Fantastic Site: Sustainable Table

I think we have blogged about this before, but I want to draw your attention to it once again.

THE SUSTAINABLE TABLE

Sustainable Table was created in 2003 by the nonprofit organization GRACE to help consumers understand the problems with our food supply and offer viable solutions and alternatives. Rather than be overwhelmed by the problems created by our industrial agricultural system, Sustainable Table celebrates the joy of food and eating.

Today’s dominant form of agriculture relies on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, large amounts of water, major transportation systems and factory-style practices for raising livestock. Industrial farming creates over-processed, over-traveled, and under-nourishing food that may contribute to health problems like obesity, diabetes and heart disease. This type of food production causes pollution and creates environmental and public health problems that cost taxpayers both money and quality of life. Sustainable Table was launched to offer consumers a choice and to show that fresh food from small, independent family farmers is still available.

I have been following them for quite a while and had the pleasure to meet Diane Hatz, the founder and Exec. Producer of the Meatrix video series.  (check out the video on the sidebar if you don’t know what this is).  Just recently, I started following them on Twitter, which introduced me to their blog: The Daily Table.  This has fantastic information about recommended summer reads and movies about food, information on school lunch programs, genetically modified foods and much, much more.

You can follow them on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/eatsustainable

please make Mc-D’s a Mc-Don’t

Seriously.  SERIOUSLY.

After you read this, if you need further proof that the agri-business, fast food, triple hamburger on every corner industry is not serving your best interest… well then, I hate to say it, but there is no hope for you.

McDonald’s Aims for a Low-Pesticide Potato for Its French Fries, via Reuters.

McDonald’s, the largest fast-food chain the world and the largest buyer of potatoes in the United States, is under pressure from shareholders to do something about pesticide use on the potatoes it buys. To avoid a shareholder resolution on the subject, McDonald’s has agreed to “survey its U.S. suppliers compile a list of best practices in pesticide reduction and recommend those best practices to its global suppliers.

Essentially, three major shareholders was threatening to demand that McDonald’s reduce its purchasing of pesticide laden potatoes.  But, since corporate decided to look into it on their own, it is not a “requirement”, as much as it is a, “it would be nice if you were to do this, please.”

First off, yummy to the pesticide filled french fries you all have been ingesting, unknowingly.

Second, just some information:

Potatoes have been on or near the list of the Environmental Working Group’s dirty dozen foods with the most pesticide residue for years. That means, according to a government analysis, that after a typical person buys a typical potato and prepares it in a typical way, it’s among the fruits and vegetables most likely to be laced with pesticides.

“Farmers often spray on a weekly basis, or even more frequently to try to prevent blight. They also spray herbicides to kill the tops of the plants at the end of the growing season to make the underground tubers easier to harvest. Over 40 toxic pesticides are used on potatoes including ethoprop, mancozeb, chlorothalonil, EPTC and metribuzin.

Most of these pesticides are linked to serious chronic effects such as cancer, endocrine disruption and reproductive/developmental effects. Many leach to groundwater and contaminate surface waters. Intensive potato cultivation and pesticides usage have been implicated in the high rates of rare cancers in young children in rural western Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. The island farming community of about 14,000 has experienced occurrences of osteosarcoma, several lymphomas, Ewing’s sarcoma, and a number of myeloid leukemia cases, all among children.”

So, the good news is that McDonald’s is under pressure to put its growers under pressure.  And, they are in a position to do that, since they buy a lot of potatoes.  The bad news.. is it too little too late?  And, pressure is one thing, demanding is another.

vegetarian for one day

Americans are addicted to their meat.  They eat a lot of it.  Too much, actually.

A recent United Nations report concluded that the meat industry causes almost 40% more greenhouse gas emissions than all the world’s transportation systems — that means ALL of the globe’s cars, trucks, planes and ships COMBINED.  This accounts for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere.

So, one reporter went on a mission to find out what could happen if every American went without meat for one day.  Here are the statistics:

 

If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would save:

• 100 billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the homes in New England for almost 4 months;
• 1.5 billion pounds of crops otherwise fed to livestock, enough to feed the state of New Mexico for more than a year;
• 70 million gallons of gas — enough to fuel all the cars of Canada and Mexico combined with plenty to spare;
• 3 million acres of land, an area more than twice the size of Delaware;
• 33 tons of antibiotics.

If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would prevent:

• Greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.2 million tons of CO2, as much as produced by all of France;
• 3 million tons of soil erosion and $70 million in resulting economic damages;
• 4.5 million tons of animal excrement;
• Almost 7 tons of ammonia emissions, a major air pollutant.

 

Don’t you think for all these benefits, it might be worth a try?  And then, after you try one day, try two days.  And just ever so slightly increase the vegetarian days… and think of how this one VERY SIMPLE thing could change the world!

