This is great news for the Organic agriculture industry. The Rodale Institute is often called the founding force behind Organics. It has been around for decades and completed the first research on the advantages of Organic agriculture.
Putting such an industry veteran and true believer in Organics atop the NOSB (National Organic Standards Board) ensures strong regulations for the Organic industry. I'm very excited about this news:
http://budurl.com/nosb
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Dumb eco-questions you were afraid to ask
Some of them I disagree with....on the hybrid batteries vs gas car question every study assumes the hybrid batteries need to be replace with an average of 3-4 years. If you check out my earlier post on hybrids vs hummers, I mention the Toyota site which claims they have yet to replace a single hybrid battery for normal wear & tear (cause of cited battery replacement) even though they've been selling hybrids since 2000.
But many of these other questions are great:
http://budurl.com/ecoquestions
But many of these other questions are great:
http://budurl.com/ecoquestions
Green Strategies Spur Rebirth of American Cities
It really is a beautiful thing. Cities don't have to be the dirty, polluted, urban cesspools that they occasionally are made out to be.
One of my favorite quotes from the article:
“Environmental policy has emerged as a central organizing principle of economic growth at the metropolitan level in America,”
Makes my heart sing -
http://budurl.com/green1
One of my favorite quotes from the article:
“Environmental policy has emerged as a central organizing principle of economic growth at the metropolitan level in America,”
Makes my heart sing -
http://budurl.com/green1
Monday, November 10, 2008
Honor your elders
I was reminded of this last weekend during a trip to visit my grandparents. My grandfather has been declining in health for some time. He's a scrappy old guy, fighting through several heart problems (multiple bypasses), 2 different cancers, and a slew of other problems. He's 93 and has lived an incredible life.
We made a trip out to the piney woods of East Texas (Sabine county) on a beautiful Sunday morning. He has been an active tree farmer for over 30 years and as a kid I have many, many memories of trips out to the woods. He really enjoyed this trip since he has not been very mobile lately. He also has macular degeneration, leaving him almost completely blind and he's mostly deaf.
As I reflected on everything I learned from him and his life a calm came over me. It was a sad to see his body failing him but it was a stark reminder of the circle of life, which is a beautiful thing. It helped me realize how much I owe to my family and reminded me to always make time for them. And honoring those that came before me instills a humility and humbleness that I'm not sure could come from anywhere else.
I'm often obsessed with productivity, squeezing value out of every last second of the day. And yet, just spending time with my grandfather, not really doing anything, seemed like a priceless activity. Possibly it was even more valuable for him.
We made a trip out to the piney woods of East Texas (Sabine county) on a beautiful Sunday morning. He has been an active tree farmer for over 30 years and as a kid I have many, many memories of trips out to the woods. He really enjoyed this trip since he has not been very mobile lately. He also has macular degeneration, leaving him almost completely blind and he's mostly deaf.
As I reflected on everything I learned from him and his life a calm came over me. It was a sad to see his body failing him but it was a stark reminder of the circle of life, which is a beautiful thing. It helped me realize how much I owe to my family and reminded me to always make time for them. And honoring those that came before me instills a humility and humbleness that I'm not sure could come from anywhere else.
I'm often obsessed with productivity, squeezing value out of every last second of the day. And yet, just spending time with my grandfather, not really doing anything, seemed like a priceless activity. Possibly it was even more valuable for him.
Monday, October 27, 2008
FTC - Leave Whole Foods alone
For those that don't know, last year the FTC tried to stop the merger of WF and Wild Oats citing anti-trust rules. It was ridiculous. Natural Food stores are such a small part of grocery it's amazing they even took notice. Well, the courts wouldn't cooperate and the merger went through.
Now, a year later, merger almost done, an appeals court reversed the decision and the case has been reopened. John Stossel did a great story on it recently:
http://townhall.com/columnists/JohnStossel/2008/10/01/regulator_bullies
Yes, Whole Foods is big if you compare it to only Natural Food stores. But that's not their only competition. All grocers, including Wal-Mart are carrying natural and Organic foods. Whole Foods is much more worried about the big-box stores than other Natural Food stores. The best way for them to compete is to consolidate Natural Food stores to gain more size and purchasing power.
