For Animals, For Health, For the Environment

The most common question I hear asked of my vegetarian friends who reveal their gastronomic choices in mixed company is: "why?!"

It always amuses me to see how utterly baffled people can be that someone could possibly be satisfied by a diet excluding meat. The typical assumption is that the vegetarian is a nutritionally vacant PETA zealot (or some other equally judgmental assessment). The thought of factory farms and their widespread devastation to farmers, to the environment, to the animals, and to our own health is rarely the first topic that comes up.

A more appropriate question to ask of vegetarianism is why not? It's pretty clear that you do not need meat to satisfy protein and other nutritional needs; eating a thoughtful and balanced vegetarian diet is more than adequate in that regard. Beyond that, there are so many more benefits that come with choosing that lifestyle.

This article by Felix A. Lopez does a pretty great job of summing it all up: vegetarianism is good for the animals, but it is also good for YOU, and for the environment you inhabit.

I am not personally a vegetarian (although I've come close), but have endless respect for my friends who are mindful both of what they put into their bodies, as well as the trace they leave on the earth.

If going completely veggie seems like a daunting or even impossible task, why not try to simply cut back? Just cutting back on your meat intake can make a great impact all of the pieces of the food system puzzle. Cities and countries all around the world are promoting one meat-free day per week for their citizens, and the concept of Meatless Monday has really taken off in the U.S. So do the research, think it over... and then ask yourself, why not?

No Farms, No Food

The farmland protection organization American Farmland have launched a fun new contest across the states to find the best farmer's markets in the U.S.A. The initiative is bringing more attention to farmers and farmer's markets by providing individual consumers with the power to recognize the good work that their local farmers are doing, the good people who support them, and the good food they provide us with every day.

On the American Farmland website, you can vote for your favorite farmers market, see what the current top 5 markets are in your state, as well as learn startling facts about the loss of farmland in your area. For example, according to their site, the state of Texas loses about 360 acres of farmland per day, while overall in America we lose about an acre of farmland every minute. These are quite disheartening statistics for those of us who enjoy eating food.

The friendly farmers we meet at our local markets work so hard to bring us the fresh foods that we enjoy so much, yet their livelihoods are being threatened by land misuse, development, and the oppressive presence of large-scale agro-businesses and GMOs. Up to 91% of agricultural products in America are harvested in areas of urban influence, emphasizing the incessant threat of urban sprawl, while large agricultural corporations such as Monsanto continually bully our farmers and monopolize our food market, making it increasingly difficult for them to be successful. That is why, if we want to continue having access to fresh, healthy food at an affordable rate, and to ensure the future of small farms in America, it is absolutely imperative to invest in our local economies and support our local farmers.

Farmer's markets are a great way to preserve our traditional American agriculture by keeping our small farmers in business, and therefore ensuring the preservation of rural land and keeping urban sprawl at bay. We have the power as consumers, and with the abundance of farmer's markets all over the country, exercising that power is easy and convenient. There are even many markets which stay open all year round, providing you with fresh produce, meat, an dairy through the winter months.

This contest is an exciting way to recognize not only the farmers, but also the people who organize these markets and work so hard to ensure that we consumers have access to the bounty of healthy food being grown and raised all around us.

What's your favorite farmers market, and why? Vote Here, and then share your thoughts on Pea's Peace!

That's Alotta Compost!

GROWNYC, a recycling and waste prevention organization that operates in New York City, put together a great visualization this week about what exactly is in the city's residential waste.

The site is meant to showcase the high number of recyclable items that New Yorkers, inadvertently or otherwise, discarded into landfills over the course of a year. And it provides excellent resources on how and where to recycle certain hard to sort items, or items that are ambiguously recyclable. It also offers some information about composting, and tips on composting yard waste and food waste, which together account for almost 750,000 tons of trash each year!

One thing that this awesome website failed to mention, however, is that recyclable paper, which according to the table accounts for nearly a quarter of New York City's landfill waste, is also often compostable! Things like shredded paper, of which copious amounts may be found in any NYC office buildings or home offices, and newspaper are excellent contributions to building compost.

This means that, recyclable papers included, New York city residents are throwing away over a million tons of compostable materials a year, all of which could be used to make rich, hearty soil for growing food, flowers, and other garden treats. Now that's a lot of compost!

