Adventures in Eating Locally

New Blog: Rhubarb and Honey

2010-03-07T14:36:00.001-06:00

Thanks for visiting Adventures in Eating Locally.

After two years of maintaining two separate food blogs, I've decided to combine them into one new blog hosted on its own domain: Rhubarb and Honey.

Please update any links, feeds, and/or bookmarks to Adventures in Eating Locally you may have.

I hope to see you all at Rhubarb and Honey!

Farmers' Market Haul

2010-03-01T21:55:00.004-06:00

I stopped by the Maplewood Winter Market on Saturday, and what did I see? Spinach ... big, beautiful bags of spinach.

I have been waiting for something green to arrive at the market; for me, it is a welcome sign that Spring is almost here ... and with Spring comes more and more fruits and veggetables. But even though the market isn't teeming with produce yet, there are still lots of local goodies available to us here in St. Louis. What delights did I bring home?

Silent Oaks spinach, butternut squash, and garlic
Prairie Grass Farm ground lamb
Sunflower Savannah dried chile peppers
Esthers Honey

There is one more winter market at Schlafly (Saturday, March 27th) before the weekly market starts back up in April ... and I can't wait to see whether any more "green" makes an appearence.

Destroying Rainforests for Processed Food: Another Reason to Eat Local

2010-02-21T10:54:00.005-06:00

We all know there are many reasons why one should choose to eat as locally as possible, but I bet many people probably aren't aware of this one: the fact that rainforests are being destroyed to make processed food.

Palm oil is a common ingredient in General Mills brands and products, from Betty Crocker and Pillsbury to Nature Valley Granola Bars and Yogurt Burst Cheerios. Demand for palm oil from US companies such as General Mills has tripled in the last five years. This need for palm oil—and their processing plantations—has led to the clearing and burning of rainforests in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, which has put Indigenous and forest-dependent people in jeopardy, as well as endangered species like orangutans, Sumatran tigers, and elephants.

While General Mills has expressed concern about rainforest destruction for palm oil and begun to engage its suppliers, they must sever relationships with palm oil suppliers, such as Cargill, that are causing rainforest destruction, and make a commitment to source socially and environmentally responsible palm oil. You can help urge General Mills to take this much needed step by signing the Rainforest Action Network petition to be sent to the CEO of General Mills.

Of course, avoiding processed foods and eating as locally as possible means that the need for palm oil for food production disappears, and thus, so does some of the destruction of the rainforests (palm oil is also used for industrial purposes, mostly for fuel, and ironically, for bio-fuels perceived to be "green," but that's a separate discussion). In addition, palm oil contains mostly saturated (83%) and some unsaturated fatty (13%) acids, which means it isn't the most heart-healthy fat out there. To me, those are plenty of reasons to avoid it entirely.

However, I am a realist and know that people are still going to buy processed foods, including those from General Mills that contain palm oil, so let's make sure those foods are doing as little damage to the environment as possible.

Obama Administration Details Healthy Food Financing Initiative

2010-02-19T15:53:00.007-06:00

Today, the Obama Administration released details of an over $400 million Healthy Food Financing Initiative included in President Obama's 2011 budget proposal, which hopes to bring grocery stores and other healthy food retailers to underserved urban and rural communities across America.

The initiative was announced by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The two cabinet members appeared with First Lady Michelle Obama, who recently launched the Let's Move! campaign to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation.

[Video of First Lady Michelle Obama talking about the Let's Move! campaign]

The Healthy Food Financing Initiative will promote a range of interventions that expand access to nutritious foods, including developing and equipping grocery stores and other small businesses and retailers selling healthy food in communities that currently lack these options. Residents of these communities, which are sometimes called "food deserts" and are often found in economically distressed areas, are typically served by fast food restaurants and convenience stores that offer little or no fresh produce. Lack of healthy, affordable food options can lead to higher levels of obesity and other diet-related diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Through this new multi-year Healthy Food Financing Initiative and by engaging with the private sector, the Obama Administration will work to eliminate food deserts across the country within seven years. With the first year of funding, the Administration's initiative will leverage enough investments to begin expanding healthy foods options into as many as one-fifth of the nation's food deserts and create thousands of jobs in urban and rural communities across the nation.

To help community leaders identify the food deserts in their area, USDA recently launched a Food Environment Atlas.. This new online tool allows for the identification of counties where, for example, more than 40% of the residents have low incomes and live more than one mile from a grocery store. Nationwide, USDA estimates that 23.5 million people, including 6.5 million children, live in low-income areas that are more than a mile from a supermarket. Of the 23.5 million, 11.5 million are low-income individuals in households with incomes at or below 200% of the poverty line. Of the 2.3 million people living in low-income rural areas that are more than 10 miles from a supermarket, 1.1 million are low-income.

"Our effort to improve access to healthy and affordable food is a critically important step toward First Lady Michelle Obama's goal to solve the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation," said Agriculture Secretary Vilsack. "The Healthy Food Financing Initiative will enhance access to healthy and affordable choices in struggling urban and rural communities, create jobs and economic development, and establish market opportunities for farmers and ranchers."

Effective local programs, such as those in Pennsylvania, have shown that well-targeted financial and technical assistance can create viable businesses that provide healthier options in communities that lack access to healthy foods. These investments not only improve food options, but also create jobs, help revitalize distressed communities, and, importantly, open up new markets for farmers to sell their products, which can provide an economic boost to rural America. By better connecting producers and consumers, a stronger connection between cities and rural parts of the country can be built, which helps create new opportunities for farmers and ranchers.

Through the joint initiative, which was included in the President's Budget for 2011, the Departments of Treasury, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services (HHS) would make available more than $400 million in financial and technical assistance to community development financial institutions, other nonprofits, and businesses with sound strategies for addressing the healthy food needs of communities. The initiative will make available a mix of federal tax credits, below-market rate loans, loan guarantees, and grants to attract private sector capital that will more than double the total investment. Federal funds will support projects ranging from the construction or expansion of a grocery store to smaller-scale interventions such as placing refrigerated units stocked with fresh produce in convenience stores.

"Encouraging people to choose fresh, nutritious food is important," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "But to achieve that goal that kind of food must be available, and in far too many parts of our country—both urban and rural communities—that's not the case. This collaborative initiative is a creative way to help solve that problem, while at the same time working to strengthen the economy of low-income communities through business development and job creation."

Each of the three agencies brings a particular expertise and set of resources to the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, specifically:

The Treasury Department will support private sector financing of healthy foods options in distressed urban and rural communities. Through the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) and financial assistance to Treasury-certified community development financial institutions (CDFIs), Treasury has a proven track record in expanding access to nutritious foods by catalyzing private sector investment. The Healthy Foods Financing Initiative builds on that track record, with $250 million in authority for the NMTC and $25 million for financial assistance to CDFIs devoted to helping finance healthy food options.

The Department of Agriculture specializes in improving access to healthy foods through nutrition assistance programs, creating business opportunities for America's farmers, and promoting economic development in rural areas. USDA's proposed funding level of $50 million will support more than $150 million in public and private investments in the form of loans, grants, promotion, and other programs that can provide financial and technical assistance to enhance access to healthy foods in under-served communities, expand demand and retail outlets for farm products, and increase the availability of locally and regionally produced foods.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) specializes in community-based efforts to improve the economic and physical health of people in distressed areas. HHS will dedicate up to $20 million in Community Economic Development program funds to the Healthy Food Financing Initiative. Through the CED program, HHS will award competitive grants to Community Development Corporations to support projects that finance grocery stores, farmers markets, and other sources of fresh nutritious food. These projects will serve the dual purposes of facilitating access to healthy food options while creating job and business development opportunities in low-income communities, particularly since grocery stores often serve as anchor institutions in commercial centers.

Since millions of Americans walk out their front doors every day and see nothing but fast food and convenience stores that sell high-fat, high-sugar, processed foods, this initiative is extremely important as all people need access to healthy, locally-produces food. However, it's important to note that this is still just a funding recommendation, but you can help to make sure that this recommendation stands up to the budget resolution and reconciliation process. Change.org has created an online petition, which you can sign to tell Congress to fully fund the national Healthy Food Financing Initiative.

If the funds are approved, I will be very interested to see whether any money finds its way to St. Louis, and if so, how it's used. I think we can agree that it's needed here.

Good Gardening, Good Food

2010-02-16T21:29:00.006-06:00

It doesn't get more local than growing the food you consume in your own backyard. And to that end, I am excited to announce that Slow Food St. Louis, in conjunction with Schlafly Bottleworks and Brick City Gardens, have launched their "Good Gardening, Good Food" program — a series of workshops and films focused on organic gardening and other urban homesteading activities.

All of the workshops will be held on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue) in Maplewood. The cost is $45 per workshop or you can attend all six workshops for $210 – a savings of $60.

I've listed all of the workshops below, and to find out what movies are being shown, just visit the link above (all films are shown in the Crown Room at Schlafly Bottleworks; admission is free, but donations are appreciated).

March 20: No-Till Vegetable Gardening

Mother Nature doesn't plow the soil to plant her seeds and neither must you. Learn how to grow a garden using labor-saving, no-till methods that prepare and fertilize the soil simply by adding mulch and compost to the surface. This modern, organic approach has many advantages as it saves time and labor, preserves the life of earthworms and other beneficial soil life, prevents erosion and soil compaction, and greatly reduces weed growth and evaporation of water. In doing so, it more easily grows beautiful, healthy plants. Taught by Patrice Gros, a certified organic vegetable farmer from Eureka Springs, Arkansas, who has been using no-till methods at Foundation Farm for 12 seasons. He also teaches workshops and trains aspiring farmers at Foundation Farm School.

April 3: Chickens 101 - Raising Chickens in the City

Provide your family with truly fresh, organic eggs by learning how to keep chickens in your backyard. This comprehensive workshop tells you everything you need to know, from coop design and feed formulas to city ordinances governing urban livestock. Taught by Julia Weese Young, a long-time urban chicken farmer who teaches classes on raising chickens.

April 10: The Art and Science of Composting

Homemade organic compost is the best thing you can add to your garden. Composting is a living process in which ordinary ingredients are transformed into a magical substance that fertilizes plants, conserves water, introduces healthy microbes, and prevents disease. Learn how to recycle your leaves, grass clippings and food scraps into the "black gold" that will grow a healthy, abundant garden. We will cover thermal composting, worm composting, and biodynamic starters. Taught by Frank LeBeau, an organic market gardener, landscaper, and farm hand.

April 24: Permaculture – Creating a Backyard Garden of Eden

Permaculture is based on the design of nature. It was formulated by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren who carefully observed how native plants grew in the wild. By applying their understanding they have created abundant "food forests" in various climates around the world. Their designs bring plants, sun, soil, rain and organic matter together to create self-sustaining, "permanent agricultural" gardens. Once established, these gardens require minimal maintenance and produce a cornucopia of crops for generations. Taught by Bill Wilson, the co-founder of Midwest Permaculture in Stelle, Illinois, and a teacher of permaculture courses throughout the United States.

May 1: Beyond Organic Gardening

Grow healthy, nutritious crops using the most advanced ecologic practices. Learn how to create raised garden beds with well-structured soil and a correct mineral profile. Discover how to create a "living soil" with beneficial microbes that provide fertility and protect plants from disease. Triple normal garden yields by using intensive planting design and biodynamic preparations. Taught by Mark Trela, a biodynamic farmer from Terra Haute, Indiana, with 25 years experience growing wine grapes, cut flowers, and vegetables, and Frank LeBeau.

May 8: Wildly Abundant Gardening – Controlling Pests and Providing Fertility Naturally

Grow a luscious, healthy, pest-free garden. Learn how to make safe and effective organic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers from inexpensive household products. Control weeds and prevent plant diseases by using compost teas, companion planting, and attracting beneficial insects that eat the bad bugs.

To register for any or all of the workshops, call Sue Kaiser at 314-630-5910 or e-mail her at brickcitygardens@yahoo.com ... see you there!

Lazy Video Thursday: Serving Up Michael Pollan

2010-02-11T22:18:00.007-06:00

Okay ... I think we all know how this blogging thing goes; some days, the words just flow, other days, they don't. Some days, you're a writing machine; other days, you're not. Today is one of those days.

But, never fear, intrepid readers of Adventures in Eating Locally ... I have something better than words ... video!

(No, not video of me; trust me ... no one wants to see that.)

Michael Pollan, one of the best-known names in food-related issues, recently published a new book about health and food. Food Rules: An Eater's Manual is a set of memorable ideas for eating wisely. Many of them are drawn from a variety of ethnic or cultural traditions. Whether at the supermarket or an all-you-can-eat buffet, this handy, pocket-size resource is for people who would like to become more mindful of what they are eating.

In this video, Pollan talks about why people are confused about food, why you shouldn't buy 'nonfat' or 'lite', his rules for finding real food, and what food marketers are saying about him.

The video is a little over an hour, but it's well worth your time. Oh yeah, here are my favorite food rules from Pollan:

#19 If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't.

#39 Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.

#64: Break the rules once in a while.

Protecting Organic Food From GE Crops and Other Things Monsanto

2010-02-03T17:00:00.009-06:00

I recently started following @WithoutMonsanto on Twitter.

@WithoutMonsanto's real name is April Davila, and she writes the blog A Month Without Monsanto. April started her blog after a friend posted a link to an article in the Huffington Post, "Monsanto's GMO Corn Linked to Organ Failure, Study Reveals," on her Facebook page. She says that "after reading the article, my instinct to stick it to the man compelled me swear off all things Monsanto for good. How hard could it be?"

Apparently, it's going to be quite hard because according to April almost "everything from last night's steak, to the Cheez-Its on our desk, owe their existence to Monsanto" ... and unfortunately, she's right. April's month without Monsanto starts March 1st ... I know I'll be tuning in. Good luck, April!

Oh, and while we're on the topic, here's a little something to ponder from the Food Team at Food & Water Watch:

"Many people are concerned about eating genetically engineered foods because of possible health risks. Unfortunately, the US Department of Agriculture is getting closer to approving Monsanto's genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa, despite the fact that it's likely to contaminate other crops, including organic alfalfa. Almost all organic dairies are dependent upon organic alfalfa, and organic standards don't allow the use of GE crops.

The USDA has studied the possible contamination issues with this perennial crop. They admit there could be problems, but claim they don't know if the contamination of organic alfalfa would matter to consumers of organic food. This is ridiculous, since avoiding genetically engineered ingredients is one of the biggest reasons people seek out organic foods.

We need to tell the USDA loud and clear that consumers want foods that are free from genetic engineering. Click here to tell the USDA that consumers do care, and they should reject genetically engineered alfalfa.

Taking Responsibility for What You Eat

2010-01-28T21:22:00.006-06:00

Buying groceries used to be so much easier for me. A few coupons and some well-timed food commercials were all I needed to point me toward what to eat for the week. Nowadays, my trips up and down the grocery aisle have become trickier because the journey food takes from the farm to my plate has become more important to me than saving a few cents.

Did you know that the average US meal comes from five different nations and that food now travels 1,500 miles on average from farm to market? That means those off-season vegetables and fruits you consume are often ripened in a box rather than on the vine ... and they leave some big carbon footprints all over our kitchens. For me, I choose to eat both locally and seasonally instead.

Eating both locally and seasonally has some very straightforward benefits for both foodies and farmers. Farmers who sell directly to local consumers can focus on freshness, nutrition, and taste instead of the shelf life of their crops. Eating locally helps local economies because farmers who sell to local customers receive the full retail value of their crop. Buying directly from local farmers also encourages the use of farmland for farming, preserving open space and keeping sprawling development in check.

Why else should you eat locally and seasonally grown foods?

Connection. Eating locally connects you to the seasons, and it also connects you to the people who grow your food.

Safety. If you are concerned about food safety issues, buying local can help alleviate some of your fears, especially when you buy direct from the farmer. Most farmers enjoy telling you about their farm and farming methods, and some even offer tours.

Fun. Make it a family tradition to go to the farmers market each week, visit a u-pick apple orchard, or plant your own vegetable garden. No matter how you approach eating locally, you are sure to have a good time.

I mentioned above that my trips to the grocery store have become trickier, but it's really not that bad. St. Louis is home to a number of farmers' markets, some even operating during the winter, so being able to get fresh, local ingredients is only a neighborhood or two away. In addition, we're lucky to have a grocery store (Local Harvest Grocery) that carries a rich variety of homegrown fruits and vegetables, as well as locally produced goods such as dairy, eggs, and meats.

More than anything these days, my food decisions aren't about what to buy; they're about what to make with what's available each season ... and thanks to the wonders of the Internet, 1000's of recipes are only a click away!

