Green Eats

One of the major arguments of industrial agriculture advocates is that the problem of world hunger can be alleviated by the higher yields of industrial farming. More food, grown cheaply and quickly on a large scale, means less hunger and wider availability. Unfortunately the inverse is often true.

Take bananas for example. A great source of vitamins, bananas are oftentimes grown on huge industrial plantations in Central and South America. According to a study by Pedro Arias of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization a mere 13% of Ecuadorian banana exports between 1998 and 2000 stayed in South America. Conversely, 61% of exports in those years went to the United States, Canada, EU, and Japan. Additionally, Arias writes that "Ecuador banana workers receive the lowest wages of all Latin American banana exporting countries." Not only do a vast majority of what they grow get sent to first-world countries, but the workers who grow these bananas are barely able to feed their families on what they are paid (approximately $56 US a month in Ecuador). They spend their days cultivating food that will never reach their tables.

Across the globe food is being grown cheaply by low-wage workers to help feed the first world. The recent economic crisis saw food riots across Asia as one of the world's most important food commodities, rice, became too expensive for many people to buy. A basic staple that has played an integral role in the daily nutrition of much of the world for hundreds of years has now become too expensive for those who need it most. Huge industrial rice operations grow thousands of tons of rice that are then shipped to Europe, North America, and Japan while the workers countries like Vietnam and the Philippines who grew that rice starve.

Industrial agriculture will not feed the world, rather it has only helped to exacerbate many of the food crises that plague the poor across this planet.

Resources:

• Hunger Facts – Bread for the World
• Myth One – The Fatal Harvest Reader
• Forging Food Sovereignty program – Food First

In my Sustainable Agriculture class at Central Carolina Community College we are using The Fatal Harvest Reader as our textbook, and the first part of the book deals with the many myths and misconceptions propagated by supporters of industrial agriculture. In conjunction with my class I'm going to address each myth week by week. I'll give a basic rundown of the myth, pose a counter-argument using my own research, and provide some links to help you learn more about the myth and how you can help stop its spread.

The Seven Deadly Myths of Industrial Agriculture are:

1. Industrial Agriculture Will Feed the World
2. Industrial Food Is Safe, Healthy, and Nutritious
3. Industrial Food Is Cheap
4. Industrial Agriculture is Efficient
5. Industrial Food Offers More Choices
6. Industrial Agriculture Benefits the Environment and Wildlife
7. Biotechnology Will Solve the Problems of Industrial Agriculture

Stay tuned for Myth One later today!

Charles Duhigg has a great article in yesterday's New York Times about the mounting health problems caused by runoff from the nation's farms.

"MORRISON, Wis. — All it took was an early thaw for the drinking water here to become unsafe.

Happy Wednesday! I'm busy doing all the reading for my class that I neglected to do this weekend so in lieu of a more substantial post, I bring you some of the more interesting sustainable agriculture tidbits I've come across this week:

• Free range egg claims don't add up in Australia – via Eat at Joe's!
• Mark Bittman on food labeling and sugar.
• Slow Food Triangle hosts an "Eat-In" potluck at George Watts Elementary in Durham.
• "In dark times, back to the garden" – Grist (with an appearance by Michelle Obama!)

A great way to eat more sustainably is to cook at home rather than go out to eat. Cooking from scratch using local, whole, and unprocessed ingredients is not only tastier and healthier but is also good for the planet. Many people who are intimidated by cooking are often surprised to find how easy it can be to make simple and delicious meals from just a few basic ingredients (check out my brownie recipe). Personally I cook at home as much as possible, both out of a love of cooking and economic necessity. I can't afford to eat out very often, nor can I afford to buy $5.99 boxes of granola bars or $7.99 boxes of organic cereal. If you look through my cabinets you will find that my kitchen is virtually devoid of any processed or pre-made item.

