World Vegan Day

So… October 1st was World Vegetarian Day, but I missed it. So, I thought I would acknowledge World Vegan Day which is tomorrow, November 1st.

There is just no arguing anymore that reducing your meat intact is one of the best things you can do for the environment. The factory culture of the meat industry has resulted in poorer quality of meat, dead zones in our oceans due to waste material seeping into our water systems, every increasing levels of methane gas, not to mention an atmosphere of animal abuse and cruelty.

So, I ask you to take a pledge to change your eating habits. If you don’t want to go vegan or vegetarian, I understand. But cut down your meat intake. Don’t eat meat tomorrow. And then pick another day next week that you don’t eat meat. Then two more.

The website I link to above… it has a FREE vegan cookbook available. I mean… how much easier could you get!?

here are some links about meat and the environment:
Go Veg
The New Scientist
A report from NPR

it isn’t supposed to be this way

There was a time when kidney stones were an “old” persons disease. A new article in the New York Times examines the increase of this disease in children as young as five.

The most likely cause is the increase of salt intact, in conjunction with a decrease of water intake. Many of the children in China that drank milk with the chemical Melamine, were also found to have high rates of stones.

You can find the whole article HERE.

I know that times are tough and parents are doing the best that they can. But, maybe the best is not getting prepackaged, preserved food for their child’s meals. We know that the number one way they preserve it is by adding a ton of sodium. The article also says that the children don’t drink water, because they don’t want to leave class to go to the restroom. OK. First, that is heartbreaking. Second, it is going to be easier to fix what they eat then the social stigma of being a bed or pant wetter, right?

We already had to change the name of “Adult Onset Diabetes”. Let’s stop the creation of Pediatric Kidney Stone care.

I bless the rains down in Africa

The United Nations Environment Programme released a report today indicating that new evidence suggests that organic practices – derided by some as a Western lifestyle fad – are delivering sharp increases in yields, improvements in the soil and a boost in the income of Africa’s small farmers.

An analysis of 114 projects in 24 African countries found that yields had more than doubled where organic, or near-organic practices had been used. That increase in yield jumped to 128 per cent in east Africa.

“Organic farming can often lead to polarized views,” said Mr Steiner, a former economist. “With some viewing it as a saviour and others as a niche product or something of a luxury… this report suggests it could make a serious contribution to tackling poverty and food insecurity.”

Because the farmers are saving money on fertilizers, pesticides and by not buying GMO seeds, they have money for themselves. They also are using that surplus in income to buy a variation of seed types, which not only allows for sustainable and local practices, but is also benefiting the soil through crop rotation.

All in all… it’s good!

Click HERE for the article.

food, glorious food

You may have visited a Farmer’s Market and wondered… “yeah, this is great, but what the heck am I supposed to do with a yardlong bean??”

I know that it can be daunting to be presented with that variety, some of which is unrecognizable, get frustrated and go back to what you know how to cook, even if it is bought at Ralph’s and shipped from New Zealand.

So here are 5 simple tips to getting the most out of your FarMar.

1.) go prepared:

know what’s in season in your area. In many area’s, Greenopia is a great place to start as they have a “seasonal” section. Bring cash… they don’t take anything else and you would be sadly disappointed to go there to no avail. And, go early! You want the best selection and the FarMar’s are getting crowded nowadays.

2.) Ask questions

The farmer’s know the most about their food. They know how to pick the ripest, they know how to take care of it once it is home (refrigerate or counter top), and they know the best ways to prepare it. If they don’t carry “the” item, they know who on the lot does carry the best of “it”. Ask them where their farm is, if they use pesticides, etc., etc. These men and women are there because they love their job, so they want to talk about it. But, like any store, they want you to keep coming back, so they are desperate to please the consumer.

3.) Get it while you can

The point of a FarMar is seasonality… you like blueberries, but it is close tot he end of season. Buy a whole darn bunch and freeze, can, or overdose. To truly eat locally and sustainably… you shouldn’t be eating things off season. So expand your skills and you can have what you like all year round.

4.) Open your mind

be open to what is out there. Yes, we know you don’t know how to prepare yardlong beans, but the farmer does. Did you know in your lifetime, you probably eat the same 25 food items? Did you know that may be why we have such a prevalence of cancer? Variety, literally, is the spice of life. Ask to sample, ask for recipes, ask for help. The farmer’s love being in conversation about it. So make their day great!

5.) know what to skip

If someone is selling those infamous blueberries in January… you may want to reconsider going to them. They may be grown in a hothouse, with acceptable pesticides and growth technologies. And even though it is local, it could still have an environmental impact that you don’t support.

Hope this helps and maybe I will see you at the FarMar!!