No More Belly Bombers: Rethinking School Lunch

2010-01-26T16:11:00.005-06:00

While the main focus of this blog is on eating locally in St. Louis, I think it's important to also look at what's going on in the world at large ... you know, it's that whole "Think Globally, Act Locally" thing.

One of the major topics being discussed at the national level is the school lunch ... or shall I say, what constitutes a school lunch today. Not much if you ask me (or better yet, follow Mrs. Q, a teacher who is eating school lunch every day in 2010, at Fed Up: School Lunch Project).

One of the main proponents for school lunch reform is Slow Food USA; their Time for Lunch campaign encourages parents, teachers, and every responsible citizen to tell Congress that it's time to provide children with real food at school before the Child Nutrition Act is up for reauthorization later this year.

Recently, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of $25 million in grants to help schools operating a National School Lunch Program (NSLP) replace outdated equipment with new, energy-efficient appliances such as refrigerators, ovens, and other food service related equipment. The new funding, authorized in accordance with the Child Nutrition Act, is a one-time fiscal year 2010 appropriation to State educational agencies. Of this money, Missouri will receive $454,359.

"President Obama and I are committed to ensuring that America's children have access to safe and nutritious food through our National School Lunch Program." — Secretary Vilsack

"President Obama and I are committed to ensuring that America's children have access to safe and nutritious food through our National School Lunch Program," said Secretary Vilsack. "These grants will help schools obtain much needed infrastructure to better serve their students and will focus on equipment that helps schools provide nutritious meals, support food safety efforts, improve energy efficiency, and expand participation in school nutrition programs."

As mandated by the legislation, the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will award these grants to school food authorities that participate in the NSLP and that did not receive an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 grant for NSLP equipment assistance in FY 2009. Additionally, priority will be given to schools where 50% or more of the students are eligible for free or reduced price meals under the NSLP.

"One of USDA's top priorities is to provide our children well-balanced, healthy meals and snacks during their school day." — Secretary Vilsack

"One of USDA's top priorities is to provide our children well-balanced, healthy meals and snacks during their school day," said Secretary Vilsack. "Lunches provided by USDA's National School Lunch Program help children develop healthy eating and lifestyle choices."

Operating in over 100,000 public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions nationwide, the goal of the NSLP, in concert with FNS's other nutrition assistance programs, is to form a national safety net against hunger and provide school children of all economic backgrounds with a well-balanced, healthy meal designed to meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Unfortunately, the word healthy seems to have been ignored. While I applaud this latest effort, we still need to do more to get better food in schools.

As I mentioned above, Congress is currently considering reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, which provides the outline for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Administration priorities include eliminating barriers that keep children from participating in school nutrition programs, improving the quality of school meals and the health of the school environment, and enhancing program performance.

I urge parents, teachers, and even those of you who don't have children (which I don't, but I sure want my nephew Ben to eat well when he starts school), to do your part to tell Congress what needs to be done to bring the word "healthy" back into school lunch; visit Slow Food USA's Time for Lunch site and sign the petition to show Congress that thousands of people across America support giving kids real food at school.

New Year, Winter Markets, Urban Homesteading, Oh My!

2010-01-15T14:52:00.011-06:00

Happy New Year! Yes, yes ... I know it's not January 1st, but I dealt with that over on my other blog, Everybody Loves Cheese.

If you happened to venture over there and read my New Year's post, you'll see that one of my resolutions for 2010 is to blog more. So, without further ado ...

I haven't made it to any of the winter farmers' markets this season, and to be honest, I desperately miss them! I am going to list the remaining dates for both the Maplewood Farmer's Market Indoor Pantry and the St. Louis Community Farmers' Market (ie, "the indoor Tower Grove market") below in hopes that I make to every remaining one. After all, one my resolutions is to follow my "90/10 rule" 100% so shopping at the winter markets is a must!

Maplewood Farmer's Market (located in the Crown Room at Schlafly Bottleworks):

Saturday, January 30th, 9:00 am- 1:00 pm
Saturday, February 27th, 9:00 am- 1:00 pm
Saturday, March 27th, 9:00 am- 1:00 pm

St. Louis Community Farmers' Market (located in St. John's Episcopal Church, 3664 Arsenal, 63116)

Saturday, February 13th, 9:00 am- 1:00 pm
Saturday, March 13th, 9:00 am- 1:00 pm
Saturday, April 10th, 9:00 am- 1:00 pm

Finally, I wanted to let you know that Slow Food St. Louis is kicking off their 2010 Urban Homesteading Series tomorrow.

Through a series of workshops and films, Slow Food St. Louis will explore vermiculture, home-brewing, lacto fermentation, cheese making, beekeeping, gardening, canning, composting, and other related topics.

They're starting the year with "Vermicompost 101," hosted by Sara Allin. This kid-friendly workshop will be held tomorrow, Saturday, January 16th, from 10am to 12pm at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood. Attendees will learn how to make their own worm bins, learn how super-rich vermicompost can enhance gardens and houseplants, and learn the benefits of keeping kitchen waste out of landfills. This type of composting is perfect for apartments, condos, and other small spaces.

Reservations for the class are now closed, but I'll be there for all the vermicomposting fun and will tell you all about it. If you are interested in taking any of the other classes, check out the link above!

USDA To Launch High Tunnel Pilot Study To Increase Availability of Locally Grown Foods

2009-12-21T13:04:00.009-06:00

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan recently announced a new pilot project under the "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" initiative for farmers to establish high tunnels—also known as hoop houses—to increase the availability of locally grown produce in a conservation-friendly way. Secretary Merrigan and other Obama administration officials highlighted opportunities available for producers in a video posted on the USDA's YouTube channel, which shows high tunnels recently installed in the White House garden.

There is great potential for high tunnels to expand the availability of healthy, locally-grown crops—a win for producers and consumers.

"There is great potential for high tunnels to expand the availability of healthy, locally-grown crops—a win for producers and consumers," said Secretary Merrigan. "This pilot project is going to give us real-world information that farmers all over the country can use to decide if they want to add high tunnels to their operations. We know that these fixtures can help producers extend their growing season and hopefully add to their bottom line."

The 3-year, 38-state study will verify whether high tunnels are effective in reducing pesticide use, keeping vital nutrients in the soil, extending the growing season, increasing yields, and providing other benefits to growers.

Made of ribs of plastic or metal pipe covered with a layer of plastic sheeting, high tunnels are easy to build, maintain, and move. High tunnels are used year-round in parts of the country, providing steady incomes to farmers—a significant advantage to owners of small farms, limited-resource farmers and organic producers.

The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will provide financial assistance for the project through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the EQIP Organic Initiative, and the Agricultural Management Assistance program. The NRCS will fund one high tunnel per farm, and high tunnels in the study can cover as much as 5% of 1 acre. Participating states and territories are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Pacific Islands, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

To sign up or learn more about EQIP assistance for high tunnel projects, contact a local NRCS office.

Supporting Local and Sustainable Small Farmers

2009-11-19T10:01:00.001-06:00

From Sarah Alexander, Senior Food Organizer at Food & Water Watch:

Have you ever bought local meat at a farmer's market? I buy pastured poultry raised in Virginia at my local farmer's market in Washington DC, because I like to support local farmers.

Unfortunately, not all small farmers can sell their meat at local markets if they're in neighboring states. In order to promote local food, small farmers need to be able to sell meat across state lines.

Our current food system is built for the largest producers, and it's often hard for small farmers to get their foot in the door. This is the case with meat and poultry. Many small sustainable farmers have a hard time finding processing plants for their meat. Then there's the added burden of finding a plant that is certified to ship across state lines.

Food & Water Watch worked hard during the 2008 Farm Bill to deal with this issue in a way that opened up markets for small producers but didn't weaken the USDA's meat inspection program by letting giant corporate meatpackers rewrite the rules. Building off of the success of the local foods movement, we are very close to getting the USDA to change the rules so small producers have a chance. We need your help to make sure USDA follows through.

Tell Secretary Vilsack you support the proposed rule to allow farmers who use small state-inspected meat plants to sell their products across state lines.

Thanks for taking action!

Climate Citizen

2009-11-09T12:03:00.005-06:00

What does food have to do with the climate, you ask? Well, I'll let Michael Pollan tell you about the interrelationship between the energy crisis and our food systems (and he touches on health care as a bonus):

Stopping Government Pork

2009-10-09T10:51:00.003-05:00

From our friends at Food Democracy Now:

For the past six months, the factory farm industry has begged Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in an effort to stem their record losses resulting from high feed costs and massive overproduction.

In 2009 alone, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has purchased over $151 million in pork products in an effort to bailout pork producers. On September 3rd of this year, Secretary Vilsack announced another $30 million pork buyout to go to federal food and nutrition assistance programs.

The drop in export markets of both pork and poultry is the result of years of irresponsible overproduction brought on by unfair government subsidies and loan programs that have created an unfair competitive advantage for family farmers.

Now that the good times have finally ended, the factory farm industry is receiving further handouts from the government after corporations have consolidated the market and driven family hog and chicken farmers permanently off the land.

Sign this letter today to tell Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to suspend all loans to the factory farm industry at the USDA.

It's time to stand up for family farmers, and this is a good start.

In 2008 and 2009 alone, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) handed out over $265 million of hard-earned taxpayer money to factory chicken and hog farmers in loan guarantees to build new factory farms that compete against family farmers who are raising their animals the right way. Taxpayers should not be asked to foot the bill for factory farms. This is not a responsible use of taxpayer dollars, and it needs to end.

Please join us in supporting Farm Aid and their partner organizations, the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, the Land Stewardship Project, and the Missouri Rural Crisis Center in their stand for family farmers.

Sign here to tell Secretary Vilsack to end the factory farm bailout by putting an end to guaranteed government loans to the factory farm industry.

Gettin' Down at the Urban Country Fair

2009-10-02T10:56:00.008-05:00

Looking for something to do tomorrow?

Well, head on over to the Tower Grove Farmers Market for the Farm Aid Homegrown Urban Country Fair.

From 8:30 am - 2:30 pm, enjoy hands-on, interactive, and educational exhibits, workshops, and demonstations celebrating modern homesteading, while learning how good food, farmers, and the earth are all connected.

In addition to the fantastic Tower Grove Farmers' Market vendors, here are some of the exhibiting organizations and topics the Urban Country Fair be showcasing:

The Burning Kumquat Urban Farm: Urban Farming

The Greenhorns: Land Access and Beginning Farming

Organic Valley: Gen-O Farmers and Butter-Making Demos

Floating Farms: Aquaculture

Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association: Beekeeping

YellowTree Farm: Urban Homesteading

Schlafly Beer: Home Brewing

Upcycle Exchange: Upcycling and Crafting

Rachel Bigler: Lacto-fermentation

Also scheduled are workshops on kefir lebni-making, pickling, grass-based dairy farming, and more.

The market will also be having a fundraising BBQ so fork over some dough and get a burger, brat, or veggie burger to help support one of my favorite farmers's markets!

New Legislation Puts Illinois on Track to Vastly Expanded Local Farm Economy

2009-09-25T08:09:00.003-05:00

Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn recently signed landmark legislation that will put the state on the road to a vastly expanded supply of Illinois-grown food for Illinois tables.

During a ceremony held on the front lawn of the home of Department of Agriculture (located on the Illinois State Fairgrounds), Governor Quinn said the legislation represents an important first step in a process that could ultimately bring as much as $30 billion a year to the state's economy.

[Audio of Governor Quinn signing the bill addressing the need for more locally grown foods in Illinois, plus a question & answer session after.]

"Agriculture is a diverse, multi-billion dollar industry that employs nearly one-quarter of the state's workforce. Simply stated, agriculture is the largest industry in the state and vital to our economy," said Governor Quinn at the "Ag Day" event. "Standing in sharp contrast is the fact that nearly 96% of the food eaten in Illinois is grown in other states or nations. The legislation I signed will stimulate the rapidly growing efforts across Illinois to grow food for local consumption. As traditional Illinois farmers, local food organizations, and others respond to demand for locally-grown food, there will be an enormous amount of new economic activity in our agricultural sector and thousands of new jobs across the state."

The new law is designed to greatly increase demand for locally grown food by starting the process of building a reliable market for local food at facilities and institutions, like public schools, that receive significant state support. Also, the legislation establishes the Illinois Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council, which will encourage farmers to grow food for local markets and facilitate the building of the systems needed to get it there.

The legislation caps almost two year's effort by the Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force to determine the potential for Illinois to grow and produce food for consumption within the state and in neighboring states. A study released by the Task Force earlier this year, Local Food, Farms & Jobs: Growing the Illinois Economy, revealed that of the approximately $48 billion spent by Illinoisans on food each year, only a tiny fraction is grown in Illinois. A set of straightforward measures to encourage Illinois farmers to grow food for local consumption, coupled with a system for processing and transporting the food to Illinois markets could bring an estimated $30 billion to the state's economy each year.

"I believe economic development begins in the kitchen."

"I believe economic development begins in the kitchen," said Illinois Agriculture Director Tom Jennings. "There is no question we can produce locally grown fruits, nuts, and vegetables. We also have the processing and packaging capabilities right here in our own backyard. Setting up a distribution system that moves items at reasonable cost from tree or vine to the table is the big challenge and this legislation is an important step toward realizing that goal."

"This legislation is the first step in creating a fresh farm and food system in Illinois that will bring important benefits to every corner of our state," said Representative Julie Hamos (D-Evanston), lead sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives. "As Illinoisans meet the increased demand for fresh food grown within the state, every community's economy will see the benefits. New jobs will be created as the system to process and transport the food to local markets is developed. Those who live in Illinois and in adjacent states will benefit from the increased supply of fresh, locally-produced food."

Representative Hamos said that one result of the expanded local food system will be the growth of rural communities through expanded numbers of small and mid-size farmers and larger numbers of people working in agriculture.

"The fact that all but a tiny percentage of the fruits, vegetables, and meats that Illinoisans eat are produced in other states or countries is an astonishing imbalance and presents us with an enormous opportunity."

"The fact that all but a tiny percentage of the fruits, vegetables, and meats that Illinoisans eat are produced in other states or countries is an astonishing imbalance and presents us with an enormous opportunity," said the State Senate via Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago), Senate sponsor of the bill."This legislation is an important step forward that will enable farmers in the state to produce and sell fresh food in underserved communities."

Key elements of the legislation include:

Formation of the Illinois Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council, which will work with state agencies, Illinois businesses, organizations, and citizens to build a fully functioning local farm and food system in the state.

Establishment of local food procurement goals for state agencies such as prisons and other places where the state provides food service to purchase 20% of their food locally by 2020. State-funded institutions such as schools and mental health centers would have a goal of 10% by 2020. The Council would work with the organizations and agencies to develop strategies for local purchasing.

Creation of a local food purchase preference for state-owned food buyers in which they could pay a premium of up to 10% above the lowest bid in order to purchase locally grown goods.

Implementation of a system for gathering baseline data about local food purchases that would be updated annually.

Development of a new Illinois label and certification program to support farmers and businesses who want to be part of an Illinois-based farm and food economy.

"This legislation opens the door to a vast expansion of the local farm and food networks in Illinois' already world-renowned agricultural infrastructure. It encourages Illinois farmers to respond directly to consumers' demand for fresh, tasty, locally-produced foods, and shows how to do it," said Wes Jarrell, chairman of the 32-member task force. Jarrell is Professor of Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Illinois, and a farmer himself.

"We don't have to ship in all our fresh food from warm regions when the weather is cold."

Jarrell noted that food production in Illinois has become a year-round industry as farmers and others adopt techniques for growing food in the winter months as well as the traditional growing seasons. "We don't have to ship in all our fresh food from warm regions when the weather is cold," he said, "and with a much greater diversity of cold-season fruits and vegetables, eating what's locally in season isn't nearly as boring as it used to be."

Key findings from the task force report that led to the new legislation include:

The market for local food is growing. The number of farmers markets in Illinois grew from 97 in 1999 to 270 in 2008. The number of community-supported agriculture organizations, which allow consumers to "subscribe" to a variety of Illinois-grown food products throughout the season, grew from 14 to 68 in the past eight years.

Demand extends into wholesale markets as well. Illinois colleges and universities, as well as corporate kitchens, schools, hospitals, prisons, restaurants, and grocery stores want to buy farm products from nearby sources. Inadequate local food production and delivery channels pinch supply. Illinois' predominant farm and food systems is designed to serve distant markets, not link farm production with in-state markets.

