*Our man Steve from Platte Prairie Farms in North KC will hopefully have some tasty green stuff like Spinach, and a healthful variety of Local BULK GRAINS & NUTS!!!!
*Heirloom Pumpkins for fantastic winter soups, breads, pies, and more from Super Pov at Hun's Garden in KCK
*Grass-Fed Lamb including French Racks, bone-in and boneless lamb legs, lamb kabob meat, lamb shanks cut Osso Bucco style, lamb stew meat, and ground lamb. Not to mention Farmstead Sheep's Milk Cheeses in an impressive array of aged and fresh varieties from Green Dirt Farm
*Certified Organic Beef including steaks, roasts, ground, and special cuts from Wells Family Farm
Oh soooo delicious OYSTER & SHITAKE MUSHROOMS and Free-Range Eggs with burnt orange yolks from Paul and Judy at the Mushroom Farm
*Whole Grains Breads, specialty loaves, and baked goodies from our friends at Bread of Life Bakery
*Moist and Delicious breads, pies, cinnam
Western Hills Produce
*Rich, dark, and devastating (in all the right ways) Organic & Fair Trade Coffee from our favorite local roaster, Harry, at Puddin’ Head
See you this Friday from 4:00 to 8:00 PM
KANSAS CITY (Reuters) - The rapid adoption by U.S. farmers of genetically engineered corn, soybeans and cotton has promoted increased use of pesticides, an epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds and more chemical residues in foods, according to a report issued Tuesday by health and environmental protection groups.
The groups said research showed that herbicide use grew by 383 million pounds from 1996 to 2008, with 46 percent of the total increase occurring in 2007 and 2008.
The report was released by nonprofits The Organic Center (TOC), the Union for Concerned Scientists (UCS) and the Center for Food Safety (CFS).
The groups said that while herbicide use has climbed, insecticide use has dropped because of biotech crops. They said adoption of genetically engineered corn and cotton that carry traits resistant to insects has led to a reduction in insecticide use by 64 million pounds since 1996.
Still, that leaves a net overall increase on U.S. farm fields of 318 million pounds of pesticides, which includes insecticides and herbicides, over the first 13 years of commercial use.
The rise in herbicide use comes as U.S. farmers increasingly adopt corn, soy and cotton that have been engineered with traits that allow them to tolerate dousings of weed killer. The most popular of these are known as "Roundup Ready" for their ability to sustain treatments with Roundup herbicide and are developed and marketed by world seed industry leader Monsanto Co.
Monsanto rolled out the first biotech crop, Roundup Ready soybeans, in 1996...
http://pravda-ip-jobs.blogspot.com/2010/01/biotech-crops-cause-big-jump-in.html
Farmer taps local market
RICHMOND -- As cattle slowly stroll the hillside catching the first ray of sun on a cold winter day, sheep forage for the last bit of grass and chickens mosey through fields looking for any morsel left on the ground.
It is a picture-perfect farm setting consumers are buying into.
Two Saturdays every month, 43 green, insulated tote bags full of beef, pork, chicken and lamb make their way from this farm in Ray County to residents in the nearby Kansas City.
“These individuals know where their food comes from,” says Tom Parker of Parker Farms Natural Meats. “They are buying from a local producer.”
Parker’s farm is just a 40-minute drive from some of his customers. However, others might live just down the road. Still, he says the term “local” is something the industry cannot agree on.
“Whole Foods definition requires food called “local” to be produced within seven hours of the store it is sold at,” he says.
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| The Parker family stands in a field of cattle, a part of their meat CSA serving the Kansas City area. Front row, from left, Kimberly and Brittany. Back row, from left, Tom, Paula, Tiffany and Jessica Parker. MFT photo by Mindy Ward |
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Some other common distances used in the buy local movement include 100 miles away, within the region in which a consumer lives, within the state, within seven hours journey of you or the store, or within a day’s journey or less of you or the store.
According to a 2008 survey by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, food produced or grown within 100 miles of where you live seems to be the most commonly accepted definition of “local.” More than two-thirds of respondents chose this distance.
Ultimately, Parker says consumers who want to pinpoint exactly where their “local” products are grown should look into Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).
“Our customers know where I live and how I do business,” he says. “They are free to visit the farm and see just what it takes to raise their meat.”
A CSA works under the premise of a customer paying the farmer for the product in advance. They then receive their products directly from the farmer. CSAs typically run on a share system, in which a customer will purchase a share, which provides them with product for one full year. Customers may also purchase half shares.
