On October 2, 2009 I presented this speech at BOCO a Boulder event. http://boco.me/ of course I wasn’t able to take notes on what I said it but I think the following is the gist of what I said.
I have a passion for the tremendous impact we have on our health, Local economy and the environment when we make the simple action of purchasing food.
This morning I’ll focus on the Organic consumer and the Localvore.
Comparing local to organic is an inequitable comparison; both have positive factors, and I believe the best is both local and organic. Key factors for me in my food choices are healthy food, fresh food, environmentally positive, and local. Every individual must decide what issues are most important every time we choose to purchase an item to eat. Organic is a Certification process. Very similar processes exist worldwide in order to have an organic label.
The organic consumer is a skeptic. We don’t believe that the industrial food supply chain has our best interests at heart.
The attitude is "Prove undeniably it won’t hurt me or the earth or don‘t include it in my food!"
Organic is not how your grandma grew her food. This is a new science being defined and discovered by a new generation of producers. This is growing food without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, forced Genetically Modified organisms, induced hormones, and in many ways are defining the processes to handle animals such as free range and grass fed. Unfortunately there are many ways to produce organic foods that can still use very nasty pesticides and treat animals inhumanely but there is no other certification process that comes close to providing the peace of mind that Organic Certification does.
Choosing organic food drives the industrial food supply from the bottom up to be environmentally conscious.
Produce grown without live soil is lacking in much nutritional value. Conventional practices kill and strip the soil of life. The trained nutritionist may say it has the same nutritional value but the organic consumer knows there is a lot more to food than a simple list of nutritional ingredients. Trace minerals, nutrients and macro-biotics are as important for our well being as the list of vitamins and minerals nutrition likes to quantify. There is definitely a difference in taste in an organically grown item versus a product grown only with the fertilizers needed to make it look pretty. Organic consumers know that synthetic fertilizers can grow foods that are ready for mass marketing but are tasteless, lifeless and have less value and sustaining life. The poisons applied in conventional agriculture have never really been fairly quantified as to the damage and financial cost they cause to our environment and our health.
The organic consumer is a skeptic that has a hard time believing that any large corporation will do the right thing when it comes to producing healthy food over producing a profit.
Now a Localvore is an optimist that believes that the world will be better off if we share our values with our community and we believe the community can provide all the needs for a healthy diet. It is truly optimistic to believe that the local community can provide all our food. It is wonderful to think that if I buy it then someone will grow it. The romance of farming is a big draw to the localvore wanting to be in touch with the basic roots of production getting to know the farmer and the inter-relationship of the soil and life. To know your local producer is to understand their ethos and methods of production. To buy local is using the sun, soil, water and labor in the community to create the basis of what is true productivity. The localvore is taking action to reduce their carbon footprint by reducing the miles food has to travel. The Localvore often chooses food sustainably produced, often organic, often helping the farmer by joining in the cost of production by joining a farm in what is called Community Supported Agriculture.
The best choice of course is to buy locally produced organic product. This is not always easy. If you grow in your backyard do you how much lead is in the soil from the old paint from your house before you plant your garden in it? Do you know how to balance nature and avoid all the modern toxic chemistry? If you can buy local organic products you know you are avoiding the poisons of industrial agriculture and helping protect the local environment from those pollutants. You are helping stimulate food security for your community and maintaining the heritage of local agriculture and the knowledge of what foods can be grown in the regions soil and climate. You are creating food security for your community and helping develop the path to food Sovereignty.
Your highest priorities are a personal choice. Is it fair trade? Not ingesting poisons? Stimulating the local economy? Food security?
Is your priority Cost? – Which is the driving factor for 98% of food production. The other 2% of production is the ethics of food that I am talking about today.
If you choose Environment – as your priority then you produce the demand for organic production into the largest of industrial producers and your choice will change their priorities.
Is your priority Health? – Then look for Fresh raw non-processed organic food.
Care about Community? – It will be locally grown in season produce and you will be seeking out local food preservers and preservation methods.
All these personal choices work toward Food sovereignty- The concept that without having a heritage and community of agriculture a community cannot have its own identity, culture or be sustainable.