Local food system development is a nationwide phenomenon. Many states are taking steps to satisfy consumer demand to know how food is produced, where, and by whom. State government's role is to help jumpstart job creation, lending, and investment in the local food system so that entrepreneurs can grow the economy. By participating in this effort, Illinois is helping to create a new form of interstate commerce.

The legislation (HB3990: Illinois Food, Farms, and Jobs Act of 2009), the report of the Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force, and other information is available at www.foodfarmsjobs.org.

This is amazing legislation, and I'm eager to see what changes Illinois can put into place. One question: Who is creating such a bill in Missouri, and if the answer is no one, how can we band together to do so ourselves?

USDA to Define "Natural" in the Labeling of Meat and Poultry Products

2009-09-14T18:41:00.003-05:00

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that it will solicit further public comment as the USDA seeks to define the conditions under which it would permit the voluntary claim "natural" to be used in the labeling of meat and poultry products. The agency made the announcement through the publication of an "Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" (ANPR).

The USDA is seeking comments to clarify and resolve issues surrounding the "natural" claim, including how best to coordinate the FSIS' regulation of "natural" claims with the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) voluntary "naturally raised" marketing claim standard.

The current FSIS policy states that the term "natural" may be used in the labeling of meat and poultry products provided that the product does not contain any artificial flavor or flavoring, coloring ingredients, chemical preservative, or any other artificial or synthetic ingredient and that the product is not more than "minimally processed." The current AMS policy states that "natural" means the meat must come from animals raised with no hormone growth promoters, no antibiotics, and no animal by-products.

The USDA believes that the just-released ANPR will facilitate the emergence of consensus on the meaning of "natural" and will allow the USDA to move quickly to a proposed rule. Simply put, we should combine all of the requirements from both the FSIS and the AMS and make that the new rule.

In October 2006, FSIS received a petition requesting that the USDA initiate rulemaking to establish a codified definition for the voluntary claim "natural" and to delineate the conditions under which the claim can be used on the labels of meat and poultry products. In December 2006, FSIS held a public meeting and requested comments on "natural" claims. FSIS received a high volume of comments that expressed divergent views on the use of the claim "natural" following the December 2006 public meeting. Therefore, FSIS is publishing an ANPR to solicit more focused comments on the issue. The ANPR requests comments on a number of issues related to the use of "natural" claims in the labeling of meat and poultry products.

For detailed description of these issues, please refer to the ANPR. During the ANPR process, FSIS will continue to apply its current "natural" claims policy described in the FSIS Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book.

Comments on the ANPR must be received by November 13, 2009. Comments can be sent to Docket Clerk, US Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 5601 Sunnyside Ave, Room 2-2127, Beltsville, Md. 20705; or through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov; in the "Search for Open Regulations" box, select "Food Safety and Inspection Service" from the agency drop-down menu, and then click on "Submit." In the Docket ID column, select "FDMS Docket Number FSIS-2006-0040A to submit" or view public comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically.

I'm pleased that the new USDA administration is taking on this issue, but you have to do you part too. Leave a comment for the USDA so that they can ensure that the definition of "natural" encompasses all that it should. But to always ensure that your meat is "natural," shop at your local farmers' markets and ask the farmer exactly how they raise their animals. I can guarantee they will be more than willing to tell you.

Help Shape The Conservation Stewardship Program

2009-09-08T17:39:00.009-05:00

From the folks at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition:

Since the 1930s, we've been paying farmers to produce corn, wheat, rice, and cotton. What if instead we paid farmers for producing healthier soil, cleaner water, climate change mitigation, and greater bio-diversity? That's the "big idea" behind the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP): pay farmers for producing environmental outcomes that contribute to the public good.

Sustainable and organic farming advocates have an important—but short—opportunity to help shape the implementation of this working lands conservation program. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has requested comments on the administrative rules that will govern implementation of the new CSP. The deadline for submitting comments is September 28th.

The USDA is considering giving a higher rank to CSP applications proposing the adoption of new conservation practices vs the maintenance of existing practices. Current rules give equal weight to existing and proposed conservation practices. Please tell the USDA that CSP applications should be ranked on the basis of environmental outcomes and not on the basis of when a conservation practice is implemented.

You can submit a comment on the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition website or follow the instructions below.

Background and Talking Points:

The USDA has posed a specific question for comment: Should the program give greater weight and therefore a higher rank and a higher likelihood of acceptance into the program to applications proposing new conservation practices? Or should existing and new practices be given equal weight?

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and other conservation programs pay farmers for adopting new conservation practices. The CSP, however, is unique among working lands conservation programs. The CSP rewards farmers who are already farming at a high stewardship threshold and provides an incentive to maintain those high stewardship standards.

If a farmer has previously adopted advanced conservation measures and systems, the program is designed to reward that behavior and help pay for continued active management and maintenance of those systems and practices. Farmers should also be expected to and be rewarded for adopting new practices. But CSP ranking and payments should be keyed to environmental outcomes and not on when conservation activities are adopted.

CSP design and regulation should equally balance the benefits of both existing and new practices with the primary measure being the environmental benefits secured by the total conservation system regardless of the timing of adoption of various parts of the system. This is essential to making CSP a program that recognizes and rewards the multiple benefits of sustainable and organic farming systems.

How to Submit a Comment:

Comment letters can be as short or as long as you want. Put your comments in your own words, and raise the points most important to you.

Again, you can submit a comment on the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition website, or you can e-mail comments directly to USDA at CSP2008@wdc.usda.gov.

If you send your own e-mail, be sure to identify the Docket Number at the top of your letter (RE: NRCS-IFR-09004), address your comment letter to Mr. Gregory Johnson, Director, Financial Assistance Programs, US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 5237-S, Washington, DC 20250-2890, and identify yourself by providing your name and contact information. You may also mail your letter to this address if you prefer not to email it.

Time for Lunch with Slow Food St. Louis!

2009-09-05T10:46:00.004-05:00

Join me and Slow Food St. Louis, a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and supporting food traditions, at our Time for Lunch Eat-In at Schlafly Bottleworks this Labor Day—a National Day of Action to tell Congress that it's time to provide our children with real food at school.

In a time of escalating obesity and diabetes epidemics, our schools are serving children precisely the fast food and junk food that endangers their health. This year, Congress can give schools the resources to serve real food by:

1. Increasing school lunch reimbursements by $1/child/day in this year's Child Nutrition Act.

2. Protecting against food that threatens children's health.

3. Teaching children healthy habits that will last through life.

Slow Food St. Louis is planning a public picnic to draw attention to the need for Congress to pass a better Child Nutrition Act that brings real food to schools. Our Eat-In is part of Slow Food USA's National Day of Action when thousands of people across the country will share a meal to demonstrate our commitment to getting real food in school lunches.

Please join us at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Ave, 63143) on Labor Day, September 7th, 2009, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. We will have speakers from the community who are actively working to make changes for St. Louis kids. We will also have informational booths hosted by local organizations and fun activities for all ages to help raise awareness about this important issue. Please bring your own lunch or buy a "slow lunch" from Schlafly.

Providing real food at school is a down payment on health care reform. Join parents, teachers, and every responsible citizen in your community in sending a message to Congress that we can build a strong foundation for our children's health by serving them real food at school.

For more information about this event, please visit Slow Food St. Louis' Time for Lunch page ... and don't forget to sign Slow Food USA's Time for Lunch petition to provide America's children with REAL FOOD at school.

Sizing Up Sustainable Food

2009-09-01T12:30:00.001-05:00

"These days, grocery shoppers are scrutinizing more than prices—some are looking to see how many miles their squash and pork chops traveled. But some say focusing on food miles isn't the best way to 'go green' in the grocery store. So what is the best way to eat sustainably?"

On a recent episode of Science Friday, broadcast on NPR, authors Michael Pollan (Knight Professor of Journalism, University of California Berkeley) and James McWilliams (Associate Professor of History, Texas State University) were joined by Brian Halweil (Senior Researcher, World Watch Institute) to discuss eating sustainably. You can listen to this interesting talk by clicking the link above.

Want more interesting food talk from Science Friday? Check out these other recent programs:

Behold the 1000 Pound Pumpkin

Finding The Roots Of An Ancient Crop

Growing Power

How Does Your Garden Grow?

The Cheese Chronicles

Please to enjoy!

PolyCultures: Food Where We Live

2009-08-27T17:17:00.004-05:00

Looking for something to do this Sunday? I'll be attending the screening of "PolyCultures: Food Where We Live" at Washington University at 7:30pm with Slow Food St. Louis.

Tom Kondilas and David Pearl from Less Productions have produced a great documentary called "PolyCultures: Food Where We Live," which looks at sustainable and local food in the Northeast Ohio area and also incorporates composting, food security, local foodsheds, etc. Helene York and Randy De Mers were interviewed and featured in the film—as was Oberlin College and their George Jones Memorial Farm.

The screening will be held at the Danforth University Center and a panel discussion will follow. Check out the trailer for the film below ... and I hope to see you there!

Takin' A Peek At EarthDance FARMS

2009-08-23T08:22:00.005-05:00

EarthDance FARMS, a unique social enterprise model, bringing the synergy of local activists, artists, business owners, dancers, educators, event planners, farm apprentices, local residents, organization leaders, musicians, and youth together to create a fully sustaining community farm, now has its own video channel on YouTube:

Check out my friend Molly in the video above as she talks potatoes ... or check out any of the other videos on the site to learn more about the Mueller Farm, composting, and much more!

The Difference Between Cocoa Leaves and Crack

2009-08-22T21:57:00.002-05:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Michael Pollan

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Protests

Renewed Pressure to End the Ban on Chinese Chicken

2009-08-15T19:17:00.005-05:00

From the Food Team at Food & Water Watch:

The saga of importing Chinese chicken continues. Before heading home for August recess, the Senate passed a bill that opens the door for the US Food and Drug Administration (USDA) to start allowing imports of Chinese chicken. Big meat companies have gone into overdrive to try to end the ban on importing poultry products from China, and it looks like they're winning. Can you contact your member of Congress today to tell them to protect our safety and keep the ban on Chinese chicken in place?

For the last two years, members of Congress have passed budgets that maintained a ban on imports of Chinese chicken. During that time, we know that big agriculture corporations like Smithfield, Tyson and Cargill have been lobbying Congress to lift the ban. They've gotten a foothold in the Senate, and are now turning up the heat to lift the ban for good.

These companies want to end the ban so they can process poultry in China, where costs are lower. It might save them money, but it's no bargain for consumers. In 2009, over 600 shipments of food from China were blocked from coming into the US, including fish, cookies, candy, crackers, juice, tea, canned and dried vegetables, and spices. The reasons for rejection weren't reassuring: contamination with melamine or banned chemicals; pesticide residues and unsafe additives; and conditions inspectors described as "poisonous" and "filthy." And just last week, the Chinese government announced that food poisoning cases in China were up 40% from last year.

With a track record like this, it's too soon to start letting in processed poultry from China.

Tell Congress to maintain the ban on imported poultry products from China.

Mmmmooooo ... Grassfed Beef!

2009-08-12T15:51:00.004-05:00

Join me at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Ave, 63143) for tonight's installment of the SLOWednesday series, hosted by Schlafly and Slow Food St. Louis.

The good folks from Missouri Grass Fed Beef will be joining us to talk about their operation:

Clean, pure, natural and treated humanely and with respect. Just east of Salem in the Ozark Highlands, the cattle spend their entire lives outside on the same farm, with plenty of room to roam, lots of fresh water and access to natural, free choice minerals. The Parker family has been raising cattle on the farm since 1945 and have experienced the full cycle in the approach – from natural to industrial, and back again.

Come hear about beef the way it used to be ... and enjoy some beer the way it used to be!

SLOWednesday events take place at the Bottleworks in the Crown Room. Schlafly asks that everyone interested in ordering food and drink place their orders and be settled in before the 7:30 start time. Events are free and open to the public.

National Farmers' Market Week: How Will You Celebrate?

2009-08-05T12:27:00.000-05:00

This week, August 2nd through 8th, 2009, marks National Farmers' Market Week, a week that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated to encourage consumers to visit their local farmers’ market.

His official proclamation states:

WHEREAS farmers markets are important nationwide outlets for agricultural producers, providing them with increased marketing opportunities; and
WHEREAS more than 4,800 farmers markets across the country offer consumers affordable, convenient, and healthful products sold directly from the farm in their freshest possible state; and
WHEREAS farmers markets can help promote child health and reduce childhood obesity by increasing children’s access to fresh fruits and vegetables; and
WHEREAS farmers markets play a key role in developing regional foodsheds, thus benefiting consumers and the environment; and
WHEREAS farmers markets support the sustainability of small family farms and the revitalization of communities as well as offering farmers and consumers the opportunity to interact; and
WHEREAS farmers markets increasingly offer electronic benefits transfer technology for food stamp recipients and support local anti-hunger initiatives through donations of unsold food to feeding programs for those in need; and
WHEREAS the United States Department of Agriculture strongly supports and promotes the development, operation, and expansion of farmers markets and other direct-to-consumer marketing activities for agricultural producers;

NOW, THEREFORE, to further awareness of farmers markets and of the contributions farmers make to daily life in America, I, Thomas J. Vilsack, Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, do hereby proclaim the week of August 2–8, 2009, as National Farmers Market Week. I encourage the people of the United States to celebrate the benefits of farmers markets and the bountiful production of our Nation's farmers with appropriate observances and activities.

I'll be celebrating at the Maplewood Farmers' Market today and at the Tower Grove Farmers' Market on Saturday to support my local farmers and bring home the freshest bounty available in St. Louis.

You can find your local farmers' market via several web sites, including the USDA or at LocalHarvest.org.

Offshore Aquaculture is Not Fishing

2009-08-04T11:47:00.000-05:00

From the Fish Team at Food & Water Watch:

People across the nation, and especially in the Gulf of Mexico, have told decision-makers to slow down on ocean fish farming, but one regional fishery management council and a federal agency—the very one tasked with protecting and managing ocean resources for the benefit of US citizens—have decided to ignore more than 20,000 people's comments opposing ocean fish farming and move forward with finalizing a plan to permit offshore aquaculture in US waters.

But a bill recently introduced by Representative Gene Taylor (D-MS) called the "Offshore Aquaculture is not Fishing Act of 2009"—if passed—would stop this bad plan. The bill prevents regional councils, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Secretary of Commerce from allowing ocean fish farming in US waters.

Ocean aquaculture is an industrial form of food production—much like concentrated animal feed operations. Oftentimes, antibiotics and other chemicals are needed to keep the confined animals alive. Those are then passed on to the consumer. Coastal communities could feel negative impacts in a number of ways—from the glut of fish on the market driving down prices for commercial fishermen, to environmental disasters due to an unproven technology being used in severe weather zones. Furthermore, coastal communities could suffer from the pollution created by these industrial farms which discharge wastes directly in to ocean waters.

We need the Offshore Aquaculture is Not Fishing Act of 2009 to protect our coastal communities, consumers, and the environment. Offshore aquaculture should be reviewed and discussed at a national level—not through piecemeal regulation from various agencies.

Ask your Representative to support the Offshore Aquaculture is Not Fishing Act of 2009 now.

Cooking As A Spectator Sport

2009-08-03T14:42:00.005-05:00

"The Food Network draws more viewers than any of the cable TV news channels, but people are actually cooking less than ever.

Michael Pollan's recent cover story in The New York Times Magazine explores America's obsession with cooking as a spectator sport—and why the rise of cooking shows has coincided with the rise of fast food and prepackaged meals. As Pollan points out, the time it takes the average American to prepare dinner has dropped to less than half the amount of time it takes to watch an episode of Top Chef."

Check out Michael Pollan's interview on NPR's Fresh Air this morning ... then get in the kitchen and cook a homemade dinner ... your body and your family will appreciate it.

USDA Opens First Roof-Top 'Peoples Garden' at Office Building in Washington, DC

2009-07-31T07:04:00.002-05:00

On July 30, 2009, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan cut the ribbon to open the first roof-top "People's Garden" garden atop the offices of the USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) in Washington, DC. The energy-efficient garden will use native plants and sound conservation practices to engage public about sustainability

The project is part of the USDA's "People's Garden" initiative, launched earlier this year, which aims to create a community garden at USDA facilities across the country and worldwide to set an example of environmentally friendly, sustainable landscapes.

"People's Gardens can take many forms and, with this new garden, USDA continues to lead by example and to engage the public about the importance of conserving our land and water resources," said Merrigan. "Urban roof-top gardens, whether they contain vegetables, flowers, or other decorative plants, can create habitat for pollinators and provide precious green space in areas where green is scarce."

