop the madness of subsidizing oil companies" when just the five largest oil companies earned net profits of more than $120 billion last year.
Republicans said the measure unfairly punishes the oil and gas industry and pointed to statistics indicating that oil companies pay more taxes than many other industries.
If you’d like to read the Associated Press article cited above go to: House OKs new taxes on big oil companies
Market Fresh (photo by Roswitha Schacht, courtesy of morguefile.com)
If the views of today’s culinary students offer clues to the culinary trends of tomorrow we can expect considerations of sustainability to play a major role in tomorrow’s menus. The International Culinary Schools at The Arts Institutes has released a survey of its students that found the chefs of tomorrow want to serve more globally diverse dishes and conduct business in a more environmentally sensitive manner.
Nearly all the responding students (97%) said environmental responsibility will play some role in their culinary careers and more than half said environmentalism is “very important”. Knowing a food’s origins and supporting local farmers was also fundamental. Three out of four are interested in including locally supplied ingredients in their repertoires and more than half want to include organic foods in their ventures.
If the survey is a good indicator, we can expect the influences on future menus will come from an exciting array of cuisines, including Spanish, French, Italian, South American, Thai and Mexican. Most of the students (81%) are considering opening a restaurant during their careers. Eight out of ten would consider specializing in fusion cuisine.
Sounds like tomorrow’s chefs will be serving imaginative menus that will make for some fantastic dining experiences. Adventurous chefs, flavorful food, and a healthier environment are a future we should all embrace.
New Hampshire Corn Harvest (photo by Paul Anderson, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Diverting corn and other grains from the food supply to the production of biofuels has received some of the blame for rising food prices. Is there an environmental benefit to biofuels that justifies a price increase that hits hardest at those who can least afford it? Two new studies indicate that the answer is no.
According to an article in the Washington Post:
One study -- written by a group of researchers from Princeton University, Woods Hole Research Center and Iowa State University along with an agriculture consultant -- concluded that over 30 years, use of traditional corn-based ethanol would produce twice as much greenhouse gas emissions as regular gasoline. Another analysis, written by a Nature Conservancy scientist along with University of Minnesota researchers, found that converting rainforests, peatlands, savannas or grasslands in Southeast Asia and Latin America to produce biofuels will increase global warming pollution for decades, if not centuries.
A number of senior scientists who work on climate change have written to President Bush and congressional leaders urging them to change their energy policies in light of the new studies.
If you'd like to read the Washington Post article cited above go to: Studies Say Clearing Land for Biofuels Will Aid Warming
Pennsylvania Farm (photo by Michelle Kwajafa, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The reasonably well-informed have good reason to prefer organic foods. Many are willing to pay more for them to avoid the health risks of processed foods produced on factory farms, and do something positive for the health of the environment.
Pesticides have been linked to Parkinson’s by multiple studies. Besides pesticides, parents would also like to avoid feeding their children growth hormones, antibiotics, herbicides, and chemical ingredients they cannot recognize or pronounce. People who live near massive factory farms and those who have visited them are understandably upset by the environmental degradation and the treatment of livestock.
We’re convinced that a more sustainable food system would greatly improve the general health and the overall quality of life. We’re not alone. Farmers in the United States and the United Kingdom have been unable to keep up with the rapidly growing demand for organics. For many small, eco-friendly farmers the cost and process of obtaining certifications is itself an obstacle.
Consumers would like to purchase organic foods that are locally grown, but find they must often make a choice. With demand outstripping supply, organic food prices have soared. Many families must consider whether the best foods for their children’s health are within their means.
Alternatives to reliance on a food system that is not serving the best interests of the community are being pursued. Farmers markets are proliferating at an impressive rate. Community gardens are offering a wonderful alternative to a diet of highly processed and unhealthy food. Educational programs are teaching children about growing and cooking healthy foods. Every individual has an opportunity to help these positive trends to flourish with their choices and actions. It doesn’t get more hopeful than that.
If you’d like to read an Associated Press article on the topic go to: Organic Food Industry in a Supply Crunch
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