Let's Move

The unflattering reputation that Americans have garnered in the minds of so many other countries- that we are fat, stupid, arrogant and ill-informed- might seem overly harsh and judgmental. But the troubling part about this critical stereotype is not the ego-blow that we suffer in the global popularity contest. I'm sure our political arrogance and militaristic bullying can take care of that. Rather, the troubling part of this stereotype is that it's kind of true, a fact which has some serious detrimental connotations for our overall well-being. The United States is currently facing a super-sized obesity epidemic; our rates of diet-related diseases are astronomical. But the most disturbing part about all of it is the fact that these unhealthy indicators are starting to become apparent earlier and earlier in life, with young children now being grossly affected by this epidemic of overweight.

In 2008, data from the CDC indicated that nearly 20% of U.S. children aged 6-11 were classified as obese. According to the Mayo Clinic, about one in three children in the United States are considered to be overweight or obese, putting them at risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and early puberty. All over the country, states and cities have been struggling to cope with this massive issue by implementing various public health approaches to curb the fatty disaster, and are being faced with enormous social and financial challenges. In Kansas, researchers and parents alike are baffled by the 91% increase in girls' obesity rates over a period of only 5 years. In Ohio, the public school system is unable to allow even 30 minutes of physical activity during the school day because of a lack of funding to do so, leading to an increased risk of overweight. And in Washington, D.C., where childhood obesity levels are the highest in the nation, a measure to fund public school nutrition programs by taxing sugary beverages is being fought back by the super-sized soda lobby (Coca-Cola and company), who have already paid upwards of $5 million to block the measure.

So, it would seem that the new federal Let's Move! campaign, headed by First Lady Michelle Obama, would be coming not a moment too late. The program's goal is to target childhood obesity by providing access to affordable, healthy foods and by increasing childrens' physical activity. It would seem that Mrs. Obama, who has repeatedly invited Mcarthur Fellow and sustainable food grower Will Allen to the White house, who boldly planted an organic vegetable garden on that same immaculate lawn, and who speaks out regularly on the troubling issue of childhood obesity and nutritional health, would be a firm and committed supporter of local, sustainable food movements. However, the focus of the program so far has not been on grassroots food campaigns working to provide communities with access to healthy, organic foods. Rather, the focus of our first lady's campaign is on the big industrial food producers. That's right. Yesterday, Michelle Obama announced a partnership with industrial food giants such as Kraft, Pepsi Co, Coca-Cola, Cambell, Kellogg, Con Agra, and Sara Lee to combat the nation's obesity crisis.

These same behemoths of the food industry who regularly and exclusively distribute non-nutritious edible food-like products are now gaining recognition and praise for their pledge to reduce the caloric count of their "foods" by a rate of 1 trillion calories annually. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, its false positive blurs the reality of the obesity epidemic that we are facing. It is going to take much more than just a simple reduction in caloric content for our children to become holistically healthy. It is also vital to address issues such as food deserts, where fresh produce is not available for miles around; we must focus on funding and supporting community-based sustainable food growing projects, to empower communities' souls and enrich their bodies. We must also focus on the one determinant which inspires the very name of the program: movement. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has praised the Let's Move! commitment to physical activity, citing the importance of making our streets safe for children and adults alike to walk and bike in their neighborhoods.

It remains to be seen whether this incredibly high-profile initiative will take root at the grassroots level, and whether it will have an effect on the obesity rates in our country. Enforcing a commitment from some of the biggest criminals in childhood obesity, while a valiant effort to pierce the belly of the beast, is also serving to bolster these companies by garnishing their image in the public eye, making them seem more cuddly, and thus more marketable. Still, it seems as if the first lady's approach is quite multifaceted, accounting for various determinants of childhood obesity, and implementing a range of approaches to target this tragic issue in our society. And if her past actions hold any indication of her tenacity and commitment to food issues, then surely Mrs. Obama deserves our preliminary trust. And once the media blitz dust settles, we will see what kinds of effects the program has actually had on the wellness of our nation's children.

GMO Sneak Attack

Giant agro-businesses like Monsanto have continuously been able to get sneak by with passing off their GMO-enhanced, foodish items as natural food products in the United States. But the tides are changing in other parts of the world, and people and governments alike are starting to take notice. For example, thanks to stringent food labeling laws, citizens in France currently enjoy the luxury of knowing exactly which of the foods they purchase are genetically modified or engineered. If a food product is made up of less than .1% of genetically modified organisms, a standard much higher than elsewhere in the E.U., then it is labeled as such in the supermarket, allowing consumers the right to make informed decisions about what they are buying and eating. Naturally, there is a certain feeling of security, a joie-de-manger, when sitting down for un repas en France.

