The New York Times reported on July 13 that the Obama Administration would seek to ban routine use of antibiotics in farm animals. Those practices are believed to lead to development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria in humans. The Union of Concerned Scientists has estimated as much as 70% of antibiotic usage in the U.S. is given to healthy cattle, chickens and hogs to encourage growth and to prevent disease.
The AMA (American Medical Association) is backing the measure proposed by House Representative Louise M. Slaughter, Democrat, of New York and chairwoman of the Rules Committee. It would ban seven classes of antibiotics important to human health from being used in animals, and would restrict other antibiotics to therapeutic and some preventive uses.
Naturally, organizations like the National Pork Producers Council and other lobbying groups oppose the measure. The farm lobby’s opposition makes its passage unlikely, but advocates are hoping to include the measure in the legislation to revamp the health care system.
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.
"The use of antibiotics for “purposes other than for the advancement of animal or human health should not be considered judicious use,” Dr. Sharfstein said in his written testimony. “Eliminating these uses will not compromise the safety of food.”
Personally, I agree that confined feeding operations overuse antibiotics, although the incidence of disease in those confinement areas remains high, from what I have read over the years.
I know many small farmers who can, and do, give antibiotics to a sick or injured animal. Often they are 30 miles or more from a local veterinarian, and generally give any drugs in cooperation from/with the vet. I am not in favor of small farmers losing that privilege by this proposed ban, which will affect their ability to make a living.
As mentioned above, this measure may become part of any health care reform, so we need to be aware of the verbiage in it, and support our small farmers with appropriate consideration.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Building and Feeding Healthy Soil, Part One of Four
All gardeners know healthy plants start with healthy soil, but not all gardeners know everything it takes to really make the soil healthy. I certainly don’t, but here’s a start. If you ask that question, most gardeners will say “compost”, sometimes without understanding exactly everything compost really does in the soil, other than loosen the soil and probably add some fertilizer.
But, oh my, healthy soil is so much more than just dirt with lots of compost! If your soil has any organic material in it, you probably see a few earthworms when you dig. You might also see a few other critters like centipedes, larvae, and who knows what else… but the vitally important ‘work-horse” life that builds and maintains healthy soil is seldom seen unless you have a microscope. These small critters (microorganisms) are bacteria, mites, nematodes, fungi, yeasts, molds, protozoa... and they are present in soils in astounding numbers!
The top several inches in a square foot of good garden soil may hold 50 earthworms, but a mere teaspoon of good, healthy soil may contain a billion bacteria, several thousand protozoa, a few dozen nematodes and many yards of almost invisible fungal hyphae (thread-like filaments). All living things, including soil organisms, must eat to survive. If soil organisms have the right things to eat, they make healthy soil, which feeds the plants, which then feed us.
What do these critters eat? Well, some eat chemicals like sulfur and nitrogen, and others eat things containing carbon… such as organic plant material (wood chips, leaves, green manure, and compost), waste products from other organisms (microscopic size to very large sizes like a horse), and sometimes they eat each other.
Now, here’s a catch… (isn’t there always a catch?). If we feed a human being a diet consisting solely of hamburgers, fries and sodas, they will live, and will have some energy. But sooner or later, their vitality will wane because they haven’t consumed a well-balanced diet containing ALL the nutrients needed for building and maintaining full health. Plus, you cannot feed a human just every now and then and still expect healthy vitality. The same is true for soil life. They need a constant supply of good nutrients in balance, and just adding compost and NPK doesn’t cut it.
By a neat action of Grand Design, plants provide much of the food the critters need. Plants do this through photosynthesis, producing energy in the leaves. This energy is converted to chemicals the plants give off in their root area (which is called the rhizosphere and is the tiny space immediately surrounding the roots). These chemicals are mostly carbs (which include sugars such as glucose and sucrose), amino acids, proteins, water and minerals, which attract and feed beneficial microbes.
The other neat action of Grand Design is that the waste products given off by the soil organisms are the very things the plants need (and in the right form to take up by the roots)… nutrients like minerals, vitamins, and nitrogen. For an example: plants may not be able to take up phosphate ions that are locked up in soils. The mycelium (the thread-like part) of the mycorrhizal fungus can process the phosphorus and make it available to the plants. (Mycorrhizae are especially beneficial for their plant partner in nutrient-poor soils.) Some microbes are able to “fix” nitrogen from the air and make it available to plants. These are often bacteria, blue-green algae and mycorrhizae/
Stay tuned for Part Two, coming soon.
But, oh my, healthy soil is so much more than just dirt with lots of compost! If your soil has any organic material in it, you probably see a few earthworms when you dig. You might also see a few other critters like centipedes, larvae, and who knows what else… but the vitally important ‘work-horse” life that builds and maintains healthy soil is seldom seen unless you have a microscope. These small critters (microorganisms) are bacteria, mites, nematodes, fungi, yeasts, molds, protozoa... and they are present in soils in astounding numbers!
