Cooking Up a Story

Artisan Cheese Maker Talks About Her Bloomy Rind Varieties

Cooking Up A Story — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:57:23 +0000

Pat Morford has been raising goats on her farm for many years. Her dive into becoming an artisan cheese maker was a logical extension of her goat farming. The secret of great cheese comes from the original quality of the milk. The goats that Pat raises are fed on her own pasture, and great care is given to ensure their health, and natural lifestyle.

In this short video, Pat Morford talks about her Bloomy Rind style cheese that uses a type of mold that effects not just the surface of the cheese—like most of the varieties produced in this country—but throughout. As her cheese ages, it ripens the dense cheese into a soft and creamy texture with a full bodied flavor neither flinty, or dry.

Share and Enjoy:

Urban Fruit Gleaning (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:00:25 +0000

Portland Fruit Tree Project provides a valuable service that helps communities benefit directly from local resources. Fresh fruit that grows on neighborhood trees is collected by volunteers, and dropped off at local Food Banks for distribution to those in need. The great thing about this program is that in large part, the fruit would not be harvested or eaten by anyone—if not for fruit gleaning. Everyone involved benefits, including the trees, as harvesting is beneficial to their health!

Share and Enjoy:

Growing Food in Kenya Amid Climate Change (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:02:07 +0000

July 23, 2010 Growing food in a region facing climate change has many daily challenges for its residents. In parts of eastern Africa this is compounded by deforestation, which has led to water run-off and erosion. The soils health has greatly diminished which has led to crop failure for many.

Through a program overseen by the Swedish Cooperative Centre, several communities in Kenya have learned how to rebuild the organic matter in their eroded soil in order to grow food. Some of the methods that have positive results: adding manure, building retention ditches, constructing a dam with a water-gate, and planting nitrogen fixing plants.

Many great sustainable agriculture methods are shared and you can see the positive results in the short video.

Go to original post, “A Winning Scenario”.

Share and Enjoy:

Lansing’s First Urban Farm

Cooking Up A Story — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:24:22 +0000

July 22, 2010 Urbandale – considered a food desert – on the east side of Lansing, MI. is creating and growing its first urban farm. The project was started by 2 MSU professors. With the help of residents and nearby community, it is taking shape and growing.

Go to original post.

Share and Enjoy:

Seeds of Life: Consolidation in the Seed Industry (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:00:18 +0000

Frank Morton, an organic seed breeder from Philomath, Oregon, explains the current structure of the global commercial seed industry, as part of our ongoing series, Seeds of Life.

(see related: Animated Charts Showing the Seed Industry Structure from Phil Howard, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University.)

On the surface, understanding the organizational structure of the seed industry may seem a pursuit into the arcane, and wonkish world of academics, and private seed breeders. This is certainly not the case!

World's Top 10 Seed Companies; ETC Group, 2007. Click to enlarge image

According to the ETC Group’s, November 2008 report, Who Owns Nature (PDF), 67% of the commercial seed industry is controlled by just 10 global corporations. By contrast, prior to 1950, most seeds where freely available for use by farmers, and universities, whose seed breeding research programs were held in the public domain. The rise of consolidation in the seed industry parallels the rise of biotechnology in food crops. Since 1996, when only 37% of the commercial seed business was controlled by private interests, as of 2007, that number has skyrocketed to 82%.

In a recent New York Times article, Rapid Rise in Seed Prices Draws U.S. Scrutiny, the price of corn seed, the most dominant seed crop, has risen 132% since 2001. Soybeans, another major seed crop, rose 108% over this same period of time. The U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating the seed industry for possible antitrust violations.

Share and Enjoy:

Visit to an Urban Agriculture Organic Farm Supply Store (slideshow)

Cooking Up A Story — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:45:32 +0000

CUpS recently spent the day filming at Naomi’s Organic Farm Supply for an upcoming DVD series, and had the good fortune to get to know the co-founder of the company, Naomi Montacre, an expert on raising egg laying chickens in urban environments. It’s incredible the amount of information that Naomi possesses at her finger tips, and just the sheer volume of information that exists on raising chickens.

Stay tuned for more videos on this subject.

For now, here’s a slideshow introduction to some of the attractions at Naomi’s store:

Share and Enjoy:

Tons of Tasty Tomatoes (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:00:50 +0000

Cooking Up a Story: Stories

Tons of tomatoes, and over 70 different varieties are represented at this tomato fest. These farm fresh tomatoes have character, beauty, and yes, even charm.

It was back in May. Or maybe it was June. I passed by a group of folks selling plants for a community fundraiser. It was a good cause and I was looking for some geraniums to plant out back, which they had. There were also a handful of tomato starters. Should I give this a try? I love homegrown tomatoes. I knew I didn’t have the time for a whole garden, but maybe one tomato plant would work. There wasn’t a varietal name attached to it, or the others. I took the nameless home along with a small geranium, and planted both.

It was wise of me not to plant a whole bunch of tomatoes. With my schedule, I was happy to coerce the few I got from the plant. There was one surprise. I expected it to be red. And it is definitely orange.

My one plant was not going to satiate my taste for tomatoes—especially when my inner clock said—HEY! It’s time for tomatoes! So what a great opportunity it was to go visit the local farmer’s market and experience a Tomato Tasting.

I got there about 8:30am, as the plates were being filled with cut samples. The morning light filtered through the tall leafy trees and buildings surrounding the market. The light was beautiful and so were the colors of all the different kinds of tomatoes. Colors and types I had never seen before. Soon folks were lining up, equipped with toothpicks and pencils. Poke, taste, rate. Jab, taste, exclaim. Pick, taste, pick, taste, oooh, pick, taste, hmmm, move on. There was a quiet symphony of sounds stirring in the background as I filmed the activity and lushness of colors. What a great way to celebrate one of my favorites of summer.

Recipes from the show: Baked Roma Tomato Pasta; Tomatoes Vinaigrette.

—Rebecca

Share and Enjoy:

Paul Hawken: The High Cost of Cheap Food (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:00:32 +0000

CUpS Talks

Excerpted from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s, Cooking For Solutions 2010 media conference, Paul Hawken eloquently explains how the price of food is divorced from its true costs, and what this really means for society, at large.

This is a central theme that runs through much of the sustainable food movement’s core beliefs, and those advocating a profound change to the existing structure of the food system. Michael Pollan, in his 2008 “Open Letter to the Next Farmer In Chief“, writes:

“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.”

Indeed, the massive consolidation of agricultural food companies into giant transnational corporations may well trace its origins to Nixon’s Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz, whose prime directive was to develop a plan to keep U.S. food prices at a reliably low level. With the recent decision of the Department of Justice to investigate the mounting evidence of over-consolidation of the food industry, it seems fair to ask whether the pendulum of centralization, maximization of production, monoculture industrial farming, and the existence of mega-farms (technically referred to as CAFO’s), has shifted the pendulum too far.