The fantastic opportunity here in Boulder County – Our unique community, is to support the local producer and change our governmental policies, beliefs and priorities to allow for the public support of our local food shed. We are losing our local farmland at an alarming rate. We allow it to be purchased for Open Space and Ranchettes. Our Sub-Rural subdivisions work against having farms close by. We must change the attitudes of our neighbors - to accept having a farm close by as a healthy choice. We need to change our land use codes to allow greenhouses and hoophouses so our farmers can fully extend their short seasons here in Colorado. We can ask that our supermarket label items completely. Wouldn’t it be nice to know what pesticides are included in your apple juice?
Here is action we can immediately take.
Boulder County is asking for an extension of taxation for the continued purchase of open space. There are 1000’s of acres of agricultural open space acres that we own that are laden with pesticides and herbicides planted with plants genetically modified to be toxic to insect life. What if we insist that the public land zoned for agricultural use be used for organic production. Let’s demand that the County have a program of policies and assistance to the new farmers that want to develop a sustainable lifestyle on that land that will help to create a community of agricultural economic development.
Let’s create the ability to use that land to lead the nation, the world, to develop a shared educational experience for farming with the new science of organic production. Let us work together to have the healthiest food and the most environmentally sound use of land right here where we live!
Here in Boulder County. We can do it!
Thank you.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
An article in the Fall 2009 Boulderganic magazine.
link to story http://bit.ly/Ks8Pr
Produce guru
A chat with Mark Menagh about our local food chain
by Marissa Hermanson
Q: What is your involvement with the local food industry?
A: I’m president of KORU Fresh Innovations, a consultancy helping small- and medium-sized companies increase productivity. I’m on the Board of Directors of Naturally Boulder Products, which is a city-sponsored nonprofit organization dedicated to making Boulder the epicenter of the natural food industry. Naturally Boulder intentionally attracts new business to Boulder by connecting all of the participants in the sector through networking and educational events. I’m also on the Boulder County Food and Agricultural Policy Council, a recently formed council advising our county commissioners on the issues of food security, food sovereignty and the needs of the agricultural community. I was the executive director of the Boulder County Farmers’ Markets working with more than 100 farmers and 50 specialty food vendors. In this role I worked with CSU Agricultural Extension office to build a new farmer program and was one of the advisors for new farmers looking for channels to build their direct sales. Specialty food vendors in the natural food arena are a favorite area of mine, and I worked to find entrepreneurs who were ready to start marketing their products and hadn’t made it into the mainstream grocery store yet.
Q: How do you encourage Boulder residents to shop for food?
A: As wisely as possible, which means that we should know the companies or farmers that produce our food. So, let’s purchase food produced locally when we can. All of us have favorite brands that we trust, but I like to encourage consumers to evaluate their favorite brands and determine if they still deserve their loyalty. The food industry is changing rapidly to meet changing consumer demands and meet their profit targets by increasing the amount of highly processed substitute ingredients. Our food producers are in a competitive environment and very demand driven. We have seen the food industry change rapidly when consumers change buying habits. As consumers we make a political decision every time we choose to eat something. If a company is local, you can find out a lot more about them and can find ways to verify their green or ethical claims than you can any large international company. By choosing fresh food produced locally, when possible, our money goes into the local economy and uses the local sun, soil, water and labor to stimulate productivity in our community. Developing a productive local economy is both simple and powerful when we choose to buy local.
Q: What are the benefits of buying local over organic?
A: Comparing local to organic is an inequitable comparison. Both have positive factors, and I believe the best is both local and organic. Key factors for me are healthy food, fresh food, environmentally positive and local. Every individual must decide what issues are most important every time we choose an item to eat. I choose organic over local when I know the local conventional producer is not using healthy environmental processes. I always choose local when an item is in season and it’s produced with environmental consciousness. I know of many local farmers who are not certified organic but grow their food in a healthy way that is sustainable, and I would choose their products over some farmers that are local and certified organic. The Country of Origin Labeling that we are finally seeing in our stores makes choosing consciously even easier now, but we need more labeling to know we are truly purchasing local unless we purchase direct from the producer. Buying conventional produce grown outside of the U.S. is not wise unless you know that country is following standards better or similar to the U.S., and even then it doesn’t meet the environmentally conscious criteria of minimizing our carbon footprint.Organic certification gives us a standard, and there is no other label or certification that comes close to providing the consumer with real information about how a product is produced. If cost is a concern for the consumer, they can shop for items that have less risk of pesticide exposure or fruits and vegetables where pesticides can be safely removed. If people choose organic first for the benefit of our earth, they can choose those organic items when conventionally grown require much more pesticides and herbicides such as grapes, peaches, sweet bell peppers and potatoes. This way we will have the most positive environmental impact. In this context, let’s look at potatoes. Based upon my criteria, I always choose organic because conventionally grown potatoes are poisoned with pesticides, and this impacts my health and the health of our soil.