But we are not allowed this luxury of food security in the United States. And the Obama administration has recently reaffirmed their commitment to the secrecy of genetically modified foods, as they plan to vehemently deny our right to truth through labeling. Perhaps it is because a former Monsanto lobbyist is currently our country's chief agricultural negotiator that the Obama administration plans to argue a position against mandatory GMO labeling at a conference of the United Nations' Codex Committee on food labeling next week. This conference will determine the future of global food labeling rules, which has the GMO-happy and agro-business friendly United States Government squirming in its boots. The position paper put together by the U.S. to be submitted before the committee next week ridiculously states that to label genetically modified and genetically engineered food products as such would be "false, misleading, or deceptive." Apparently, our government believes that it would be somehow bad for us to know the truth about what we are eating.

And all of this is going on fairly under the radar. If the administration had it their way, labeling rules would be abolished before we even knew they were an option. But organic food producers, public health advocates, environmental groups and concerned citizens alike are fighting back, petitioning to the FDA and the department of agriculture to reconsider this inappropriate stance on food labeling. To read the letter addressed to FDA Deputy Commissioner of Food Michael Taylor and USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, click here. To sign a petition opposing the sneak attack on GMO labeling, click here!

Got Food? Thank A Farmworker!

So this week just happens to be National Farmworker Awareness Week. And considering what little awareness we normally have in regard to those who provide us with our food, the attention that such a campaign should draw towards issues of farmworkers' rights seems necessary. Every day in the United States, farmworkers face grueling physical conditions, insufficient wages and a lower standard of living, all to perform one of the

simplest and most sacred tasks of humanity: to sow and to harvest the glorious fruits and vegetables that feed us all. Yet still, we take this precious work for granted too often. So this week, and every day, take some time to pay attention to where your food comes from, and try to consider the rights of the workers who provide that great gift to you.

factsheets provided by the NC Farmworkers Insitute

Protecting the Growers

The bounty of legislation being written to ensure the quality and safety of food products in the United States is seemingly endless, with all sorts of sensible, predictable titling and rhetoric. There is the Food Safety and Tracking Act, the TRACE Act, the Safe Feast Act, and the recent Food Safety Enhancement Act, among a multitude of others which serve to enforce safety regulations on food processors and producers across the United States. Still, there are often many questions left unanswered with these types of legislation, such as why private firms are being hired to audit food processing plants in place of government authority, why antibiotics are still so rampantly used and loosely monitored, why pesticide use continues to increase, and why small organic farmers who produce the safest foods the natural way are still left out of so many major dialogs and considerations in agricultural legislation.

It seems as though, with the majority of agricultural measures, there is very little protection for organic producers, and to be sheltered by the USDA's organic certification umbrella is a costly endeavor that not many small farmers can easily afford. And as safety laws are becoming ever more stringent, the burden placed on small-scale organic and sustainable farmers grows heavier.

Thankfully, there are a handful of representatives who are seeking to provide provide protection for organic growers facing increasing regulatory constraints. In the new Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, a bill that will increase the power of the FDA in overseeing the food system, several senators have expressed their commitment to easing the burdens placed on sustainable agricultural practices. Jeff Merkey of Oregon, Al Franken of Minesota, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and Michael Bennet of Colorado teamed together to write up a letter addressed to Chairman Harkin last week to help organic farmers comply with the new legislation.

And it worked! The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), which had advocated vigorously in advance of the bills passage for family farm rights, and to ease the regulations against organic farms by merging FDA efforts with the established USDA organic certification rules, responded to the unanimous passage of the bill this week with an overall positive outlook, although is still pressing the FDA to be more forthcoming about how the new regulations will impact sustainable farmers, and is urging lawmakers to include the Growing Safe Food Act to the food safety bill. The act was coined by Senator Debbie Stabenow of MI, and would require an implementation of educational programs, funding, training, and other support for farmers and food producers. NSAC vowed that they would continue to fight for the inclusion of the Safe Food Act into the bill.