The high cost of cheap food begs a serious question: who should foot the bill to cover the full external costs of industrial farming—the American people, as has largely been the case—or the corporations who chiefly benefit from the existing structure?

Share and Enjoy:

Planting Seed Trays for Your Winter Garden (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:00:40 +0000

You may be sitting in a heat wave right now, but it’s time to start planning your winter garden! Master Gardener Jen Aron gets a head start by planting some lettuce seeds in a seed tray. In this demonstration she uses a 72-cell tray, but any size will do.

Picking Kale

Other possible crops you might want to consider for a possible winter harvest are spinach, broccoli, carrots, beets, kale, and cabbage. Be sure and check the seed packet for specific information on how deep to plant the seeds. Aron gives a rule of thumb for planting depth: 3 times the largest diameter of the seed you are using.

If you haven’t considered planting a winter garden, maybe now is the time! There are many vegetables you can plant and harvest in the winter months, depending upon where you live.

Master gardener, Jen Aron watering her seed tray

Jen Aron, owner and operator of Peaceful Gardens, sustainable landscape design. OSU Extension Master Gardener, certified in Permaculture Design, have been teaching sustainable agriculture and Permaculture throughout the Portland area for the past two years, volunteer countless hours educating the Portland community about urban agriculture and sustainability.

Share and Enjoy:

Farm To Market (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:00:45 +0000

The Perennial Plate Episode 15: Farm to Market from Daniel Klein.

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of following the farm-to-market process with one of the “successful” upstart organic farms. Laura and Adam from Loon Organics let me film and work through their Friday-Saturday operation. I had been idealizing the idea of starting a farm: seeing the beautiful produce stacked up at the market made me want to take out a loan, buy 50 acres and start my own little operation. But after a day with the folks at Loon Organics, reality comes into play.

For more information about the details of starting a small organic farm, check out this resource page containing a list of (PDF) documents from the Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture featuring Loon Organics.

After learning to cook at his mother’s bed and breakfast, Daniel Klein (The Perennial Plate) went on to work and train at many of the world’s top restaurants. His culinary education brought him to Spain, France, England, India and New York, where he has worked and trained at top Michelin starred restaurants. After graduating from NYU, Daniel also pursued a career in film. Daniel’s most recent film “What are we doing here?” has aired on TV, in theaters and at numerous festivals around the world.

Share and Enjoy:

Tomato Pie (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 11:00:05 +0000

Tomatoes are beginning to show up at local Farmers Markets and, depending upon which part of the country you live, this may be growing season in your backyard garden. I thought this would be a good time to share Tricia Butler’s award-winning Tomato Pie recipe in this video.

Tricia Butler, Sassafras Catering

Although this is a Southern recipe tradition, Tricia says everyone in her family makes it differently. Different types of tomatoes, different cheeses, different spices, and, yes of course, different secrets. Consider making Tomato Pie your next family tradition. It’s great for special occasions, holidays, or if you’re just hungry for something good.

Share and Enjoy:

Tom Trantham-Twelve Aprils Grazing Program Coming Soon on CUpS

Cooking Up A Story — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:00:56 +0000

Reporting from the Field

Tom Trantham, Twelve Aprils Dairy Farm

July 2, 2010; Pelzer, South Carolina. In 1989, dairy farmer, Tom Trantham, was facing almost certain financial collapse on his conventional, 92 cow dairy farm operation. With the costs of animal feed skyrocketing, many farmers were turning to BST to increase milk production, a hormone purported at the time of being safe, and as the only way to offset higher production costs. Trantham refused to go this route. One day, his cows broke through the confinement gates and began feeding on a nearby pasture of grasses. At the next milking, each cow had produced an extra two pounds of milk, this from a dairy that already topped the state charts for milk production.

This fortuitous discovery led Trantham to seek research and grant assistance from the Southern’s region, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. SARE has worked closely with him since, ultimately their collaboration together has resulted in his profitable and highly successful Twelve April’s program that serves as a model for other dairy farmers. Look for his story, and detailed information on his Twelve April’s grazing program, coming soon on CUpS.

Twelve Aprils Dairy Farm Holstein Cows; Photo courtesy of Tom Gerendasy

Share and Enjoy:

Introducing Insectary Plants for Your Garden (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:00:52 +0000

Growing food comes with its price. One of them being who is going to get the food you grow first, you or the wildlife? Actually, many sunflower farmers have this challenge too. Several have said you have to plant enough for the birds too, for you can’t keep them away.

A big problem for most home gardeners is how to keep insects like aphids, mites, and caterpillars from eating and destroying a crop. Growing insectary plants would be a good start. It’s purpose is to attract beneficial insects which feed upon insects that might be damaging your garden.

Master Gardener Jen Aron talks about the different insectary plants she has in her garden and some of the beneficial insects they attract. Not only is an insectary garden beneficial to your plants, it’s beautiful to look at too.

Master Gardener, Jen Aron

Share and Enjoy:

Monsanto v. Geerston Seed Farms: The Supreme Court Alfalfa Decision (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:00:57 +0000

CUpS Food News: A Conversation with Craig Johnston

June 28, 2010; The recent Supreme Court decision on the Roundup Ready Alfalfa case (PDF) has drawn a mixture of reactions from the mainstream media, and from the Blogosphere. To help us better understand this decision, CUpS sat down with Craig Johnston, professor of environmental law at Lewis & Clark Law School, and the lead author (on behalf of the NRDC) of one of the briefs presented to the Supreme Court in this case.

A Field of Alfalfa

Alfalfa is the fourth largest cash crop, and is conventionally grown on over 20 million acres of land throughout the US. A member of the legume family, alfalfa is an important forage crop for livestock, and also for commercial seed production. The concern of some farmers, both conventional and organic alfalfa growers, is that through open pollination (principally from plants grown to produce commercial seed that must be allowed to bloom), the plants would be susceptible to cross contamination from the pollen of nearby genetically engineered (transgenic) alfalfa plants. The potential for gene flow (cross contamination between transgenic and non-transgenic varieties) was considered a possible outcome of the unrestricted regulation of Roundup Ready Alfalfa (RRA), and potentially, a catastrophic environmental threat to non-transgenic alfalfa seed growers. The other environmental concern was the possible transfer of the Roundup resistance to native populations of weeds, requiring the use of more toxic herbicides for future weed control.

The Monsanto vs Geerston Seed Farms case arose out of the 2005 decision by USDA’s Animal Protection and Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the agency charged with “Protecting American Agriculture”, to deregulate Monsanto’s RRA seed products. In responding favorably to Monsanto’s petition to receive deregulatory status on its RRA varieties, two alfalfa farmers, the Center For Food Safety, and other environmental groups went to court seeking a permanent injunction barring APHIS from deregulating RRA until a final Environmental Impact Statement was performed. As governed under the Plant Protection Act (PPA), APHIS was required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to conduct an extensive and rigorous scientific analysis, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), on any regulated article that poses a risk of significant environmental harm before fully deregulating its use. The District Court ruled (PDF) that APHIS violated the law by failing to conduct an EIS prior to deregulation, and ordered that all further sales of RRA cease, and (with certain limited exceptions) no future plantings of RRA seeds were allowed to occur until after a final EIS was conducted. Monsanto appealed the case, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently affirmed the decision (PDF) of the lower court.