Q: Is local or organic better for our environment?
A: Organic is the best for our environment. Many local producers here in Boulder County use toxic herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. You cannot choose local and automatically claim to be making the best decision.
Q: Both local and organic food is expensive. How do you suggest people buy it on a budget?
A: Visit our community local farms, farm stands and farmers markets. There is no more competitive environment that a farmers’ market with farmers lined up side by side selling the same items. Find a farmer you can trust and become loyal to them. That is the most rewarding thing you can do both for peace of mind of how you food was grown and your pocket book. Buy your food in season, you will save money and eat a much healthier diet. And most of all, to save money and to eat healthier, eliminate processed food from your diet.
Q: What should everyone know about Boulder County’s food chain?
A: We currently do not come anywhere near meeting the local demand for fresh food from our local agricultural producers. We continue to produce less food for human consumption in Boulder County even though we are increasing the number of small farms that are selling direct. Our land-use policies and the sub-rural homeowners’ reluctance to have agricultural land use close to their property is driving our farmers farther and farther away from us. As a community we need to find a way to support our local, small farms so they can continue to afford to farm and live here — and flourish! We make it very hard to start a farm by not allowing small greenhouses, not allowing seasonal farm labor to live on the farms and by not understanding the beauty and benefits of having organic small farms as neighbors. We have thousands of acres of zoned agricultural, publicly owned land in our open space in both our city and county programs. This land, with the right policies and economic incentives, could make our community economically stronger, more productive, healthier, and more food secure.
Q: Any other information?
A: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants,” as Michael Pollan, a popular journalist said. And I will add that if you are going to eat any processed food or conventionally grown food other than organic fruits and vegetables you should question what is sold as food by the industrial food supply chain we have come to rely upon. Some ingredients used to grow and process food may not be what you would choose to eat. We have found ways to artificially create almost every major ingredient in our food. With modern chemistry we are able to create many synthetic materials, and some of these end up in our food for no other reason than to replace natural ingredients with less expensive alternatives. Why we would choose to eat these substances is beyond me. The adulteration of food for efficiency of production is not exclusive to processed foods, our fruits and vegetables, even our meats and diary items are often produced in ways that degrade their nutritional and healthy nature. It is up to each individual consumer to make educated choices that influence the food supply chain and help keep real food available for their families
link to story http://bit.ly/Ks8Pr
Produce guru
A chat with Mark Menagh about our local food chain
by Marissa Hermanson
Q: What is your involvement with the local food industry?
A: I’m president of KORU Fresh Innovations, a consultancy helping small- and medium-sized companies increase productivity. I’m on the Board of Directors of Naturally Boulder Products, which is a city-sponsored nonprofit organization dedicated to making Boulder the epicenter of the natural food industry. Naturally Boulder intentionally attracts new business to Boulder by connecting all of the participants in the sector through networking and educational events. I’m also on the Boulder County Food and Agricultural Policy Council, a recently formed council advising our county commissioners on the issues of food security, food sovereignty and the needs of the agricultural community. I was the executive director of the Boulder County Farmers’ Markets working with more than 100 farmers and 50 specialty food vendors. In this role I worked with CSU Agricultural Extension office to build a new farmer program and was one of the advisors for new farmers looking for channels to build their direct sales. Specialty food vendors in the natural food arena are a favorite area of mine, and I worked to find entrepreneurs who were ready to start marketing their products and hadn’t made it into the mainstream grocery store yet.
Q: How do you encourage Boulder residents to shop for food?
A: As wisely as possible, which means that we should know the companies or farmers that produce our food. So, let’s purchase food produced locally when we can. All of us have favorite brands that we trust, but I like to encourage consumers to evaluate their favorite brands and determine if they still deserve their loyalty. The food industry is changing rapidly to meet changing consumer demands and meet their profit targets by increasing the amount of highly processed substitute ingredients. Our food producers are in a competitive environment and very demand driven. We have seen the food industry change rapidly when consumers change buying habits. As consumers we make a political decision every time we choose to eat something. If a company is local, you can find out a lot more about them and can find ways to verify their green or ethical claims than you can any large international company. By choosing fresh food produced locally, when possible, our money goes into the local economy and uses the local sun, soil, water and labor to stimulate productivity in our community. Developing a productive local economy is both simple and powerful when we choose to buy local.