One staple that I try to make as often as possible is bread. For the cost of a loaf of organic bread you can buy all the ingredients you need to make at least six loaves of homemade bread. Plus, there is nothing more impressive than serving a gently poached egg with a big slice of toast from bread you made yourself. People will love you for it, and they'll have no idea how easy it was!

Now usually I steer clear of extra gadgets and appliances in the kitchen – most anything I need to do can be done with a few simple tools. I don't even have a toaster! However when it comes to bread I break my rule in favor of my bread machine. I rarely have time to sit and let the dough rise, then punch it down and rise again, plus as much as I like getting my hands dirty while cooking, baking bread is a messy process. The bread machine is great – toss in all the ingredients in the morning and a few hours later you have a fresh loaf! I actually have a cookbook that is designed for baking in a bread machine and it is full of some delicious recipes – mango macadamia nut bread anyone? The only downside is that the loaves turn out fairly uniform – if you like the artistic style of a free-form loaf or have a special pan you'd like to use, you can use your machine to mix and proof the dough for you and then bake it in the oven. Below you'll find the recipe for basic white bread, which is what I make most often. Enjoy!

Basic White Bread – 1lb loaf

1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup warm milk
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cups bread flour
2 tsp yeast

Put all ingredients into bread pan in order suggested by your bread machine instructions (I add the milk and water first, then the yeast. Let the yeast sit for a few minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients). Set for white bread, medium crust. Press start.

These days the focus seems to be on cooking faster, faster, faster! There are a myriad of cooking shows, magazines, websites, and cookbooks all catering to speedy meals. Personally I enjoy a long day spent in the kitchen with family, friends, and the reward that comes with enjoying the meal you all prepared together. I think to many people "fast" means taking shortcuts – using processed foods, pre-made stocks, canned vegetables, etc. Being both a realist (I've needed to prepare dinner in 15 minutes a time or two) and a local food devotee, I've developed a few standbys that I can whip up in under ten minutes and still have a healthy and filling meal. I start with a base ingredient that can be quickly prepared and toss in a few no-cook additions and presto! I have an instant meal without the guilt that comes with reaching for that can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom. Below is one of my favorite quick recipes, but I encourage you to experiment and come up with your own. The best part about many of these instant recipes is that they can be endlessly adjusted to fit with whatever you have on hand or picked up at the market that morning! With the exception of the olive oil, couscous, and salt and pepper, all the ingredients came from the farmer's market or my CSA box.

Couscous with Turnip Greens, Tomatoes, and Egg
serves 4 as a light lunch or side dish
1 1/2 c water
1 1/4 c french couscous*
1/4 c chopped turnip greens
3/4 c cherry tomatoes, halved or whole
olive oil
salt & pepper
4 eggs**

1) Heat a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium heat (cast iron is best, or a good-quality nonstick) .
2) Bring water to boil in a separate small saucepan. Remove from heat, stir in couscous, cover and set aside for 3-4 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, fry the eggs. I crack them each into a small bowl and then pour in one at a time. You can also melt a little butter in the pan first if you are worried about the eggs sticking. Cook 3-4 minutes or until the whites are set (gently flip each egg after 2-3 minutes and finish cooking yolk-down).
4) Add turnip greens and tomatoes to couscous, mix gently, and divide between four bowls. Top each bowl of couscous with an egg, drizzle with olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

*I buy couscous in bulk from my local natural foods store – it cooks in minutes and is infinitely adaptable to whatever you have on hand. Some other great additions to couscous include raisins, red onions, basil, or bits of shredded chicken.

**I get my eggs from Contrarian Farm in Pittsboro, NC. They are by far the best eggs I've ever bought, and at $4 a dozen are a great bargain compared to other fresh eggs. Contrarian sells at the South Estes Farmer's Market in Chapel Hill on Tuesday and Saturdays. Tell Dan & Brittany that Matt sent you!