In that neither side contested the decision of the District Court that APHIS violated the NEPA requirements, the Supreme Court chose to rule on narrow procedural grounds, for the most part, not weighing in directly upon the environmental issues involved. The lone dissenter, Justice Stevens, wrote in his dissenting opinion, in part:

“The Court does not dispute the District Court’s critical findings of fact: First, Roundup Ready Alfalfa (RRA) can contaminate other plants. Second, even planting in a controlled setting had led to contamination in some instances. Third, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has limited ability to monitor or enforce limitations on planting. And fourth, genetic contamination from RRA could decimate farmers’ livelihoods and the American alfalfa market for years to come. Instead, the majority faults the District Court for “enjoining [preventing] APHIS from partially deregulating RRA”.”

Nonetheless, there were some surprises in the Supreme Court’s decision, and both sides claimed legitimate victories. For Monsanto, they were able to overturn the lower courts injunction to block deregulation of their RRA seeds until the EIS report was released. The Supreme Court remanded the case back to the Agency (APHIS) to evaluate whether a partial deregulation could be allowed prior to the release of the EIS. APHIS had earlier proposed to the District Court Judge during their remedy phase, a set of limited conditions upon which Monsanto could continue to sell RRA seeds, and farmers to purchase and plant those seeds until a final EIS was issued, but the District Court Judge (Breyer) rejected their proposal. However, should APHIS again decide to seek a partial deregulation for RRA, the Supreme Court made it clear, the case would be brought back to the District Court judge to review again. According to Johnston, it was unlikely APHIS will seek to partially deregulate RRA, until after the final EIS is released, perhaps, in another two to four years.

For the farmers and environmental groups that initiated the lawsuit, there were a number of victories that resulted from this decision. For the first time, the Supreme Court now recognizes economic consequences resulting from environmental impacts as legitimate factors for consideration under NEPA rules. This aspect of the decision may significantly impact the similar GMO sugar beet case; already in response to the Supreme Court Decision, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judge has postponed the next scheduled July hearing until mid-August to give both sides time to review the Supreme Court’s ruling. Both cross contamination threats, and economic loss, are central issues involved in the sugar beet case. For Johnston, the biggest win in this decision was the Supreme Court’s rejection of Monsanto’s threshold argument to prevent future court injunctions from being issued in cases where the “likelihood of irreparable harm” (even catastrophic harm) were considered less than a even 50:50 chance of occurring.

In the end, whether it becomes a matter of years, if indeed it ever does occur, before any Roundup Ready Alfalfa seeds reach the marketplace again, or as Monsanto predicts, their seeds will be available for sale under partial deregulation by this Fall—on determining the actual outcome—the jury is still out.

Share and Enjoy:

Cover Crop for the Home Garden (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:50:33 +0000

Cover crops are a variety of plants that are grown prior to planting food crops and they are grown to benefit the soil. Traditional farmers have been using cover crops for years, but it’s a method that is not often carried over to the home gardener. Master Gardener Jen Aron talks about one of her favorite cover crops: buckwheat. It’s easy to grow and matures in six weeks. Like many other cover crops, buckwheat increases soil health, provides organic matter, and often attracts beneficial insects.

Master Gardener, Jenn Aron Pulling Out the Cover Crop from Her Backyard Garden

Share and Enjoy:

Making Small Batch Strawberry Jam (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:00:38 +0000

Marge Braker, a retired home economics teacher demonstrates how to make small batch jam using fresh strawberries, sugar, and other simple ingredients. It’s strawberry season now, from May through June is the best (maybe) only time to find fresh strawberries in your neck of the woods. The ones that grow in the Portland area literally melt in your mouth with sweetness and flavor. Canning strawberry jam is a great way to preserve fresh strawberries (and other berries) for year-round enjoyment. Check out this companion recipe for the ingredients, and all the necessary steps to make your Small Batch Fresh Strawberry Jam

And for those wanting more, watch the related story about Marge Braker and an old friend who develop a closer bond through their connection with preserving food: Preserving Food and Friendship.

Share and Enjoy:

Growing and Caring for Potatoes (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:00:01 +0000

In this Growing Fresh Food video, Master Gardener Jen Aron talks about how to grow and care for potatoes.

Potatoes are one of those vegetables that are so plentiful and easily found at the market, many don’t even consider growing it. But it is one of the easiest crops to grow and there are over 4,000 varieties to choose from. They like to be planted when it is still cool outside, and urban farmer Donna Smith says she always gets hers in around St. Patrick’s Day.

Depending upon variety, potatoes can be harvested 90-120 days after planting. Many kids find digging up potatoes a fun activity, almost like going on a treasure hunt! And there are as many different ways to cook them as there are varieties. If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend the Twice Baked Irish Potatoes with Stout Onions and Kale.

Master Gardener Jen Aron Working in her Backyard

Share and Enjoy:

Seeds Of Life: Open Pollination (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:00:40 +0000

CUpS: Food News

Organic Seed Breeder, Frank Morton Working In the Field; Wild Garden Seed, Philomath, Oregon

Continuing with our Seeds of Life series, Willamette Valley organic seed breeder, Frank Morton, explains the benefits of open pollination in plant breeding, and the important role for farmers in the selection process to continually improve plant varieties for better local adaptation.

In open pollinated plant varieties, pollination can occur from the pollen of related species that sometimes travel great distances (as measured in miles), by insects, wind, and birds.

Open pollinated plants can be selected over time to breed a desired mix of traits, and the seeds from these plants can be reused over successive generations with highly favorable results. In particular, Morton says, organic farmers want organically bred seeds, that is, seeds which are designed to work well in an organic system. Organic farmers place a strong emphasis on maintaining soil fertility, and do not use commercial fertilizers, and other chemicals to artificially boost production yields. Organically bred seeds, may be bred for roots that travel deeper through the ground to acquire the necessary supply of nutrients that a healthy plant may require. By contrast, an organically grown seed, means only that the seeds were grown on organic soil, but will not have been bred to do better under an organic farming system.

Swiss Chard; Wild Garden Seed Farm

Working with open pollinated plants, Morton provides organically bred seeds better suited for organic and sustainable farming systems, and offers farmers a means of continually improving their own crops along with the ability to reuse their seed.

By contrast, most hybrid seeds, including genetically engineered seeds with patent protections, either can not be reused under licensing restrictions, or, the hybrids have been designed not to be stable beyond their first harvest. This lock and key protection means that while farmers will continue to purchase their seeds year after year from the seed companies, they may also have to purchase an assorted mix of farm chemicals to insure the best chance of success with those seeds. Not only does this bind a farmer to the seed companies, it precludes them from cultivating varieties over time from their own selection process. As Morton emphasizes in the video, when the farmer participates directly in the selection process, he can further adapt his seed to fit his particular tastes, and growing conditions.