Q: What are the benefits of buying local over organic?
A: Comparing local to organic is an inequitable comparison. Both have positive factors, and I believe the best is both local and organic. Key factors for me are healthy food, fresh food, environmentally positive and local. Every individual must decide what issues are most important every time we choose an item to eat. I choose organic over local when I know the local conventional producer is not using healthy environmental processes. I always choose local when an item is in season and it’s produced with environmental consciousness. I know of many local farmers who are not certified organic but grow their food in a healthy way that is sustainable, and I would choose their products over some farmers that are local and certified organic. The Country of Origin Labeling that we are finally seeing in our stores makes choosing consciously even easier now, but we need more labeling to know we are truly purchasing local unless we purchase direct from the producer. Buying conventional produce grown outside of the U.S. is not wise unless you know that country is following standards better or similar to the U.S., and even then it doesn’t meet the environmentally conscious criteria of minimizing our carbon footprint.Organic certification gives us a standard, and there is no other label or certification that comes close to providing the consumer with real information about how a product is produced. If cost is a concern for the consumer, they can shop for items that have less risk of pesticide exposure or fruits and vegetables where pesticides can be safely removed. If people choose organic first for the benefit of our earth, they can choose those organic items when conventionally grown require much more pesticides and herbicides such as grapes, peaches, sweet bell peppers and potatoes. This way we will have the most positive environmental impact. In this context, let’s look at potatoes. Based upon my criteria, I always choose organic because conventionally grown potatoes are poisoned with pesticides, and this impacts my health and the health of our soil.
Q: Is local or organic better for our environment?
A: Organic is the best for our environment. Many local producers here in Boulder County use toxic herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. You cannot choose local and automatically claim to be making the best decision.
Q: Both local and organic food is expensive. How do you suggest people buy it on a budget?
A: Visit our community local farms, farm stands and farmers markets. There is no more competitive environment that a farmers’ market with farmers lined up side by side selling the same items. Find a farmer you can trust and become loyal to them. That is the most rewarding thing you can do both for peace of mind of how you food was grown and your pocket book. Buy your food in season, you will save money and eat a much healthier diet. And most of all, to save money and to eat healthier, eliminate processed food from your diet.
Q: What should everyone know about Boulder County’s food chain?
A: We currently do not come anywhere near meeting the local demand for fresh food from our local agricultural producers. We continue to produce less food for human consumption in Boulder County even though we are increasing the number of small farms that are selling direct. Our land-use policies and the sub-rural homeowners’ reluctance to have agricultural land use close to their property is driving our farmers farther and farther away from us. As a community we need to find a way to support our local, small farms so they can continue to afford to farm and live here — and flourish! We make it very hard to start a farm by not allowing small greenhouses, not allowing seasonal farm labor to live on the farms and by not understanding the beauty and benefits of having organic small farms as neighbors. We have thousands of acres of zoned agricultural, publicly owned land in our open space in both our city and county programs. This land, with the right policies and economic incentives, could make our community economically stronger, more productive, healthier, and more food secure.
Q: Any other information?
A: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants,” as Michael Pollan, a popular journalist said. And I will add that if you are going to eat any processed food or conventionally grown food other than organic fruits and vegetables you should question what is sold as food by the industrial food supply chain we have come to rely upon. Some ingredients used to grow and process food may not be what you would choose to eat. We have found ways to artificially create almost every major ingredient in our food. With modern chemistry we are able to create many synthetic materials, and some of these end up in our food for no other reason than to replace natural ingredients with less expensive alternatives. Why we would choose to eat these substances is beyond me. The adulteration of food for efficiency of production is not exclusive to processed foods, our fruits and vegetables, even our meats and diary items are often produced in ways that degrade their nutritional and healthy nature. It is up to each individual consumer to make educated choices that influence the food supply chain and help keep real food available for their families
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Ann Cooper discussion
RT @FreshIdeasGroup: Today: Ann Cooper & WFM Walter Robb discussing school lunch with Dep Sec of Ag Kathleen Merrigan
http://tinyurl.com/mxnrmp
On The Washington Post
Quotes from Ann
http://tinyurl.com/mxnrmp
On The Washington Post
Quotes from Ann
"Let's not talk about where it comes from at this point. I never start with, "It has to be local." I start with, "It has to be food." If we could just feed children food, we would have made huge progress. Then we can talk about how it was produced and where it comes from.