The health and safety of our food should always be at the top of our legislative priority list. However, overregulation of small-scaled and sustainable farming practices is not the answer to food safety concerns. Local and organic farmers should be supported and bolstered, and the gigantic industrial food system is what should be met with equally gargantuan legislation to protect us against its profit-geared agenda that frankly lacks any true regard for safety. Hopefully the passage of this new legislation will reflect the concerns of the NSAC, small farmers, the representatives that support them, and the consumers who want to trust in an agricultural food system that is safe and healthy for everyone.

Hemphasis on Fashion!

(written for the Green Festivals blog page)

This year, as spectators and participants shuffled through the massive entrance to Washington, D.C.'s Convention Center for the 2009 Green Festival, there was a [perhaps not so] surprising new element added to the layout of the event. Veterans who had been used to an eclectic mix of sustainable vendors and inspiring setups were by no means disappointed, as many of the returning favorites were right at the gates: Better World Books, My Organic Market, and Organic Valley Farmers among them. Yet, standing proudly right at the door, was a bright-lime colored station wagon with the bumper sticker "Let U.S. Farmers Grow Hemp:" a hemp seed oil-powered wonder, and an unmistakable addition to the Green Festivals family. It was driven in by the owners of Capitol Hemp, a store in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C., which is dedicated to the sale and promotion of industrial hemp products.

Absurdly enough, while hemp products are legally imported for sale in the United States, it is the only legally-sold crop that U.S. farmers are not allowed to grow. Meanwhile, it has proven to be a prolific business for Canadian hemp growers who sell to the U.S., and a fine sampling of such folk were present in full hemp gear at the Washington, D.C. Green festival!

One of the busiest sections of the festival this year was what was known as the "hemp pavilion," centered around a large lectern made out of... you guessed it! Hemp! The advocacy group Vote Hemp was there, passing out petitions for festival goers to send to their representatives, urging them to support a measure which would allow our farmers to benefit from growing the sturdy and versatile crop. And all around were hemp products of all imaginable sorts: pants, shoes, garden gloves, candles, dog treats, boxers, hats, snacks, t-shirts, etc. etc. etc. Basically, any type of product imaginable was there, and it was all made out of hemp!

Perhaps the most entertaining treat of the weekend was the hemp pavilion's organized hemp fashion show, where the various vendors submitted pieces for enthusiastic volunteers to model. Each outfit was skillfully, creatively, and colorfully put together- putting to rest any myth about hemp not being a comfortable, attractive material to wear. The designers went all out, and the models bore it all- from boxers and robes to silk-blends and wedding dresses, the world of hemp wear was all a flourish!

It was truly inspiring to see hemp promoted in such a way that would make it appealing to mainstream American audiences. After all, the plant has been used by humans for over 10,000 years, and has been labeled by many as a "wonder plant," having hundreds of uses: from food and clothing to powering a vehicle. And the display at the Green Festival was a stepping stone for American society which, for all of its boasts of capital incentives and ingenuity, has not yet fully embraced hemp for the highly productive and beneficial crop that it is! Now, as some states are torpidly coming around to the idea of hemp farming, is the time for us to support this fantastic market, and to VOTE HEMP! And hopefully in the years to come, "meet me at the hemp pavilion" is a sentence that can be used not just at the green fest, but in everyday life :-)

Food and Justice for All

The Engaged University is once again making front page headlines, but this time the news is not so good. After almost eight years of linking University of Maryland students with the communities around them and thus creating an enriched atmosphere, the E.U. is facing the chopping block by UMD administrators, who are seeking to cast off financial weights due to recent budget cuts.

Since the University of Maryland is now my alma mater, I feel a close connection to the activites of the school, and the Engaged University was always something I could feel proud of. As the university attempts to project itself as a sustainable, service-oriented campus, this extension was a shining example of the types of programs that could be implemented in hopes of truly achieving substance to reinforce UMD's projected image. Perhaps it was a costly endeavor, but no more so than the university's selection of other superfluous programs, and with the added benefit of providing students with a chance to engage with their community and learn about sustainability in a hands-on manner. This type of learning benefits both the students and the community members they interact with at the E.U. The Master Peace Community Farm is one of the E.U.'s outstanding programs. As my partner stated in The Diamondback, UMD's school newspaper, the farm provides a meeting ground for people who "don't really mingle very much," indicating that it provides a unique opportunity for diversity and understanding that frankly may sometimes be lost on campus. His work, he says, provides "food and justice for all."