The top several inches in a square foot of good garden soil may hold 50 earthworms, but a mere teaspoon of good, healthy soil may contain a billion bacteria, several thousand protozoa, a few dozen nematodes and many yards of almost invisible fungal hyphae (thread-like filaments). All living things, including soil organisms, must eat to survive. If soil organisms have the right things to eat, they make healthy soil, which feeds the plants, which then feed us.
What do these critters eat? Well, some eat chemicals like sulfur and nitrogen, and others eat things containing carbon… such as organic plant material (wood chips, leaves, green manure, and compost), waste products from other organisms (microscopic size to very large sizes like a horse), and sometimes they eat each other.
Now, here’s a catch… (isn’t there always a catch?). If we feed a human being a diet consisting solely of hamburgers, fries and sodas, they will live, and will have some energy. But sooner or later, their vitality will wane because they haven’t consumed a well-balanced diet containing ALL the nutrients needed for building and maintaining full health. Plus, you cannot feed a human just every now and then and still expect healthy vitality. The same is true for soil life. They need a constant supply of good nutrients in balance, and just adding compost and NPK doesn’t cut it.
By a neat action of Grand Design, plants provide much of the food the critters need. Plants do this through photosynthesis, producing energy in the leaves. This energy is converted to chemicals the plants give off in their root area (which is called the rhizosphere and is the tiny space immediately surrounding the roots). These chemicals are mostly carbs (which include sugars such as glucose and sucrose), amino acids, proteins, water and minerals, which attract and feed beneficial microbes.
The other neat action of Grand Design is that the waste products given off by the soil organisms are the very things the plants need (and in the right form to take up by the roots)… nutrients like minerals, vitamins, and nitrogen. For an example: plants may not be able to take up phosphate ions that are locked up in soils. The mycelium (the thread-like part) of the mycorrhizal fungus can process the phosphorus and make it available to the plants. (Mycorrhizae are especially beneficial for their plant partner in nutrient-poor soils.) Some microbes are able to “fix” nitrogen from the air and make it available to plants. These are often bacteria, blue-green algae and mycorrhizae/
Stay tuned for Part Two, coming soon.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Baking Pan Release Agent Recipe
Someone asked me for this recipe, so I’m posting it here. It is not original; it came from a friend who got it from a friend… you know how that goes! At any rate, I make up a batch of this, give half away (it’s easier to mix a whole batch) and always have some in a mason jar on my pantry shelf. I love using it; MUCH easier than buttering and flouring a cake pan (or whatever), and it has no really bad stuff in it. I also find it doesn’t build up a residue on my pans.
Baking pan release agent
½ cup vegetable oil (I use safflower, because it’s all I keep on hand besides olive oil)
½ cup vegetable shortening at room temp (I use Crisco)
½ cup all-purpose flour
Mix everything together with an electric mixer. It will get nice and fluffy. Place in a lidded jar and store in the pantry. I never refrigerate mine, but my pantry stays cool. Occasionally it separates a bit, and I just stir it back together.
Use a pastry brush to lightly coat baking pans with this stuff; the brush washes easily. (I have used a paper towel in a pinch.)
Ages ago I saw this, or a similar recipe, and it suggested using unsweetened powdered cocoa in place of the white flour (or half of each) for baking chocolate things. It doesn’t leave a trace of white residue on your cakes, etc. However, I have not noticed any residue on what I bake, maybe because I apply it lightly and don’t bake much that’s chocolate.
Baking pan release agent
½ cup vegetable oil (I use safflower, because it’s all I keep on hand besides olive oil)
½ cup vegetable shortening at room temp (I use Crisco)
½ cup all-purpose flour
Mix everything together with an electric mixer. It will get nice and fluffy. Place in a lidded jar and store in the pantry. I never refrigerate mine, but my pantry stays cool. Occasionally it separates a bit, and I just stir it back together.
Use a pastry brush to lightly coat baking pans with this stuff; the brush washes easily. (I have used a paper towel in a pinch.)
Ages ago I saw this, or a similar recipe, and it suggested using unsweetened powdered cocoa in place of the white flour (or half of each) for baking chocolate things. It doesn’t leave a trace of white residue on your cakes, etc. However, I have not noticed any residue on what I bake, maybe because I apply it lightly and don’t bake much that’s chocolate.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Court Upholds Ban on Monsanto's GE Alfalfa
A federal appeals court upheld a 2-year-old ban on Monsanto Co.'s genetically modified alfalfa in a case a biotech food opponent calls a "turning point" in the regulation of such crops, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on June 24 leaves Monsanto with two options. It can appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, or hope for regulatory approval after the Agriculture Department completes a comprehensive environmental review.