We can't have better, designer, processed food. I know there are meetings all over Washington today and tomorrow. And the big companies are there talking about how with more money they can make better products. I'm not interested in better products! I'm interested in food. And we can get food to children if we work at it."
We only have a minimum calorie count, not a maximum, under the USDA standards. That came from World War II when we had malnourished children who couldn't serve in the military. So then they lowered the fat to 30 percent. But when you lowered the fat, the calorie count was not lowered.
AC: It wasn't that long ago. It was maybe 10 years ago. And, oh by the way, in this age of obesity, you can feed kids 2,000 calories at lunch. No problem. That's not an issue. But if I serve 600 instead of 650, I can get busted. And when you serve fresh fruits and vegetables, you're hard-pressed to hit those calorie counts at lunch. "
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Yes another must see movie "Here we Grow" http://www.herewegrowmovie.com/
review in Daily Cam http://bit.ly/ZYILI
and even more information on "Here We Grow" http://bit.ly/NOlrc
review in Daily Cam http://bit.ly/ZYILI
and even more information on "Here We Grow" http://bit.ly/NOlrc
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
NO GMO on Boulder County Open Space
Don't have access to a petition? Sign the petition online here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/BoulderCountyGMO
Want to Learn More About This Issue?
Attend a free film showing at The Boulder Theatre on Sunday, August 23rd.
The two films are: "The Future of Food" 88 minutes long,
"The World According to Monsanto" 109 minutes long
Doors will open at 5:00 and the film will begin promptly at 6:00. This event is open to the public and free of charge. Seating is on a first come first served basis.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/BoulderCountyGMO
Want to Learn More About This Issue?
Attend a free film showing at The Boulder Theatre on Sunday, August 23rd.
The two films are: "The Future of Food" 88 minutes long,
"The World According to Monsanto" 109 minutes long
Doors will open at 5:00 and the film will begin promptly at 6:00. This event is open to the public and free of charge. Seating is on a first come first served basis.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
GMO petition to reject the application to grow genetically modified organisms (GMO's)on Boulder County land
Some locals here in Boulder Colorado have started a grass roots organization loosely structured to accomplish the goal of letting our County Commissioners know we wish them to reject GMO’s on County Open Space. Please sign the petition or write your County Commissioner at commissioners@co.boulder.co.us
Anti GMO Petition wording:
We, the undersigned citizens of Boulder County, strongly request the County Commissioners to reject the application to grow genetically modified organisms (GMO's)on Boulder County land.
We simply need the name (printed) address and signature of Boulder County residents.
HOW YOU CAN HELP BEFORE THE AUG. 25th COUNTY COMMISIONERS MEETING:
1. Agree to be volunteer by helping to get signatures to our “No GMOs in Boulder” petition:
a. E-mail Sylvia@freshideasgroup.com for info. and petition signature doc
b. Visit The Fresh Ideas Group office at 2400 Spruce St., Ste. 100 during business hours to pick up all your supplies: clip board, petitions, pens and informational handouts
c. Ask friends to join you
d. Go for it!
Asking for signatures at the Boulder Farmers' Market today we received over 400 signatures from Boulder County Residents. Thank you. We had volunteers at the Longmont Farmers' Market also and received almost 100 there.
For information on the GMO issue go to:
www.bouldercounty.org/openspace/sugarbeets.htm
This is the County's site and supplies some of the issues from both sides.
Anti GMO Petition wording:
We, the undersigned citizens of Boulder County, strongly request the County Commissioners to reject the application to grow genetically modified organisms (GMO's)on Boulder County land.
We simply need the name (printed) address and signature of Boulder County residents.
HOW YOU CAN HELP BEFORE THE AUG. 25th COUNTY COMMISIONERS MEETING:
1. Agree to be volunteer by helping to get signatures to our “No GMOs in Boulder” petition:
a. E-mail Sylvia@freshideasgroup.com for info. and petition signature doc
b. Visit The Fresh Ideas Group office at 2400 Spruce St., Ste. 100 during business hours to pick up all your supplies: clip board, petitions, pens and informational handouts
c. Ask friends to join you
d. Go for it!