Now, on a fundamental level, any of this large-scale growth seems to complicate the all-important mission of supporting Local food. Local food, from small farmers, hardly fits into mega-distribution systems. A different system needs to be created to handle and support them. It's a very difficult proposition. Here at Greenling we think we have part of the answer. To best support small, local farms we as consumers cannot just expect them to grow their food and put it on a shelf in the hopes that we buy it. There are all sorts of problems with this I won't get into. We, as consumers, need to commit to these farms and trust them. Well over 1000 people do that through Greenling's Local Box.
Working directly with farmers and directly with consumers shortens the supply chain and allows us to better support the farms while bringing you fresher, healthier Local food.
Now, a year later, merger almost done, an appeals court reversed the decision and the case has been reopened. John Stossel did a great story on it recently:
http://townhall.com/columnists/JohnStossel/2008/10/01/regulator_bullies
Yes, Whole Foods is big if you compare it to only Natural Food stores. But that's not their only competition. All grocers, including Wal-Mart are carrying natural and Organic foods. Whole Foods is much more worried about the big-box stores than other Natural Food stores. The best way for them to compete is to consolidate Natural Food stores to gain more size and purchasing power.
Now, on a fundamental level, any of this large-scale growth seems to complicate the all-important mission of supporting Local food. Local food, from small farmers, hardly fits into mega-distribution systems. A different system needs to be created to handle and support them. It's a very difficult proposition. Here at Greenling we think we have part of the answer. To best support small, local farms we as consumers cannot just expect them to grow their food and put it on a shelf in the hopes that we buy it. There are all sorts of problems with this I won't get into. We, as consumers, need to commit to these farms and trust them. Well over 1000 people do that through Greenling's Local Box.
Working directly with farmers and directly with consumers shortens the supply chain and allows us to better support the farms while bringing you fresher, healthier Local food.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Twitterific
Ok, so I finally jumped on the Twitter bandwagon and have already learned more in a day than I usually do in a week. I'm really digging all the awesome links people post. And of course it makes me want to share cool links I find. Anyways, you can follow me @masonarnold, but the most important feed to follow is @greenling_com. We're trying to figure out if we created @greenling and just never finished setting it up or if someone else took it...I'll let you know.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Don't sacrifice your health!
Remember that cutting out Local and Organic, nutritious food is going to cost you more in the long-run. These are uncertain times for a lot of people. But eating well should always be a priority. Do you take supplements? Vitamins? If you eat Local, Organic food, grass-fed meats as accents to vegetables as main courses you won't need vitamins or supplements! You'll get your vitamins and minerals from your food.
So cut out restaurant food or movies if you have to, but eat your vegetables! Thanks.
So cut out restaurant food or movies if you have to, but eat your vegetables! Thanks.
Voted Best of Austin AGAIN!
Best Local Food Company!
Austin Chronicle Reader's Poll
Thanks to everyone who voted for us! 2nd year in a row. We are so honored with this award again. The last company to win this award was Whole Foods....well, Mr. Mackey, maybe we should talk. I got some ideas on how you can support local producers better.
