How and Why to Research the Food You Buy

"If we took time to research anything, it seems it would be worth researching arguably the one thing (above all else) that could have the single largest impact on our health, on the health of the environment, and let's face it, basic human enjoyment -- food."

-- From "An Egg, Is an Egg, Is an Egg. Except It's Not." By Cara Rosaen

Click here to read the complete article.

Article Round-up (allergies, manna, diets, raw milk, grilling, salt, Petoskey, pet food, and more!)

Links and commentary, brought to you by Jerry Adams, Director, of West Michigan Co-op:

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This article caught my eye. We see so much more allergies, etc. and the first thing people talk about is food. I've always wondered about the physical spaces that we inhabit. That might be why I prefer old places, they have leaked their bad stuff out generations ago.

Just to complete the thought loop... I thought I should maybe find something about foodborne allergies and came up with this. Well, whaddya know? Another interesting read.

This is a great article detailing the struggles with the FDA and the seriousness of their job with regard to protecting the food supply. Not that our producers are immune to this stuff potentially happening, too, but it reinforces that desire to buy from people you know.

Here's one that gives purpose beyond the "looking pretty stage" for flowers in your garden.

Here's one the Bible Thumpers will appreciate. I always thought manna was from heaven (right?). Well, I guess everything is in the end, but here is an article about some earth-made manna (I guess this is what they were really talking about the whole time) that chefs are using more and more as a spice. After I looked at the picture, not so sure I am interested, but it might be nice to add to a dish at a potluck or an appetizer at an exorcism, maybe. If you try it, tell me how it tastes.

I don't know about you, but I love the commercials for those diet systems where they send you the food and that's all you have to do to get that slim, trim physique (like mine) that others are obviously envious of. Here is a little blip about how they really work (or don't). Now, if we could just get them to stop those Cenegenics commercials where the 87-year old doctor stands there posing like a bloated Arnold Schwarzenegger slightly past his prime, I'll be a happy man. Do you really want to look like that when you are that age? I am looking forward to shriveling up slightly, but I digress....

Here is an article sent in by board member Keri Amlotte a little while back that I thought was most intriguing. Out here in the sticks, we wonder sometimes how things work (do they?) in Washington, DC. This one proves how anarchic we truly are being with our little startup... fluffing feathers at the highest levels of government, I guess.

Here is something of interest to many of us: raw milk. We can't sell it at the Co-Op, but there is a movement afoot with the Cheeseheads next door and I found it interesting, especially the line about the uprising led by the "teat party."

By education and vocation, I am into history. I found this article to be very interesting about a foodstuff that has shown itself to be highly useful and flexible (and tasty).

Here is an article about a big city writer sampling some of the goods from our great state (cherry pie!). It's specifically about Petoskey, but I like it when big city folks come to the realization that we might be onto something in our more off-the-beaten-track places (yeah, I like the big city once in awhile, too). The coolest part about the article for me, though, is the reference to the Spear-O-Wigwam Ranch in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. My wife Amy's grandparents owned this dude ranch for about thirty years (maybe it's genetic... seeking out the purer things in hard-to-get-to places).

Some of you are aware of my love of grilling (my company's called Media Rare, after all). I saw this article recently and it gave me an olfactory kick.

Salt is something that has been in the news lately. I was raised a low salter, but being married to a chef I have come to appreciate the pop it can add to foods. I know it isn't good for you in excess (I'm not putting cup fulls on), but it sure is tasty. Here's an article about some of the controversy.

Some of you have met Candy, the best dog ever (she is a "human in a dog suit"), at pickups when I can't get her home before we go live. If you have had the good fortune to meet her, then you can completely understand why people can love their pets so much. Here is an article about food for cats and dogs. If you love your pet, look for some treats on the website.

"Washington Food Fight"

According to the organization's Web site, the mission of the USDA's "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" program is "to create new economic opportunities by better connecting consumers with local producers. It is also the start of a national conversation about the importance of understanding where your food comes from and how it gets to your plate. Today, there is too much distance between the average American and their farmer and we are marshalling resources from across USDA to help create the link between local production and local consumption."

However, the program is garnering some controversy as three U.S. Senators recently complained about it in a letter to the Agriculture Secretary.

To read about the controversy -- deemed a "food fight" by the media -- check out this article: Washington Food Fight Pits Big Producers Against Local Farms.

West Michigan Co-Op Article in the Grand Rapids Press

Click here to read the recent article in the Grand Rapids Press about the Co-Op, titled "West Michigan Cooks Get Food Directly From Producers Through Co-Op."