For those of you who like to put an organic spin on your vacations, take a minute to check out World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), a great organization that pairs volunteers with organic farms around the globe. Here's how it works (from the WWOOF website):

WWOOF organisations publish lists of organic farms,
smallholdings and gardeners that welcome volunteer help at certain
times. The diversity of hosts available offers a large variety of tasks
and experiences.

Volunteer helpers ("WWOOFers") choose the hosts that most
interest them and make direct contact to arrange a stay. Volunteers
usually live as part of the family.

WWOOF hosts do not pay volunteers for their help.

WWOOF organisations usually charge a small fee to hosts and volunteers. This fee helps maintain and develop the WWOOF network.

If you're looking to stay a little closer to home you can check out WWOOF-USA, or you can pack your bags for a stay on an organic farm in places like Belize, Kenya, or even French Polynesia. Membership for WWOOF-USA is only $20 – imagine the experience and knowledge you could gain on a working organic farm! I'm planning on setting up at least a week's stay with a farm here in the Southeast sometime next spring.

Check out what the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association has to say about their upcoming conference:

I visited the conference venue just this week. The Blue Ridge
Assembly is not your average conference site… it’s a retreat center. 
Acres of Carolina mountains, nice accommodations, hiking trails and
lots of places to relax. As always, we’ll source food from area farms
to provide conference attendees with organic food.

The Sustainable Agriculture Conference draws foodies and farmers
from all over the South to focus on our sustainable food future. It’s
an important networking and educational opportunity, so make sure to register early to join us. Hope to see you there!

I'm planning on going! Are you?

One of my coworkers has a fig tree in her yard that was grown from a cutting of a tree that has been in her husband's family for generations – its hard to get more local than that! The other day she brought in a container full of figs that needed to be eaten or cooked ASAP, free to the first taker. Not being one to pass up a chance to cook with an unfamiliar ingredient I grabbed the lot and began looking for a great fig recipe. The gods were smiling and I came across this recipe for for Cinnamon Fig Jam from Eating Out Loud (a great blog). I made a few minor adjustments to fit my circumstances (a glut of figs, only one lemon) and the results were amazing! My recipe and some photos are below.

I chose to process a big portion of the finished jam so that I can enjoy it all fall. Processing (also known as canning, or "putting up") is a great way to make sure you have fresh, local fruits and vegetables all year long. For a little extra effort up front you can enjoy local tomatoes in January or local peaches in March. One word of caution – whichever processing instructions you use (I recommend this site), make sure you follow them exactly. Improperly processed products can grow a mold that produces botulin toxin, and that is definitely not something you want to be serving your family!

Whether you have an overstock of figs, a bowl full of tomatoes going ripe, or more cucumbers then you can shake a stick at, I encourage you to stock up on some jars and spend a weekend processing some of your favorite fruits and vegetables. You'll thank yourself when you crack open your favorite jar of local goodies later this winter!

Cinnamon Fig Jam (adapted from Eating Out Loud)

2 1/4 c sugar
1 1/2 c water
3 lbs figs (about 30-34 small figs)
Juice and zest of one medium lemon
3 3" cinnamon sticks

1) In a heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan* dissolve the sugar into the water over medium heat.
2) Remove the stems from the figs and cut into quarters.
3) Add the figs to the sugar mixture along with the lemon juice, lemon zest, and cinnamon sticks.
4) Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, then turn to low and simmer uncovered for about one hour or until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally.
5) Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before processing, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

*Never underestimate the importance of a good pan. Heavy-bottomed, cast-aluminum pans with a stainless-steel coating that distribute heat evenly through the bottom and sides are the best for this type of recipe. I used an All-Clad 4 quart saucepan, but a cast iron enameled pot (like Le Creuset) would work as well. The key is even heating to prevent burning and hot spots – light-weight pans or those made entirely of stainless steel would not work as well.

(Ed. Note – I apologize for the lack of photos. I took some great ones but can't find my camera cord!! If I find it I will add the photos later.)