Renewable Round-Up Notes
Here are the materials I passed out at my speech at the Renewable Round-up in Fredericksburg:
Here are some tips compiled by our Fearless Forager, Elizabeth, on eating for sustainability:
10 Ways to Eat for Sustainability
1. REAL
• Eat real food, mostly plants, with a small amount of meat as an accent rather than the main ingredient (Michael Pollan)
• Cheap processed food doesn’t reflect its true cost. Plan ahead to avoid them
2. VALUE
• Re-define the way food is valued and fit into the household economy
• Spend money on wholesome foods, not supplements
3. FLEXIBILTY
• Cook from ingredients rather than recipes (See recipe section of Greenling.com)
• Read blogs and the internet for ideas to use what you have and what’s in season
4. EDUCATION
• Ask questions about where your food comes from, everywhere you eat
• Know the farmer who produced it or have a surrogate (like Greenling) to know the farmer for you
5. SEASONALITY
• Learn to stop thinking of out-of-season items as everyday necessities or staples
• Learn seasons ahead of time so you can plan for their bounty
6. PRESERVE
• Learn to preserve and save leftovers to be incorporated into other dishes/meals to eliminate waste
• Can or freeze fruits and vegetables in season. Make your own stock and sauces
7. VARIETY
• The more diverse your diet is, the healthier and happier you will be
• Try new things rather than relying on a few standard ingredients
8. FLAVOR
• Appreciate food for flavor and slow down to enjoy it
• Stop judging produce by its shape, size, and color (some delicious local produce wouldn't win a beauty contest)
9. INNOVATE
• Learn to cook, appreciate, and enjoy lesser-known foods that are in season
• Don’t be afraid to make stuff up! If it tastes good, you just discovered a new recipe.
10. TOGETHER
• Cook and eat with friends and family. We all know that food can sometimes be a great pleasure…why shouldn’t it always?
• Join discussion groups and list-serves to collaborate on ideas
Here are some links to stories I mentioned during my speech:
Sustainability
Cuba’s advanced food infrastructure - http://bss.sfsu.edu/raquelrp/pub/2000_aug_pub.html
Vancouver, BC model of sustainability - http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/sustainability/index.htm
California building solar fields -
http://greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/08/14/california-game-changing-solar-deal/
Entire Oregon community off the grid -
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18744225/
Eco-rig to provide power & food to Japan -
http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/03/eco-rigs-will-provide-power-and-food-to-japan/#more-1002
Development of kerosene-based aviation fuel derived from algae -
http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/03/researchers-creating-algae-aviation-fuel/#more-1001
Thin-film Solar energy information -
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/thinfilm-solar-clobbering-oil.php
Solar cells produced in pizza oven -
http://www.smh.com.au/news/energy-smart/thinking-outside-the-square-finds-light-in-oven/2008/08/19/1218911717526.html
No remaining scientific body of national or international standing is known to reject the basic findings of human influence on climate change (the debate is over) –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_opinion_on_climate_change
Sustainable Agriculture
USDA info on the Economics of food -
http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/
Brazil’s Food Security Program
http://www.panna.org/files/Belo_Horizonte.pdf
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs
Benefits of Organics
USDA National Organic Program –
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop
Federal Organic Research funding increased in Farm Bill –
http://ofrf.org/pressroom/releases/080527_farm-bill-victories.html
Organic Farm Research Foundation –
http://ofrf.org
Organic Research Center news links –
http://www.organic-center.org/science.environment.php - Everything environment
http://www.organic-center.org/science.pest.php - Pesticide news & research
Kids affected the most by pesticides –
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/349263_pesticide30.html
Environmental Working Group produce study (origin of “The Dirty Dozen”) –
http://www.foodnews.org/methodology.php
Study linking pesticides to autism –
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2007/10168/10168.pdf
Organic farming builds soil health –
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul07/soil0707.htm?pf=1
Organic farming produces equivalent crop yields with less energy & no pesticides –
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July05/organic.farm.vs.other.ssl.html
Organic milk and meat enhance breast milk nutrition –
http://www.organic-center.org/science.hot.php?action=view&report_id=101
Organic fruits & vegetables have higher nutrition –
http://organic-center.org/reportfiles/OPma08CoverStory2.pdf
http://www.springerlink.com/content/p45041417m45185q/
http://www.ioia.net/images/pdf/orgvalue.pdf
http://www.mindfully.org/Farm/2007/Tomatoes-Organic-Flavonoids23jun07.htm
http://www.misa.umn.edu/vd/bourn.pdf
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2005/8418/8418.pdf
http://www.eap.mcgill.ca/Publications/EAP38.htm
Myers, A. Organic Futures. 2005
Schuphan, W., “Nutritional Value of Crops as Influenced by Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer Treatments: Results of 12 Years’ Experiments with Vegetables (1960-1972)” – Qualitas Pantarum – Plant Foods for Human Nutrition
Meadows, Donella. “Our Food, Our Future.” – Organic Gardening, September/October 2000
Benefits of Local
Locavore the word of the year –
http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/locavore/
Oil consumption of conventional agriculture –
Kinsolver, B. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. Harper. 2007.