West Michigan Co-Op in the News

Rapid Growth, a Grand Rapids weekly online magazine, recently posted an article titled, "Shop for Your Crops" about Grand Rapids residents shopping for fresh, local produce. West Michigan Co-Op was featured in the article, as well as some local CSA farms.

Click here to read the story.

"Agriculture Deputy Secretary Merrigan Announces Partnership With Fair Food Network

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today announced that USDA has signed a cooperative agreement with the Fair Food Network, a Michigan-based organization working toward improving consumers' access to healthy foods. The agreement lays the foundation for creating a regional food system with a strong urban-rural link by conducting research and matching small and mid-size farms in rural Southeast Michigan to emerging urban markets, particularly Detroit, where there is need and unmet demand for locally-produced fresh foods.

To read more about the USDA's partnership with this Michigan-based organization, click here.

"How Safe Is That Chicken?"

Consumer Reports recently published an article titled "How Safe Is That Chicken?". The article states that most tested broilers were contaminated with salmonella and/or campylobacter. To read the article, click here.

This article is a good reminder of the importance of knowing your farmer and their farming practices. By purchasing your poultry from a West Michigan Co-Op producer, you are able to meet the farmer and learn about their farming practices.

"Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food"

Time magazine recently ran a great story about the state of the agriculture industry in America. The article describes conventional farming methods and the resulting high costs to the environment, the economy, and the health of both humans and animals.

As an alternative to these destructive conventional farming methods, this article describes the importance of sustainable agriculture and the consciousness of food buyers who take the important step to learn where their food comes from and what farming practices are used by that producer.

To read the article, click here.

"Eating Locally Getting Easier, More Delicious"

The Kalamazoo Gazette recently ran an editorial about the local food movement. It begins as follows:

"Whether you're interested in healthy eating, the health of the region's economy or the health of farm animals, it seems the "local food" movement is a good prescription."

The article discusses the ways in which buying locally grown food is beneficial for health, economic, and environmental reasons.

Click here to read the complete article.

Then head on over to the West Michigan Co-Op for some "window shopping" of local food options here in West Michigan. Get your shopping list ready, because the Co-Op's next shopping cycle begins on July 4 and runs through July 10.

"Food for Thought" - Local Food in West Michigan

Rapid Growth recently published an article titled, "Food for Thought," about Grand Rapids area restaurants and businesses that buy local food.

The article describes the benefits -- to the restaurants/businesses, local farmers, and the local economy in general -- of purchasing local food. It also notes how buying local food is a movement that is gaining momentum.

Click here to read the article.

Urban Farming in Ypsilanti

The article, “Collective Efforts,” published in the Detroit Metro Times today describes one family’s quest toward producing sustainable agriculture by way of urban farming.

The article tells the story of Peter Thomason, who lives in downtown Ypsilanti. In his backyard, Thomason grows crops in a new greenhouse which was constructed using recycled materials. In addition, he has a small barn in his backyard which houses chickens, rabbits, and goats.

Click here to read the article.

One of our producers is in the news

Just a quick heads up - Groundwell Community Farm, who sells through the Co-op got a nice write up in press.

Read it on Mlive.

Buying Local - Even When You Eat Out!

An article caught my eye in the paper this past week about another Grand Rapids' restaurant jumping on the "local" bandwagon.

Rockwell's Kitchen and Tap, and Republic, located at 45 S. Division, are actually two distinct restaurants situated next door to each other, sharing a kitchen, but with different flavors and atmospheres. Rockwell's is an American pub, while Republic is a bit more upscale.

According the the GR Press, co-owner, Peter Hamm said he will emphasize using local produce, when its available. It doesn't stop there either, locally made art work adorns the walls.

Both Rockwell's Kitchen and Tap, and Republic join other restaurants in the area that are choosing to create a healthy community by supporting a sustainable and humane food system. Other restaurants doing the same are Bistro Bella Vita, The Green Well, Marie Catrib's and Naya. If you know of any I'm missing, please be sure to let me know by commenting below!

When choosing where to eat out, I'm happy to have another choice that seeks to protect the integrity of the natural environment and our resources. This should be something we should all be thinking about, whether its purchasing an air conditioner from the mom & pop shop down the street, or going to Best Buy. I am even more happy to support businesses that support a humane food system. In fact, there are a few restaurants in town that I refuse to go to because they serve foie gras, refuse to take it off the menu, and do not respond to my letters (*cough cough* Restaurant Bloom and Six One Six).

The entire article can be found on Mlive. Be sure to stop in and say hello. Thank them for buying local, and spread the word of the Coop while you're there.