Asking for signatures at the Boulder Farmers' Market today we received over 400 signatures from Boulder County Residents. Thank you. We had volunteers at the Longmont Farmers' Market also and received almost 100 there.
For information on the GMO issue go to:
www.bouldercounty.org/openspace/sugarbeets.htm
This is the County's site and supplies some of the issues from both sides.
Friday, July 31, 2009
GMO sugar beets on Boulder County Open Space Agricultural Land.
I am an appointed member of the Food and Agricultural Policy Council for the County Commissioners of Boulder County Colorado. The council had been asked to consider a request for 6 farmers that have leases to farm land owned by the County as Open Space Agricultural Land to rotate into their crop plans GMO sugar beets. I have reviewed the request, read supplied documentation, understood why the county staff recommended allowing farmers to use GMO crops and the restrictions they suggested to appease the concerns. I have researched for hours the implications, the science, the hype, and both sides using fear, uncertainty and doubt to plead their case. On July 30 I listened carefully to over 75 concerned citizens in a public meeting describe their concerns and recommendations. I understand how incredibly difficulty farming is in any form, conventional or organic. Ultimately it falls on the Food and Agricultural Policy Council to make a decision as individuals and then as a group for a recommendation to our elected County Commissioners.
I have documented here most of my comments during the discussion after the motion to allow the farmers to grow GMO sugar beets on their leased land.
The decision to allow or not to allow GMO sugar beets on Boulder County Open Space agricultural land will affect the livelihood of some farmers. We’ve heard them and I do empathize with their position. However, it grieves me that the only way these farmers believe they can survive is to use the new technology of GMO sugar beets. The farmers say they believe there is no other choice if they are going to be successful, they feel GMO is a sustainable option, that GMO would use less poisons and be ecologically advantageous.
At the same time we are hearing these farmers decry the possible restriction of GMO technology we are experiencing a demand for more land for citizen farming, organic farms and for young farmers to use open space land in new and sustainable ways. These new farmers are looking for innovative ways to access and use land. They aren’t asking for government support, just fair access and protection from the subsidized industrial farms and pollution of the conventional farms. They do need community support to continue to discover the science of organic and sustainable farming, these are sciences in their infancy and they are rediscovering the science of natural biological interactions. They want to use the most economically sustainable method to continue in their efforts, which is to sell direct to their community. Farming is the most economically simulative and sustainable new entrepreneurial business we can bring back to this County.
Boulder County has a unique opportunity for use of this available public owned agricultural land to provide leadership for the economic viability of our farming future. Our county can enhance our international reputation as a large natural food manufacturing base or it can choose to support the GMO method that is clearly not going to be a long term solution in this county. Our petitioning farmers tell us they are in their last attempts at maintaining their success. Their supporting infrastructure is moving further and further away. It is a difficult argument to make that growing a patented plant when it is illegal to save its seeds and has restrictive contracts to grow it or do research upon it, is an economically, ecologically or a socially sustainable solution.
We are seeing unprecedented growth in the organic, natural, and local food movement with the food industry clamoring to find a way to meet this demand. It is very clear organic and real natural food is now experiencing the largest growth in the industrial food chain.
This is a serious enough question that it has been posed to these councils to make a recommendation. Is this proper use of Boulder County Open Space agricultural land? This land is owned by the citizens of Boulder County and it is clear there is an overwhelming wish was to keep the land open and kept in a sustainable way. There comes a time when a government must use it resources when free enterprise cannot find a viable solution. The County has policy established wishing to see its opens space agricultural land used in organic and sustainable production. The use of GMO products is a slap in the face of this agenda and policy.
Our organic farmers are finding youth interested in their methods and willing to investigate their farms. Workers are willing to work for them to learn the methods. We hear the conventional farmers say labor is almost nonexistent and impossible to find. It is easy to see why when given a choice a talented farm hand would chose to work in a clean environment instead of a toxic field full of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers that slowly leach the land of all topsoil and life.
I urge the County Commissioners to not allow the increased use of GMO on County Open Space land.
Mark Menagh
I have documented here most of my comments during the discussion after the motion to allow the farmers to grow GMO sugar beets on their leased land.