The farm, like the fabulous Water Pod Project, is an innovative tool for getting people to connect with one another, as well as with their earth, providing a sense of meaning and purpose in a world where materialism often takes precedent and overshadows our vital relationships. Other programs, such as a biodiesel co-op, a bicycle shop, as well as arts and cultural programs, help to reinforce and integrate ideals of social justice, peace, and environmentalism through youth-centered activities that exist primarily to educate. The University of Maryland's SGA is now fighting to keep the Engaged University as an integral part of the school's mission of achieving sustainability and social service initiatives, and I hope they succeed, as UMD cannot afford to lose such a vital resource for its students as well as its community.

If you would like to make a donation to help to ensure the continued impact of the Engaged University, they are being accepted here: http://engagedu.umd.edu/

Click if you can help!

The Water Pod Project

It is just the kind of innovative creativity and ecological sensibility that our struggling food system and over-wrought welfare system need in this changing world. Part fantastical solution to an overly-populated earth, part urban farm, part artistic ingenuity, the Water Pod Project represents an unprecedented model of sustainable living that had not been seen before on New York City's waterways, or in the city at all, for that matter.

The concept represents a hypothetical example of a maritime lifestyle in the face of explosive population growth and a lack of essential resources on our earth's shores; a fertile lifestyle that is completely self-sufficient and environmentally sustainable. The pod is actually a fully functional farm home, located on a mobile barge which has been docking in and educating each NYC borough one at a time over the course of several months. It is powered by solar panels atop the inhabitant's quarters, nourished by an extensive grey water system which provides for all life on board, sustained by the intensive companion-planting methods of an urban farm, and staffed by some of the friendliest, most impressive examples of progressive thinkers that the area has to offer. On board is also a complete saltwater ecosystem, a kitchen and shower, a composting toilet, and four healthy, beautiful chickens.

The exhibition is open to the public for tours and education. It is currently located in the Bronx, at the Concrete Plant Park, an ironic name for the location of such a project. While it was on display on Staten Island a week ago, I had the sincere pleasure of spending time there, getting to know the crew and basking in the genius design that so optimized the use of a rather small barge to sustain life on board for such an extensive period of time. It is truly a feast for the mind as well as for the soul, as the creative influence of the artist who initiated the project is just as evident as the skill of the farmers who work on board.

I highly recommend a visit to anyone who is in the New York City area. There isn't very much time left, as the pod will only be docked in two more locations in the Bronx through the end of September. After that, the fate of the system is unknown. If it cannot be sold to a supporting organization, the pod will have to be dismantled and consequently recycled. What a shame it would be to lose such a prime and inceptive example of sustainable living, and such an excellent source of education for the city's children! Hopefully it is sold and installed on a permanent basis somewhere in the our waterways, so that we can continue to enjoy the generous beauty of this agricultural and artistic anomaly for years to come.

Peace.

A Rebuttal to the BBC's "Organic 'Has No Health Benefits"

This ludicrously titled article from the BBC is based on a report that was put together by the Nutrition and Public Health Intervention Research Unit at the London School of Hygiene & Topical Medicine (LSHTM), and is unfortunately indicative of a stagnant social mindset regarding natural foods and growing methods in our overly commodified, genetically modified modern world. It is important to note immediately that the title of the article in itself is utterly incorrect; dangerous to public health and well being; and a misinterpretation of the findings of the LSHTM report. Although the research itself has its drawbacks, which I will address later on in this piece, nowhere does it claim that there are NO health benefits associated with eating organic. If scientists were to indeed make such a bold statement according to their research, I would be extremely interested in finding out how they went about producing such a result. As a matter of fact, the study's findings literally reported that there are "no significant differences in nutrients and other nutritional substances" between food that was produced organically, and "conventional" food. But this does not include other health effects and certain benefits that come from partaking in an organic diet.

The first consideration on hand is the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides in non-organic agricultural practices, and the effects that these chemicals have on our health: both directly (from their application onto our food products), and indirectly (from their inevitable infiltration of our land, air, and water supplies). It seems silly to mention, but let us not forget that pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides are compounds which are designed to kill, and are therefore extremely dangerous to all of us- not just the bugs and the plants and the 'shrooms. Such dangerous mixes are not allowed if a farm or growing project is to be given an organic distinction, and organic food is therefor absent of them. It has been reported that certain pesticides are related to both a prevalence of cancer in children as well as a deficiency in male sexual organ development, two public health issues that I'm sure we do NOT mean to mess around with. And of course there are the unspoken dangers associated with land erosion and the appearance of pesticides in our drinking water supply.