The 2 year-old ban came from a U.S. District Judge in San Francisco who issued an injunction that banned the planting of biotech alfalfa after March 30, 2007. By then, more than 260,000 acres of the Roundup Ready alfalfa had been planted.
There are very real concerns that conventional and organic alfalfa could be contaminated through cross-pollination, preventing crops from being sold. There are claims biotech crops have led to overuse of herbicides and given rise to "super weeds" resistant to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup.
Biotech opponents say the case is much broader than just GE alfalfa because it marks the first time a thorough environmental review has been required for regulatory approval of a genetically modified crop. Such a study will help regulators and the public understand any risks associated with crops that are genetically engineered.
Monsanto is still hopeful for government approval of Roundup Ready alfalfa and believes the results of the environmental impact statement could help with future reviews of new biotech crops.
Meanwhile, a lawsuit challenging the government's approval of Monsanto's Roundup Ready sugar beets is pending.
The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on June 24 leaves Monsanto with two options. It can appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, or hope for regulatory approval after the Agriculture Department completes a comprehensive environmental review.
The 2 year-old ban came from a U.S. District Judge in San Francisco who issued an injunction that banned the planting of biotech alfalfa after March 30, 2007. By then, more than 260,000 acres of the Roundup Ready alfalfa had been planted.
There are very real concerns that conventional and organic alfalfa could be contaminated through cross-pollination, preventing crops from being sold. There are claims biotech crops have led to overuse of herbicides and given rise to "super weeds" resistant to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup.
Biotech opponents say the case is much broader than just GE alfalfa because it marks the first time a thorough environmental review has been required for regulatory approval of a genetically modified crop. Such a study will help regulators and the public understand any risks associated with crops that are genetically engineered.
Monsanto is still hopeful for government approval of Roundup Ready alfalfa and believes the results of the environmental impact statement could help with future reviews of new biotech crops.
Meanwhile, a lawsuit challenging the government's approval of Monsanto's Roundup Ready sugar beets is pending.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Major health hazards and GMO foods, pesticides
GMO (genetically modified organisms) are now found in more than 80% of non-organic foods sold in conventional grocery stores in the United States. An alarming study conducted by French, Italian, New Zealand, British and American experts was just published pointing to serious health hazards from genetically engineered foods and pesticides.
The study brings to light "a significant underestimation of the initial signs of diseases like cancer and diseases of the hormonal, immune, nervous and reproductive systems, among others. We demand the systematic publication of the results of these tests, which we could only obtain on a case by case basis by taking legal action."
The findings are in agreement with the decade-long criticism by public interest organizations such as Greenpeace, Organic Consumers Association and Friends of the Earth who contend bureaucrats of the FDA and the European Food Safety have used unreliable tests to assess the safety of foods and products containing GMO’s.
The study brings to light "a significant underestimation of the initial signs of diseases like cancer and diseases of the hormonal, immune, nervous and reproductive systems, among others. We demand the systematic publication of the results of these tests, which we could only obtain on a case by case basis by taking legal action."
The findings are in agreement with the decade-long criticism by public interest organizations such as Greenpeace, Organic Consumers Association and Friends of the Earth who contend bureaucrats of the FDA and the European Food Safety have used unreliable tests to assess the safety of foods and products containing GMO’s.
GMO foods and the FDA
Speaking of the FDA, I see Michael Taylor has returned to the FDA, now appointed as 'senior advisor to the commissioner' of the Food and Drug Administration. I have some concerns based on what I have read about Mr. Taylor and his career.
After finishing his law degree, he began his career at the FDA in 1976 as a staff attorney for about 5 years. He left them for 10 years of private law practice, and returned to the FDA in 1991 as Deputy Commissioner for Policy.
That didn’t last long. In 1994 he served Administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (What do the USDA food inspections actually provide to us?) Mr. Taylor's previous work includes Vice President for Public Policy at Monsanto Corp - the giant chemical company responsible for 'Roundup' and genetically engineered seeds. He also served as Senior Fellow at Resources for the Future where he focused on food safety as a global health concern and the impact of U.S. agricultural, trade, and development policies on poverty and hunger reduction in Africa.
Mr. Taylor became Professor Taylor in 2007, joining the School of Public Health and Health Services at George Washington University. There he taught PubH 209: Policymaking at the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health Policy.
His faculty page bio says: "Since joining SPHHS in 2007, Professor Taylor has promoted efforts to strengthen the FDA, especially by enhancing the agency's authority, resources and management structure. 'No federal agency touches as many lives as intimately as the FDA, or works on a wider range of challenging public health policy issues,' says Mr. Taylor. 'The goal of my research and teaching is to bring these issues to life and equip students with a framework for understanding and analyzing them.' "
In recent years, he has also directed his longstanding interest in food systems and problems of food security to agriculture-led economic growth in rural Africa."