The decision to allow or not to allow GMO sugar beets on Boulder County Open Space agricultural land will affect the livelihood of some farmers. We’ve heard them and I do empathize with their position. However, it grieves me that the only way these farmers believe they can survive is to use the new technology of GMO sugar beets. The farmers say they believe there is no other choice if they are going to be successful, they feel GMO is a sustainable option, that GMO would use less poisons and be ecologically advantageous.
At the same time we are hearing these farmers decry the possible restriction of GMO technology we are experiencing a demand for more land for citizen farming, organic farms and for young farmers to use open space land in new and sustainable ways. These new farmers are looking for innovative ways to access and use land. They aren’t asking for government support, just fair access and protection from the subsidized industrial farms and pollution of the conventional farms. They do need community support to continue to discover the science of organic and sustainable farming, these are sciences in their infancy and they are rediscovering the science of natural biological interactions. They want to use the most economically sustainable method to continue in their efforts, which is to sell direct to their community. Farming is the most economically simulative and sustainable new entrepreneurial business we can bring back to this County.
Boulder County has a unique opportunity for use of this available public owned agricultural land to provide leadership for the economic viability of our farming future. Our county can enhance our international reputation as a large natural food manufacturing base or it can choose to support the GMO method that is clearly not going to be a long term solution in this county. Our petitioning farmers tell us they are in their last attempts at maintaining their success. Their supporting infrastructure is moving further and further away. It is a difficult argument to make that growing a patented plant when it is illegal to save its seeds and has restrictive contracts to grow it or do research upon it, is an economically, ecologically or a socially sustainable solution.
We are seeing unprecedented growth in the organic, natural, and local food movement with the food industry clamoring to find a way to meet this demand. It is very clear organic and real natural food is now experiencing the largest growth in the industrial food chain.
This is a serious enough question that it has been posed to these councils to make a recommendation. Is this proper use of Boulder County Open Space agricultural land? This land is owned by the citizens of Boulder County and it is clear there is an overwhelming wish was to keep the land open and kept in a sustainable way. There comes a time when a government must use it resources when free enterprise cannot find a viable solution. The County has policy established wishing to see its opens space agricultural land used in organic and sustainable production. The use of GMO products is a slap in the face of this agenda and policy.
Our organic farmers are finding youth interested in their methods and willing to investigate their farms. Workers are willing to work for them to learn the methods. We hear the conventional farmers say labor is almost nonexistent and impossible to find. It is easy to see why when given a choice a talented farm hand would chose to work in a clean environment instead of a toxic field full of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers that slowly leach the land of all topsoil and life.
I urge the County Commissioners to not allow the increased use of GMO on County Open Space land.
Mark Menagh
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Up and running
I have twitter running and now have the Blogger page up.
Thanks for visiting much more to come.
Thanks for visiting much more to come.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The family farm table
I can now write about the other fantastic things that are happening in Boulder County not just promoting the Farmers' Market. They are doing a great job of documenting their new lifestyle!
click to read about the farm
The family farm table
About The Farm
This site documents our second year of learning to be vegetable farmers. It’s still a bit of an experiment, but the main goal is to learn how to produce high quality food on a regular, consistent basis. The farm is located on leased land a few miles from our suburban neighborhood, and is actually more of a large garden. It’s scaled to feed approximately 20 families. We’ll be holding down regular day jobs and trying to raise three young children while we’re doing this, so it should be a pretty busy year!
click to read about the farm
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
You Can't Fix Rising Health Care Costs Without Fixing Food
You Can't Fix Rising Health Care Costs Without Fixing Food
by: Jill Richardson
La Vida Locavore article - Very thorough this one you want to share with your representatives!
Link to La Vida Locavore - read the rest
by: Jill Richardson
La Vida Locavore article - Very thorough this one you want to share with your representatives!
Trying to fix our rising health care costs without fixing our food system is like trying to fix our defense budget without ending our two wars in the Middle East. In fact, it would be like trying to get a grip on defense spending while invading Pakistan. Or something like that. Here's what I mean:
Link to La Vida Locavore - read the rest
Digging In
Wendell Berry On Small Farms, Local Wisdom, And The Folly Of Greed
by Jeff Fearnside
Read the article in The Sun
Wendell Berry On Small Farms, Local Wisdom, And The Folly Of Greed
by Jeff Fearnside
Read the article in The Sun
Mobile slaughterhouse
Mobile slaughterhouse. This is so needed in Boulder County.