For the original article go HERE.

dietary supplements.. for cows

I do not know what to say about this latest article.  I am left speechless.

I think we can all agree that livestock is terrible for the environment.  Why?  Because it damages land from over-grazing.  It contaminates the water from waste runoff.  It creates super bacteria because of all the antibiotics injected into the animals.  It makes us fat and sick because the cattle are raised in a manner not intended.  And, the animals release methane gas, a very dangerous greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.

Let’s talk about this last one for a brief moment.  

Cattle.  Cattle are the biggest culprit in releasing methane into the atmosphere.  I get the impression they walk around farting.  OK.  So… I am going to ask you a personal question…. why is it that you pass gas?  It’s cause something didn’t sit well with your stomach or intestines, right?

So, why do you think animals pass gas?  I think it is safe to assume that it is because they have eaten something that doesn’t sit well with their bodies.  Which is the case.

Cattle are ruminants.  They have evolved to digest what we can’t.  Grass.  But, it isn’t economical to feed them grass, and we have a surplus of corn.  So, we put two and two together and started giving cattle grain.  And now they have upset stomachs and they fart and we have bad air. Ta Da!

So… how do you think we should fix this?  You would think it would be as simple as “let them eat grass!”  But no.  We are going to start giving cattle fish oil supplements, according to the Environmental News Network.

I don’t know…. I’m so over the meat thing.  I really wish people would just stop eating it.  Or, start raising them correctly so the animals aren’t treated cruelly.

what is it about this hormone?

For some reason Estrogen is a hormone that loves to be mimicked.  Add to that the fact that we (The United States) love to add this mimickers into our food and water supply.

We have already discussed, at length, the addition of Bisphenol-A and phthalates to a variety of items and the affect they are having on our infants and children.  Now, scientists have identified two food additives that could be possible hormone mimickers, as well: propyl gallate and 4-hexyl resorcinol, according to Environmental Health News.

In the study, the scientists used computer models to test 1500 chemicals for estrogen mimicking properties, which brought the potential culprits down to thirteen.  When those thirteen were exposed to cells, two of them (listed above) were confirmed as “xenoestrogens”.

Propyl gallate is the more common additive which is used to prevent fats and oils from spoiling that can be found in a range of foods including baked goods, shortening, dried meats, candy, fresh pork sausage, mayonnaise and dried milk.  4-hexyl resorcinol is a chemical used to prevent shrimp, lobster and other shellfish from discoloring.

It is important to note that of the 3000 food additives used none of them are required to go through stringent testing, per the FDA.  In fact, just over half that have actually been tested for toxicology reports.  

 

Globally, the market for additives is expected to reach more than $33 billion by 2012. There are five main reasons that companies add compounds to food: to emulsify, to preserve, to add nutritional content, to add flavor or color and to balance alkalinity and acids.

 

“With some 3,000 compounds being used in food formulations there may be other additives with estrogenic properties that come to light with these types of studies,” Hicks said.

 

Using the traditional animal testing system, “it would be impossible to test all of the additives in a short time,” Cozzini said. “Every day we discover new molecules, and we must continue to identify new ways to study them.”

my house smells good

For the last few years, I have been convinced I have an issue with gluten.  It was very simple: I ate bread, I cramped up.  I didn’t eat bread, I was fine.  I am good with deductive reasoning and so, voila, I stopped eating bread.

However, I always wanted to learn how to bake bread.  I considered it the final frontier of my cooking prowess.  So, I set out to teach myself to make the crusty goodness.

Getting books from the library, I read and studied and researched and then got in the kitchen.  Some loaves, not so great.  Other loaves, wonderful!  And, the best news… in moderation… I CAN EAT MY BREAD.

I have decided that it is because I am not adding anything to my bread like preservatives or chemicals or what-have-you to extend its shelf-life.  The bread simply contains flour, water, yeast… and other ingredients as the recipe calls for it.

I am not a fantastic photographer, but I did take some pictures for you to see the fun process

BREAD RISING

BAKED BREAD

No. 2

Kathleen Merrigan.

Many women have broken the ceilings with their placement in the Obama Administration.  But, this woman… you should be very happy about.

Many people were very upset when Obama picked his Secretary of Agriculure, Iowa governor Tom Vilsack.  Vilsack has a great relationship with big agribusiness.  Many feel his ties to the corn and biotech industries are a little too close. But things may be moving in a great direction with the appointment of Merrigan to Deputy Secretary for the USDA.  

Here are some facts:

- director of the agriculture, food and environment program at Tufts University

- an academic and former congressional aide who helped write federal organic food-labeling rules.