Since the movement started in the United States in 1984, more than several thousand CSAs focusing primarily on produce sprouted up across the county. However, Parker Farms Natural Meats is one of few CSAs in the country that offers only meat and egg products.
Parker grew up on a diversified livestock farm just three miles from his current farm. His family raised hogs, cattle and a few row crops. He started mulling the idea of a meat CSA more than a year ago.
“We thought we could get started if we had 10 people interested,” he recalls.
The family hosted a barbecue at the farm to see if people would be interested. Initial interest in late 2007 saw 18 customers. Last year, the number jumped to 24.
This year as the catch phrase “buy local” gained momentum, so did Parkers’ business. Today, they have 43 customers with two more starting in January. He believes his farm could sustain 100 customers every year.
For $1,150 annually, customers receive one share. For Parker Farms Natural Meats, that includes one-quarter side of beef, 2 lambs, one-half hog, 12 chickens and 24 dozen eggs. Customers get a portion or bundle delivered to drop-off sites the first and third Saturday each month. It breaks down to roughly $50 per delivery.
“We are priced at wholesale,” Parker explains. “The average family should be able to afford quality, healthy, locally grown meat.”
A bundle always includes two pounds of ground beef and one dozen eggs. An example of a bundle might include ground beef, ham, ground lamb, pork steaks, T-bone, stew meat and a dozen eggs.
“We vary the cuts,” Parker says. “But, it is always beef, pork and lamb and chicken twice a month. This allows us to utilize all of the animal.”
Parker says their customer base has changed.
“Several years ago, our main customer was health-conscious,” he explains. “They might have had allergy issues or wanted natural products with less fat. But, now it is driven by the buy- local crowd.”
The interaction between the farmer and the consumer is a large part of CSAs. With produce CSAs, customers generally work alongside the farmer tending the garden, helping with weeding or harvesting. Parker says that type of hands-on activity does not work in a livestock operation.
Instead, he relies on customers to make deliveries.
Customers take turns driving the 40 miles to the farm to pick up orders, each in a tote bag with name and contact information, and then drive back to drop-off points around the city.
Parker says most of the customers do not have to drive but 10 minutes from their house to pick up their share. Typically, they are waiting on the driver and the entire delivery takes 15 minutes at each site.
“It saves me in the transportation cost,” he adds. “But, it also gets my customers out to the farm every year. Two times a year, they see what is we are doing here.”
Parker says his customers enjoy seeing the farm and understanding how it works. It makes them feel “connected” to the process.
http://www.kcfoodcircle.org/growermembers/parker-farms-natural-meats/
and /or
http://www.parkerfarmsmeats.com/
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Farmstead cheeses
Artisan cheese made with milk from cows raised on the farm where it is produced has been gaining momentum across the country. It has taken awhile for the trend to catch on locally. Look for sheep’s milk cheeses by Green Dirt Farms at Bad Seed winter farmers market and new cow’s milk cheeses by Shatto Milk Co. available at Whole Foods.
OK, so I was way wrong about the ultimate staying power of green ketchup, blue margarine and wraparound marinades. But for most of the last decade, my tongue was in tune with our culinary times.
The hottest trend of the past decade?
Local food.
When first lady Michelle Obama moved into the White House and planted an organic garden on the front lawn, suddenly local food jumped from the food pages to the front page. But we’re proud to say we’ve been at it for a decade, profiling farmers, artisan producers and various local grassroots food initiatives since 1999.
1. Local food: “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan was the must-read tome for anyone interested in understanding the politics and ethical dilemmas of moving from a corporate farming culture back to local food economies. Motivated by food safety scares, health concerns, an interest in sustainability and a concern for the environment, a growing number of Kansas Citians began joining CSAs (community supported agriculture, subscription services offering a weekly allotment of locally grown food). They began seeking out produce, meat and milk from small family farms within about 100 miles of the metro area. Hen House supermarkets started what is believed to be the only supermarket CSA model in the country.
2. Childhood obesity: One in three children in the U.S. is overweight. High-fat, high-sodium foods in super-size portions may be the culprit, but ironically the best medicine is also food — nutrient dense foods served in appropriate portion sizes, combined with lots of exercise.
3. Counting carbs: Easily the most distracting trend of the decade, the Atkins Diet and similar carb-restrictive plans allowed millions of Americans to get sucked into yo-yo dieting. As the late Julia Child always preached: all things in moderation.
4. Food safety: Mad cow disease, e-coli and salmonella outbreaks had more Americans questioning how their food is raised.
5. Silicone cookware: One of the most revolutionary kitchen materials to come along since Tupperware, the flexible cookware is available in a multitude of colors, and most brands are heat-resistant up to 500 degrees.