Share and Enjoy:

A Potato Remade for Industry Has Some Swedes Frowning

Cooking Up A Story — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:44:38 +0000

Amflora potato. photo courtesy BASF

June 11, 2010 In Skara, Sweden, the genetically modified Amflora potato is being grown for its starch content, not food. But the debate and concern still continues for many in the region.

Go to original post…

Share and Enjoy:

Storing and Planting Heirloom Corn (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:00:26 +0000

Urban Organic Farmer, Anthony Boutard, Expert on Corn, Shares His Farming Knowledge

What’s most remarkable about hanging out with Anthony Boutard besides his passion for food, it’s his incredible breadth of knowledge about organic farming. He does everything by hand, and he constantly is learning from his observations and field experiments. As Boutard is readying his corn seeds for planting in this video, he is doing another experiment by separating the 3 different corn varieties onto different plots of land to learn more about their unique characteristics.

In a follow-up email, I asked Anthony Boutard a few more questions about his corn. This is what I learned from him, some of his responses are provided just as he wrote them.

Corn Sheller Removing Seed Kernels from Ear

The device that removes the kernel of corn from the ear is called a “corn sheller”, and is made by C. S. Bell and Company, located in Tiffin, Ohio.

The process of removing corn kernels from the ear is known as “shelling”. As Boutard explains in the video, the best place to store ears of corn prior to shelling are in “cool, dry places without rodents”.

Longevity of the seed depends upon a variety of factors, in general, the seed will keep for several years, depending also, upon the variety. After a couple of years, the viability of the seed begins declining. Storing the seed on the ear, lengthens the period of time the seed remains viable.

Boutard explains how he determines the best time to plant his corn:

“This year, or normally . . . Corn planting is governed by soil temperature. Generally, you want soil temperature of 60 degrees (16 C) or higher. Sweet corn needs the soil closer to 70 degrees (21 C), or it will rot before it germinates.

Corn is harvested at “physiological maturity” in the autumn. A sooty layer forms where the kernel is attached to the ear, a sign that the ear has matured. Maturity varies greatly among the varieties. In Oregon, Roy’s Calais Flint is mature by early September, while gourd seed corn needs another month or so, late November if you are lucky.”

Anthony Boutard Planting Corn at His Ayers Creek Farm Near Portland, Oregon.

These are the varieties of corn that he planted:
Orange: Roy’s Calais Flint
Yellow:
Red:

“They are all Roy’s Calais Flint. It has many different kernel colors. I think I referred to the variety having a superb library of traits found in the Northeastern eight row flint corns.

Unlike ornamental varieties, all of the kernels on an ear are the same color. The color varies from ear to ear. I separated the kernels to get a better understanding of the corn, and to build up the red color in my “grex,” as the the breeding population is called. Nice scrabble word, huh? Get rid on an X and if you hit a triple word square, good for 36 points.

The red kernel is apparently a recessive trait, so you have to pay attention to it. The red kernel matures earlier and has better cold soil germination, so I favor it. “

Boutard is working on a new book on the subject of corn, as he describes below:

“The working title is: Beautiful Corn: A guide to growing, milling and cooking America’s grain. The book is loosely organized as an almanac, following corn through the year, as well as from kernel to plate. In addition to the practical details, I hope to encourage readers to pause in the corn field and take a moment to contemplate the aesthetics of this remarkable sweet grass. It is a beguiling and accommodating plant that has seduced its cultivators from its earliest cultivation in southern Mexico.”

Share and Enjoy:

A Conversation with Anna Lappé on Climate Change, Industrial Agriculture, and Conversion to a Climate Friendly Food System-2 (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 11:00:12 +0000

Part 2, continuing the conversation with Anna Lappé, the question that arises, what is the proper role for government to play with our food system?

Lappé sees an important role for government to play. Without a strong government to represent the interests of the people, narrow private interests prevail, often to the detriment of society. One can look at the sharp rise of food safety issues over the past decade to see the corrosive effects of lax government oversight and enforcement, coupled with the increased centralization (and consolidation of ownership) of large-scale food production, and processing, to appreciate how relying too heavily upon voluntary industry self-regulation does not benefit the public interest. While large corporations are highly focused upon protecting their own vital interests, the public interest is more diffusely spread, its pressure not as acutely felt in Washington.

Re-authorized every five years, the single biggest engine to drive fundamental change to our food system is through the federal Farm Bill legislation. The next (2012) Farm Bill will have the potential, in part, to shift subsidies away from the current top 10% of commodity producers, (principally of corn, wheat, soy, cotton, and rice) toward sustainably produced foods that are beneficial to the environment, promotes public health to people of all means, encourages the humane treatment of livestock, and helps to create healthy, regional food economies.

In democratic societies, government is neither inherently good nor evil. In a lasting democracy— not out of fear, but of hope— an informed and engaged citizenry holds its leaders properly accountable.

Share and Enjoy:

Joel Salatin Polyface Farm

Cooking Up A Story — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:00:14 +0000

Joya Parsons, Quite Contrary Gardens

There is probably no one left in the food and farming community who hasn’t heard the name Polyface, the Shenandoah Valley super-farm famous for its lush pastures, happy animals and natural husbandry overseen by self described “lunatic farmer” Joel Salatin. The farm has been featured in books and films, including Food, Inc. and Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma. The farmer himself travels the US spreading the word about sustainable agriculture. As a small farmer seeking to build a sustainable farming system, it’s no great leap to imagine that Polyface and Salatin rank among my top “farming heroes.” And since the farm is here in the Mid-Atlantic, I made it my mission to visit the place and see for myself the foremost face of sustainable, local, ecologically-sound, community-driven farming in America.

The trip from Sussex County, Delaware to Swoope, Virginia, home of Polyface, takes almost five and a half hours and more than 275 miles. It involves crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, a feat which invokes in me the kind of raw terror usually reserved for giant, hairy spiders, public speaking or the threat of a zombie invasion, so I have to have a really, really good reason to cross. And a dear friend, and sustainable foodie herself, who lives outside of Baltimore suggested we go together and make it a girls’ weekend, sweetening the deal even further. A chance to visit the farm of my dreams and spend a weekend free from home/child/farm obligations? Calgon, take me away!

I started out on my journey to Polyface sometime around five in the morning, crossed the Bay Bridge while still too groggy to work myself into a frenzy (luckily for all involved) and arrived outside Baltimore around breakfast time. From there, I got to sit in the passenger’s seat as my friend drove us up and into the gorgeous Virginia mountains. Did I mention how gorgeous it is up there? Even the freeway views of picturesque farmhouses, giant red barns and rolling pastures dotted with cows were enough to take my breath away and had me thinking up schemes for saving up enough for a down payment on one of those mountain farms sometime before I turn 50.