- Expert Consultant to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 

Why is her appointment so important?   Because most people credit the Deputy Secretary as the person who gets things done.  And, as we all know, we need things changed in almost every area of our food policies.  

Congratulations, Ms. Merrigan!  I look forward to following what you do.

review: Auntie Em’s

 

by Amy Swanton Mills

A friend told me about Auntie Em’s over dinner on Sunday. It sounded too good to be true. Fresh, organic, local produce delivered to your door? Recipes provided with each delivery so you know how to turn that produce into something delicious? All for around $40 a week? I was amazed. How had I not heard about this before?

I checked out the website, and everything my friend told me was true. (Not that I thought she was lying, I just wanted to verify things for myself.) They will also deliver prepared meals, such as Organic Chicken Gumbo, Free Range Lamb Tagine and many others, including plenty of vegetarian choices. How great is that?

So many people, when I tell them we get most of our food from the Farmer’s market, say things like, “Oh, I’d love to get things from the Farmer’s Market, I just don’t have the time to go.” Or, “I buy fruits and vegetables and then I don’t know what to do with them.” I have to admit, my husband does all the schlepping of produce from his biweekly trips to the Farmer’s Market. My inner curmudgeon can’t stand navigating through dozens of shrieking children and aimlessly wandering adults, all set to the tune of bad folk music, just to fetch a few items for dinner. (This description only refers to my experience with the Sunday Farmer’s Market in Santa Monica.  I don’t want to scare anyone away from the more “professional” Farmer’s Markets that occur during the week.)

So, if you don’t have the time, or the inclination, to deal with going to a Farmer’s Market, you can still support local, organic, sustainable farmers through the great service that is Auntie Em’s!

Click here for all the info:  http://www.auntieemsdelivery.com

reason 4,789,253 to grow organically

If you have visited this site occasionally, you know that we have strong feelings about corn and its use as a commodity crop.  Well, new data released today has not done much to change our feelings.

Research indicates that heavy rainfall expected because of climate change will exacerbate the effects of increased fertilizer use for corn-based ethanol production, causing a significant increase in nitrogen levels in rivers, according to Environmental Science and Technology.

Roughly 25% of the fertilizer used to grow crops makes it into our water supply. But that percentage changes depending on the type of land use, because the more fertilizer-dependent the agriculture is, the higher the concentrations of nitrogen entering water bodies. Corn is one of the most dependent crops on fertilizers and pesticides due to its constant manipulation to produce more and more as a commodity.  As a result of the fertilizers being released into our water systems, dead zones are created in many of our rivers, lakes and oceans.  

Currently, we know what to expect in terms of nitrogen quantities because of current levels of rainfall.  But what happens when rainfall gets heavier due to climate change?

The authors also found that a 7-fold increase in nitrogen input from humans caused river nitrogen levels to increase 8-fold, but when the rainfall increases by 7-fold, nitrogen levels double in the rivers. This suggests that human impact is greater than that of climate on the nitrogen levels, especially in agricultural areas.

However, the good news is that if farmers move towards organic means and decrease their pesticide and fertilizer use, the impact is seen immediately in our water supply.

review: Nook Bistro

 

by Amy Swanton Mills

Nook Bistro is aptly named.  It is situated in a deep, dark corner of a mini-mall, which also holds a Western Bagel, a nail salon and a dry cleaner.  This is the kind of place that you don’t just stumble upon, but once you’ve found it, you return frequently. 

The décor is simple and modern, making good use of concrete floors, exposed beams and ductwork, and large mirrors.  You feel like you’re eating in a loft, which is unexpected considering the location. For a small space they did a great job making it feel open and airy. The noise level is on the boisterous side, but it isn’t intolerable.  There is a large, communal table down the center of the restaurant, which is a little less intimate and noisy, but the tables around the perimeter afford a quieter experience.  

Nook has something on the menu for everyone, except maybe that friend that’s always on a diet.  The dishes are straightforward and hearty, and are aptly described as being “American Bistro.” I’ve eaten here many times, and always have to order the Shitake and Gruyere Bread Pudding or the Macaroni and Cheese sides.  They are really rich, but so delicious I can’t resist them!  For a main course, I usually go for the Maple Mustard Glazed Ribeye, which uses Meyer Ranch certified humane ribeye, and comes garnished with baked apples and crispy onion rings.  I always save a little room for dessert, which includes several decadent choices. 

They do serve wine and beer as well as soft drinks.  The wine and beer list is eclectic and complements the food nicely.  They have great coffee and tea selections for after dinner, but I’m usually too full to partake!  Nook is a great little restaurant that really strives to please and do the right thing where food is concerned.  I can only hope that more people will make the right choice and support places like Nook, rather than the big chains that serve sub-par processed food at the same price point.  

For more information visit their site at http://www.nookbistro.com

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