A listing of local markets can be found HERE.

Top 10

Reasons to buy local food:

1.) Tastes better
2.) better for you
3.) preserves genetic diversity… we know how important THAT is.
4.) GMO free
5.) supports local farm families
6.) build a stronger community
7.) preserves open space
8.) keeps your taxes in check
9.) supports a clean environment and benefits wildlife
10.) it’s about the future

Go HERE for the whole article.
Go HERE to find your local farmer’s market.

the meanings behind

FOOD LABELS:

Free-Range or Free-Roaming: You probably most often see this term stamped on eggs, but it’s also used on chicken and other meat to suggest that the animal has spent a good portion of its life outdoors. Consumer Reports says, though, that the standards for these terms are weak, and the rule for the label is only that outdoor access be made available for “an undetermined period each day.” So those free range eggs could mean that the chicken who laid them lived in a coop where the door was open for five minutes a day. Roaming free? We don’t think so.

the seeds of change

YAY!!! Seems like something is changing and it feels so, so good.

Japan’s Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Cooperative (SCCC) have been meeting with farmer’s in the midwest to attain non-GMO seeds to bring back to their country. It has been getting more and more diffucult to get non-GMP seeds, while the demand for non-GMO raised animals and crops has been growing.

This is good for us, because it is nearly impossible to get non-GMO outside of the US, therefore causing our desire to continue down this path.

“Consumer rejection of GM foods overseas continues to galvanize non-GM markets. And since most countries, Japan included, do not grow GM crops domestically, consumers in those countries know that their preferences can influence market supply. That’s why SCCC representatives brought to the U.S. a statement from the “No! GMO Campaign,” comprised of 53 farmer, consumer, and public interest groups opposing the U.S. cultivation of GM sugar beets and the import of its byproduct, beet pulp, for livestock feed. Their message to U.S. food and feed producers is clear: Beware of international market losses.”

Click HERE for the whole article.

Also, I found a website that is listing products that are certified as non-GMO. Check it out. It may be useful if you want to ensure what you are putting in that body of yours. Go HERE.

*And, fyi, there is a comment in the article about the growth of GMO sugar beets. I do not have much information on this, but will research and share what I find out.

Farmer in Chief

Oh me, oh my… I do like Michael Pollan.

Yesterday, he wrote a great, albeit long, article for the New York Times about our food crisis. I think it is really, REALLY important that everyone read this. You can find it HERE.

It is a letter to the next President about a major upcoming issue that is NOT being addressed.

“Which brings me to the deeper reason you will need not simply to address food prices but to make the reform of the entire food system one of the highest priorities of your administration: unless you do, you will not be able to make significant progress on the health care crisis, energy independence or climate change. Unlike food, these are issues you did campaign on — but as you try to address them you will quickly discover that the way we currently grow, process and eat food in America goes to the heart of all three problems and will have to change if we hope to solve them”

can I have some vegetables with my chemicals, please?

I am not a parent, nor do I think I will ever choose to be one, so I always approach my thoughts on how to a raise a child with a wee bit of apprehension. “Who am I?” you might ask to judge a parent. I understand that point of concern, and I honor it. And, I just have to say that I just read an article that disgusts me.

It seems there is this parent that has a child who doesn’t like his vegetables. She has tried everything to no avail… what is she to do? So she tries chemicals. She orders a “kit”, for $200, no less!!!!

“While high-end foodie gift boxes are usually filled with spices or chocolates, this one contains calcium gluconolactate, powdered xanthan gum, agar agar, and lecithin”

I am happy to hear that her son didn’t like the creations from the lab, however, hope is not lost “with more experimentation, no doubt, I could form more perfect jellied marbles.”

Are you kidding? Stop it! Just, stop it! Stop being nice to your spoiled brat and tell him that he won’t get TV unless he eats some broccoli. That will make him masticate with delight. The way we cater to children is unbelievable. And, what is so tragic about this is that by foregoing actual parenting, she may have created a child that is addicted to HFCS, transfats, salts, and anything else you can imagine, resulting in obesity, resulting in bad health.

To the parent… grow up!

breath of fresh air

Last week I wrote about the bailout being about credit and the banks not making loans, and how this effects us. Today, an amazing article came by me about a town in Vermont that is dealing with this financial turmoil in a pretty revolutionary way.

They are coming together as a community.

Not only that… but they are focusing on my favorite topic: FOOD!!

“Facing a Main Street dotted with vacant stores, residents of this hardscrabble community of 3,000 are reaching into its past to secure its future, betting on farming to make Hardwick the town that was saved by food.”

The article illustrates a truly inspirational way to come together as a group and collectively save ourselves from economic hardship. I think we could all learn an amazing lesson from this.

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