Link to a video on Yahoo News. (not grahic content)
Link to a video on Yahoo News. (not grahic content)
Disturbing Trend organic companies moving toward natural
WhiteWave shifts from organic to natural soybeans
The Denver Biz Journal covers this trend of using the confusion of customers between organic and the undefined "natural". Build the costs and following of an organic brand then subtly change your product.
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/07/20/daily21.html
The Denver Biz Journal covers this trend of using the confusion of customers between organic and the undefined "natural". Build the costs and following of an organic brand then subtly change your product.
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/07/20/daily21.html
Monday, July 20, 2009
Heirloom Bison
Nature Conservancy
For the first time in 150 years, bison have been born on native prairie in Iowa within a herd established exclusively for conservation.
Bison help native grasslands to thrive. But most bison herds today aren’t pure — they’ve been bred with cattle. Only two herds exist in the United States that show no evidence of cattle genes. These herds are serving as “source” herds for efforts to reintroduce pure bison to other prairie locations, such as Iowa’s Broken Kettle Grasslands Preserve.
There is a lengthy article in the Sacramento News and Review covering corporate co-opting of local brands. It gives an overview of what's happening across the country and Canada, but also focuses on efforts in Fresno and Orlando.
News Review in Sacromento
News Review in Sacromento
What Should We Do About Beef From The Amazon?
Blog on the Nature Conservancy. Really if we don't eat the beef from the Amazon are they going to stop cutting down the rain forest. David Cleary provides a perspective that is very informative.
Nature Conservancy Blog by David Cleary
Nature Conservancy Blog by David Cleary
"Then, in June, something extraordinary happened. Friends of the Earth in Brazil and Greenpeace in Europe came out with separate reports detailing the role of the beef industry in driving Amazon deforestation. There was a media firestorm. Within days, all the major Brazilian supermarket chains (Carrefour and Walmart among them) announced new policies banning the purchase of meat linked to deforestation in the Amazon. Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth achieved in a couple of weeks what I’d tried to do for years with no success.
But there are big risks. Right now, none of the meat processing companies have any way of documenting land-use change in the ranches that supply their Amazon slaughterhouses, and thus no way of guaranteeing to the retailers that their meat is deforestation-free. Getting such a monitoring system up and running was the reason I was in that meeting in São Paulo. In those circumstances, the easiest option for the Walmarts of this world is “redlining” the Amazon – simply suspend meat purchases from the Amazon, and buy meat from somewhere else less risky.
"
Friday, July 10, 2009
Dr Hyman on "real food"
Are You Also Being Deceived into Eating Fake Frankenfoods?
I've been following Dr Mark Hyman for a while. On this Huffington Post Blog he shows his frustration at the deception of advertising in food. Knowing that he touts the eat real food concept this blog is expected from him. Still I enjoyed reading his experiences including trying to help a food scientist with his ailments.
I've been following Dr Mark Hyman for a while. On this Huffington Post Blog he shows his frustration at the deception of advertising in food. Knowing that he touts the eat real food concept this blog is expected from him. Still I enjoyed reading his experiences including trying to help a food scientist with his ailments.
"A recent patient of mine is a food scientist who works for a large food
industry company. His job is to invent and create new foods in the laboratory by
mixing food and chemicals to create certain tastes and flavors that mimic real
food or that stimulate appetite and satisfy our need for various
tastes.
Think of these as "Frankenfoods."
My patient became quite sick from
handling these compounds and chemicals everyday. I have been working hard to get
him to not only stop eating processed food, but also to stop playing with it.
He wore a funny T-shirt to my office, which listed the top 10 reasons to
major in food science, a scientific discipline that teaches people how to invent
foods for the food industry.
According to his shirt, here are the top 10
reasons to become a food scientist:
1. Eat ice cream for breakfast and get
credit for it.
2. We are in it for the dough.
3. Grocery shopping is
research instead of a chore.
4. We get to eat the results of our research
project.
5. Because hairnets are a fashion statement.
6. Because we know
what is really in your hot dogs.
7. Not only do we know how to drink beer,
we can make it.
8. Cheese, yogurt, and buttermilk -- who says we are not
cultured?
9. As long as you are eating, we will be working.
10. We have
not stopped playing with our food and now we are playing with yours.
He gave
me a food industry trade journal which I found very enlightening.
I was
shocked to read the very careful and deliberate marketing ploys used to gain a
foothold in our increasingly health conscious market."http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/are-you-also-being-deceiv_b_228130.html
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