Pasture Raised Chickens on Polyface in Swoope, Virginia

Polyface sits well down a narrow country lane, the kind where one side drops off perilously into what looked like a giant cliff to my flatlander eyes. On one side, the rocks rise, blocking any view. On the other, rolling, green fields of the valley floor stretch out and up. Polyface is surrounded by other farms, beautiful old farm houses and cows munching in emerald green pastures. At the end of the Polyface lane, we were greeted by a certain degree of chaos that I have come to accept is simply a part of farming and living and working in the same place. There was a building in the midst of construction on one side, hoop-houses that looked recently emptied and untidy on the other. Stepping out of the car and into the mud, I recognized instantly the faint but unmistakable odor of manure.

We were greeted almost immediately by a Polyface intern—a cheerful young man with blond curls. He pointed us up the hill and told us where to find the chickens and pigs. The pastures at Polyface rise up behind the house rather than sprawling out around it. The first stop on the trudge up the hill was a crowded hoop-house full of mostly pullets, with at least one rooster near the front making his noisy presence known. “Guarding” the hoop-house was a very large goose with a very bad attitude who made it clear that my presence was not appreciated. We moved on quickly to the layer pen, a grouping of hens confined in portable electric netting (the Feathernet) to keep them safe from predators.

Great Pyrenees

They were also protected by the watchful eye of the strangest livestock dog I’ve ever seen—he looked perfectly normal when laying down, but when he rose to make sure he was always putting himself between us and the hens (good dog!) he revealed the longest legs I’ve ever imagined a dog could have. He was like a Great Pyrenees on stilts! If I am being 100% honest, I have to admit that the condition of some of the layers dismayed me. There were hens that displayed signs of stress and feather loss that can come from crowding too many birds into a small space. I can’t say with any certainty that was the case with the Polyface hens, but the possibility of it continues to niggle at my conscience.

From the layer pen, we headed out across the pasture, carefully avoiding the abundant cow patties, to see yet more chickens—this time the broilers. Housed in 10’X12’ “chicken tractors, these birds are completely contained and safe from predation, yet they get all the benefit of green grass, warm sun and fresh air. Most of the pens lined up in the pasture were filled with heavy, white Cornish cross chicks, but along one side were pens of Freedom Rangers, a breed originally developed in France for the Label Rouge program. I was very happy to see something other than the Cornish out on the pasture. Cornish cross chicks have been so overbred for the production industry that they often live their short, 7 week life in misery as their bones and internal organs are unable to keep up with their astronomical rate of growth. They have also been bred for confinement rather than pasture or range and are typically not active enough to do much foraging.

Past the layer pen, we continued up the hill looking for the pigs. We found them in a large pen set into the edges of the Polyface woodland. Big, fat and happy are the only way to describe these animals. They were active, running up to the gate to greet us. They were curious, sniffing and exploring, trying to figure out if we had brought them treats, I suppose. They were happily playing, one even playing fetch with himself—throwing a stick around and catching it in his mouth. One contented-looking porker snoozed at the edge of a great mud pit. It was truly a beautiful sight to see these bright, inquisitive animals treated with such respect and dignity. It was wonderful to be able to see what happy lives they were leading.

On our way back down the hill, we began to run into other visitors, mostly families with children out to see the animals. Back down in the sales room, business had picked up, too. It was obvious that Polyface was doing a brisk business.

Leaving Polyface, I was struck by how very ordinary our visit was. It was wonderful, no doubt, and I was very gratified to finally see in person the farm so many of us in the field of sustainable agriculture want to model our farms after. But, there was no magic, no other-worldly glow about the place. In fact, I couldn’t help but think of Greenbranch, an amazing organic farm local to me inspired by some of Joel Salatin’s methods and madness for sure, but also by other local farms like Provident, which have been in the business of sustainable agriculture since long before Joel Salatin became America’s foremost farmer. I can’t say Greenbranch and Provident are better than Polyface, but are they just as good? Yes, I certainly think so. And they are local to me and driven to serve my own community, so perhaps that really does make them better, for me and my neighbors, anyway.

Polyface was wonderful and I am very glad that they have become a role model across the country for farmers looking for a healthier, happier way to make a living off the land. But, I suspect there are dozens of Polyfaces in every farming community in every state. They may not get the national recognition or the film spots or the write-ups in bestselling works of non-fiction, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve it. Seek them out, support them! There may be some ring of prestige to being able to say, “I had a Polyface steak for dinner,” but for me, it’s probably more authentic to the spirit of the sustainable community if I can say, “I had a Greenbranch steak.” And, in fact, I think I’ll head down to the Greenbranch market stand tomorrow and pick up some of that amazing pork and beef!

Joya Parsons is the owner and principal operator of Quite Contrary Gardens Homestead in Sussex County, Delaware. A former IT professional and US Navy veteran, she has spent the last ten years learning the art of organic growing and sustainable living. She is working within her own community to make a local, sustainable food system a reality through education, outreach and example. If she’s not outside getting her hands in the dirt or tending her chickens, she can normally be found with her nose in the latest issue of Mother Earth News.

Share and Enjoy:

Farmers Look for Justice in the Poultry Industry: Met with Fear, Threats, Intimidation and Hope in Alabama

Cooking Up A Story — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:00:01 +0000

[Editor's Note: The Department of Justice and the USDA are jointly conducting five public workshops in different regions of the country, to investigate anti-competitive business practices throughout the entire agriculture sector. Food activist Dave Murphy, drove 1800 miles round-trip to this second workshop, that focuses on alleged monopolistic practices by the large poultry producers. What you are about to read, and will see in this video taken at the event, are shocking allegations of coercion, intimidation, and other possible criminal misconduct upon contract poultry growers.]

June 2, 2010, Normal, Alabama; For America’s remaining 30,000 poultry growers, the Department of Justice and USDA’s joint workshop on competition in the poultry industry held last Friday in Normal, Alabama has been a long time coming. For some, it arrived too late. As the second of five DOJ/USDA hearings to be held across the country this year, many attendees felt this hearing was more balanced than the previous hearing in Iowa, but still left many wondering what the overall impact these hearings would have in such a highly consolidated industry which continues to force so many family farmers out of business.

Here’s a clip from the DOJ/USDA hearings with a portion of [former poultry grower] Kay Doby’s testimony:

Of the seven chicken producers that opened the session’s morning Roundtable Discussion on Poultry Grower Issues, four of the farmers, were “former producers”, which was a foreshadowing of the theme of the day; that poultry farmers daily face fear, uncertainty and intimidation from those companies they contract with, otherwise known as “integrators”.

In the weeks leading up to the Alabama workshops, many poultry farmers across the country reported threats from the broiler company representatives, warning them that they would face negative consequences if they spoke at the event, or even attended.

Sitting next to Secretary Vilsack, former North Carolina poultry grower Kay Doby told the audience, “The growers that are here today are in jeopardy because of intimidation by company personnel. They’re taking a big risk. Every grower here is taking a big risk.”