Interestingly enough, my understanding of our new policy on aid to Africa is that it includes the use of Monsanto’s GMO seeds. Monsanto is the world's leading supplier of the herbicide 'Roundup' and is also the top producer of genetically engineered seeds. Michael Taylor was a senior lobbyist for Monsanto.
I'm all for teaching/helping farmer's grow their own crops to feed their own people, but to teach them something that demands they buy seeds every year from the teacher doesn't seem right. Monsanto's GMO seeds are engineered to be sterile in the next generation, which means farmer's must purchase new seeds every year instead of saving seed they have grown.
Monsanto and others would have us believe GMO crops would insure food safety. My question is "safe for what?" Safe for human and animal health, or safe for corporate profit?
Why on earth was one of the former top GMO lobbyists appointed to the FDA?
After finishing his law degree, he began his career at the FDA in 1976 as a staff attorney for about 5 years. He left them for 10 years of private law practice, and returned to the FDA in 1991 as Deputy Commissioner for Policy.
That didn’t last long. In 1994 he served Administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (What do the USDA food inspections actually provide to us?) Mr. Taylor's previous work includes Vice President for Public Policy at Monsanto Corp - the giant chemical company responsible for 'Roundup' and genetically engineered seeds. He also served as Senior Fellow at Resources for the Future where he focused on food safety as a global health concern and the impact of U.S. agricultural, trade, and development policies on poverty and hunger reduction in Africa.
Mr. Taylor became Professor Taylor in 2007, joining the School of Public Health and Health Services at George Washington University. There he taught PubH 209: Policymaking at the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health Policy.
His faculty page bio says: "Since joining SPHHS in 2007, Professor Taylor has promoted efforts to strengthen the FDA, especially by enhancing the agency's authority, resources and management structure. 'No federal agency touches as many lives as intimately as the FDA, or works on a wider range of challenging public health policy issues,' says Mr. Taylor. 'The goal of my research and teaching is to bring these issues to life and equip students with a framework for understanding and analyzing them.' "
In recent years, he has also directed his longstanding interest in food systems and problems of food security to agriculture-led economic growth in rural Africa."
Interestingly enough, my understanding of our new policy on aid to Africa is that it includes the use of Monsanto’s GMO seeds. Monsanto is the world's leading supplier of the herbicide 'Roundup' and is also the top producer of genetically engineered seeds. Michael Taylor was a senior lobbyist for Monsanto.
I'm all for teaching/helping farmer's grow their own crops to feed their own people, but to teach them something that demands they buy seeds every year from the teacher doesn't seem right. Monsanto's GMO seeds are engineered to be sterile in the next generation, which means farmer's must purchase new seeds every year instead of saving seed they have grown.
Monsanto and others would have us believe GMO crops would insure food safety. My question is "safe for what?" Safe for human and animal health, or safe for corporate profit?
Why on earth was one of the former top GMO lobbyists appointed to the FDA?
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Goodbye, Mr. Cronkite
It was only because of men like Walter Cronkite and Edward. R. Murrow (who recruited Cronkite for CBS News) that I ever began really paying attention to the news. Of course, that was back in the days when the news was seldom manipulated nor controlled.
I did not always agree with Walter Cronkite on some of his rarely voiced personal views, but I certainly respected the integrity of the man, and his broadcasting. He said, “There is no such thing as a little freedom. Either you are all free, or you are not free.” Mr. Cronkite died July 17 from cerebrovascular disease.
I saw many similarities in the two men. Mr. Murrow is quoted as saying, “We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.”
Mr. Cronkite said, “There is no such thing as a little freedom. Either you are all free, or you are not free.”
“And that's the way it is.”
Is what we eat killing us?
Photo by pointnshoot Researchers have found a substantial link between diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or Type II Diabetes Mellitus and nitrates in processed foods, fertilizers and our water supply.
The study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (Volume 17:3 July 2009) says we have become a ‘nitrosamine’ generation’ by moving to a diet rich in amines and nitrates/nitrites, which increase nitrosamine production in the human body. (Nitrosamines, known to be carcinogenic, are produced by a chemical reaction between nitrates, or other proteins especially under high heat like frying, or in strong acid found in the human stomach.)
A 2007 study by Columbia University suggests a link between eating cured meats (such as sausage and bacon) and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The preservative sodium nitrite is the probable cause, and bacon made without added nitrites is available. Processed red meat is a major cause of colorectal cancer.
Nitrates in significant levels are found in ground beef, bacon, cured meats, cheese products, beer and water. Sodium nitrite is routinely added to fish and meat to prevent toxins, and it is used to color (the reddening effect) and flavor meats.
