by Catherine Haug, Nov 2, 2013
(As an aside, tonite, Nov 2, is the night to turn your clocks back one hour to standard time)
The Institute of Responsible Technology (IRT) announces a opportunity to view this important film about the harm of GMO foods for free, Nov 2 – 8, 2013. To sign in and view, go to geneticroulettemovie.com/grm. Alternately you can view it on Mercola’s website: Genetic Roulette, The Gamble of Our Lives
From the IRT site’s “About the film:” (more…)
by Catherine Haug, October 19, 2013
It has just come to my attention that rotisserie chicken sold under the Kirkland brand at Costco stores nationwide, and traced to three Foster Farms plants in California, is subject to a major recall after over 300 people nationwide were sickened with an antibiotic-resistant strain of salmonella (1,2,3). Foster Farms brand chickens grown in Washington are sold at many local stores including Bigfork’s Harvest Foods, but are not involved in the recall.
Are these fresh chicken products risky? How do chickens become infected with salmonella? (more…)
by Catherine Haug, October 18, 2013
Ronny provided a presentation outline at the event; I’ve included its text in the summary, below.
For those who don’t know Ronny, she keeps bees and horses, both of which are major contributors to her wonderfully lush garden in the Columbia Falls area. In the past she has given two other presentations for ESP: Managing an Organic Beehive, Herbs and Their Traditional Uses, and she participated on the Sourdough Panel.
She titled her presentation, “Fall Garden Prep Talk, or Starting your Garden.” That subtitle needs a bit of explanation. If you do all the work to start your garden in the fall, it saves you a lot of work in the spring. The amendments (compost, manure) and mulching added in the fall, work through the cold months to make your garden fertile and ready for germinating seeds in the spring. Plus there are lots of seeds you can plant in the fall, for spring and summer harvest.
Read on for Ronny’s handout/outline, with my notes added.
Apples at Market
by Catherine Haug, October 8, 2013
Good Housekeeping recently published it’s new “Dirty Dozen” list – foods overly contaminated with pesticide and other chemicals, so that it pays to pay more for Organic. You can read the full report at The Daily Green: The New Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Eat Organic, but read on for a summary. Note that many local produce found at Farmers Markets or at your local grocer is raised Organically, even though it may not bear the Organic label, so be sure to inquire. (more…)
by Catherine Haug, October 4, 2013
While I was on my September road trip, I came across an excellent article in the Spokesman Review that fits right in with the topic of our upcoming October gathering on Gathering Notice: Preparing your Garden for Winter, with Ronny Honthaas, October 16, 2013. The article is available on the Spokesman Review website: Fall clean-up prepares plants for long winter’s nap, by Susan Mulvihill.
Here are some highlights from the article: (more…)
by Catherine Haug, October 3, 2013; updated Oct 25, 2014 to removed malware links
I just received an email from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) about the new Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) rules that will negatively impact your access to local, fresh foods at farmers markets, roadside stands, local co-ops, and CSAs. Below is a copy of that email for your reference.
The FSMA is intended to focus the FDA on prevention of food-borne illness rather than reacting after the fact. In principle, this is a good idea, but some of the rules as written may unintentionally do harm to local, sustainable food production. The following issues are addressed in the comment guidelines provided by the NSAC, and in my customized letter:
Cat’s update October 2014: If you wish to submit comments, it is now too late. Since one of the links in the instructions for posting comments now contains malware, I have deleted that section. I have, however, retained the copy of the comment letter I submitted for future reference (see below).
And here’s another take on the issue, including some history: Will the FDA’s New Food Safety Rules Hurt Small Farmers?
Read on for a copy of my comment letter, and the original email from NSAC. (more…)