A "People's Garden" now occupies the entire grounds of USDA's headquarters building—the Jamie L. Whitten Building—and is designed to serve as the nation's demonstration plot, showing that small steps can generate important gains in mitigating global warming and producing a safe, sustainable and nutritious food supply.

The ERS garden, dubbed GardenERS and located off the main USDA complex, is the first "People's Garden" to be planted on the roof-top of a non-USDA building. The garden will be maintained with environmentally sensitive, organic practices.

GardenERS will feature native perennial plants that flower in spring and summer and that require no fertilizer. In addition, the GardenERS project will "adopt" a nearby pocket park, with volunteer ERS staff working with the National Park Service twice a month to help maintain the park. Plans also include an interior container garden of edible plants to demonstrate that vegetables can grow in small spaces and with sustainable practices.

The overall USDA "People's Garden" initiative has multiple goals. The garden at the USDA headquarters demonstrates a variety of sustainable garden concepts to a visiting public—such as landscaping to retain water and reduce runoff. In addition to demonstrating environmentally friendly food production, the garden includes former impervious surface that was returned to valuable green space. The USDA is also conducting public workshops in healthy gardening techniques each Friday through late September at the headquarters People's Garden.

Join Me at Art of Food!

2009-07-22T21:39:00.011-05:00

Slow Food St. Louis, a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and supporting food traditions, is pleased to announce that their annual fundraiser, The Art of Food, will be held this Saturday, July 25th, from 6:00 to 10:00 pm, at Mad Art Gallery (2727 S. 12th Street, 63118). Proceeds from the event will benefit both Slow Food St. Louis and Fair Shares Combined Community Supported Agriculture.

The Art of Food will showcase the area's top restaurants, serving up delectable hors d'oeuvres using only the freshest, local ingredients prepared in the Slow Food tradition. Participating restaurants include:

Annie Gunn's - Lou Rook III:

Roasted Prairie Grass Farms leg of lamb on grilled Companion bread with local peaches, Goatsbeard Farm chevre, and caramelized candy onions

Araka - Mark Curran:

Local watermelon gazpacho with sweet yellow corn, rock shrimp, and housemade fresh corn tortillas

Bailey's Chocolate Bar/Rooster - David Bailey & Robin Murphy:

1. Fruitland Farms chipotle pulled pork with Eckert's peach salsa on San Louis tortilla chips and 2. Builaland Family Farm jalapenos stuffed with Heartland Creamery goat cheese and caramelized onion, wrapped in Fruitland Farms bacon

Erato on Main - Kevin Willmann:

Farrar Out Farm rabbit gumbo

Harvest - Steve Gontram:

1. Missouri grass-fed oxtail barley with peppered ahi tuna and a roasted sweet red pepper emulsion and 2. Warmed Companion brioche bread pudding with bourbon currant sauce and vanilla whipped cream

Kakao Chocolate - Brian Pelletier:

1. Homemade marshmallow pies with chocolate and pecans and 2. Hand-dipped caramels with sea salt

Local Harvest Cafe - Clara Moore:

Biver Farms heirloom tomato flatbread with Goastbeard Farm goat cheese and pesto

Mad Art Gallery - Dave Lewis:

Citrus-cured Troutdale Farm trout with Baetje Farm goat cheese, fresh Claverach Farm cucumber-pickled ginger chutney and radish shoots on a black mustard seed cracker

Monarch - Josh Galliano:

Root Cellar and Hannaway Farms tomato terrine, whipped balsamic, Goatsbeard Farm chevre crème fraiche, and black olive oil

Niche - Gerard Craft:

Spicy Greenwood Farms pork meatballs

Clarksville Station @ Overlook Farm - Cary McDowell:

Vesterbrook Farm lamb "rillets" with Overlook Farm garden greens & chopped duck eggs

Serendipity Ice Cream - Beckie Jacob:

"Peaches and Cream Floats" - Calhoun County peach ice cream floated in Fitz's cream soda

Sidney Street Cafe - Kevin Nashan:

EIEIO Acres goat sliders with pickled St. Isidore Farms eggplant, arugula, and curry aioli on a housemade sesame bun

Winslow's Home and Farm - Stephen Kovac:

1. Chilled Winslow's Home and Farm eggplant soup with sweet curry crème fraiche and 2. Garlic-rubbed Benne's Best smoked chicken with Winslow's Home and Farm red onion jalapeno jam on toasted 222 Artisan Bakery baguette

All bread products will be provided by 222 Artisan Bakery (Matt Herren) and Companion (Josh Allen).

Food-themed art by local artists and gift baskets filled with a variety of specialty goodies from boutiques, wineries, and restaurants are also up for auction. Artists include Julie Malone, Cbabi Bayoc, Greg Barth, Ron Buechele, Marie Oberkirsch, Carmelita Nunez, Katy Fischer, and many more.

Tickets for the event are $30 for Slow Food members and $40 for non-members in advance; $40 for Slow Food members and $50 for non-members at the door. Sponsors include Mad Art Gallery, Sauce Magazine, and Schlafly. St. Louis Earth Day will also be managing the recycling efforts.

Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic, member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions, and people's dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes, and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. Fair Shares is a non-profit organization dedicated to getting fresh, local, seasonal food into the hands of more persons in St. Louis - regardless of their income.

Tickets are limited and can be purchased through Brown Paper Tickets.

See you there!

Obama Administration Delivers on Commitment to Upgrade US Food Safety System

2009-07-16T09:09:00.002-05:00

On July 7, 2009, Vice President Joe Biden was joined by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to announce the key findings of the Food Safety Working Group.

Created by President Obama in March to advise the Administration on how to upgrade the food safety system for the 21st century, the working group is recommending a new, public health-focused approach to food safety based on three core principles: prioritizing prevention; strengthening surveillance and enforcement; and improving response and recovery.

"There are few responsibilities more basic or more important for the government than making sure the food our families eat is safe," said Vice President Biden. "Our food safety system must be updated—1 in 4 people get sick every year due to food-borne illness, and children and the elderly are more at risk. I applaud the Secretaries of HHS and the USDA for tackling this problem head-on and coming up with key recommendations to ensure the health and safety of our food supply and, with it, the American people."

"Instead of spending their time trying to get kids to eat healthier food, too many parents and families are worrying about whether their food is safe in the first place," said Secretary Sebelius. "In just the past few months since we began work with the Food Safety Working Group, we have seen recalls on everything from spinach to peanut products to now even cookie dough. The Administration recognizes that the current system just isn't working for America's families and under the President's leadership we are taking action to keep our food supply safe and prevent outbreaks that can impact millions of Americans."

"There isn't a single American that isn't impacted by our efforts to protect the food supply," said Secretary Vilsack. "We owe it to the American people to deliver on President Obama's bold promise to greatly enhance our food safety system, moving our approach into the 21st century, employing the best surveillance techniques available, and ensuring that we are doing all we can to prevent illness before it occurs."

Today, the working group announced specific steps designed to advance its core principles:

HHS and the USDA are targeting salmonella contamination by developing tougher standards to protect the safety of eggs, poultry, and turkey;

to fight the threat of E coli, the USDA is stepping up enforcement in beef facilities and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is developing new industry guidance improving protections for leafy greens, melons, and tomatoes;

the Obama Administration is building a new national traceback and response system including clearer industry guidance, a new unified incident command system, and improved use of technology to deliver individual food safety alerts to consumers; and

the Administration announced a plan to strengthen the organization of federal food safety functions, including the creation of new positions at key food safety agencies and a continuing oversight role for the Food Safety Working Group.

The Food Safety Working Group is chaired by Secretaries Sebelius and Vilsack, and participating agencies include the FDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Commerce, the Department of State, the Environmental Protection Agency, and several offices of the White House.

Administration Seeks to Restrict Antibiotics in Livestock

2009-07-14T12:07:00.004-05:00

"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.

In written testimony to the House Rules Committee, Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner of food and drugs, said feeding antibiotics to healthy chickens, pigs and cattle — done to encourage rapid growth — should cease. And Dr. Sharfstein said farmers should no longer be able to use antibiotics in animals without the supervision of a veterinarian." -- A recent article in The New York Times

Of course, the big farm lobbies are going to shut it down, but hopefully the word will get out enough and folks will start asking more questions about what's in their meat!

The True Cost Of A Commercial Tomato

2009-07-13T11:39:00.010-05:00

"Everybody seems to be going green, but some are doing it better than others. Companies that rush into sustainable practices without fully researching them, or ones that know they haven't quite got it but are pushing it anyway, are in danger of the repercussions of 'green-washing.'"

A recent edition of The Packer, the "fresh fruit and vegetable industry's leading source for news, information, and analysis," contained an article entitled, "Companies work toward sustainable practices," which talked about food companies who are investing in sustainable pratices because they recognize that the sustainable movement is here to stay.

While I wholeheartly agree that if you're going to be sustainable, then you need to be fully sustainable ... don't just jump on the bandwagon because it looks good to the consumer.

So, overall, I agree with most of what they article is saying, but there are a few things that just didn't sit well with me. The biggest one?

"You've got to be careful when you listen to green advocates who support a movement away from industrial farming," said Todd Miedema, director of marketing for Miedema Produce Inc., Hudsonville, Mich. "There's a reason the food budget is the smallest part of the family budget. It's good to be environmentally friendly, but you've got to have your head on straight."

There is a reason the typical household's food budget is small, and it's because we've made mass-produced, processed, unhealthy foods mind-blowingly cheap.

I think we all know by now that just because food is cheap doesn't mean it's good. What's more, cheap food really isn't cheap when you look at the true costs of producing and distributing it ... costs to the environment and to our health, communities, and quality of life.

A dollar amount can be placed on some of these costs, such as the farm subsidies that we pay for in taxes and the increasing healthcare costs associated with obesity and other diseases, poor nutrition, and contaminated food. Other costs are indirect, such as pollution and loss of wildlife habitats and the loss of quality of life, ie, tasteless food and the loss of the pleasure of preparing food and eating together.

Well, supply follows demand people so we have to start demanding food that is healthy, sustainable, safe, and fair. Only then will big agribusiness make a change and produce the food we truly want—at the price we want.

Want to learn more about the true cost of factory-farmed, commercially-raised, and non-local food? Check out this 15 minute video from the Sierra Club as part of their Sustainable Consumption campaign.

The video was made by the same company that did the Meatrix and touches on a number of important issues——monocropping, feedlot-raised beef, loss of topsoil, chemical usage, agricultural runoff, and decreasing crop yields. When all these factors are valued and given a price, the true cost of a commercial tomato is far beyond anyone's budget.

Eating Slow at The Crossing

2009-07-06T16:25:00.005-05:00

The Crossing Wine Dinner to Benefit Slow Food St. Louis

Who: Slow Food St. Louis
What: Fundraiser
Where: The Crossing, Clayton, MO, 314.721.7375
When: Tuesday, July 7, 2009, 6:30pm - 10:00pm
Why: To show your support of businesses that support Slow Food St. Louis as several tickets are still available for tomorrow's wine dinner, which is sure to be a great night of eating!

The Details:

With much gratitude to Jim Fiala, Slow Food St. Louis is excited to announce a wine dinner to support Slow Food St. Louis's Biodiversity Grant hosted by The Crossing and Local Wine Company.

The menu will feature not only the great cooking The Crossing has come to be known for, but also the fabulous wines of Murphy's Law, Ransom, and SNAFU. Best of all, some of the terrific local ingredients Fiala and team will be utilizing in the dinner will have come from some of our very own Biodiversity Grant recipients.

The price is set at $75 each and you can make reservations by contacting The Crossing at 314.721.7375.

The Menu:

First Course
Passed canapes from the local farmer's markets and blue cheese souffle w/ 2007 Murphy's Law White

Second Course
Gaspacho with warm walleye and extra virgin olive oil w/ 2008 Ransom Pinot Gris 'Selection'

Third Course
Missouri chanterelle mushrooms with a Yellowtree Farm fines herbs w/ 2006 Ransom Pinot Noir 'Selection'

Fourth Course
Rain Crow Ranch grassfed beef tenderloin with melted fennel and roasted red potatoes with local pole beans w/ 2006 Murphy's Law Red

Fifth Course
Trio of Goatsbeard Farm's cheeses and local berries/fruits w/ 2005 SNAFU Red

Sixth Course:
Trio of Illinois peaches

See you there!

Lettuce From the Garden, With Worms

2009-06-21T10:42:00.005-05:00

"Growing up on a farm near Yamhill, Ore., I quickly learned to appreciate the difference between fresh, home-grown foods and the commercial versions in the supermarket.

Store-bought lettuce was always lush, green and pristine, and thus vastly preferable to lettuce from my Mom’s vegetable garden (organic before we called it that). Her lettuce kept me on my toes, because a caterpillar might come crawling out of my salad.

We endured endless elk and venison—my Dad is still hunting at age 90—or ate beef from steers raised on our own pasture, but "grass-fed" had no allure for me. I longed for delicious, wholesome food that my friends in town ate. Like hot dogs.

Over the years, though, I've become nostalgic for an occasional bug in my salad, for an apple that feels as if it were designed by God rather than by a committee. More broadly, it has become clear that the same factors that impelled me toward factory-produced meat and vegetables—cheap, predictable food—also resulted in a profoundly unhealthy American diet.

-- Another great piece extolling the virtures of the new documentary, "Food, Inc.," from New York Times op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof

The First Lady of Food

2009-06-19T21:03:00.000-05:00

Three for Thursday: Salatin, Rooftop Gardens, and Help for the Cause from the AMA

2009-06-18T21:02:00.007-05:00

"If you just looked inside the USDA, you would find tremendous support for local food," said Senator Mark Udall to me yesterday, June 17. I responded: "I have looked, and it's not a pretty picture..." then somebody cut off my microphone and that was the end." -- Joel Salatin blogs about his visit to Washington

"This summer, Tony Tomelden hopes to be making bloody marys at the Pug in Washington, DC, with tomatoes and chilies grown above the bar, thanks to the city's incentives for green roofs." -- The New York Times takes a look at urban farming—a bit closer to the sun

"As our country wrestles with health care reform, the role of health care providers and facilities in providing education and leadership to help the population understand the link between the way we produce food and individual health is significant and cannot be overstated." -- The American Medical Association passes a new resolution supporting a sustainable food system

Chipotle Seeks New Model for Quality Fast Food

2009-06-16T12:39:00.006-05:00

"On Joel Salatin's farm in north-central Virginia, it's a pig's life. Free of the concrete sties and steel pens used in most large hog operations, Salatin's swine spend their days roaming lazily through a leafy green forest, foraging for food, maybe stopping every once in a while for a good scratch on a tree trunk.

Salatin does not run a hog-rescue operation. All of his pigs are headed, eventually, for the dinner table. And not just any dinner table: One of the top buyers of Salatin's pork happens to be Chipotle, the nationwide Tex-Mex restaurant chain."

You can read the rest of this story here, and you can watch the full story tonight on Nightline at 10:35 pm CST. I've already got the DVR set.

The Truth About H.R. 875

2009-06-16T12:13:00.002-05:00

More from our friends at Food and Water Watch:

Don't Let Big Agribusiness Ruin Food Safety Reform

2009-06-16T12:01:00.003-05:00

From the Food Team at Food & Water Watch:

Here's the good news: After countless recalls, including the disastrous peanut butter-related Salmonella outbreak this winter, Congress is finally considering Congressman Henry Waxman's food safety bill—the bill goes to the House Energy and Commerce Committee this week. The bad news? You guessed it, big ag is pulling out all the stops to weaken the bill. Can your tell your Member of Congress you want a strong food safety bill?

Big ag will always have more money to fight these battles than we do, but we have something they don't—thousands of activists who will contact Congress. Congress needs to hear from all of us if they are going to stand up to big ag.

Here's what your Member of Congress needs to hear about the food safety bill:

1) The bill must include frequent inspections of food processing plants. The Peanut Corporation of America debacle showed that industry self-regulation just doesn't cut it.

2) It must set strong standards for imports that are equal to the standards that apply to domestically produced food.

3) It must include sensible regulations that work for farmers of all sizes—that include flexibility, not one-size-fits-all rules geared toward the largest operations.

We won't get many chances to fix our broken food safety system, so it's critical that we stand up now and stop big ag from weakening Congressman Waxman's food safety bill. Contact your Member of Congress today!

Food Inc: Coming To A Theater Near You

2009-06-15T16:57:00.009-05:00

I had the pleasure of seeing an advanced screening of Food Inc. last month, and it was amazing ... just the sort of "eye-opener" about where our food really comes from that everyone needs to see.