If it isn’t bad enough that we get these additives from processed foods, we now get an over-abundance of them from the increased use of nitrate-containing fertilizers. These nitrates get into our food supply by leaching from the soil and contaminating water supplies used for crop irrigation, food processing and drinking. Through farm runoff, nitrogen also makes its way into streams and rivers, and eventually estuaries and oceans. There, it sets off an explosive growth of algae that steals oxygen away from other organisms, creating so-called "dead zones". (Pesticides and cosmetics also contain significant amounts of nitrates.)
My locally grown organic meat and poultry are raised on grass pastures that are not sprayed with pesticides, nor is their grass pasture fertilized with chemical fertilizers. Those meat animals are also not grain-finished (most traditional feed grains are non-organic GMO grains raised by Big Ag). The local abattoir (slaughterhouse) here does not add any coloring or flavoring chemicals to the meats, either.
Is there an easy fix, or some positive direction towards an answer? I would like to hope so, even though I personally think it is doubtful. If I lived in a high-rise apartment in a big city, there would be no local pastured meat and poultry just down the road… there would be only my corner grocer who stocks factory-prepared meats, and fast food establishments. Most kids are not going to give up Happy Meals, and busy, busy families are not going to give up fast foods.
Humans have been ‘curing’ meat and fish for milleniums... originally, the only means of preservation. Our cured meats are now largely cultural, and we are not likely to give up the foods of our heritage (or advertising).
What we can do is use our considerable consumer power at the check-out counter (along with contacting our elected government representatives) to demand healthier-raised and processed food products, and more environmental restrictions on the over-use of nitrates which pour into our water supply.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Swiss Chard
I don't know why every gardener doesn't grow chard, even if they don't like it to eat. It is by far the prettiest plant in my vegetable garden! This year I have rainbow chard, shown in the photo above, and ruby red chard in another bed.
The World's Healthiest Foods has this to say about the nutritional value of chard. I couldn't say it any better, so I'm quoting from their site.
"If vegetables got grades for traditional nutrients alone, Swiss chard would be one of the vegetable valedictorians. The vitamin and mineral profile of this leafy green vegetable contains enough "excellents" to ensure its place at the head of the vegetable Dean's List. Our rating system awards Swiss chard with excellent marks for its concentrations of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E, and dietary fiber.
Swiss chard also emerges as a very good or good source of copper, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, protein, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid."
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Great Potato Experiment Update
So far, the results are 50-50 as far as growth. Here's the original post.
All of the fingerlings planted June 15 on straw in tires over weed-cloth have finally sprouted. There were times I had my doubts, though. The covering is new straw, and just a small amount of dry grass clippings.
None of the fingerlings planted on grass clippings on top of weed-cloth have sprouted, at least not through the grass so I can see. Their covering is only grass clippings. Both plantings have received enough water not to dry out for more than a day, both have been fertilized with a liquid fertilizer, and neither is in any dirt.
I have hopes of a decent, if small, fingerling potato crop!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The essence of M.F.K. Fisher
Several years ago I was a member of a very small group that enjoyed monthly dinners together, each of us taking a turn as host. Although most were accomplished cooks, and the meals superb, what stands out was the absolute dedication to enjoyment of both food and company.
At one of the first dinners, the host formally quoted M.F.K. Fisher to begin the meal. I had not heard of Fisher (1908-1992) at the time, but have since bought and enjoyed her books. To this day, I love this quote for a meal shared with friends:
On Dining Companions
Dining partners, regardless of gender, social standing, or the years they have lived, should be chosen for their ability to eat -- and drink! -- with the right mixture of abandon and restraint.
They should be able, no, eager, to sit for hours over a meal of soup and wine and cheese, as well as one of 20 fabulous courses.
Then, with good friends of such attributes, and good food on the board, and good wine in the pitcher, we may well ask, "When shall we live, if not now?"
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Happy Planet Index
Are you happy? Does your environment help or hinder your ability to lead a long and happy life?
There is an index that measures factors that lead to a long and happy life by combining the impact of environment (ecological efficiency) and human well-being, by country. The recently released Happy Planet Index Report 2.0 lists some interesting results.
Latin American and Caribbean countries occupied 9 of the top 10 slots, while the USA was listed as number 114.
Why are the people in those 9 countries so happy? According to the report, they are “much less concerned with material issues than, for example, they are with their friends and family.” Those countries also have made great progress in ecological sustainability.
Costa Rica has nearly eliminated fossil fuels for energy generation, and Colombia has a “Green Constitution”. Costa Ricans reportedly have the highest life satisfaction in the world, and their life expectancy is second-highest in the Americas, following Canada.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Who is spending what?
Jill Richardson investigated and wrote about this information, which should make us all pause to consider just who is trying to shape government policy in their favor, and how much the biggest spenders were willing to bet on their horse winning.