6. Gluten-free foods: With more people avoiding wheat products because of celiac disease and allergies, gluten-free products and cookbooks continue to flood the market.
7. Slow Food: An international movement started by Italian Carol Petrini in reaction to McDonald’s. Followers champion the opposite of fast and easy. Think local, farm-fresh and artisan foods prepared by traditional cookery methods.
8. Heritage breeds: Applause for farmers across Missouri and Kansas who are saving old breeds of pork and poultry. The quality of the product speaks for itself: New York chefs can’t wait to get their hands on the meat. Home cooks can try their hand at cooking heritage breeds. Look for heritage chicken at Hen House supermarkets and heritage pork at Paradise Lockers in Trimble, Mo.
9. Whole grains: Kansas may be the wheat state, but health experts have got us thinking about amaranth, spelt, barley, oats and quinoa. They’re still not household words, but they sound a whole lot less foreign. Look for these ancient grains in the natural foods sections of your supermarket.
10. Fair trade coffees and single-origin chocolates: Direct relationships mean high-quality beans and superb flavors for food lovers and better wages for farmers.
http://www.kansascity.com/238/v-print/story/1655053.htmlBy Sara Novak, Planet Green
According to the BBC, “an extract found in the bright yellow curry spice turmeric kills cancer cells.” Tests released by a team at the Cork Cancer Research Centre show turmeric can destroy gullet cancer cells in the lab within 24 hours. That’s no small deal. Now the question is, are you getting your fill?
Turmeric is a wonderful spice that shows up in a host of ethnic dishes. I use it mostly for curries but it does show up in other recipes. Make sure that your turmeric has not gone bad as can often unfortunately be the case for our lesser used spices...
(see the FULL ARTICLE
at http://www.care2.com/greenliving/cancer-killing-curry.html)
School Food FOCUS
Transforming Food Options for Children in Urban Schools
FOCUS is a national initiative that helps large school districts with 40,000 or more students serve more healthful, more sustainably produced and regionally sourced food so that children may perform better in school and be healthier in life. Funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and launched in late 2008, FOCUS works with food service and other stakeholder groups to collect, analyze, and use food system data and peer-tested research to spur change in procurement methods. FOCUS supports a network of people who are engaging over 20 large school districts in systems change and also facilitates the sharing of best practices and lessons learned.
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School Food FOCUS has four active program areas:
School Food Learning Lab…where school districts and support groups will analyze food supply and demand, change food purchasing practices and document the process, results and lessons learned.
St. Paul Public Schools and Denver Public Schools are the first two pilot districts in this effort, working to harness their buying power to have healthier, more local, more sustainable foods for their school children.
Contact: Dorothy Brayley:
DBrayley (@) SchoolFoodFOCUS.org
FOCUS Knowledge…where food service directors can go to find out how other districts are “getting it done.”
FOCUSKnowledge develops engaging structures—including an online social network (Knowledge Café)—to facilitate peer-to-peer communication and provide one-on-one support to school district stakeholders.
Contact: Meredith Modzelewski:
MModzelewski (@) schoolfoodfocus.org
Policy Development and Advocacy…an active workgroup that informs and educates legislators, works in coalition to shape legislation, influences the content and wording of regulations, monitors implementation and mobilizes allies to further the public policy agenda of School Food FOCUS.
Contact:
Sheilah Davidson:
SDavidson (@) SchoolFoodFOCUS.org
and
Thomas Forster:
TForster (@) SchoolFoodFOCUS.org
Education and Outreach…dedicated strategic communications to connect with various audiences so they can better understand the operating realities of school meals, the current state of reform efforts undertaken by large school districts, and the nexus of school-food-health-agriculture-environment and economic issues.
Contact: Kathy Lawrence:
KLawrence (@) SchoolFoodFOCUS.org
(I've been cautiously optimistic about this movement - this year-end note from the founder seems promising.
-- Dave - WebMinion)
SLOW MONEY
www.SlowMoneyAlliance.org
Soil fertility, carrying capacity, sense of place, care of the commons, cultural, ecological and economic health and diversity, nonviolence -- these are the fundamentals of nurture capital, a new financial sector supporting the emergence of a restorative economy. And these are the fundamentals of the Slow Money Principles.
Slow Money is launching a national campaign to obtain one million signatories to the Slow Money Principles. For those who wish to do more than be a signatory, membership in the Slow Money Alliance provides a more active form of participation. Slow Money has attracted more than 100 Founding Members including many recognized leaders in organic food, sustainable agriculture, philanthropy and social investing.
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