You must check out this movie; click here to find show dates in a city near you (heads-up to the folks in St. Louis ... it will be showing at the Tivoli again on June 26th).

In the meantime, watch the trailer above and check out NPR's piece on the movie.

Dignity is a Non-Negotiable Part of a Sustainable Food System

2009-06-15T13:55:00.004-05:00

In a strongly worded letter, more than two dozen of the country's leading sustainable food activists are demanding that Chipotle, the fastest growing company in fast-food, live up to its claims of "food with integrity" and "work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers as a true partner in the protection of farmworkers' rights."

Frances Moore Lappe ("Diet for a Small Planet/The Small Planet Institute"), Raj Patel ("Stuffed and Starved"), Josh Viertel (President, Slow Food USA), and Robert Kenner and Eric Schlosser (director and co-producer of the critically acclaimed new documentary on the food industry, "Food, Inc.") are just a few of the voices for a more just food system that added their names to the open letter. Here's an excerpt:

"We realize that Chipotle has announced that it's paying an extra penny per pound for tomatoes, but we have to ask: What has Chipotle done since that announcement to identify and cultivate growers who are willing to raise their labor standards and pass the penny along to their workers? Your company has shown admirable leadership in working with – and incubating – meat suppliers willing to meet your higher standards. But your failure to do that same hard work in the Florida tomato industry – together with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) – threatens to render your announcement an empty gesture aimed more at public relations damage control than an effort to make real change."

What can you do? Send your own letter to Chipotle.

The Issue of Insurance

2009-06-15T11:43:00.003-05:00

"Larry Harbour is celebrated in Nebraska as a model entrepreneur. But the 33-year-old owner of LB Custom Chrome and Detail in rural Broken Bow, Neb., is an illness or injury away from losing his business.

"If anything were to happen to my wife and I, the business is sunk," Harbour said, standing in the shop he built from scratch. "It's like playing Russian roulette. Every day, we wonder when it's going to happen — if something's going to happen, are we able to afford it?"

NPR recently did a segment on the availability of affordable health insurance in the rural United States that offered some interesting facts, especially in relation to farmers and ranchers:

"Data show that 90% of farm and ranch families do have insurance," Jon Bailey of the Center for Rural Affairs said. "But the places where they depend on getting their insurance are becoming rarer and rarer, which means they'll have to depend on the individual market, which costs more and provides less coverage."

According to the article, many farmers and ranchers have been forced to purchase individual insurance, which often carry high premiums, high deductibles, or both. For one family, their individual insurance cost $492 a month and came with a $5,700 deductible—and this didn't even cover all their children.

So ... the question is obvious. Now ... what is the answer?

Florida Tomato Growers, Whole Foods Market Sign Agreement Supporting Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ ’Penny-per-Pound‘ Program

2009-06-09T15:04:00.000-05:00

Whole Foods Market, the leading natural and organic foods supermarket, recently announced that Lady Moon Farms and Alderman Farms are the first Florida tomato growers to sign agreements with Whole Foods Market in support of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers' (CIW)"penny-per-pound" program, designed to improve wages for tomato harvesters.

"Lady Moon and Alderman Farms are examples of Florida growers that we are proud to support," said Karen Christensen, global produce coordinator for Whole Foods Market. "These farms are long-term partners of Whole Foods Market, and we look forward to continued growth together. Agreements like these are in the best interests of the people who harvest our tomatoes and are consistent with Whole Foods Market's core values."

"The Campaign for Fair Food is bearing fruit," said Lucas Benitez of the CIW. "For nearly two seasons, the Campaign's promise of fair wages for Florida’s farmworkers has been held hostage by the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange. Today, however, the higher wages and fairer conditions we have fought for will begin to reach the workers who so clearly deserve them, thanks to the leadership of Whole Foods Market and the forward-thinking growers at Alderman Farms and Lady Moon Farms.

"Without a doubt, the food market is changing, and for the better. Sustainability, both social and environmental, is the way of the future. Together, farmworkers, farmers, and buyers are forging a path toward that better future."

In September 2008, Whole Foods Market became the first in the supermarket industry to sign an agreement with the CIW to work in partnership to help improve wages and working conditions for Florida tomato pickers.

For more information about this wonderful decision, check out the following:

Florida growers join Whole Foods to support labor coalition (The Packer)

2 Fla. farms in deal to pay tomato pickers more (The New York Post)

Whole Foods Makes Produce Progress (MSNBC)

Eric Schlosser on ColbertNation

2009-06-08T11:27:00.000-05:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Eric Schlosser

colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Keyboard Cat

Defining Local

2009-06-05T13:50:00.012-05:00

"Chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry in Yountville, honored as the Chef of the Year during the Sustainable Foods Institute, says, "For me, as I went through my career, as I came to understand where our product came from and where the best products came from, the term 'local' changed for me. It wasn't about a geographical location, it was about quality of the product."

"If we could get great lobsters from Maine every day at my back door, then for me that was a local product," even if those lobsters were shipped overnight from across the country.

Keller acknowledges that many people might think "Well, this guy's crazy" for calling a food shipped cross-country "local."

In a recent article in the Contra Costa Times, Thomas Keller and other chefs say local food doesn't necessarily come from nearby.

Crazy? In my opinion, yes, it is.

Obviously, I have my thoughts on what local means, but I'd love to know yours. So ... what does local mean to you?

Celebrate World Environment Day By Voicing Your Concerns About "Naturally Raised" Meat

2009-06-05T09:55:00.000-05:00

Today is World Environment Day ... celebrate by signing Farm Sanctuary's Truth Behind Labels petition:

"Cramped crates aren't natural living conditions for calves and sows. Cows and pigs need fresh air, sunlight, and open space to engage in natural behaviors such as grazing and rooting for food, taking mud baths, and raising their young. Trotting through a field and stretching one's legs are natural too, aren't they?

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently allowed companies to slap a "naturally raised" label on meat and meat products that come from animals whose upbringing was far from natural. Raising animals in intensive confinement on factory farms, with no access to sunshine or fresh air, is that natural? We say no! Furthermore, such a label misleads the public and exploits consumer trust in advertising and packaging claims and in government regulation of agriculture.

Let the USDA know you won't stand for such deceptive claims. Tell them their "naturally raised" label is not natural!

Sign the petition today! "

Civil Eating: Why We Should Better Regulate CAFOs

2009-06-04T11:29:00.007-05:00

"Our movement up to now has been disparate, siloed into unique yet interrelated causes around food, from hunger, to farmer and farmworker rights, to food access or to food safety issues. But in the last year, the pieces of the pie have been coming together to form a true movement. The question remains to be answered: How can we rally to show President Obama this movement, as he has asked us to do? And, what do we ask for when we get there?

Many great folks are out there developing "asks" around food. In my opinion, the biggest successes will come from getting at the roots of issues, asking for change on bigger policies that could have an effect on what is on our plate everyday. One great "ask" I have been thinking about, for example, is to change our policies around confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs)."

An article posted today on Civil Eats, Step One, Hone the Ask: Why We Should Better Regulate CAFOs, is another good one to add to the multiple CAFO discussions I've seen around the web.

The author makes many great points and hopefully this will spur more discussion and lead to a "top down approach to CAFOs" and their much needed regulation.

No No CAFO

2009-06-03T16:05:00.011-05:00

St. Louis on the Air, a program on local radio station KWMU 90.7, today hosted a discussion about the effects of confined animal feeding operations on communities, the environment, family farmers, and agricultural workers.

Guests included:

Rhonda Perry, Program Manager at the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, and a livestock and grain farmer in Howard County

Jen Bersdale, Director of Advocacy and Communications at Central Reform Congregation

Rex Ricketts, Director, Commerical Agriculture Program, and Professor of Dairy Science at University of Missouri Extension

I wasn't able to listen to the broadcast, but it is available online so it's now on my "to-do" list for this week.

Want to learn more about CAFOs? Central Reform Congregation is hosting a screening and discussion of "Farming Was My Life: The Hidden Costs of CAFOs" on Sunday, June 7th, at 4:00 pm.

I would love to attend, but will instead be spending the day at Prairie Grass Farm with Slow Food St. Louis for our annual Lambstravaganza event ... and I assure you that the animals at Prairie Grass are leading a happy, unconfined life!

Fighting for Michael Pollan

2009-06-01T21:06:00.004-05:00

"Among the things that Bill Marler feels passionately about are Washington State University (his alma mater), food safety, and negotiation. So after he heard about a dustup on campus over the cancellation of a program requiring all freshmen to read the same book—Michael Pollan's double-fisted examination of agribusiness, "The Omnivore's Dilemma"—he stepped in to resolve it."

Haven't heard about the recent brouhaha over Michael Pollan's tome, "The Omnivore's Dilemma?" A recent article in the New York Times chronicles the events.

So, was it pressure from big agribusiness or was it a lack of finances?

I doubt we'll ever know exactly why Pollan's book was pulled from the university's freshman reading list, but it's back on now—and that's good news to my ears.

Say No to Chinese Chicken

2009-05-31T12:51:00.004-05:00

The "food team" at Food & Water Watch helped secure a huge victory last year when Congress decided to keep the ban on imported poultry from China after more than 15,000 activists took action. Unfortunately, it was only a temporary victory, and the Obama Administration is now under pressure from big agribusiness to stop the ban on Chinese poultry.

In the first few months of this year, dozens of products were blocked from coming into the US from China, including fish, cookies, candy, crackers, juice, tea, canned and dried vegetables, and spices. The reasons for rejection weren't reassuring, either: contamination with melamine or banned chemicals like choramphenicol; pesticide residues and unsafe additives; and conditions inspectors described as "poisonous" and "filthy."

With a track record like this, it's too soon to start letting in processed poultry from China (and let's face it ... we have enough factory-farmed chicken available here in the US). Congress successfully blocked the US Department of Agriculture from allowing imported processed poultry from China in 2008. There's no reason to believe that Chinese chicken has become any safer, but big corporations such as Smithfield, Tyson, and Cargill have been putting pressure on President Obama to lift the ban to further their own interests.

In addition to ongoing problems with China's food safety standards and inspection system, there have been specific problems with Chinese poultry processing facilities, such as filthy and unsanitary conditions. Even worse, China has experienced several outbreaks of the very contagious bird flu that has not only infected poultry but also been fatally transmitted to humans.

Ask President Obama and Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack to protect American consumers by maintaining the ban on Chinese chicken.

NAIS Listening Session Coming to Missouri

2009-05-28T14:37:00.009-05:00

Because of producer and consumer outcry against the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), the USDA is now holding NAIS listening sessions across the country. They are holding these hearings to discuss "stakeholder concerns" about NAIS, but a recent e-mail from the the Missouri Rural Crisis Center (MRCC) says that the hearings should be focused on whether or not NAIS is needed at all.

The MRCC is hoping for a big turnout for this meeting to let the USDA know that Missouri's independent livestock producers and Missouri consumers are opposed to NAIS.

What can yo do?

1. Go to the Missouri NAIS Listening Session in Jefferson City. Locations are listed at http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/feebdback.shtml.

2. Submit written comments online (click on the yellow balloon next to "Add Comments") or mail your comments to:

National Center for Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS
ATTN: NAIS, Surveillance and Identification Programs
4700 River Road Unit 200
Riverdale, MD 20737

Over the last few years, pro-NAIS forces have used myths and, in many cases, outright fabrications to try to get farmers and consumers to buy into the NAIS program. Now is the time to convey our message that NAIS will severely and negatively impact independent family farmers, consumers who care about local and sustainable foods, taxpayers who object to wasteful government programs, and advocates for a safer food system. Below are a few talking points from the MRCC to be considered for your comments:

High costs for animal owners and taxpayers: These costs include (1) the development, maintenance, and update of massive databases; (2) the costs of tags, most of which will contain microchips; (3) the labor burdens for tagging every animal; (4) the paperwork burdens of reporting routine movements; and (5) the costs of enforcement on millions of individuals.

Unfair burdens placed on family farms and sustainable livestock operations: In addition to the costs, the NAIS would impose significant time, reporting, and paperwork burdens on small farms. In addition, CAFOs only have to use one tag per lot (ie, thousands of animals), while independent livestock producers tag each animal—this obviously creates an unfair economic burden on independent family farmers, and gives yet another government induced incentive to vertically integrated, corporate agri-business.

No food safety benefits: NAIS will not prevent foodborne illnesses, such as e coli or salmonella contamination, because the tracking ends at the time of slaughter. Food safety is better served by focusing on programs such as increased testing for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease), improved oversight of slaughterhouses and food processing facilities, and increased inspections of imported foods. Programs such as NAIS that burden small, sustainable farmers will hurt efforts to develop safer, decentralized local food systems.

Not an effective tool for disease prevention: The USDA has been very successful in eradicating diseases through existing, time-proven disease programs. The USDA should not be allowed to supplant these successful programs with an unproven system that will consume massive resources in administration and bureaucracy, rather than focusing on the prevention of disease.

Implementation of NAIS violates Missouri state law: Missouri law prohibits the Missouri Department of Agriculture from mandating premises registration without a vote of the legislature.

To sum up, the MRCC says, "[The] USDA has spent too much time and money already, with no results. [The] USDA established working groups in 2002 and has spent over $130 million since 2004. Yet the agency still failed to produce a workable plan. In these tough economic times, we cannot afford to spend good money after bad."

Small Farms On The Rise

2009-05-28T10:51:00.004-05:00

"Call them hobby farms, quaint, backward, hippies," said Keith Bolin, a conventional commodity farmer in Illinois and head of the American Corn Growers Association. "You hear it all. But to me, they seem sustainable and growing, and you can't deny the success."

Just read a great article on stltoday.com about the number of entrepreneurial, small-scale farms on the rise in our area; exciting!

However, I am a bit worried by the following statement, "The concept of "local" food has generated such cachet that large corporations are taking notice. Food giant Frito-Lay now advertises that potatoes for its chips are "locally grown." The company recently launched an online "chip tracker" that allows consumers to find out where their chips were made."

Wow ... I can't wait for more huge corporations to jump on the "local" bandwagon and pervert it six ways to Sunday.

P.S. That was totally sarcastic, in case you couldn't tell.

Genetic Engineering Fails to Boost US Crop Yields

2009-04-24T19:54:00.005-05:00

"Driven by economic and political forces, food prices soared to record highs in 2007 and 2008, causing hardships around the world. Although a global food shortage was not a factor then or now—worldwide food production continues to exceed demand—those recent price spikes and localized scarcity, together with rising populations in many countries and individuals' rising aspirations, have brought renewed attention to the need to increase food production in the coming decades. Many commentators and stakeholders have pointed to the alleged promise of genetic engineering (GE)—in which the crop DNA is changed using the gene-insertion techniques of molecular biology—for dramatically improving the yields of staple food crops. But a hard-nosed assessment of this expensive technology's achievements to date gives little confidence that it will play a major role in helping the world feed itself in the foreseeable future.

This report is the first to evaluate in detail the overall, or aggregate, yield effect of GE after more than 20 years of research and 13 years of commercialization in the United States. Based on that record, we conclude that GE has done little to increase overall crop yields."

—Union of Concerned Scientists report, "Failure to Yield: Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops"

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) recently released a report in March that shows genetic engineering has failed to significantly boost US crop yields despite biotech industry claims. In case you don't want to read the entire 51-page report, here are their findings in a nutshell:

1. Genetic engineering has not increased intrinsic yield.
2. Genetic engineering has delivered only minimal gains in operational yield.
3. Most yield gains are attributable to non-genetic engineering approaches.
4. Experimental high-yield genetically engineered crops have not succeeded.

So, what can be done to ensure major crops realize adequate intrinsic and operational yields in the coming years? The UCS makes the following three recommendations:

1. The US Department of Agriculture, state and local agricultural agencies, and public and private universities should redirect substantial funding, research, and incentives toward approaches that are proven and show more promise than genetic engineering for improving crop yields, especially intrinsic crop yields, and for providing other societal benefits. These approaches include modern methods of conventional plant breeding as well as organic and other sophisticated low-input farming practices.

2. Food-aid organizations should work with farmers in developing countries, where increasing local levels of food production is an urgent priority, to make these more promising and affordable methods available.

3. 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.

P.S. Happy Belated Earth Day! If you're going to the St. Louis Earth Day Festival on Sunday, stop by the Slow Food St. Louis booth and say hello!

The Barefoot Farmer

2009-04-20T21:19:00.002-05:00

Protect Your Right to Know What's in Your Milk

2009-04-13T19:54:00.006-05:00

I received the following e-mail from Organic Valley today and wanted to share with you all:

"Last week, despite strong citizen and farmer opposition, the Kansas State Legislature passed a bill that would limit a farmer's right to tell their customers whether they produce milk without the genetically engineered hormone, rBGH.