Ms. Richardson pulled the report for the first quarter 2009 and found an astounding list of more than 20,000 -- corporations, individuals and groups -- who spent money trying to curry favor among the policy-makers in America. When she narrowed her parameters to just expenditures of over one million dollars, more than 100 came up (including AIG, who spent $1,250,000 on lobbying during that period).
The following totals are for just the first 3 months of 2009:
1) $42 Million: Health Care, Health Insurance, & Pharma
2) $31 Million: Oil
3) $20 Million: War
4) $17 Million: Telecoms
5) $15 Million: Financial
6) $10 Million: Automotive
7) $7 Million: Life Insurance
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Is your bottled water safe?
Do you know if your bottled water is safe? Neither does the Food and Drug Administration. The Wall Street Journal reports on Congressional hearings that are going on about bottled water right now, and apparently the FDA (which oversees the $11.2 billion industry) is pretty forthcoming in its non-tracking of the water.
Currently, the FDA does not monitor bottlers. FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Joshua M. Sharfstein testified that the agency regulates bottled water as a food, and doesn’t know which companies among registered food firms make bottled water.
Recently (July 8, 2009) consumer advocates testified before the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Panel; they say bottlers should be required to disclose more information to consumers. According to the Wall Street Journal, Rep. Bart Stupak, chairman of the oversight panel, said in the past several years, bottlers have recalled water contaminated with arsenic, cleaning compounds and bacteria.
The good news is that the FDA is tightening some rules. (The industry, which includes PepsiCo Inc.’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola Co.’s Dasani, currently isn’t required to report tests that turned up contamination.)
Bottlers have until December 2009 to eliminate E. coli from bottled water products, and as early as September they have to report tests that show a “serious health threat” (whatever that means). By contrast, municipal water authorities must report dangerous contaminants within 24 hours.
Harvesting Shallots
The shallots are ready to harvest! I planted 2 kinds of shallots last fall, Dutch yellow shallots, and French red shallots, and just harvested the Dutch yellows. By accident, I also dug 2 clumps of the French reds, not remembering where one batch ended and the next began.
The French reds are on the left of the photo above, and as you can see, they are considerably larger than the Dutch yellows. There are more yellow shallots than shown, as I had already bundled some. I will dig the French reds in a few days; I’m waiting until the few seed heads I purposefully left on the plants mature a bit more.
I now have the yellow shallots I just dug tied in bundles and hanging in my root cellar (with a small fan running) to cure. Curing shallots is pretty much the same as curing garlic. See the garlic post here.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Wild Sockeye Salmon & Steamed Sugar Snaps
I was lucky to find some fresh, wild-caught sockeye salmon at a store in Boone this week. At $11.95 a pound on sale, I felt like a small piece wouldn’t damage the budget too much. Besides, I rarely find wild sockeye around here.
I cooked the salmon using a recipe I saw on an Alton Brown show recently, Broiled Sockeye Salmon with Citrus Glaze. My camera pooped out before I could get a photo of the broiled salmon (even the cooked peas photo is lousy, sorry). Sigh.
For a starch I made my old fall-back, bulgur, because it cooks in mere minutes. Cook bulgur in twice as much liquid as grain amount. I use any broth I have on hand (chicken, beef, vegetable) or just water or half-water and half-broth if I don’t want the taste to overpower another dish at the meal. This time I used water. Add a little salt to taste in cooking. Tip: I salt the water to taste before adding the grains to cook, same as I do for rice.
Recipe: Sugar Snaps with Mint and Chive Butter Sauce
Choose the amount of sugar snaps needed for serving. I was cooking just for myself, so maybe a heaping cup. (They aren’t very good leftover, too mushy.)
1-2 Tbs. Butter
1 tsp. fresh chopped chives
1 tsp. fresh chopped mint
Salt, optional
Remove the calyx and string the sugar snaps. When the peas are ready to steam, put the butter in a saucepan large enough to hold the peas; melt the butter and when it starts to bubble, add the herbs. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, and remove from heat.
Place the peas in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam 4-8 minutes until they are as tender as you wish. (They don't have to be cooked to eat; I eat them raw in salads.) Remove cover and remove from heat immediately. Drain for just a moment, add the peas to the butter sauce and toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately.
Friday, July 10, 2009
But First: the route to doing one simple task
I need to side-dress my veggies with some Cal-Phos, and with the weather forecast calling for a warm & sunny day, now is a good time to do it. But First, I need to put part of the 40 pound bag of Cal-Phos into a smaller container so I can carry it to the garden. But First I need to scrub out a bucket… Might as well scrub out all the buckets if I’m going to drag out the hose and a scrub brush…
But First I need to take the buckets to the dump and empty them; they are full of non-compostible debris. But First I need to go to town and fill my gas tank so I can make it to the dump and back. And, if I’m going to town I may as well pick up a few groceries and save an extra trip. But First I need to balance my checkbook to see how much money I have available.
