Organic Continues to Move Into Mainstream
Whole Foods Market, the world’s largest organic foods supermarket, commissions an annual survey of organic food use. The latest report, released in November 2005, shows that nearly two thirds (65%) of U.S. consumers have tried organic foods and beverages compared to just over half (54%) in both 2003 and 2004. Twenty-seven percent (27%) of respondents […]
Organic Farmers Milk the Cow and Grow the Bottle
Milk the cow and bottle the milk—that’s what dairy farmers do. But now, they’ve got a new sideline: growing the bottles. They grow corn and other crops that are used to produce a new biodegradable plastic for the milk bottles. New advances in plastic manufacturing use a percentage of maize to make a plastic bottle […]
93% Call for Labeling of GMO Foods
According to an ABC News polls, 93% of Americans want genetically engineered foods to be so labeled. There are no U.S. laws requiring GMO labeling even though 70% of processed foods contain genetically engineered ingredients. Currently, only certified organic foods provide certainty that a food contains no genetically modified ingredients. Some savvy consumers have learned […]
Healthy Habits: Starting Family Food Traditions
Growing up our Mom and Dad were big on food traditions, especially during this time of the year. Every year around the holiday season, Mom would make her famous rum cakes as a gift for all of Dad’s big clients. We always looked forward to homemade spiced cider and a big plate of shrimp cocktail […]
Pear Nog
A festive drink for the Holiday season that the whole family will love!Ingredients: 1 pear peeled, cored and cut in chunks 1 cup of egg nog (dairy or soy) 2 ice cubes cracked Dash of cinnamon Directions: Place all ingredients in blender. Blend at high speed for 15 seconds. Makes 2-3 kid-size servings, or 1 […]
History: Partakers of Our Plenty
For most Americans, a “traditional” Thanksgiving meal includes a turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and pumpkin pie (or sweet potato pie if you hail from the South.). While there are numerous regional and ethnic variations, this basic menu has not changed much in the last two hundred years. Nor is the standard menu much […]
You say Pumpkin, I say Squash…
“Pompion” is the common 16th and 17th century English word for what we now call squash and pumpkins. Squash, the shortened, English version of the Narragansett Indian word asquutasquash, first appeared in print in 1643. Confused? It only gets worse. In reality there is absolutely no botanical difference between squash and pumpkins. William Woys Weaver, […]
Sproutman Says
Children and Organic Diets Organic Continues to Move Into Mainstream Organic Farmers Milk the Cow and Grow the Bottle 93% Call for Labeling of GMO Foods Organic Food Expanding Eight Times Faster Than Conventional Organic Diets May Increase Fertility Fresh Vegetables and Fruits May Help Stop Cancer New Poll: Organic Foods Taste Better Beware of […]
Our Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dish
Question: I will be serving a traditional Thanksgiving turkey, but would like to accommodate vegetarians as well. Any ideas?Answer: Accommodate your guests by making as many of your side dishes vegetarian as possible, including the stuffing, which can be made with vegetable stock instead of turkey stock. Many of us feel that the tastiest parts […]
Gregg and Gloria Varney
New England Organic Farmers
Greg Varney’s family has farmed organically for three generations. They finally got around to getting their farm officially certified in 1987—the first certified organic dairy in the state of Maine. "We’ve always been organic because this was just the traditional way my grandfather taught us to farm. We never thought there was any other way. […]
Lloyd Stueve
Organic Valley Dairy Farmers
Sierra Nevada Mountains
Producing milk on the natural side has been a long standing tradition for the Stueve family. Lloyd’s great-grandfather began farming in America in 1837. "I’ve had the privilege, the heritage of growing up in a farming background," Lloyd said. Today, on the Stueve ranch nestled on the upslope of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Lloyd, his […]
John Kiefer
Organic Valley Dairy Farmer
Wisconsin
When John Kiefer bought his farm in Wisconsin, he weighed his options and decided to combine organic dairy farming and "intensive pasturing concepts," or rotational grazing. Now he milks 69 Jersey cows on his 111 acres of certified organic land. In addition to the cost savings associated with grazing, John believes that there are other […]