Kansas House Bill 2121 specifies that dairy products promoted as being produced by cows that don't receive injections of Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) include a potentially misleading disclaimer stating there are no significant differences between milk from cows that are injected with rBGH and cows that are rBGH-free. The "no differences" statement is based on an 18-year-old FDA review of rBGH; however, FDA's own publications, as well as subsequent scientific studies have shown that there are significant differences, some of which may affect human health.

We share the opinion of the Consumers Union that "HB 2121 puts unnecessary obstacles in the way of consumers getting the information they want, restricts free speech rights of dairies and processors, and interferes with the smooth functioning of free markets."

This Kansas bill has a national impact because national and regional brands will be forced to either produce separate labels, or simply stop labeling milk without the hormone as rBGH-free. What's more, if the labeling rule stands in Kansas it can happen in other states too.

Please take a moment to contact Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius before April 16 and urge her to veto HB 2121. Sibelius is President Obama's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, which houses the Food and Drug Administration. Let's remind her to protect consumers' right to know as her final act as Governor before heading to Washington.

Governor Sebelius could sign as soon as Thursday (April 16) so contact her today!

Send her a message at the Center for Food Safety or sign the petition at Food & Water Watch.

Thanks for all your support for family farmers, informed consumer choices, and a sustainable future for all!

Sincerely,
The Farmers and Staff of Organic Valley Family of Farms"

I've sent Governor Sebelius a message. Will you send one too?

Latest Census of Agriculture Shows Growing Diversity in US Farming

2009-04-09T22:26:00.000-05:00

The number of farms in the United States has grown 4% and the operators of those farms have become more diverse in the past five years, according to results of the 2007 Census of Agriculture recently released by the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service.

"The Census of Agriculture is a valuable tool that provides the general public with an accurate and comprehensive view of American agriculture. It's also a set of benchmarks against which this department must measure and demonstrate its performance to agriculture and the taxpayer," said Secretary Tom Vilsack.

"In the spirit of President Obama's call to make government more transparent, inclusive, and collaborative, I will be directing my team at the USDA to review the findings of the 2007 census and propose ambitious, measureable goals to make sure that the people's department is hard at work for all the people – our diverse customers and the full diversity of agriculture."

The 2007 census counted 2,204,792 farms in the United States, a net increase of 75,810 farms. Nearly 300,000 new farms have begun operation since the last census in 2002. Compared to all farms nationwide, these new farms tend to have more diversified production, fewer acres, lower sales, and younger operators who also work off-farm.

In the past five years, US farm operators have become more demographically diverse. The 2007 census counted nearly 30% more women as principal farm operators. The count of Hispanic operators grew by 10%, and the counts of American Indian, Asian, and black farm operators increased as well.

The latest census figures show a continuation in the trend towards more small and very large farms and fewer mid-sized operations. Between 2002 and 2007, the number of farms with sales of less than $2,500 increased by 74,000. The number of farms with sales of more than $500,000 grew by 46,000 during the same period.

Census results show that the majority of US farms are smaller operations. More than 36% are classified as residential/lifestyle farms, with sales of less than $250,000 and operators with a primary occupation other than farming. Another 21% are retirement farms, which have sales of less than $250,000 and operators who reported they are retired.

In addition to looking at farm numbers, operator demographics, and economic aspects of farming, the Census of Agriculture delves into numerous other areas, including organic, value-added, and specialty production, all of which are on the rise.

The 2007 Census found that 57% of all farmers have internet access, up from 50% in 2002. For the first time in 2007, the census also looked at high-speed internet access. Of those producers accessing the internet, 58% reported having a high-speed connection.

Other "firsts" in the 2007 Census include questions about on-farm energy generation, community-supported agriculture arrangements, and historic barns.

The Census of Agriculture, conducted every five years, is a complete count of the nation's farms and ranches and the people who operate them. It provides the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every county in the nation.

The Young and The Landless

2009-04-08T19:57:00.013-05:00

"They're not wearing overalls or brandishing pitchforks, but the young farmers who appear in the trailer for the documentary film "The Greenhorns" are the real thing. Their faces are sun-worn, the dirt under their fingernails is visible on camera, and they look like they've stopped between sweat-inducing tasks to share agricultural secrets with the audience."

Stumbled across a great article on Culinate about the challenges young farmers face ... it's definitely worth a read.

One of the young farmers mentioned in the article is Severine von Tscharner Fleming, a 27-year-old farmer and the director of The Greenhorns.

I would suggest any young farmer (or anyone thinking about farming or even folks who just want to support young farmers) check out the film's website ... not only can you watch the film's trailer, but there's also a wealth of resources for anyone starting out in the farm biz, including an interactive map charting farmers under 40 (Serve Your Country Food) and a guidebook for young farmers, written by young farmers (The Greenhorns Guide for Beginning Farmers).

And since the latest USDA Census of Agriculture reports that the average age of US farmers increased from 55.3 in 2002 to 57.1 in 2007 — and the number of farmers aged 75 years and older grew by 20% from 2002, while the number of farmers under 25 years of age decreased 30% — there's never been a better time to start farming ... or support a young farmer.

Slow Food and Shining Rivers

2009-04-07T09:56:00.013-05:00

Just a heads-up that the next Slow Food St. Louis meeting will be held Thursday, April 9th, at 6:30 pm at Shining Rivers Waldorf School in Webster Groves, home of a SLOW FOOD Edible Schoolyard in progress. The group will take a tour of the campus to see the gardening in progress and learn about future plans for what's going in (an article on the edible schoolyard at Shining Rivers was recently published in The Healthy Planet).

Shining Rivers is located at 915 N. Elm Avenue, Webster Groves, MO 63119. If you are looking for a traditional school building, you won't find it as the school consists of 2 homes and 3 additional lots. More parking is available if you drive around the block and park on the Bell street side of the campus.

Be there or be a circle.

Maplewood Farmers' Market Opens Today

2009-04-01T15:36:00.003-05:00

I am pleased to report that the Maplewood Farmer's Market held at Schlafly Bottleworks is opening for the season today!

I expect all the usual suspects are going to be there ... Prairie Grass Farm, Hinkebein Hills Farm, Claverach, The Root Cellar, Sunshine Savannah, Kakao, Four Seasons, along with the rest of the Maplewood Market gang ... but unfortunately, I'm not going to be there to find out!

But, my wonderful boyfriend will be on hand to see what opening day at the market has to bring ... and he has full reign to bring home any goodies he wants!

The market opens at 4:00 and runs until 7:00 ... see you there next week?

Is a Food Revolution Really Here?

2009-03-24T18:49:00.009-05:00

The White House now has a vegetable garden. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has started his own organic "people's garden." Kathleen Merrigan, a champion of sustainable agriculture and healthy food, has been named as his deputy.

Could a local food revolution really be underway across the nation?

That's the topic on deck in a recent New York Times article entitled "Is a Food Revolution Now in Season?"

As a proponent of the local food movement here in St. Louis, I can only hope that more and more people begin to understand how important it is to have a sustainable food supply ... and take action—any action—to move in that direction.

Another worthwhile read from NYT is "Eating Food That's Better for You, Organic or Not," an article from Mark Bittman that takes a look at the popularity of the organic food movement, which, as he says, "is not synonymous with "safe," "healthy," "fair" or even necessarily "good.""

For me, local trumps organic any day.

Convivial Pursuit!

2009-03-23T15:38:00.008-05:00

As you all know, Slow Food St. Louis is near and dear to my heart ... so get out your wallets and buy a table for our upcoming, award-winning trivia night, Convivial Pursuit!

Slow Food St. Louis is happy to announce the return of our award-winning trivia night, Convivial Pursuit, happening on March 27, 2009, at Mad Art Gallery (2727 S. 12th Street, St. Louis, MO 63118).

The Convivial Pursuit Trivia Night offers up a smorgasbord of food trivia certain to delight your mind as well as your senses.

The Slow Food Leadership is happy to announce that Sauce Magazine's Byron Kerman is returning to emcee this year's event. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top two tables. We'll also offer up fantastic raffle items and multimedia categories sure to delight your senses.

All proceeds from the event will be distributed to area farmers through Slow Food St. Louis' Biodiversity Grants. The Slow Food St. Louis Biodiversity Grants help farmers promote biodiversity in the St. Louis food system by giving them the funds needed to raise heritage animals and heirloom vegetables.

When: Friday, March 27 2009
Time: Doors open at 6PM, Trivia starts at 7PM
Where: Mad Art Gallery; 2727 S. 12th St., St. Louis, MO 63118 [Map It!]

Cost: $200 per table up to 10 players
How To Buy Tickets: Brown Paper Tickets
PRE-PURCHASE ONLY

Prepayment for the tables is preferred. If you have any questions, please contact Michael Sweeney, our fearless Convivial Pursuit leader, at 314-283-8518.

My Last Share

2009-03-13T08:28:00.000-05:00

I can't believe the time has come, but Chuck and I picked up our last Fair Shares share last Wednesday. What did we get in our final share?

Yellow Wood Farm Baby Greens Mix (Hermann, MO)
Blue Heron Organic Orchard Apple Cider and Apple Cider Vinegar (Canton, MO)
Heartland Creamery "Methuselah" Gouda Cheese (Newark, MO)
River Hills Poultry Alliance Eggs (Silex, MO)
American Grassfed Beef Ground Beef (Doniphan, MO)
Local Harvest Grocery Black Bean Dip (St. Louis, MO)
San Luis Tortilla Company Corn Tortillas and Tortilla Chips (St. Louis, MO)
Black Bear Bakery Bagels (St. Louis, MO)

As we already had a few jars of salsa in the pantry and we're still tired of sweet potatoes, we swapped our Gringo Foods salsa (O'Fallon, IL) and Lee Farms sweet potatoes (Truxton, MO) for a jar of Hilty's Bee Yards raspberry-flavored honey (Bowling Green, MO) and more Missouri Grain Project wheat berries (Auxvasse, MO).

It was a bit sad knowing that this would be our last share because we've decided not to renew our membership.

We thought long and hard about whether to rejoin Fair Shares for a second year and ultimately made the decision not to renew our membership. Getting to our pick-up site on time was a bit difficult with our hectic work schedules (though Sara and Jamie were always accomodating to us!), and we'd also like to spend more time and money at the farmers' markets, getting to know the folks who grow our food even better.

I thoroughly enjoyed my year in Fair Shares and will miss the surprise of learning what was in our share every other week, but I know Fair Shares will go on as their waiting list is already chock full of people waiting to take our place!

Wondering whether Adventures in Eating Locally will go on? Since eating locally is still an integral part of my life, yes it will!

So, Just What Is A Wheat Berry?

2009-03-05T18:57:00.000-06:00

According to Wikipedia, wheat berries are the entire wheat kernel minus the hull. Wheat berries have a tan to reddish brown color and are available as either a hard or soft processed grain. They are often added to salads or baked into bread to add a crunchy texture. As a whole grain, wheat berries provide nutritional benefits as they are an excellent source of dietary fiber.

Here are some recipes if you're new to cooking with wheat berries:

Basic Cooked Wheat Berries

Wheat Berry Breakfast Bowl

Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad

Try 'em. You'll like 'em.

My Latest Share

2009-03-04T08:26:00.006-06:00

A belated post, but a post nonetheless.

Last week, Chuck and I picked up our latest Fair Shares share:

Hilty's Bee Yards Roma Tomatoes (Bowling Green, MO)
Claverach Farm and Vineyard Sunflower Sprouts (Eureka, MO)
Ozark Forest Mushroom Pesto (Big Springs, MO)
Herbs en Route Variegated Pineapple Mint (Farmington, MO)
Missouri Grain Project Wheat Berries (Auxvasse, MO)
Mangia Italiano Whole Wheat Pasta Shells (St. Louis, MO)

As we already had a whole chicken in the freezer, some bread in the fridge, and we're a bit tired of sweet potatoes, we swapped our Greenwood Farms chicken (Newburg, MO), Black Bear Bakery focaccia bread (St. Louis, MO), and Lee Farms sweet potatoes (Truxton, MO) for the following:

River Hills Poultry Alliance Eggs (Silex, MO)
More Missouri Grain Project Wheat Berries (Auxvasse, MO)
Hilty's Bee Yards Sweet Dill Pickles (Bowling Green, MO)
San Luis Tortilla Company Tortilla Chips (St. Louis, MO)
Kakao Marshmallow Pies (St. Louis, MO)

I was very excited to get local wheat berries in my share ... I love every grain under the sun! Here is a bit more about the Missouri Grain Project from our Fair Shares newsletter:

The Missouri Grain Project is spearheaded by Margot McMillen of Terra Bella Farm (Auxvasse, MO) and seeks farmers to grow non-genetically modified, chemical-free grains for food consumption, rather than commodity, as so many of Missouri's grain farmers practice now. With the majority of crops grown being used for feed in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) or processed to create the likes of high-fructose corn syrup, rather than as food for human consumption, it's no wonder there is a food crisis afoot. By supporting this project, Fair Shares hopes to help bring a whole new array of local, sustainable, and healthy grains into our diets and encourage farmers to get back to growing food for the people.

Margot said they hope to add oats and other grains soon but here's the deal: They need to be able to track it and be sure they're getting chemical-free so it has to be farmer by farmer and bagger by bagger and that's why they're moving slowly.

In 2009, they hope to have hard (bread) wheat. It will be the first time anyone has raised hard wheat in mid-Missouri for a long time. The farmer uses sustainable methods, meaning that he uses ammonia-based nitrogen when he plants and sometimes again in the spring if he thinks he needs it but he doesn't use herbicides or pesticides. He is not organic certified. Harvesting will be in July. They would like to buy from other farmers also but the biggest problem has been moving the wheat from the field to a cleaner/bagger that can be trusted to keep it separate from others. They may also be able to add rye in 2009 and tentatively barley. They planted some at Terra Bella and can hardly wait to see if it makes a crop.

Neither can I!

The Price of Tomatoes

2009-03-03T14:57:00.004-06:00

"Driving from Naples, Florida, the nation's second-wealthiest metropolitan area, to Immokalee takes less than an hour on a straight road. You pass houses that sell for an average of $1.4 million, shopping malls anchored by Tiffany's and Saks Fifth Avenue, manicured golf courses. Eventually, gated communities with names like Monaco Beach Club and Imperial Golf Estates give way to modest ranches, and the highway shrivels from six lanes to two. Through the scruffy palmettos, you glimpse flat, sandy tomato fields shimmering in the broiling sun.

Rounding a long curve, you enter Immokalee. The heart of town is a nine-block grid of dusty, potholed streets lined by boarded-up bars and bodegas, peeling shacks, and sagging, mildew-streaked house trailers. Mongrel dogs snooze in the shade, scrawny chickens peck in yards. Just off the main drag, vultures squabble over roadkill. Immokalee's population is 70% Latino. Per capita income is only $8,500 a year. One third of the families in this city of nearly 25,000 live below the poverty line. Over one third of the children drop out before graduating from high school.

Immokalee is the tomato capital of the United States."

In an article in the March 2009 issue of Gourmet, Barry Estabrook comes to the horrible conclusion that if you've eaten a tomato this winter, chances are very good that it was picked by a person who lives in virtual slavery.

He also posted an editorial on the magazine's website that points to a large reason why "the tomato fields of the Sunshine State are fertile ground for forced labor."

In my opinion, both are must reads (don't forget to read the comments too, many of which are trying to turn this into an immigration issue when it's clearly a labor issue ... but don't get me started on that).

It's important to note that this is a different issue than the wage increase issue currently being championed by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, whose recent efforts increased the monies paid for a 32-pound basket of tomatoes from 40¢ to 45¢. Yes, you read that right.

I attended a seminar at Slow Food Nation that covered the wage issue—and the current working conditions of the millions of men and women who harvest and process the food we eat each day. The panel featured Lucas Benitez and Greg Asbed from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Jose Padilla, Executive Director of the California Rural Legal Assistance, Agustin Ramirez, ILWU Northern California Lead Organizer, and Maricela Morales, representing CAUSE, the Central Coast Alliance United for A Sustainable Economy. The panel was moderated by Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation.

I encourage you to watch the video of the seminar here:

Listening to farm worker Lucas Benitez was extremely eye-opening to say the least ... and made me feel good about the fact that the tomatoes Chuck and I used to make tomato sauce last week came from Bowling Green, MO. But I have to ask ... am I doing enough by eating locally? Me thinks not.

