Archive for the ‘Post Topics’ Category

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GE Salmon given green light by the FDA

Friday, December 21st, 2012

Frankenfood

Catherine Haug, December 21, 2012

Genetically engineered (GE) salmon is about to hit our markets, if the FDA has its way. Dubbed by the OCA as “frankenfish,” this farmed salmon,was created by AquaBounty by inserting growth hormone genes into fertilized salmonid eggs.

It has just been given the green light by the FDA, based on research by AquaBounty. It is absurd and outrageous that the department ignored data from independent researchers like those at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Academy of Science, and Purdue University.

This GE process also affects trout and Arctic char, as well as wild salmon. And NONE of these will be labeled as GE/GMO. Unless our congress or courts put a stop to this fast-track decision, you will be well advised to avoid all farmed salmon, trout and char.

The GE/GMO industry argues that this will only affect farmed salmon, but past history from fish hatcheries indicate that farmed salmon do escape into the wild. According to Salmon Nation, “Estimates of farmed salmon escapees in British Columbia total at least 400,000 fish from 1991 to 2001”

Contact our President, Senators and both our outgoing and incoming representatives; ask them to keep GE salmon off our plates. See Contact our Government for White House and current legislators. See stevedaines.com/contact for our Representative-elect. See Contact the White House

For more about GE Salmon see: (more…)

Posted in Food-Nutrition-Health, GMO | Comments Closed

10 Packaged or Processed Foods Easy to Avoid

Sunday, December 16th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, December 16, 2012

Now that I’m retired and have much more time to cook from scratch (than when I was working 10-12 hours a day), I tend to take this blessing for granted. For those who are still working long hours, I know it is difficult to buy local and cook from scratch, so a short list of packaged/processed foods that are quick and easy to make from scratch, might be welcome.

The following list is from Dr. Mercola, who ‘borrowed’ the first 5 in the list from an article on Grist.org. He explains why the processed versions are best avoided. I’ve added my own comments/ideas as well. (more…)

Posted in Fermentation, Culturing & Curing, Food-Nutrition-Health, GMO, Shop Local | Comments Closed

Nutrient Decline in our Food Supply

Thursday, December 13th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, December 11, 2012

We all rely on the quality of our food to sustain us and keep us in good health. We trust that foods of vibrant color are rich in antioxidants and vitamins; for example, beets, oranges, carrots, cherries and berries. We trust that leafy greens with rich, dark color are rich in minerals, vitamins and bitters. We trust that fresh meats and dairy are rich in protein, essential oils, and vitamins.

But is our trust warranted? Certainly prior to the industrial age, that trust was well-placed. But modern agriculture is all about the bottom line, and food quality is often sacrificed in pursuit of that goal. Crops are treated with chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, and refreshed with contaminated waters. Animals are fed these inferior crops, and in many cases fed crops that are not their natural diet. All of this leads to nutritional deficiency in our foods.

Just how bad has it gotten? What can we do to reverse the trend? (more…)

Posted in Agriculture, Compost, Food-Nutrition-Health, Gardening, Health, Livestock, Local Food System | Comments Closed

Long Term Storage of Foods

Thursday, December 13th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, December 10, 2012

We are hoping to have a presentation on long-term storage of foods in 2013. This is a great and pertinent topic to our mission.

I stumbled upon an informative site: Preparedness Advice Blog. It has lots of pertinent articles on “emergency preparedness, ‘prepping,’ and long term food storage.” For example, The Long-Term Bug-Free Storage of Dry Grains. It has advice on natural things to add to your grains to keep bugs away, ideal low-moisture level for grain storage, and best type of containers for grain storage.

If you encounter any great info on Food Storage, please send it my way so I can share with our readers as a “Kitchen Hint.”

Beware: While there is lots of food-storage information available on the internet, some of it is mis-information.

Posted in Emergency Preparedness, Fermentation, Culturing & Curing, Home & Ranch, Survival; Primitive Living | Comments Closed

More on GMO Labeling

Tuesday, December 11th, 2012

Frankenfood

By Catherine Haug, December 7, 2012

On this Pearl Harbor day, I write about something far more deadly than bombs. Let us pause to remember those who have died in defense of our country, then vow to work to save ourselves from this insidious danger to our food supply.

GMO or GE foods are created by manipulating the DNA material of different species that would never breed naturally – like the banana-fish Frankenfood logo shown right (used by permission from the OCA). These foods are NOT normal, natural, organic, or safe. They pose a signifiant harm to you and your family’s health, not to mention that of our planet. For more on this, see my earlier posts:

The winter 2012 issue of Organic View, a publication of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), includes an informative article about the battle for labeling GMO foods. Here are some highlights: (more…)

Posted in Food-Nutrition-Health, GMO, Organics | 4 Comments »

Another Critter to Protect & Encourage in your Yard

Thursday, December 6th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, Dec 4, 2012

Oftentimes those wild critters that we like the least, need our help. For example, honeybees and native bees that are suffering from the overuse of pesticides, yet are so essential for pollination of edible and other plants, landscape and wild flowers, etc..

And now another maligned critter is on Montana’s radar for study and protection: the bat. This nighttime creature has long been feared – most recently because of rabies – but they provide important benefits for those of us who live near water and wetlands, by keeping mosquitos in check, not to mention other insect pests that plague farmers and gardeners.

Bats in eastern parts of North America are under threat from a fungal disease called white nose syndrome. While this disease has not made its way here, Montana has begun a statewide research project to collect baseline data about our state’s bats. Students at Bigfork High School are playing a key role in this project, as reported in a December 3 Flathead Beacon article:  Facing Threat of Disease, Montana Launches Bat Research Project.

Interested in encouraging bats in your yard? Read on. (more…)

Posted in Agriculture, Ecology, Home & Ranch | Comments Closed

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