One poultry grower I spoke with the day before the event, refused to give the name of the company that he contracted under or even the state he lived in for fear that they would find out he attended the event. This type of intimidation is a clear sign of just how powerful and arrogant these companies have grown; that in the face of a Department of Justice investigation, they feel comfortable enough to make these types of threats to farmers simply trying to air their grievances.

Many Americans may have had their first exposure to Big Chicken’s corruption when they saw the Oscar-nominated documentary, Food Inc., which explores the dark underbelly of America’s food system. In the film, Maryland chicken grower Carole Morison loses her contract with her poultry processor when she refuses to pay for expensive upgrades to her buildings.

Testifying at the Alabama hearing and speaking directly to Secretary Vilsack during the morning panel, Morison, who grew birds for one company for 23 years, described how Perdue, one of the top four poultry companies, terminated her contract only a few weeks after she received an award for being an “Outstanding Producer.”

For Morison, the upgrades would have come with an additional $150,000 price tag, a debt that her family could not have regained with the ever-changing contracts with Perdue.

At the same time, Morison noted that there were three other poultry processors in her area, but in the murky world of agribusiness, none of the other integrators would offer her a contract as a grower. For those not familiar with the poultry industry, there is an unwritten pact between poultry companies that each of them abide by: we won’t poach your growers if you don’t poach ours. For a farmer who falls out with one integrator in their area, it spells financial doom as no other company will pick up their contract to grow birds if they leave their current integrator. This type of collusion has not only limited opportunities and markets for farmers, but also put tem in a position where there is no other option than to comply with the corporation’s “take it or leave it” contracts and constantly shifting demands.

Production Contracts and Upgrades: Competition or Collusion

Today’s broiler industry has split ownership of risk and reward to where all the benefits tilt toward the corporation. As is standard with modern production contracts, the highly vertically integrated poultry companies own the chickens and deliver the feed, medication and veterinary services while it relies on individual growers to take on debts of $500,000 to $1 million to build expensive specialized buildings. Once growers have put up the costly buildings, they are on a constant treadmill to pay off their mortgage, while the poultry processors use the limited market to put further downward pressure on growers.

In a country where competiveness and gaining an advantage over your competitor is supposed to be the name of the game, even Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Christine Varney seemed surprised by the failure of market forces to work in instances like Morison’s.

In an effort to understand the issue further, Varney asked Morison to speak on the “competitiveness on the contracting side” in the poultry industry.

“I’m very interested in your experience, after 23 years, when you were terminated, where you able to switch integrators? Were you able to go somewhere else?” Varney asked.

“No, we weren’t able to switch integrators. Again, even though there’s four integrators in the area, what one wants, they all want,” replied Morison.

“How does that actually work? I would think that a grower of your reputation should, in a competitive market, it should be fairly easy to switch.”

Morison explained that even if another company were to offer her a new contract, she would still be forced to pay for expensive upgrades to her buildings that make it impossible for poultry growers ever to step out of debt. As a result of this debt, poultry companies exert almost unlimited control in rural areas, offering farmers no place to turn.

Morison’s claim was backed up repeatedly throughout the day, including by fellow panelist, Kay Doby, a retired school teacher, and former poultry grower who was also forced out of the industry for refusing to do mandated upgrades.

Like many growers, Doby, spoke about the unfair contracts and the corporation’s promises of a long-term relationship with a 10-year contract when she first signed with the company. After several years, the company forced her to sign another contract, then another, until the mandated upgrades would have made it virtually impossible for her to pay off the original loans.

To keep up with the ever changing demands of poultry integrators, Doby says farmers are often forced to take off-farm jobs or refinance their homes and farms to pay off the debts, until “10 and 15-year poultry loans are turning into 30-year poultry loans, with no more than a flock-to-flock guarantee,” exclaimed Doby.

For some farmers, especially in a down economy, with a half million to $1 million in debt hanging over their head, the pressure has become too much. In an emotional part of her testimony, Doby told the story of how one poultry grower in her area committed suicide only the week before the Alabama hearing.

“This past Monday morning in North Carolina one of these growers went out, drove down a country road. He was terminated from his contract, about to lose his home. Took a gun and ended his life,” said Doby.

“That’s what were talking about today, this is personal. It gets real poultry growers,” Doby said, fighting back tears.

Secretary Vilsack reached out to comfort her as she finished her plea for the Department of Justice and USDA to help struggling contract poultry farmers confront an industry rife with abuse.

For many poultry growers in the audience this story struck home as they have been forced to bear an increasing portion of the industry’s efforts to “maximize profits” while watching their own personal financial situation worsen.

Industry Trends, Vertical Integration and Intimidation

In the past four decades, no other segment in agriculture has become so vertically integrated than the poultry industry, with broiler companies owning virtually every stage of production except the growing houses. Today nearly all, more than 90% of poultry growers, survive on the terms dictated in unfair production contracts crafted by the likes of Tyson, Perdue and Pilgrim’s Pride.

While poultry companies have defended such contracts as the best way to supply America with a steady supply of cheap chicken, from breast meat to chicken nuggets, for the farmers who sign them, these contracts have become a fast track to indentured servitude.

One grower who testified at the hearing said he had “a good relationship” with his integrator, but was troubled by the uncertainty that flock-to-flock contracts left him with, was Garry Staples, from Steele, Alabama.

Staples, who spent 20 years in the U.S. military, spoke in a gravelly voice with a Southern drawl that commanded both respect and concern, talking about his own personal debt load of $1.5 million, with his home and farm mortgaged as collateral but no guarantee beyond a flock-to-flock contract to survive.

Staples wondered aloud, if the contracts were so good, why would none of the poultry companies back them up with a contract for the life of the building.

He also mentioned the fear that many growers in the room felt as well, becoming emotional at the thought that such a thing could happen in America, a country that he proudly defended for two decades.

“And although I came here on my own today, it’s not without a lot of worry that I’ll have some retaliation,” Staples added.

Later in the session, Staple’s comment drew a pointed response by DOJ Antitrust chief Christine Varney.

“I fully expect you will not experience retaliation,” Varney told Staples as she handed him a piece of paper.

“But if you do, call me at that number.”

In some ways, Varney’s promise to protect poultry growers was the highlight of the day.

But it became clear to the audience listening to the dozens of farmers who testified after the lunch break, that Big Chicken has no respect for the law and possibly an even a longer reach than justice.

During an hour-long public testimony session, one Alabama farmer told his story of what happens when you stand up to Big Chicken. For Tony Goolesby of Hennager, Alabama, the ability of the large poultry company’s to pervert justice was brought home when he refused to sign a new contract.

Like many poultry growers before and after him, once Goolesby had erected his buildings and operated for a while, his poultry company came to him and demanded that he sign a new agreement, despite the fact that there were several years still left on his initial contract.