Good news... for once!

There has been so much doom and gloom in the farming business lately, it's nice to finally read a story where someone is doing something right.

A story appeared in the Associated Press today about an apple orchard in Clayton Township that is bringing a unique approach to their beetle problem.

Instead of using pesticides, this farmer, Jim Koan, is using hogs to patrol his apple orchards and eat fallen apples that contain the larvae of a very destructive beetle. The article claims that "Left in the orchard for three days, the pigs gobbled down 98 percent of the fallen apples. Tests showed virtually all the larvae were digested." This keeps the larvae from erupting and infesting more apples, which is what makes them fall.

A tree fruit pest-management specialist at Michigan State University, Dave Epstein, claims that "The little guys moved through like a pack of Hoover vacuums."

I love the last quote in the article where the farmer, Jim Koan says "I think if my granddad was alive today and he saw how excited I am about doing this and this information that we're gaining on this, he would just look at me and say, 'Jeez, you're stupid. You didn't know that?'" It's just goes to show you how FAR farms have gotten away from doing things the right way, and how they are slowly but surely coming back to their roots, understanding that the way their grandfathers and great grandfathers did things worked pretty well.

You can find the whole article online.

Aren't you glad...

... you shop at the coop?

Today I read another article regarding the biggest beef recall in history, which I blogged about previously. Fortunately, it seems that the government is taking swift action to review and tighten the regulations on factory farming. I know that the revelation of what goes on inside a factory farm, thanks to the Humane Society of the United States undercover investigation, is not an isolated event, and I can only hope for a positive outcome of all this.

We should all consider ourselves fortunate to be in West Michigan, where we can buy local meat, cheese, and eggs from humane family-run farms. So what if it costs a little more than what you could get at the grocery store? As the Humane Society asks "What's the cost of our appetite for cheap meat? If the answer is cruelty and unsafe food, it may be too much to stomach."

While I will always advocate a vegetarian lifestyle, I also believe strongly that if you eat meat, you must know where it comes from and how the animal was treated. With that in mind, the Coop will be announcing our Summer 2008 Farm Tour series shortly, where you can continue to learn about life on a real farm, tour the farm, and connect with your farmers. In the meantime, keep shopping, and stay tuned!

ABC News airs HSUS undercover investigation

When I turned on the TV last night I was astounded to see a news story in progress about an undercover investigation into a California factory farm who is a major supplier to America's School Lunch Program.

This kind of story NEVER gets any attention from the mainstream press. Of course, it is only because downed cows were being fed to our children, but whatever exposes this atrocity to more people, I'm all for it!!

ABC News aired a good 3-4 minute chunk of the undercover footage to millions of people. It's great. This would have never happened 10 years ago. I hope that as more people are exposed to the truth, more people will stand up and demand stricter regulations placed on factory farms.

The story was a result of an investigation conducted by the Humane Society of the United States. You can read all about on their website.

What goes into the making of a Butterball turkey

Gail sent this out to all the Co-op members today!:

It's hard to read the kind of story you'll see below, but it's important that we all know what goes into the making of those assembly line turkeys many people consume over the holidays. I thought I'd seen it all, but the things mentioned below take the cake. Another reason to eat humanely raised birds from small, local farms:

Comedian host of Real Time with Bill Maher has a piece printed on the popular Huffington Post site headed " George Bush: Pardon All the Turkeys." As a nod to Maher's "New Rules" segment on his weekly show, the piece opens with:
"New Rule: The president can't pardon just one or two turkeys this Thanksgiving. He's got to let them all go."
Maher notes the "torture" of turkeys and writes:
"Take a look at this video, shot just last month at a typical American turkey slaughterhouse, and this one, shot undercover last year at a Butterball slaughterhouse by investigators from PETA, and you'll see that my use of the word is no exaggeration. Butterball employees, taking a page out of the Abu Ghraib handbook, laughed while they kicked, punched, stomped, and even sexually assaulted turkeys."




He writes, "I ask you to do what I'm going to do and pardon a turkey this Thanksgiving. It's not hard. Just eat something else. Not someone else, because it doesn't seem fair to spare a turkey and roast a hunk of pig or cow instead." He questions ethics that would let us "bow our heads in gratitude for our families, our friends and our big screen TVs, and then carve into a creature who lived a miserable life and died a horrible death...."

And he asks Al Gore, "to stop gazing at his Oscar and his Nobel Prize long enough to read the United Nations report that calls the meat industry 'one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at very scale from local to global.'"

You can find the full article online here.