LocalHarvest Newsletter, October 30, 2008
Welcome back to the LocalHarvest newsletter.
Last night as my husband was going through the mail, he held up a dozen
political mailers from both parties and asked, "What if they just weren't
allowed to out and out lie? It would be so much better if what they said was
at least true." Indeed. In these final days before the election, we at
LocalHarvest have ears for only two kinds of words: those that give shape to
the hope we carry for the future, and those that shine a bright light on dark
corners.
In this issue of the LocalHarvest newsletter, we offer you one example of each.
First, the hope. Good, honest food is making a comeback. Hallelujah. Beyond the
table, we are seeing that food is central to many social ills. Pesticide abuse,
food safety, obesity, immigration issues, climate change, gene patents, water
quality – these issues and more are rooted in part in our collective approach
to food. We know we can do better. The time has come to give voice to what a
healthy food system would look like. Some of the finest minds in modern
agriculture have carefully crafted a manifesto declaring just this. They call
it the Food Declaration. It's meant
to be used as a foundation for future agricultural policy, and a point of common
agreement among food activists across the nation. The authors are looking to get a
million individuals and organizations to
endorse it.
We think it's an excellent effort and well worth signing.
Now for the bright light on dark shadows. I have been wanting to write about
dairy for a while now, but it keeps getting bumped down the list. Truth be
told, one of the reasons for this desire was my discovery of
Dexter dairy cows.
They're miniature cows. Aren't they
adorable?
I want one for Christmas.
Anyway, back to the bright light. We know that all organic food is not the
same, right? If it's grown on a vast scale, it carries many of the same
problems as mega-scale conventional food. This goes double for dairy products.
You've heard that despite organic rules, a few organic dairies milk thousands
of cows held in confinement. So how are you supposed to know if the organic
milk you're buying is really something you want to support? Thankfully, the
Cornucopia Institute has made it easy. Their recently updated
Organic Dairy Scorecard
lists all the organic dairies in the country and gives each a rating, from
one to five stars. The ratings criteria is described in their
milk integrity report.
Check it out, and stick to the good stuff if you can.
Read on for an update on our pricing survey, health info about the brassicas
(broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and their cousins) and a recipe.
As always, take good care, eat well and remember to vote!
Erin Barnett
Director, LocalHarvest
|
|
It's late October, and still harvest time in many parts of the country. The
cranberry harvest is in full swing, just in time to
make a star appearance in Thanksgiving relish and holiday quick breads. Organic
cranberries are hard to find, but we have plenty,
thanks to our friends at Cranberry Hill.
The
fall nut harvest is also upon us, so fresh
walnuts ,
pistachios ,
chestnuts ,
pecans , and
almonds are all ready for holiday snacking.
And of course, the Thanksgiving turkey! LocalHarvest turkeys are high quality,
humanely treated birds for your family's holiday feast.
Order yours today.
|
|
Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts are all members of the
botanical brassica family, more commonly known as the cruciferous vegetables.
Epidemiological studies consistently show that diets high in cruciferous
vegetables are associated with lower incidence of certain cancers. Now, most
diets high in vegetables are associated with lower rates of cancer, so by
itself, that's not remarkable. The interesting thing about the brassicas is
that their anti-carcinogenic effect is not necessarily due to their high
anti-oxidant content, but rather to their direct effect on the liver. Brassica
vegetables actually push the liver's enzyme system to increase its
detoxification abilities.
(Read on...)
|
view basket