Goolesby, like any good businessman, refused and stated that he was happy with his current contract. That’s where his trouble began. Immediately, the company threatened to remove the chickens from his farm the next morning.

When Goolesby met them at the end of the driveway at 6 am, the trucks turned back. Then, without his knowledge, the company’s lawyers met in a secret session with a local country judge. The following morning, without ever having been contacted by the judge or the company attorneys, a swarm of trucks and local sheriffs arrived at his farm with a warrant to remove the birds.

Ultimately, Goolesby told the story of how he was pulled out of his truck and arrested on his own farm, only to spend 24 hours in jail. When his case went to trial, Goolesby won a jury trial, but the local judge threw out the verdict and he was forced to appeal, eventually settling with the company, but not before losing nearly all of his farm except his home.

Many growers in the audience shook their head knowingly as Goolesby told his story. In rural America, stories of corruption and abuse of power are well known. As a result, for the past three decades there has been a virtual wall of silence as growers have seen what happens to those who dare to speak up.

For the majority of family farmers and rural Americans, the Obama administration’s look into competition and antitrust issues in the food and agriculture sectors is a welcome and much needed investigation into abusive contracts, corrupt behavior and outright violations of U.S. anti-monopoly legislation, but, like the Health Care and Wall Street reform battles, many wonder if this administration has the stomach to actually take on Big Food.

So far, the administration’s attempts at reform in other areas have been half-measures, feint stabs in the dark that have pandered too much to corporations that have caused the problem in the first place and not focusing enough on protecting American citizens from future and present abuses. Neither Obama nor the family farmer can afford this same tact in food and agriculture, as it may be rural America’s last chance.

Farmers, like many Americans are tired of tough talk. It’s time for action.

If you want this type of abuse to end, sign this letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary Vilsack asking them to enforce America’s antritrust laws and break up Big Food.

Dave Murphy is the founder of Food Democracy Now!, a sixth generation Iowan, and an advocate for sustainable agriculture. Founded after the election of President Obama, Food Democracy Now! is a community of more than 100,000 members that works to create a more sustainable future for family farmers, rural communities and American consumers.

Share and Enjoy:

A Conversation with Anna Lappé on Climate Change, Industrial Agriculture, and Conversion to a Climate Friendly Food System (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:00:03 +0000

The first thing one notices about Anna Lappé, author of the new book, Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do about It, she knows how to focus abstract, interrelated concepts, such as industrial agriculture, and food system, into concrete terms as they relate to climate change concerns.

Not only will agriculture be effected by rapid changes in weather conditions brought on by climate change, the food system itself (the entire process by which food reaches the end of our fork) is the largest single emitter of atmospheric greenhouse gases that drive climate change effects. Culling through the scientific literature, Lappé reports that about 31% of all carbon dioxide emissions are directly or indirectly related to the agriculture sector. Two very potent atmospheric gases, nitrous oxide and methane, are released in agriculture production, and are almost 300 times, and 25 times more active in the atmosphere, respectively (ton for ton), than carbon dioxide.

In the opening introduction to her book, Bill McKibben writes:

“Climate change is the biggest thing human beings have ever done; nothing else even comes close. We’ve already managed to substantially melt the Arctic, to force epic drought, to thaw the high-altitude glaciers that water Asia and South America, all with a single degree of temperature rise”.

While carefully connecting the dots between industrial agriculture, and climate change, Lappé underlines the inherent weaknesses of conventional agriculture, and the terrible costs to the planet if we do not reform that system.

As a whole, climate friendly farming not only benefits the environment; it reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, on the use of chemical poisons, improves the taste and nutritional quality of the food we eat, is humane in the treatment of livestock, strengthens local communities, increases biodiversity, and is good for eaters and farmers alike.

Share and Enjoy:

How to Barbecue Championship Ribs (Video)

Cooking Up A Story — Fri, 28 May 2010 21:42:05 +0000

A few years ago, I produced a couple of feature length DVDs on the subject of championship barbecue. This is a clip from the second DVD, Barbecue Secrets: The Master Guide to Extraordinary Barbecue Cookin, that goes into considerable depth on the whole process of how to cook low & slow style barbecue from three world-champion cooks, and restaurateurs.

In this video clip, Terry Black, of Super Smokers BBQ shares his tips how to cook barbecue ribs that are rich in flavor, and come apart with your fingers (forks and knives not required). This is really no exaggeration, the attention to detail, and the care and knowledge he applies to his cooking is indicative of how these competition cooks approach their work, and simply how out of the ordinary their ribs compare with most backyard cooks.

After witnessing (and filming) a number of championship barbecue events, I’m all in support of adding this sport to the Summer Olympics roster.

Click here for a complimentary (PDF) digital copy of the BBQ Secrets 18-page printed booklet of the champions favorite recipes. Enjoy!

Share and Enjoy:

Pop-Up General Store in Oakland

Cooking Up A Story — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:35:16 +0000

Shoppers at the Pop-Up General Store Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle

May 27, 2010 At the end of last summer, Eccolo in Berkeley, CA, closed much to the sorrow of the owner/chefs, and to the clientele also. They cooked for flavor, using ingredients that were locally grown and raised. The results were thoroughly enjoyed by many.

Fast forward to now: The two chefs – Chris Lee and Samin Nosrat – have started a new way to get some of their (and others) favorite artisan products to market: the Pop-up General Store.

“Starting at 5 p.m. on a recent Wednesday, more than 200 shoppers descended on a red-painted building in an otherwise unremarkable Oakland neighborhood and left with some pretty fancy dinner fixings in their reusable grocery bags.
Some carried pounds of boudin blanc sausages from former Eccolo chef-owner Chris Lee, bronze-cut rigatoni from his ex-sous chef Samin Nosrat, or chicken confit from Soul Food Farm. Others took home heat-and-serve potato-chard gratin from Mary Jo Thoresen and Curt Clingman of the recently closed Jojo, or frozen heritage pork gyoza from Sylvan Brackett, who worked in Alice Waters’ office before starting his new Peko Peko catering business.
By 7 p.m., the shoppers were gone, and the Pop-Up General Store closed down for two or three weeks, leaving local fridges and freezers well stocked with restaurant-quality foods to cook at home.”

This looks to be another great way to build a local food system and economy. And, another way to get to know the people behind our food. Is something like this going on in your community? If it exists in the PDX area, please let me know!

Go to original post.

Share and Enjoy:

No Till Farmer: Steward of the Land (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:00:01 +0000

CUpS: Stories

Dan Forgey visiting local John Deere dealership, Gettysburg, South Dakota

Gettysburg, South Dakota. This is a story about a farmer, Dan Forgey, and his connection to the land, and the community in which he has lived throughout his life. This is also a story about a true pioneer, and the pioneering spirit that seems to inspire this particular community of farmers to farm in a different manner.

