by Catherine Haug
I took lots of notes at this presentation last week by Ken Meter, but have not yet had a chance to write them up. What follows is a very short synopsis of the event. I will update this with more detail soon, and send the update with the next newsletter.
by Catherine Haug, March 19, 2011
This is a question we should all be asking our president and his agencies who are responsible for allowing GMO crops/foods to be approved (FDA, USDA). If we don’t get an answer there, we should all ask our legislators to demand an answer, and then to change the laws so that GMO products are labeled.
As free Americans, isn’t it our right to know what we are getting when we purchase foods that may be GMO? As Montanans, isn’t it our right to a clean and healthful environment (as stated in our constitution), which includes a right to know when GMO crops are being raised in our local area?
If GMO foods are safe, why the refusal to label them? Perhaps because they fear:
If you aren’t as angry as I am over the current state of affairs concerning GMO, read this article from the New York Times Opinion page (Feb 15, 2011) by Mark Bittman:
Why Aren’t G.M.O. Foods Labeled?
See also my post Health Hazards of GMO Foods & Crops.
by Catherine Haug, March 2, 2011
What did people do to heal themselves and their family members from disease, prior to the age of modern medicine and pharmaceuticals? Probably the first thing that comes to mind is the use of healing herbs. Chinese and ayurvedic practices may also come to mind. But in addition to these, there are two nearly forgotten remedies that can be used to treat, or at least reduce the symptoms of, almost any illness.
We may not always have access to OTC and prescription drugs. Drought and other factors may make herbal preparations difficult to obtain. But if every home has access to these two simple remedies, we will be ahead of the game. All that is needed is the equipment and clean water.
What are they? Read on. (more…)
by Catherine Haug, March 2, 2011 (photo from NPR article)
We’ve all heard that BPA, the plastic used in water bottles, is toxic because it mimics estrogen, and is classified as an endocrine disrupter. Because of this, most of us avoid food and water products in containers containing BPA: soda bottles, water bottles, canned foods, and traditional home canning lids.
In response, you’ve probably heard me say that all plastics are toxic, even if the media hasn’t reported it, or science hasn’t proved it yet. Furthermore, the production of plastic is not sustainable, whether it is made from petroleum or food crops.
Today, National Public Radio (NPR) released a story by Jon Hamilton: Study: Most Plastics Leach Hormone-Like Chemicals (1) that vindicates my belief for ‘most’ plastics.
This study only looked at hormone-like activity. There are also other ways in which plastics can be toxic; will the remaining ‘safe’ plastics someday be found to be unsafe too?
What about those you use in your home?
Chicken farmer and his hens
by Catherine Haug, February 22, 2011
(photos from the Food Museum (2))
Have you ever wondered, when you browse the chicken section of the meat counter and see a sea of breast meat, what happens to the dark meat? I mean, those breasts came from live chickens with legs and wings, but surely there are way more breasts for sale than legs and wings to go with them. Why is that?
Or when you order chicken nuggets at your favorite fast food, observing that they are made from breast meat, do you wonder what happened to the dark meat?
It used to be that when you bought chicken, you got the whole bird. Back then, chicken was a special dinner, reserved for Sundays and celebrations. The kids usually fought over the drumsticks and wings while the adults enjoyed the white meat. But now, all that has changed. (more…)
by Catherine Haug, February 22, 2011
(photo from AntiqueStoves.com)
Margin wood cook stove
We are planning a future event on baking bread without electricity or gas, and are looking for a presenter who can talk about baking on top of a wood heating stove and in a wood range oven. If you are interested, or know of someone who has this experience, please contact Catherine (Cat).
I have some experience with an old homesteader’s wood range, but that was years ago. I’ve never tried to bake bread on top of my wood heating stove, but may just give it a try and then update this post with photos and text of the process I used.
Meanwhile, here’s what I’ve gleaned from researching the topic on the web,, and from my own limited experience: (more…)