Then there is the question of genetically modified foods, which are not allowed in organic growing methods. Many reports have claimed that GM products are related to heightened sensitivity to certain allergens. The more serious health effects of the vegetable clone army are not well understood (likely because a great many of the studies are secretive and funded by Monsanto), however there have been many reports of health defects in animals who are fed a diet of genetically modified foods; including stunted growth, increased death rates, reproductive failures, infant mortality, and sterility. Are these really conditions that we are willing to gamble with in the game of mass-production? Personally, the benefit of choosing organic food is obvious in this case.

Organically grown produce IS healthier for you, on a number of levels. Besides the scientific evidence supporting the superior quality of organic food, it is important to consider the larger picture, and the context within which our food is produced. In order to holistically assess the public health consequences of agricultural methods, we must connect the dots between human health and the health of the environments within which we are existing. In non-organic farming practices, nitrogen fertiliser manufacturing alone produces seven tons of greenhouse gases, uses a ton of oil and a hundred gallons of water, all for just ONE ton of fertilizer. That fertilizer is then likely to be transported to water systems via land erosion and poor waste management systems, a movement which often pollutes drinking supplies and eradicates underwater oxygen supplies, resulting in the chilling effect of aquatic dead zones, where no organisms may survive. Also, in terms of animal products, it is important to note that organic farms generally produce meat and dairy products from animals raised in humane conditions, allowing for a more harmonious method of sowing as well as reaping, instead of the latter exclusively. Not only does this pacify the consciences of both farmers and consumers in terms of animal cruelty, it also alleviates the health risks that are associated with the hormones and antibiotics which are force-fed to animals in a factory farm setting, then ingested by human consumers. In non-organic animal products, such unnatural injections are not given to animals. They are happier and healthier, and ultimately so will we be.

In terms of nutritional content, the final verdict has not been made on whether or not organic food is richer than conventional food. There are many factors; including soil quality, rain and sunlight abundance, and packaging/transportation; which may affect the nutrient levels within a given food. However, there is considerable evidence to suggest the opposite of LSHTM's report claims. In fact, out of 1230 published comparisons between organic and conventional food, 56% claimed that organic was more nutritious, whereas only 7% claimed no difference. The LSHTM's study must be among this small 7 percentage, yet the BBC chose to highlight only this one study and exaggerate it completely.

So what does the study itself encompass? It is massive- there is no doubt about that. The 200 page report is a summary of over 50 years worth of data, collected by a team of doctors, thorough researchers and public health experts. The problem is that within the study there is no direct testing of any one piece of food. Every piece of data has been collected from literature compiled on nutrient content as early as the 1950s. While I am not one to undermine the importance of published scientific works, I am also not so easily convinced of the accuracy of information that is so indirect. I am more encouraged by hands-on scientific testing, such as this one, which proves without a doubt the nutritional superiority of organic tomatoes.

I am obviously not swayed by the BBC's bogus assertion that organic food is not healthy. But what worries me is that when I first read this article today, it was the #1 most read article on the global news website. This internationally renowned source of information reaches millions of people daily, and therefor is responsible for reporting the news fairly and accurately. Those at the BBC, as well as at other major news corporations, have an unspoken authority over people's thoughts and opinions, and putting forth a claim such as "organic has 'no health benefits" is completely irresponsible due to its potential public health implications. I hope that this article was read across the world with a grain of salt, and that we can continue to move forward towards becoming a society which values the health and vitality of our communities, and does not compromise either in the name of convenience or profit. I hope we can continue to think and decide for ourselves when it comes to how we feed our minds and our bodies, and not be swayed by the subjective news media when it comes to matters of such acute personal significance.

So, here's to a healthful life!

peace.

Growing Healthy

Last weekend I visited the place where my boyfriend works... a wonderful half of an acre urban farm that is booming with crops from edible flowers - to string beans - to 9 foot tomato plants and beyond. Every time I visit the farm I'm inspired, but this time was different- so much had changed in the few short months since I last visited, the farm is growing every day. And I'm so proud of the work that everyone does there, I wanted to boast it on here :-)

The Master Peace Community Farm is a fabulous green oasis amid a rolling desert of urbanism and nature-deficit disorder. In a time where food security and community are two aspects of human life being compromised and brought to light, the farm offers opportunities for individuals to engage with their neighbors, their earth, and their own health. It is part of the Engaged University of Riverdale, Maryland: an institution which seeks to link the plethora of human resources found within the University with their surrounding areas through a variety of formative and inspiring programs. The farm is just one of them, and it's creating more and more buzz as the years go by.

Three years ago, when the space was first initiated, it was nothing more than an empty lot. Today it is a fully-functioning urban farm which provides upwards of 20 community garden plots to families from the area, and numerous crops to sell to local businesses and to participate in the weekly Riverdale Park Farmer's Market. It provides educational programs on agriculture and nutrition for youth, and even supplies people with green jobs- a job sector that has been receiving a lot of attention recently in Washington.

And as the farm grows, it gains more attention from policy makers and other influential figures. Recently House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer visited the farm and expressed interest in the model that it could provide for other sustainable endeavors around the country. Hoyer mentioned his visit in a press release on his website.

This green space is a beautiful, truly peaceful area for folks who wish to enjoy the simple, yet necessary aspects of life- food, laughter, nature, and a connection with the community around us. The gates to the farm are never locked, creating a welcome and friendly atmosphere to anyone and everyone who wants to have a fulfilling, energizing experience working with the earth. Adults and children learn and work together here, sit and eat together in the farm's picnic area, and get a sense of real perspective about the food that we eat. The gardens create a sense of purpose, peace, and happiness for the community members who visit there.

Just think what the world would be like if every neighborhood had a Master Peace Community Farm. How much better would we relate to our neighbors? How much happier and healthier would our lives be with the beautiful simplicity of growing and eating healthy food for ourselves? How much more empowered would we all be?

Another world is possible, and this is an exciting and inspiring movement in a very positive direction. If you wanna learn more about community agriculture, and get involved with your nearest community garden, check out this site.

We Are On Our Own.

"Unless there are mass movements from below, nothing changes from above."

Trends in social movements are like a double-edged sword: on one count, the exposure and marketing that results from large-scale hype allows for the opportunity of action through increased attention. But we have to be careful. Things can become trendy to the point that, much like our obsession with designer clothing, all we care about is that label, not the story of what that label represents.

This is what is happening with food and nutrition trends in the United States. Buying “organic” n and “natural” foods seems to be becoming increasingly glamorous amongst the wealthy, often with a great amount of delusion and misinformation on a massive scale. Products claiming to be natural and "eco friendly" are not subject to any type of oversight or official monitoring of their labels.There is a serious lack of reliable information and labeling when it comes to the food that we buy, and even those products that are “certified organic” by the USDA are being found to be deceptive in the disclosure of their contents. Up to 5% of non-organic ingredients are permissible in processed products that are labeled organic by the USDA, and there are nearly 250 of these materials currently allowable. Also, shockingly, the yearly testing for pesticides on “organic” farms is considered OPTIONAL under USDA regulations.

So why is it so expensive to obtain this certification of false glorification? Many small organic farmers have been suffering in recent years because they cannot compete with the large agro-businesses that are now operating in the wholesome food industry. And believe me, it is LARGE. Check out this flow chart which outlines who owns what in organics:

http://www.cornucopia.org/who-owns-organic/

Kraft? Coca-Cola? These are the same people who make corn-syrup drinks and 3 minute Mac N’ Cheese. And they are processing your “organic” and “natural foods.” Think about this situation for a minute.

Buying Organic has become a trend. And the most powerful corporations are cashing in on it, big time, at the expense of organic family farmers across the country. But the solution is simple! BUY LOCAL! GROW YOUR OWN! GROW FOOD, NOT LAWNS!

We are truly on our own, with the self-interested corporate world disregarding our health in the face of endless profits. It is time we reclaim power over our bodies and minds, and showed the corporate world that we don’t need their mass-produced crap (as Michael Pollan calls it: edible, food-like substances). So beware the labels, support your local farmers by going to a farmer’s market or joining a CSA (community-supported agriculture), and grow your own food… it’s as simple as seeds, water and sun.