A Plant's Eye View

2009-02-27T22:01:00.003-06:00

What if human consciousness isn't the end-all and be-all of Darwinism? What if we are all just pawns in corn's clever strategy game to rule the Earth? Check out this TED Talk, in which author Michael Pollan asks us to see the world from a plant's-eye view:

Michael Pollan Fixes Dinner

2009-02-24T20:05:00.004-06:00

In a new interview with Mother Jones, Michael Pollan talks about ethanol, the carrot lobby, and secularizing food:

MJ: Obama has praised corn-based ethanol.

MP: I think we'll see him back off of that because he's no longer a senator from Illinois, and he has to look at not only the national but the global implications of this folly. It's an experiment that's been disastrous. About 30% of the increase in grain prices could be attributed to the decision to embrace biofuels, particularly corn-based ethanol. It has done nothing for climate change, and the business is in real trouble now with the collapse of oil prices. It's completely dependent on subsidies and tariffs. I don't think it's proven itself to be of any value except to Archer Daniels Midland. And Obama appointed Steven Chu as secretary of energy, a fierce critic of corn-based ethanol, a physicist, and a Nobel Prize winner. It will be his job to argue the president and Vilsack out of corn-based ethanol.

In other government-appointment news, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has nominated Kathleen Merrigan, a strong supporter of organic and sustainable agriculture, as his deputy. She is one of the "sustainable dozen" proposed in the Food Democracy Now petition for Under Secretary positions at the USDA.

To The Farmers' Markets I Go

2009-02-14T18:54:00.000-06:00

Hit the St. Louis Community Farmers' Market this morning and picked up some dried apples (made with local apples, local honey, and spices) and some dried cherry granola from my pals at Sunflower Savannah (Beaufort, MO). I also got a beautiful head of Boston lettuce from ShowMe Fresh Farm (Cape Girardeau, MO) and a variety of apples from Ringhausen Orchard (Fieldon, IL).

While there, I ran into Kelly, one of my fellow Slow Food St. Louis co-leaders who was handing out information about SFSTL's new Biodiversity Grant Program, which provides funding for producers to grow heirloom variety produce and/or breed/raise heritage animals. If you know a farmer who does either of these things, let them know about our grant! We hope to make a direct impact on the St. Louis food system by moving away from the dependence on so few crops and animal breeds and towards the appreciation of diversity in what we eat.

Afterward, Kelly and I headed over to the Kirkwood Farmers' Market to meet Bryan and Christina from Farrar Out Farm (Frohna, MO) as I had placed an order with them the week before. What did I get? A pound of andouille sausage, a pound of sliced ham, two pounds of bacon (because their bacon rocks), and a three-pound log of summer sausage, which Chuck and I will be sharing with our families... though I could eat it all myself!

My Latest Share

2009-02-11T18:18:00.006-06:00

Chuck and I picked up our latest Fair Shares share this afternoon:

Claverach Farm Radish Sprouts (Eureka, MO)
Ozark Forest Fresh Mushroom Mix (Big Springs, MO)
Troutdale Farms Trout Fillets (Gravois Mills, MO)
Heartland Creamery Fresh Chevre (Newark, MO)
Mangia Pasta Sheets (St. Louis, MO)
Companion Golden Raisin & Fennel Bread (St. Louis, MO)
Kakao Marshmallow Pie (St. Louis, MO)

I was also scheduled to receive a pound of coffee from Northwest Coffee (St. Louis, MO), but I swapped it for some sweet dill pickles from Hilty's Bee Yards (Bowling Green, MO) and some black bean spread from Local Harvest Grocery.

I also picked up some pea shoots from Claverach (Chuck is a huge fan now), a bottle of Blue Heron Organic Orchard (Canton, MO) habeñero apple cider vinegar, a half-pound round of butter from Our Garden (New Florence, MO), and a bag of tortilla chips and two packages of yellow corn tortillas from San Luis Tortilla Company (St. Louis, MO).

I think we're set!

P.S. I should note that the marshmallow pie from Kakao was devoured as soon as we hit the car ... they are that good!

Seed Catalogs: Porn for Gardeners

2009-02-01T17:29:00.002-06:00

"The fire pops, shooting embers against the screen, and I choose another seed catalog from the deepening drift nearby. It is winter, time for dreams of gardens to come."

Some folks like to look at porn. For some folks, seed catalogs are porn.

Endless photos of beautiful, rainbow-colored vegetables and herbs beckon us to plant them, grow them, and eat them ... and a recent article in The New York Times talks about just that.

Unfortunately, I don't have space for a full-size garden, but that sure doesn't stop me from oogling the photos in my seed catalogs and dreaming of dishes I'd like to make.

Winter Farmers' Market Secrets

2009-01-30T16:32:00.001-06:00

There's still a few months to go before our local farmers' markets are up and running each week. What do with your goodies from the winter markets around town?

Check out this great slide show from The Daily Green that take the mystery out of seasonal eating with a profile of delicious, nutritious winter veggies ... and the recipes you need to cook them.

My Latest Share

2009-01-29T16:30:00.001-06:00

I was a bit under the weather yesterday, so I stopped by the Fair Shares headquarters to pick up my latest share today:

Claverach Farm and Vineyard Pea Shoots (Eureka, MO)
Ozark Forest Mushrooms Mushroom Mix (Big Springs, MO)
Lee's Farm Sweet Potatoes (Truxton, MO)
Hilty's Bee Yards Pickled Beets (Bowling Green, MO)
Blue Heron Orchard Garlic (Canton, MO)
Prairie Grass Farm Ground Lamb (New Florence, MO)
River Hills Poultry Alliance Eggs (Silex, MO)
Kimker Hill Farm Pizza Dough Mix (St. Clair, MO)
Black Bear Bakery Pestalozzi Baguette (St. Louis, MO)
Gorse Maple Syrup (Arcadia, MO)

Chuck is excited about the pizza mix ... we're always up for a good, homemade pizza!

New Ag Secretary Lays Out Priorities For USDA

2009-01-27T15:51:00.002-06:00

On Monday, new Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced his priorities for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA):

combating childhood obesity and enhancing health and nutrition, indicating that the USDA should play a key role in the public health debate and that nutrition programs should be seen as an opportunity to both alleviate hunger and prevent health care problems;

advancing research and development and pursuing opportunities to support the development of biofuels, wind power, and other renewable energy sources, saying that the USDA needs to make sure that the biofuels industry has the necessary support to survive recent market challenges while promoting policies that will accelerate the development of next-generation biofuels that have the potential to significantly improve our energy independence;

making progress on major environmental challenges, including climate change. Vilsack said it's important that farmers and ranchers play a role with USDA in efforts to promote incentives for management practices that provide clean air, clean water, and wildlife habitat, and help farmers participate in markets that reward them for sequestering carbon and limiting greenhouse gas emissions;

supporting the profitability of farmers and ranchers by providing a safety net that works for all of agriculture, including independent producers and local and organic agriculture, and enforcing the Packers and Stockyards Act;

quickly implementing the 2008 Farm Bill; modernizing the food safety system; and investing in programs that alleviate hunger and suffering overseas and support long-term agriculture development; and

restoring the mission of the Forest Service as a protector of clean air, clean water, and wildlife habitat; a provider of recreation opportunities; a key player in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration. Vilsack indicated that it is important that we appropriately budget for wildfires so that the Forest Service has the resources it needs for both wildfires and its other missions.

Vilsack said that as part of the regulatory review process outlined by the White House and Office of Management and Budget (OMB), he will extend the comment period for the 2008 Farm Bill Farm Program Payment Limitation and Payment Eligibility rulemaking process for an additional 60 days.

"Let's be clear—in no way is this move a signal that we will modify the rules for the 2009 crop year," Vilsack said. "Sign up has begun and it's important that clear and consistent rules remain in place so that producers can prepare for the crop year and manage their risk appropriately."

To date, the USDA has only received seven comments on the payment limits rule and Vilsack says that by extending the comment period additional farmers and other interested parties will have the opportunity to comment.

"In keeping with President Obama's recent pledge to make government more transparent, inclusive, and collaborative, I would like to pursue an extended comment period so that more farmers and other individuals can participate in this rulemaking process," he said. "I'm particularly interested in suggestions that would help the Department target payments to farmers who really need them and ensure that payments are not being provided to ineligible parties for future crop years."

Vilsack also announced that the Department does not plan to implement a proposal developed by the previous Administration that would have cut more than $3 million from the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, a popular program that promotes the growth of healthy fruits and vegetables.

Vilsack also said he intends to move quickly on the major challenges facing the Department: modernizing USDA's computer systems and finally closing the sad chapter of the Department's struggle with civil rights.

"We need to do a better job of responding to challenges, apologizing for mistakes when we make them, empowering our employees to make decisions and drive change, and emphasizing a transparent and inclusive style of governing."

Farm and Food: What Should the Obama Administration Do?

2009-01-26T14:39:00.010-06:00

American Farmland Trust recently released a list of farm and food policy recommendations for the Obama administration:

reduce the federal government's role in farmland loss;

protect and promote Farm Bill regional food system programs;

prioritize agriculture's role in reducing greenhouse gases;

support efforts to engage farmers in improving water quality;

properly implement and fully fund the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program;

mitigate against the loss of farm and ranch land in transportation legislation and create a green agricultural infrastructure;

create a farmer corps;

evaluate the impacts of farmland loss on national food and energy security; and

support local food in school cafeterias and access for low income consumers.

To read the letter AFT will send to the new administration—and more about the recommendations above,—click here.

It's an ambitious list, but all good things to address the problems facing agriculture today.

Greening The White House

2009-01-19T21:58:00.003-06:00

As Barack Obama prepares to take office tomorrow, I offer you the following videos, which emphasize the important role that a new White House Victory Garden could play as part of a larger White House Greening project:

This Lawn is Your Lawn from roger doiron on Vimeo.

The Garden of Eatin': A Short History of America's Garden from roger doiron on Vimeo.

For more on the idea of growing organic food on the White House lawn, visit EatTheView.org and TheWhoFarm.org.

My Latest Share

2009-01-14T18:54:00.001-06:00

Here's what's in my first Fair Shares share for 2009:

Lee Farms Sweet Potatoes (Truxton, MO)
Sunny Ridge Farm Blackberries (?)
Hilty's Bee Yards Sweet Dill Pickles (Bowling Green, MO)
Hinkebein Hills Farm Pork Onion Patties (Cape Girardeau, MO)
River Hills Poultry Alliance Eggs (Silex, MO)
Ropp Jersey Cheese Smoked Gouda (Normal, IL)
Martin Rice Long Grain Rice (Bernie, MO)
Tessa's Peanut Butter (St. Louis, MO)
Black Bear Bakery Brioche Rolls (St. Louis, MO)
Patric Chocolate 70% Madagascar Sambirano Valley Dark Chocolate (Columbia, MO)

My Latest Share

2008-12-31T10:49:00.004-06:00

Sara and Jamie are taking New Year's Eve off so I picked up my latest Fair Shares share yesterday afternoon:

Rutherford Farms Pea Shoots (Silex, MO)
Herbs en Route Parlsey (Farmington, MO)
Lee Farms Sweet Potatoes (Truxton, MO)
Hilty's Bee Yards Roma Tomatoes (Bowling Green, MO)
Centennial Farms Apple Mix (Augusta, MO)
American Grassfed Beef Ground Beef (Doniphan, MO)
Hinkebein Hills Farm Ground Pork (Cape Girardeau, MO)
Hammons Black Walnuts (Stockton, MO)
Companion Miller's 5 Grain Bread (St. Louis, MO)
San Luis Tortilla Company Tortilla Chips (St. Louis, MO)
Gringo Foods Vidalia Onion Salsa (O'Fallon, IL)

My share originally included a dozen eggs from River Hills Poultry Alliance (Silex, MO), but I can only consume so many eggs so I swapped them for the ground pork from Hinkebein Hills Farm. Last weekend, I made my own breakfast sausage, and it turned out so well that I want to make it again.

It was quite easy actually ... I just mixed the ground pork with kosher salt, black pepper, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, garlic, and minced onion. I shaped the mixture into patties and pan-fried them over medium heat until they were cooked through.

Quick, easy ... and I could pronounce every ingredient!

You Too Can Container Garden

2008-12-24T09:53:00.003-06:00

I recently stumbled on the following set of articles about container gardening on Harvest to Table and thought I'd share with those of you who've considered starting container gardens too:

Part I: Growing Vegetables and Herbs in Containers

Part II: Vegetable Varieties for Container Growing

Part III: Dwarf and Miniature Vegetables for Containers

If you start a container garden, drop me a line and let me know how it goes!

My Latest Share

2008-12-17T19:10:00.005-06:00

Fresh from my Kirkwoood Fair Shares site:

Biver Farms Acorn Squash (Edwardsville, IL)
Hilty's Bee Yards Roma Tomatoes (Bowling Green, MO)
Dry Dock Farms Applesauce (Silex, MO)
Blue Heron Orchard Apple Cider (Canton, MO)
Sunny Ridge Farm Blackberries (?)
Seven Thunder Bison Ground Bison (Wildwood, MO)
River Hills Poultry Alliance Eggs (Silex, MO)
Fromage LLC Private Recipe Herb & Spice Cheese Spread (St. Albans, MO)
Black Bear Bakery Bagels (St. Louis, MO)

The roma tomatoes from Lee's Farm and the applesause from Dry Dock were canned earlier this summer so that we Fair Shares members could enjoy them in the winter ... what a great way to extend the summer bounty here in the Midwest.

This week, I also picked up another pint of plump, deep purple Sunny Ridge blackberries, which were frozen earlier this summer ... I can't wait to enjoy another burst of summer when the snow falls this season.

I also grabbed some Local Harvest Grocery roasted red pepper hummus (St. Louis, MO) from the swap/additional purchase box to enjoy with the San Luis tortilla chips (St. Louis, MO) that I bought at Local Harvest last weekend ... with my busy schedule, it's a quick and easy snack I can grab when I get home late.

Finally, I picked up some Kreta Reserve olive oil. Local olive oil ... say what? Kreta olive oil is made from Koroneiki olives grown, harvested, and pressed by family farmers in the mountains on the island of Crete and imported by St. Louis native Tony Sansone. It's the closest thing to local olive oil we'll get here in St. Louis!

Genetically-Engineered Cotton ... Yum

2008-12-10T17:22:00.003-06:00

On December 3rd, the US government announced that no food or feed safety concerns exist from an incident in which a small portion of an unauthorized genetically-engineered (GE) cotton variety was harvested along with commercially available GE cotton.

The FDA, the EPA, and the USDA investigated an incident in which Monsanto notified them that a small amount—"less than an acre"—of an unauthorized GE cotton variety was harvested along with 54 acres of a commercially-available GE cotton variety. Apparently, this unauthorized GE cotton variety produces a pesticide that is a "plant-incorporated protectant (PIP) nearly identical to a registered product already in a marketed corn variety."

Even thought the EPA and the FDA have concluded that there are no food or feed safety concerns related to this incident, they are also investigating whether a small amount of meal from the unauthorized GE cotton variety may have been inadvertently released into the animal feed supply. Based on additional data provided by Monsanto on the protein produced in the GE cotton, the EPA has already concluded that there would be no risk to animals consuming small amounts of feed from the unauthorized cotton, nor to humans from consuming meat or milk from these animals. Well, if Monsanto says it's okay ...

In light of the fact that the USDA has issued a proposal to weaken its already insufficient biotechnology regulations, I think this "incident" requires a bit more investigation.

Secretary of Agriculture: A Sustainable Choice

2008-12-08T12:19:00.007-06:00

The leading figures in the world of sustainable agriculture (among them Michael Pollan, Alice Waters, Rick Bayless, Wendell Berry, Eric Schlosser, Anna Lappe, Frances Moore Lappe, Dan Barber, Marion Nestle, and Winona LaDuke) recently sent President-Elect Obama six picks for what they call "the sustainable choice for the next US Secretary of Agriculture:"

1. Gus Schumacher, former Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the US Department of Agriculture, former Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture;

2. Chuck Hassebrook, Executive Director, Center for Rural Affairs, Lyons, NE;

3. Sarah Vogel, former two-term Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of North Dakota, attorney in Bismarck, ND;

4. Fred Kirschenmann, organic farmer, Distinguished Fellow—Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Ames, IA, and President, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, NY;

5. Mark Ritchie, current Minnesota Secretary of State, former policy analyst in Minnesota's Department of Agriculture under Governor Rudy Perpich, co-founder of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policyl; and

6. Neil Hamilton, attorney, Dwight D. Opperman Chair of Law and Professor of Law and Director, Agricultural Law Center, Drake University in Des Moines, IA.