But First I need to take the buckets to the dump and empty them; they are full of non-compostible debris. But First I need to go to town and fill my gas tank so I can make it to the dump and back. And, if I’m going to town I may as well pick up a few groceries and save an extra trip. But First I need to balance my checkbook to see how much money I have available.
If I’m going to town, I have to change these clothes. But First I need a shower… But First I have to wait for our old, slow water heater to re-heat from the 2 showers just taken by my sis and my niece. While I’m waiting for the water to heat up, I may as well do a load of laundry since I just use cold water for most of my laundry anyway. But First I should change my sheets since I don’t have enough for a full load of laundry.
All my linens are in a huge stack I didn’t put away when I started cleaning out the closets several days ago. I need to put those away so I can get to the sheets. But First I need to reline the linen-closet shelves, and I am not sure to find my shelf paper. I have several unpacked boxes in the shed, and it’s in one of them. But First I have to find where I put the key to the shed…
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The time has come, the walrus said...
For several years I have had concerns about the safety of my foods that come from grocery stores. As the food quality has decreased, and the greenwashing increased, my concern has also increased.
My willingness to bring up discussions about agribusiness (and laws tailored to their favor) within my circle of close friends has been pretty apparent for several years. For the last 2-3 years I have posted in many places news about food and farm legislation or related events that escape media headlines, but I’ve done it as a reporter might, without much stated opinion. After all, most of this country considers speaking out as rabble-rousing, or being of the lunatic fringe.
Lately it appears that to be concerned and voice that concern, possibly labels me as a terrorist with Homeland Security. Yes, that’s right…my understanding is HS sees telling the truth about some factory food production as fomenting discontent, which could lead to insurrection. BigAg (or somebody?) is trying to get it made a crime to show photos of factory farms on the Internet, according to Food, Inc.
This morning while reading about the PASS ID Act S.1261, I had to stop and look at my own image in the mirror. I didn’t much like the ethics I saw staring back. I have avoided speaking out in public, hesitating over what I could lose, including friends. Much of what is going on behind the scenes is classic totalitarian strategy, summed up by the German Pastor Martin Niemoller in this rhetoric we all have read and heard many times:
"...first (they came) for the Communists,
And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . .
and by that time there was no one left to speak up."
In 13 states (another 10 states have legislation in the works), there are food disparagement laws that make it a crime to criticize agricultural products without “sound, scientific basis”. The catch is in the “basis”, and agribusinesses have refuted scientific studies (other than biased research they supported and paid for) for in court and won.
Only those with deep pockets have won lawsuits about food disparagement. One case in point is the $10.3 million Texas lawsuit against Oprah Winfrey and vegetarian activist Howard Lyman several years ago. Lyman described some factory farm (feedlot) practices of feeding “rendered” cattle to cows on Oprah’s show, and she responded that the revelation would stop her from eating another burger. The suit was eventually dropped but not until attorney fees had cost Ms. Winfrey over a million dollars.
Commenting about the dangers of salmonella or e. coli on vegetables, irradiated foods, or the potential of adult-onset diabetes from overly-sweetened and nutrient-poor “fast foods” and sodas could drop a lawsuit on me in any one of the 13 states with food disparagement laws, and if I make such statements on the internet, ALL 13 states could sue me.
I personally believe those laws are a violation of the Right to Free Speech but no appeal has made it to the Supreme Court yet. That doesn’t mean I think it is okay to make false claims or untrue damaging statements about food and food companies, but I do think it is our Right to know the Truth about our food.
Food disparagement laws are the "descendants of criminal sedition laws, which made it a crime to criticize public officials," said American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director (1978 to 2001) Ira Glasser. "Today, such laws are used almost exclusively by the powerful to silence their critics."
If I do not stand up for what I believe, what I ultimately have to lose is my freedom along with my health… and the rights guaranteed in our Bill of Rights. Or I can sit quietly by, saying little, and watch my/our freedom and rights being eroded in such a way that most of us won’t even realize it until they are gone.
My willingness to bring up discussions about agribusiness (and laws tailored to their favor) within my circle of close friends has been pretty apparent for several years. For the last 2-3 years I have posted in many places news about food and farm legislation or related events that escape media headlines, but I’ve done it as a reporter might, without much stated opinion. After all, most of this country considers speaking out as rabble-rousing, or being of the lunatic fringe.
Lately it appears that to be concerned and voice that concern, possibly labels me as a terrorist with Homeland Security. Yes, that’s right…my understanding is HS sees telling the truth about some factory food production as fomenting discontent, which could lead to insurrection. BigAg (or somebody?) is trying to get it made a crime to show photos of factory farms on the Internet, according to Food, Inc.