Potter County is an enclave of no-till farmers. As the name implies, no-till is an alternative method of farming that leaves the land undisturbed (not tilled) for planting crops. Among the purported benefits of no-till, it improves (rather than diminishes) soil health, increases productivity, reduces input costs (lesser need for fertilizers) and sequesters (holds) atmospheric carbon in the soil that otherwise would contribute to climate change.

Forgey’s home town of Gettysburg, South Dakota, was established in the 1880′s. With the arrival of the railroad, and the federal government’s offer to Civil War veterans of free open land for homesteading, new settlers arrived in droves to this area. By the turn of the century, Potter County comprised 860 square miles of area; most of this arable land became dedicated to agriculture production on 160-acre plots.

As Forgey explains in more detail about his no-till methods (see related how-to video: The Next Step: Adding Cover Crop to a No Till System ), he has been growing crops on the Cronin Family Farm for more than 40 years. What he has always loved most about farming is the soil. It’s been his cherished belief that if you take care of the land, it will take care of you.

For Forgey, the land not only provides the means of making a living as a farmer; it grounds his connection to the open prairie, the howling winds, and to Potter County, his home.

Share and Enjoy:

Cooking For Solutions Sustainable Foods Institute: Excerpts of Sample Talks 2010

Cooking Up A Story — Tue, 25 May 2010 11:00:40 +0000

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Cooking For Solutions Sustainable Foods Institute annual conference, a two day event for the media to promote learning and discussion around the many issues that impact food and sustainability issues. This year’s talks and panel discussions brought together an eclectic mix of scientific experts, environmental journalists, top sustainability chefs, science authors, and others to discuss the state of the ocean’s health, climate change, aquaculture, sustainable fishing and agriculture practices, genetic engineering, the obesity epidemic, and much more.

The Sustainable Foods Institute is a part of the Cooking For Solutions Celebration, a public event designed to foster better awareness between the food we eat, and its effect upon the environment. It’s also an opportunity to sample fabulous sustainably produced foods, wines, and organic foods, watch cooking demonstrations, and walk among the many fish exhibits that make the aquarium a world-class ocean museum.

Stay tuned for the upcoming release of full length talks and panel discussions from the 2010 Sustainable Foods Institute conference.

Share and Enjoy:

Making a Dungeness Crab Salad

Cooking Up A Story — Mon, 24 May 2010 11:00:35 +0000

Dungeness Crab is nearing the end of its natural season, and this has been a good year for this crab. Not only is it a delicacy to eat, it’s at the top of the Seafood Watch list (Best Choice) for a sustainable fish. Chef Stu Stein demonstrates how to make Dungeness Crab salad with fennel spice and curry mayonnaise. Check out this fabulous recipe from Stu Stein: Dungeness Crab and Fuji Apple with Curry Mayonnaise.

Share and Enjoy:

Sustainable Seafood: Abalone Farming In Monterey (video)

Cooking Up A Story — Tue, 18 May 2010 11:00:41 +0000

CUpS: Stories

Last year, while attending the Sustainable Food Institute at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, I was curious to learn more about sustainable seafood first hand. I wanted to visit a sustainable seafood operation and see what was entailed. I found out there was a small company in town that raised abalone on their farm on the wharf. Well, actually it’s under the wharf, as part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Abalone Farmed Seafood, Monterey Abalone Company

Art Seavey has been raising abalone at Monterey Abalone Company since 1994. Trained in aquaculture, with an advance degree in Ecology, Seavey and his business partner Trevor Fay, work hard to keep the water of the Monterey Bay pristine. Their methods of harvesting the kelp have no adverse impact on the plant nor its environs, and because the abalone require clean water to thrive they have educated those around them about the importance of keeping the bay free from pollutants.

Similar to traditional farms of the land, Seavey noted that there aren’t many young people turning to aquaculture as a career. He’s not sure why, but he’s glad he has made a career of it. It’s environmentally and financially sustainable. He is quick to note that it’s not a get rich quick scheme. “Certainly abalone farming is not a get rich scheme. We’re not driving Porsche’s and we’re not going on long vacations, but we do have employees here that have been here for years, who do a great job, and we support as best as we can. We really care for them. So we think we’re financially sustainable as well as environmentally sustainable.”

As an added bonus, farmed abalone is listed on the Seafood Watch Guide as a Best Choice.

Share and Enjoy:

Cooking Up a Story

Artisan Cheese Maker Talks About Her Bloomy Rind Varieties

Related Posts:

Urban Fruit Gleaning (video)

Related Posts:

Growing Food in Kenya Amid Climate Change (video)

Related Posts:

Lansing’s First Urban Farm

Related Posts:

Seeds of Life: Consolidation in the Seed Industry (video)

Related Posts:

Visit to an Urban Agriculture Organic Farm Supply Store (slideshow)

Related Posts:

Tons of Tasty Tomatoes (video)

Cooking Up a Story: Stories

Related Posts:

Paul Hawken: The High Cost of Cheap Food (video)

CUpS Talks

Related Posts:

Planting Seed Trays for Your Winter Garden (video)

Related Posts:

Farm To Market (video)

Related Posts:

Tomato Pie (video)

Related Posts:

Tom Trantham-Twelve Aprils Grazing Program Coming Soon on CUpS

Reporting from the Field

Related Posts:

Introducing Insectary Plants for Your Garden (video)

Related Posts:

Monsanto v. Geerston Seed Farms: The Supreme Court Alfalfa Decision (video)

CUpS Food News: A Conversation with Craig Johnston

Related Posts:

Cover Crop for the Home Garden (video)

Related Posts:

Making Small Batch Strawberry Jam (video)

Related Posts:

Growing and Caring for Potatoes (video)

Related Posts:

Seeds Of Life: Open Pollination (video)

CUpS: Food News

Related Posts:

A Potato Remade for Industry Has Some Swedes Frowning

Related Posts:

Storing and Planting Heirloom Corn (video)

Urban Organic Farmer, Anthony Boutard, Expert on Corn, Shares His Farming Knowledge

Related Posts:

A Conversation with Anna Lappé on Climate Change, Industrial Agriculture, and Conversion to a Climate Friendly Food System-2 (video)

Related Posts:

Joel Salatin Polyface Farm

Related Posts:

Farmers Look for Justice in the Poultry Industry: Met with Fear, Threats, Intimidation and Hope in Alabama

Production Contracts and Upgrades: Competition or Collusion

Industry Trends, Vertical Integration and Intimidation

Related Posts:

A Conversation with Anna Lappé on Climate Change, Industrial Agriculture, and Conversion to a Climate Friendly Food System (video)

Related Posts:

How to Barbecue Championship Ribs (Video)

Related Posts:

Pop-Up General Store in Oakland

Related Posts:

No Till Farmer: Steward of the Land (video)

CUpS: Stories

Related Posts:

Cooking For Solutions Sustainable Foods Institute: Excerpts of Sample Talks 2010

Related Posts:

Making a Dungeness Crab Salad

Related Posts:

Sustainable Seafood: Abalone Farming In Monterey (video)

CUpS: Stories

Related Posts: