by Catherine Haug, August 26, 2011
USDA: My Food Plate
(icon, above, from ChooseMyPlate.gov)
In June of this year, the USDA replaced its food pyramid with “My Food Plate” in attempt to make it easier to understand how much of each of 5 food categories to eat: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein, and Dairy.
USDA recommendations, and Cat’s comments follow: (more…)
Eggs with Orange Yolks
by Catherine Haug, August 6, 2011
(photo by Keith Blaylock)
I just returned from a trip to Portland and was excited to learn that the Oregon legislature passed SB 805 with overwhelming bipartisan support, and was signed into law on June 17. This law, similar to legislation proposed at the national level (see U.S. Egg Industry & HSUS Collaborate on Federal Legislation for Battery Hens) “sets comprehensive animal care standards for hens,” according to the Oregon Humane Society (2). Will our Montana legislature follow suit? (more…)
by Catherine Haug, February 2, 2011; updated February 17, 2010
Recap of developments: January 28, 2011, the USDA approved and deregulated GMO alfalfa. February 4, 2011 the USDA approved another planting of GMO sugar beets, despite a federal judge’s ruling against the crop in 2010.
Now, according to a Feb 16, 2011 article on Natural News, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) plans to sue the USDA and Monsanto over GMO alfalfa just as it successfully sued over GMO sugar beets last year.
What is GMO/GE? What does this have to do with Organics and Sustainability? Read on for more on all of these topics. (more…)
by Catherine Haug
While I think most of us have a passing awareness that livestock are routinely given feed laced with antibiotics to make them grow more meat faster, I wonder how many of us actually let this knowledge sink in, and avoid commercial meats like the plague?
I’m talking about beef, pork, and poultry from the meat counter at Harvest Foods, Costco, Walmart, Safeway, Albertsons, Rosauers, and so on. Also those served in most restaurants.
Do we truly understand the implications of consuming antibiotic-laden meat? And what can we do about it?
Cat's cow-share cow
(Article and photo by Catherine Haug)
While mainstream food production becomes more toxic and inhumane, many farmers and ranchers are looking for a better way. Today the DIL featured an AP story by Matt Volz, about Curt Pate, a 49-year-old Montana cowboy who consulted on the 1998 Robert Redford film “The Horse Whisperer.”
Mr. Pate now turns his talents to showing ranchers a low-stress method of managing cattle. He recently did a demonstration of the old-time, but mostly forgotten technique at the Sieben ranch north of Helena.
You can read the article: Cow Whisperer Aims To Improve Livestock Handling online on the CBS News website.
The article suggests renewed interest among ranchers in this technique was sparked by the online video of cattle abuse on an Ohio dairy farm. You can view this video and learn more at Mercy For Animals. Warning: The video is graphic and greatly disturbing.
As consumers, it is our responsibility to purchase foods from farmers and ranchers who practice humane and life-affirming methods. To do otherwise risks our own health and spiritual well-being. Buy from local food producers you can trust; check out Farm Hands: Who Is Your Farmer? for local, Flathead Valley producers. And demand that local grocers carry more local, humanely-raised foods.
by Catherine Haug
Listen up if are looking for a way to process poultry:
This is required training for poultry producers who want to use the MPU to prepare poultry for sale in the retail market.
Class is free and open to the public.
There is a $15.00 fee for the manual, OR download it at:
Mobile Processing Unit: Training and Use Manual.
The June 2010 class is behind us; but contact Mark Rehder of Farms for Families at 406-222-7585 to arrange to use the MPU, or one of the sponsors, to find out about training opportunities.
See also Montana Poultry Growers Cooperative: Mobile Processing Unit for updates.
Sponsors include: AERO, Lake County Community Development Corporation(LCCDC), Farms for Families, Montana Poultry Growers Cooperative
The manual for this class can be downloaded at: Mobile Processing Unit: Training and Use Manual.
See also the article that led to the creation of the MPU: Mobile Processing: Appropriate Technology for Pastured Poultry Producers (www.growmontana.ncat.org/docs/sstokesfinal.pdf), written by UM graduate student S.D. Stokes.