You too can join them in urging President-Elect Obama to make the right choice by signing their online petition at Food Democracy Now!

Gourmet Q and A with Joshua Viertel

2008-12-03T22:12:00.001-06:00

"I can imagine Slow Food over time having a membership and a reach that enables it to put real pressure on federal policymakers in the next food and farm bill discussion in the same way the Natural Resources Defense Council or the Sierra Club could affect policy for the environmental movement. Imagine the change we could get if we had an organization that could bring one million people to the table and say, "Hey, we all agree about these three things." We haven't had that historically, and I think having it going forward could make a huge difference in the way our country grows its food." — Joshua Viertel

Gourmet writer Tracie McMillan recently interviewed Slow Food USA's new president Joshua Viertel to talk about "founding Yale's landmark farming initiative, whether we should be paying more for our food, and finding inspiration in a bodega."

My Latest Share

2008-12-03T15:55:00.003-06:00

Here's what's on tap this week from Fair Shares:

Herbs en Route Watercress (Farmington, MO)
Yellow Wood Farm Lettuce Mix (Hermann, MO)
Lee Farms Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes (Truxton, MO)
Blue Heron Orchard Apple Mix (Canton, MO)
Hinkebein Hills Farm Ground Pork (Cape Girardeau, MO)
Heartland Creamery Chevre (Newark, MO)
River Hills Poultry Alliance Eggs (Silex, MO)
Tessa's Peanut Butter (St. Louis, MO)
Local Harvest Grocery Hummus (St. Louis, MO)
Companion Potato Thyme Bread
Esther's Honey (St. Charles, MO)
Kakao Marshmallow Pies

I also picked up some popcorn and pinto beans from Bellews Creek Farm (Hillsboro, MO) ... and the popcorn will be a great addition to movie night now that the snow is coming our way!

Attention Future Farmers

2008-12-02T20:54:00.001-06:00

My friend Molly recently started a new non-profit organization called EarthDance, whose mission is "to grow and inspire local FARMS - Food, Art, Relationships, & Music, Sustainably."

One of the key programs from EarthDance is the Organic Farming Apprenticeship that they are inaugurating on the Mueller Farm in Ferguson next year. Molly recently sent this message to the Slow Food St. Louis group, and I wanted to share it with you:

"With the apprenticeship, folks will have the opportunity to learn how to grow food organically on a real working farm – not far from home! Freshman Farmies will commit a minimum of 10 hours per week to farm and market labor, in addition to 2 hours per week of enrichment learning (plus 3 – 4 optional weekend field trips to nearby farms). Applications are due December 15th! (The application fee is $25, nonrefundable. Enrollment in the apprenticeship program is $250 per person for the entire 9 month season.)

The 2009 inaugural class of Freshman Farmies will be announced on January 15th so get your applications in soon!

Secretary Pollan?

2008-11-24T21:49:00.005-06:00

"We citizens of The United States of America request the appointment of Michael Pollan to the Office of Secretary of Agriculture of the United States of America.

Through his academic lectures and papers, published books, and articles, Mr. Pollan has proven capable of gathering wide-ranging research, organizing it into a coherent whole, and reaching non-biased conclusions. This research has provided him a unique understanding of the history, development, and contemporary practices of US Agriculture and its relationship to the health of the citizens of The United States. He is singularly qualified to identify inefficiencies and present improvements in production, nutrition, and our problematic reliance on petroleum and petro-chemical based fertilizers, for the benefit of food producers and consumers both. As an academic and journalist, Mr. Pollan is free of the type of conflicts of interest rampant in the current administration which have led to abysmal performance and deficient oversight of industry at the expense of the people.

It is our belief that this scholarly approach coupled with his unique ability to synergize and coherently communicate to a wide audience makes Mr. Pollan the best choice for Secretary of Agriculture in an administration whose stated goals include affordable health and healthcare for the citizens of this nation and wholesale change from the practices of the Bush administration."

From a petition to nominate Michael Pollan for Secretary of Agriculture ... if you agree, sign it!

Eat Here St. Louis

2008-11-21T11:31:00.007-06:00

"My restaurant career has been characterized by catching a couple of waves before the right time."—Andy Ayers

In an article published on STLtoday.com this morning, Andy Ayers, former owner of Riddles Penultimate Café & Wine Bar and current founder and owner of Eat Here St. Louis, talks about his restaurant career and love of local food.

[Photo credit: Christian Gooden/P-D]

My Latest Share

2008-11-19T16:37:00.001-06:00

What do you know? I posted on time this week!

Herbs en Route Parsley (Farmington, MO)
Biver Farm Arugula, Lettuce Mix, and Japanese Turnips (Edwardsville, Il)
Blue Heron Orchard Apple Mix (Canton, MO)
Lee Farms Acorn Squash and Sweet Potatoes (Truxton, MO)
American Grassfed Beef Ground Beef (Doniphan, MO)
Heartland Creamery Legacy Cheese (Newark, MO)
River Hills Poultry Alliance Eggs (Silex, MO)
Companion Miller's 5 Grain Bread (St. Louis, MO)
Local Harvest Grocery Black Bean Dip (St. Louis, MO)
San Luis Tortilla Chips (St. Louis, MO)

My Latest Share

2008-11-12T15:55:00.001-06:00

A week late in posting, but better late than never, right?

Biver Farms Arugula, Lettuce Mix, and Radishes (Edwardsville, IL)
Yellow Wood Farms Carrots (Hermann, MO)
Ivan's Farm Red Roasting Peppers (Dittmer, MO)
Herbs en Route Oregano (Farmington, MO)
Pilgrims' Acres Chicken (Foristell, MO)
Heartland Creamery "Methuselah" Cheese (Newark, MO)
Mangia Italiano Whole Wheat Cresta Rigate (St. Louis, MO)
Black Bear Bakery Whole Wheat Rolls (St. Louis, MO)
Blue Heron Orchard Apple Cider (Canton, MO)

Looking forward to a lovely roast chicken ... I sometimes wonder if there is anything better.

Winter Farmers' Markets in St. Louis

2008-11-05T23:41:00.000-06:00

Do you miss the summer farmers' markets already? Never fear, the winter markets are here!

Both the Maplewood Farmers' Market and the St. Louis Community Farmer's Market (Tower Grove) are back with winter markets. Each market will be open one Saturday per month from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Here are the details for each market:

What: St. Louis Community Farmers' Market

When: The 2nd Saturday of each month from November to April, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM:

November 8, 2008
December 13, 2008
January 10, 2009
February 14, 2009
March 14, 2009
April 11, 2009

Where: Indoors at St. John's Episcopal Church (3664 Arsenal, St. Louis, MO 63116; just west of Grand Avenue, near Mokabe’s)

What: Maplewood Winter Pantry

When: Varies, see schedule below, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM:

November 22, 2008
December 20, 2008
January 31, 2009
February 28, 2009
March 28, 2009
April 2009 TBD

Where: The Crown Room at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue, Maplewood, MO 63143; Southwest at Manchester)

If you're like me, you love to shop at farmers' markets ... and I am so glad that I'll be able to continue to do so throughout the winter!

Check Out Farrar on NPR

2008-10-31T14:59:00.005-05:00

Bryan and Christina Truemper of Farrar Out Farm in Frohna, MO, were recently interviewed for NPR's All Things Considered to gauge how the economy is affecting them:

"It does seem like a possibility that we hit a huge depression. I feel a little insulated from that because we raise our own food. And at a very fundamental level, I know I'm going to put food on the table for my family. We're going to be able to cut our fire wood, and we have our own well. And it helps me feel safe that I could barter food for other things that I need. I really hope it never comes to that, but I have thought about it, and I do think about it."—Christina Truemper

There are also quite a few comments posted that you must read too. I am blown away by the negative comments that were left about this story, but knowing Bryan and Christina myself, I know how hard they work ... and I know that their dedication and work ethic will show through to those who take the time to understand and don't make snap judgements after listening to a 5-minute interview.

Delicate Delicata

2008-10-28T18:03:00.012-05:00

Not familiar with delicata squash? According to recipetips.com, a delicata squash is a "long oblong-shaped squash with a cream colored, green striped thick outer skin, and a golden fine-textured inner flesh. Considered as a novelty squash, its size may range from 5 to 10 inches in length with an average weight of 1 to 2 pounds."

You know what delicata squash is?

Tasty ... as I found out by trying the following recipe from allrecipes:

Delicata Delish

1 large delicata squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
2 shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup pine nuts

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Arrange the squash halves cut side up in a baking dish. Fill dish with 1/4 inch water. Place 1 tablespoon butter on each half, and season halves with salt and pepper. Cover dish, and bake squash 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until very tender.

Place quinoa in a pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots and garlic, and cook until tender. Stir in pine nuts, and cook until golden. Gently mix into the cooked quinoa.

Cut the squash halves in half, and fill each quarter with the quinoa mixture. Serve each stuffed squash quarter on a bed of the remaining quinoa mixture.

Tasty indeed.

My Latest Share

2008-10-24T16:29:00.002-05:00

The latest from Fair Shares ...

Herbs en Route Parsley (Farmington, MO)
Ozark Forest Mushrooms (Big Springs, MO)
Reckamp Farm Green Pepper (Wright City, MO)
Lee Farms Delicata Squash (Truxton, MO)
Yellow Wood Farms Specialty Potatoes (Hermann, MO)
Blue Heron Orchard Apple Cider (Canton, MO)
Hinkebein Hills Chorizo Sausage (Cape Girardeau, MO)
Mangia Italiano Spinach Tagliatelle (St Louis, MO)
Black Bear Bakery Muffalettas (St Louis, MO)
Northwest Coffee Coffee Beans (St Louis, MO)

... I also picked up another lemon pepper baguette from Companion Bakery (St. Louis, MO) and some more herbs from Herbs en Route, including sage, basil, chervil, and chives.

I'm envisioning a mushroom and delicata tagliatelle with pesto ... mmm!

Waiter, There's a Politician in my Soup!

2008-10-16T13:48:00.006-05:00

Election Day will soon be upon us, and I thought it would be good to share an article by Tom Philpott at Grist that outlines Barak Obama and John McCain's stances on food and farm policy.

(FYI ... I'm posting this to Everybody Loves Cheese and Adventures in Eating Locally so if you follow both of my blogs, you'll just have to read it twice!)

Farmer in Chief

2008-10-15T20:38:00.002-05:00

In last weekend's issue of The New York Times Magazine, Michael Pollan presents an open letter to the next President of the United States:

"It may surprise you to learn that among the issues that will occupy much of your time in the coming years is one you barely mentioned during the campaign: food.

Food policy is not something American presidents have had to give much thought to, at least since the Nixon administration—the last time high food prices presented a serious political peril. Since then, federal policies to promote maximum production of the commodity crops (corn, soybeans, wheat and rice) from which most of our supermarket foods are derived have succeeded impressively in keeping prices low and food more or less off the national political agenda. But with a suddenness that has taken us all by surprise, the era of cheap and abundant food appears to be drawing to a close.

What this means is that you, like so many other leaders through history, will find yourself confronting the fact—so easy to overlook these past few years—that the health of a nation’s food system is a critical issue of national security.

Food is about to demand your attention."

Let's hope so.

My Latest Share

2008-10-10T11:49:00.001-05:00

I'm back again with more Fair Shares goodies ...

Herbs en Route Sweet Basil (Farmington, MO)
Blue Heron Orchard Apple Mix and Apple Cider (Canton, MO)
Ivan's Farm Wild Persimmons (Dittmer, MO)
Ozark Forest Mushrooms (Big Springs, MO)
Lee Farms Acorn Squash & Sweet Potatoes (Truxton, MO)
Rutherford Farm Pea Shoots (Silex, MO)
Yellow Wood Farms Yukon Gold Potatoes (Hermann, MO)
Hinkebein Hills Ground Pork (Cape Girardeau, MO)
Sappington Farmers Market Peanut Butter (St. Louis, MO)
Companion Bakey Croissants (St. Louis, MO)

I also picked up some fresh chestnuts from Blue Heron Orchard and a lemon pepper baguette from Companion Bakery (developed for Companion by Gerard Craft of Niche as part of their new CollaBREADtive Series).

So ... here's my dilemma. I've never cooked with fresh persimmons or chestnuts before. I think I'm going to roast the chestnuts (check out this how-to recipe) and then ... I don't know.

Do you have any favorite recipes for roasted chestnuts ... or fresh persimmons for that matter?

My Latest Shares

2008-10-03T10:59:00.003-05:00

Okay, okay ... I know it's been month since my last post. What can I say ... life happens! In this case, life included a new job, my brother's wedding, and my birthday. But, as we all know, life goes on ... and so does my CSA! Here's what I picked up at Fair Shares over the last month:

September 10th:

Herbs en Route Thyme (Farmington, MO)
Hale Farms Roma & Heirloom Tomatoes and Pepper Mix (Farmington, MO)
Lee Farms Green Beans (Truxton, MO)
Albrick Red Potatoes (TBD)
Yellow Wood Farms Sugar Baby Watermelon (Hermann, MO)
Ringhausen Orchard Stanley Plums (Fieldon, IL)
Ropp Jersey Cheese Green Onion Cheddar (Normal, IL)
River Hills Poultry Alliance Eggs (Silex, MO)
American Grassfed Beef Ground Beef (Doniphan, MO)
Companion Bakery Orange Almond Brioche (St. Louis, MO)
San Luis Tortilla Chips (St. Louis, MO)

September 24th:

Herbs en Route Bay Leaves (Farmington, MO)
Blue Heron Orchard Apple Mix (Canton, MO)
Weigel Orchard Peaches (Golden Eagle, IL)
Lee Farms Acorn Squash and Sweet Potatoes (Truxton, MO)
Yellow Wood Farms Yukon Gold Potatoes and Edamame (Hermann, MO)
River Hills Poultry Alliance Eggs (Silex, MO)
Prairie Grass Farms Ground Lamb (New Florence, MO)
Trillium Farm Goat Mozzarella (TBD)
Companion Bakery Rye (St. Louis, MO)
Local Harvest Grocery Hummus (St. Louis, MO)

Things are now slowing down a bit (though those of you that know me know that my life is never very slow!) ... and I'm looking forward to connecting with my faithful readers again!

Where Do I Begin?

2008-09-02T21:47:00.004-05:00

I'm back from San Francisco and Slow Food Nation ... so much to report!

I'll begin recapping all my adventures at SFN on my other blog, Everybody Loves Cheese, tomorrow, but never fear, I'll include links to all of the posts here at Adventures in Eating Locally.

Stay tuned!

My Latest Share

2008-08-28T13:21:00.000-05:00

On tap this week from Fair Shares ...

Herbs en Route Bay Leaves (Farmington, MO)
Hale Farms Sungold Tomatoes, Banana Peppers, and Cubanelle Peppers (Farmington, MO)
Dry Dock Farm Sunflower Sprouts (Silex, MO)
Bellews Creek Farm Garlic (Hillsboro, MO)
Weigel Orchard Peaches (Golden Eagle, IL)
Yellow Wood Sugar Baby Watermelon (Hermann, MO)
Pilgrim Acres Chicken (Foristell, MO)
Mangia Italiano Rigatoni (St. Louis, MO)
Companion Bakery Bread Baguette (St. Louis, MO)
Tessa's Peanut Butter (St. Louis, MO)

And as usual, after picking up my share, I headed to the Maplewood Farmers' Market to catch up with friends and chat with all the vendors that I now consider friends! I also picked up some chorizo from Karlios at Hinkebein Hills Farm, some green tomatoes from Walker at The Root Cellar (Columbia, MO), some baby bell peppers from one of the new Amish vendors at the market, and some yummy cookies from Agi at 4 Seasons Baked Goods (St. Louis, MO).

As I'm heading to San Francisco this afternoon for Slow Food Nation, I froze the bell peppers and peaches last night. The sungold tomatoes, watermelon, and bread will be a gift to my parents for watching my cats while I'm gone (thanks, Mom and Dad!) ... and Walker is pretty sure the green tomatoes will still be green when I get back on Sunday!

A full report on how the freezing process went ... and of course, Slow Food Nation ... when I return!

Keep It Local!

2008-08-27T10:38:00.001-05:00

Hello friends,

I just made a commitment to support local farms by taking the American Farmland Trust's Keep It Local pledge.

Farming in America is at a turning point. Rapidly rising global food demand, spiking food and fuel prices, and the ever-present threat of development are pressuring our farmers to squeeze the most out of their land.

Struggling farmers need our help! Take the pledge and encourage your friends to do it too!