This morning while reading about the PASS ID Act S.1261, I had to stop and look at my own image in the mirror. I didn’t much like the ethics I saw staring back. I have avoided speaking out in public, hesitating over what I could lose, including friends. Much of what is going on behind the scenes is classic totalitarian strategy, summed up by the German Pastor Martin Niemoller in this rhetoric we all have read and heard many times:
"...first (they came) for the Communists,
And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . .
and by that time there was no one left to speak up."
In 13 states (another 10 states have legislation in the works), there are food disparagement laws that make it a crime to criticize agricultural products without “sound, scientific basis”. The catch is in the “basis”, and agribusinesses have refuted scientific studies (other than biased research they supported and paid for) for in court and won.
Only those with deep pockets have won lawsuits about food disparagement. One case in point is the $10.3 million Texas lawsuit against Oprah Winfrey and vegetarian activist Howard Lyman several years ago. Lyman described some factory farm (feedlot) practices of feeding “rendered” cattle to cows on Oprah’s show, and she responded that the revelation would stop her from eating another burger. The suit was eventually dropped but not until attorney fees had cost Ms. Winfrey over a million dollars.
Commenting about the dangers of salmonella or e. coli on vegetables, irradiated foods, or the potential of adult-onset diabetes from overly-sweetened and nutrient-poor “fast foods” and sodas could drop a lawsuit on me in any one of the 13 states with food disparagement laws, and if I make such statements on the internet, ALL 13 states could sue me.
I personally believe those laws are a violation of the Right to Free Speech but no appeal has made it to the Supreme Court yet. That doesn’t mean I think it is okay to make false claims or untrue damaging statements about food and food companies, but I do think it is our Right to know the Truth about our food.
Food disparagement laws are the "descendants of criminal sedition laws, which made it a crime to criticize public officials," said American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director (1978 to 2001) Ira Glasser. "Today, such laws are used almost exclusively by the powerful to silence their critics."
If I do not stand up for what I believe, what I ultimately have to lose is my freedom along with my health… and the rights guaranteed in our Bill of Rights. Or I can sit quietly by, saying little, and watch my/our freedom and rights being eroded in such a way that most of us won’t even realize it until they are gone.
The Shortest Tunnel
Returning from my short trip this week, I came home by way of cutting across a corner of Tennessee. There, I discovered what must be the shortest tunnel anywhere… a mere 20 feet long!
One of the primary industries in the Southern Appalachians in the late 1800’s to about 1912 was timber harvesting the old-growth forests. The Tennessee Lumber Company had hired 400 men who sawed 100,000 board-feet of lumber daily, and they needed a way to get it to market. This short tunnel I drove through was once the rail-bed built following the natural terrain.
The mining company laying the track came to a stone ridge standing 75 feet high and 20 feet thick, named Backbone Rock for the shape. They decided to blast a short tunnel through the rock, and continue with laying track. If you look closely at the top of the tunnel, you will see it isn’t really rounded; they forgot to take into account the locomotive’s smokestack, and had to chisel out a little more height in the center!
By 1912 all the timber was gone, and the sawmill moved on. The US Forest Service used the rail line as a truck trail, and today it is a picturesque 2 lane road, TN 133. In the 1930’s, the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) built a trail to the top of Backbone Rock, and the Tennessee Wildlife Agency has developed the area around it for camping, picnicking, and hiking. Beaverdam Creek runs next to Backbone Rock and is a popular fishing spot, and rock climbers use the rock walls to practice.
If you ever get close to Damascus, Virginia, be sure to check out Backbone Rock. It’s about 4 miles south of Main Street, on Shady Lane. Damascus has miles of family bike trails along the abandoned old narrow-gauge railroad right-of-ways. The tracks have been long gone.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Blue Ridge, Rhododendrons and a Waterwheel
I made a short trip yesterday across Mt. Rogers, located in my corner of SW Virginia (the highest peak in Virginia, at 5,729 feet), going to see a friend near Boone, NC. I didn't actually cross Mt. Rogers, but Whitetop Mountain adjacent to it. Whitetop is the second highest peak in VA; it is unique for the fact that it represents an ecological "island" of flora and fauna commonly found much further north than Virginia, such as old growth red spruce and other northern hardwoods.
The rhododendrons were in full bloom along my trip! Everywhere that they looked truly spectacular, there was no place to pull over for a photo, or they were in too much shade. Fortunately the friend I went to see has a bank of them in bloom along her creek next to the house and waterwheel her husband built. I wasn't willing to risk walking across an old rickety footbridge to get a close-up of a bloom, so this shot will have to do. (One of these days I hope to get a good camera and learn to take better photographs.)
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