1800 Food-mile average for produce in store –
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/buylocal/
Organic food can still be junk when processed –
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/tdoct2007pg44.shtml
Benefits of grass-fed meat –
http://www.eatwild.com/articles/whygrassfed.html
Success of urban farms –
http://www.newfarm.org/features/1104/urban_farm/
Organic meat regulations still have loopholes – know your producer –
http://www.michaelpollan.com/article.php?id=78
Some Benefits and Drawbacks of Local Food Systems –
http://www.sustainweb.org/pdf/afn_m1_p2.pdf
How to Eat and Shop Local and Organic
People spending more money on wholesome food –
http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/February08/Features/CovergingPatterns.htm
Cheap food isn’t really cheap –
http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/cheapfood012304.cfm
Missouri parents push for organic school lunches –
http://missouriorganics.blogspot.com/2008/05/parents-push-for-organic-school-lunches.html
Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch Project –
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/07/locally_grown_f_1.php
Texas Farm to School Program –
http://www.farmtoschool.org/state-home.php?id=20
Greenling Organic Delivery –
http://www.greenling.com
LocalHarvest –
http://www.localharvest.org
AcresUSA –
http://www.acresusa.com
Edible Austin –
http://www.edibleaustin.com
Here are some tips compiled by our Fearless Forager, Elizabeth, on eating for sustainability:
10 Ways to Eat for Sustainability
1. REAL
• Eat real food, mostly plants, with a small amount of meat as an accent rather than the main ingredient (Michael Pollan)
• Cheap processed food doesn’t reflect its true cost. Plan ahead to avoid them
2. VALUE
• Re-define the way food is valued and fit into the household economy
• Spend money on wholesome foods, not supplements
3. FLEXIBILTY
• Cook from ingredients rather than recipes (See recipe section of Greenling.com)
• Read blogs and the internet for ideas to use what you have and what’s in season
4. EDUCATION
• Ask questions about where your food comes from, everywhere you eat
• Know the farmer who produced it or have a surrogate (like Greenling) to know the farmer for you
5. SEASONALITY
• Learn to stop thinking of out-of-season items as everyday necessities or staples
• Learn seasons ahead of time so you can plan for their bounty
6. PRESERVE
• Learn to preserve and save leftovers to be incorporated into other dishes/meals to eliminate waste
• Can or freeze fruits and vegetables in season. Make your own stock and sauces
7. VARIETY
• The more diverse your diet is, the healthier and happier you will be
• Try new things rather than relying on a few standard ingredients
8. FLAVOR
• Appreciate food for flavor and slow down to enjoy it
• Stop judging produce by its shape, size, and color (some delicious local produce wouldn't win a beauty contest)
9. INNOVATE
• Learn to cook, appreciate, and enjoy lesser-known foods that are in season
• Don’t be afraid to make stuff up! If it tastes good, you just discovered a new recipe.
10. TOGETHER
• Cook and eat with friends and family. We all know that food can sometimes be a great pleasure…why shouldn’t it always?
• Join discussion groups and list-serves to collaborate on ideas
Here are some links to stories I mentioned during my speech:
Sustainability
Cuba’s advanced food infrastructure - http://bss.sfsu.edu/raquelrp/pub/2000_aug_pub.html
Vancouver, BC model of sustainability - http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/sustainability/index.htm
California building solar fields -
http://greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/08/14/california-game-changing-solar-deal/
Entire Oregon community off the grid -
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18744225/
Eco-rig to provide power & food to Japan -
http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/03/eco-rigs-will-provide-power-and-food-to-japan/#more-1002
Development of kerosene-based aviation fuel derived from algae -
http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/03/researchers-creating-algae-aviation-fuel/#more-1001
Thin-film Solar energy information -
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/thinfilm-solar-clobbering-oil.php
Solar cells produced in pizza oven -
http://www.smh.com.au/news/energy-smart/thinking-outside-the-square-finds-light-in-oven/2008/08/19/1218911717526.html
No remaining scientific body of national or international standing is known to reject the basic findings of human influence on climate change (the debate is over) –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_opinion_on_climate_change
Sustainable Agriculture
USDA info on the Economics of food -
http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/
Brazil’s Food Security Program
http://www.panna.org/files/Belo_Horizonte.pdf
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs
Benefits of Organics
USDA National Organic Program –
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop
Federal Organic Research funding increased in Farm Bill –
http://ofrf.org/pressroom/releases/080527_farm-bill-victories.html
Organic Farm Research Foundation –
http://ofrf.org
Organic Research Center news links –
http://www.organic-center.org/science.environment.php - Everything environment
http://www.organic-center.org/science.pest.php - Pesticide news & research
Kids affected the most by pesticides –
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/349263_pesticide30.html
Environmental Working Group produce study (origin of “The Dirty Dozen”) –
http://www.foodnews.org/methodology.php
Study linking pesticides to autism –
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2007/10168/10168.pdf
Organic farming builds soil health –
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul07/soil0707.htm?pf=1
Organic farming produces equivalent crop yields with less energy & no pesticides –
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July05/organic.farm.vs.other.ssl.html
Organic milk and meat enhance breast milk nutrition –
http://www.organic-center.org/science.hot.php?action=view&report_id=101
Organic fruits & vegetables have higher nutrition –
http://organic-center.org/reportfiles/OPma08CoverStory2.pdf
http://www.springerlink.com/content/p45041417m45185q/
http://www.ioia.net/images/pdf/orgvalue.pdf
http://www.mindfully.org/Farm/2007/Tomatoes-Organic-Flavonoids23jun07.htm
http://www.misa.umn.edu/vd/bourn.pdf
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2005/8418/8418.pdf
http://www.eap.mcgill.ca/Publications/EAP38.htm
Myers, A. Organic Futures. 2005
Schuphan, W., “Nutritional Value of Crops as Influenced by Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer Treatments: Results of 12 Years’ Experiments with Vegetables (1960-1972)” – Qualitas Pantarum – Plant Foods for Human Nutrition
Meadows, Donella. “Our Food, Our Future.” – Organic Gardening, September/October 2000
Benefits of Local
Locavore the word of the year –
http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/locavore/
Oil consumption of conventional agriculture –
Kinsolver, B. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. Harper. 2007.
1800 Food-mile average for produce in store –
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/buylocal/
Organic food can still be junk when processed –
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/tdoct2007pg44.shtml
Benefits of grass-fed meat –
http://www.eatwild.com/articles/whygrassfed.html
Success of urban farms –
http://www.newfarm.org/features/1104/urban_farm/
Organic meat regulations still have loopholes – know your producer –
http://www.michaelpollan.com/article.php?id=78
Some Benefits and Drawbacks of Local Food Systems –
http://www.sustainweb.org/pdf/afn_m1_p2.pdf
How to Eat and Shop Local and Organic
People spending more money on wholesome food –
http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/February08/Features/CovergingPatterns.htm
Cheap food isn’t really cheap –
http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/cheapfood012304.cfm
Missouri parents push for organic school lunches –
http://missouriorganics.blogspot.com/2008/05/parents-push-for-organic-school-lunches.html
Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch Project –
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/07/locally_grown_f_1.php
Texas Farm to School Program –
http://www.farmtoschool.org/state-home.php?id=20
Greenling Organic Delivery –
http://www.greenling.com
LocalHarvest –
http://www.localharvest.org
AcresUSA –
http://www.acresusa.com
Edible Austin –
http://www.edibleaustin.com
Thursday, October 02, 2008
VP Debate
This is not leaning in either direction...a pretty funny fact check on their claims during the debate:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-facts1002,0,6731961.story
Remember to register to vote by Monday!
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-facts1002,0,6731961.story
Remember to register to vote by Monday!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Farmers protected against Monsanto
This is awesome:
Some Farmers Now Protected Against Monsanto Lawsuits
farmerFarmers with crops that become contaminated by patented genetically engineered (GE) seeds or pollen have been the target of harassing lawsuits brought by biotech patent holders, especially Monsanto.
But a landmark piece of legislation protecting California's farmers from crippling lawsuits has passed through both legislative houses.
AB 541 enacts protections against lawsuits brought against California farmers who have not been able to prevent the inevitable drift of GE pollen or seed onto their land. The bill also establishes a mandatory crop sampling protocol to prevent biotech companies investigating alleged violations from sampling crops without the explicit permission of the farmers who own the land.
Sources:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_14436.cfm
Some Farmers Now Protected Against Monsanto Lawsuits
farmerFarmers with crops that become contaminated by patented genetically engineered (GE) seeds or pollen have been the target of harassing lawsuits brought by biotech patent holders, especially Monsanto.
But a landmark piece of legislation protecting California's farmers from crippling lawsuits has passed through both legislative houses.
AB 541 enacts protections against lawsuits brought against California farmers who have not been able to prevent the inevitable drift of GE pollen or seed onto their land. The bill also establishes a mandatory crop sampling protocol to prevent biotech companies investigating alleged violations from sampling crops without the explicit permission of the farmers who own the land.
Sources:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_14436.cfm
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
9th Annual Renewable Round up This Weekend
http://theroundup.org/index.php
I will be delivering the Opening Keynote address on How Organic & Local Food fit into overall Sustainability. It will be an absolutely riveting speech that will leave you clamoring to change the world......well, that might be an exaggeration, but you won't know unless you come.
I'm speaking at 5pm on Friday.
I will be delivering the Opening Keynote address on How Organic & Local Food fit into overall Sustainability. It will be an absolutely riveting speech that will leave you clamoring to change the world......well, that might be an exaggeration, but you won't know unless you come.
I'm speaking at 5pm on Friday.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Honey Bees & CCD - Colony Collapse Disorder
There has been a lot of press around this issue but not many answers. To us faithful Organics the reasons are intuitive, but incredibly difficult to prove. Find a (leftist) summary here:
http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/animals/bees.asp?gclid=COGGv6qn45UCFQuHGgod8y5yfA
I was at a talk by Malcolm Beck (one of the founders of Organics in Texas) a few weeks ago and he put up a slide (he always uses the old-fashioned slides) of something that looked like a cross between a bee and a fly. He had a name for it too, but I forget. He acknowledges that everyone is worried about the honey bee and what colony collapse was going to do to our agriculture...then he goes "But where did these bees come from?" He reminded us that honey bees were imported from Europe less than 200 years ago. Who pollinated the flowers before they came along? Well, these fly/bee things and other insects. How profound!
While I share the world's concern for our cute and friendly pollinators, I find it somewhat comforting that even if they disappeared, the NATIVE pollinators would then have a fighting chance at their own proliferation. Because it's all based on nectar. They pollinate, yes, but what they're really after is food for their hive. And so are thousands of other species of insects.
---------
On a related note - eating local honey helps reduce or eliminate allergies (in case you didn't already know). For Austin, the best honey is Round Rock honey, which has the most diverse pollen profile of any of the local honeys.
http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/animals/bees.asp?gclid=COGGv6qn45UCFQuHGgod8y5yfA
I was at a talk by Malcolm Beck (one of the founders of Organics in Texas) a few weeks ago and he put up a slide (he always uses the old-fashioned slides) of something that looked like a cross between a bee and a fly. He had a name for it too, but I forget. He acknowledges that everyone is worried about the honey bee and what colony collapse was going to do to our agriculture...then he goes "But where did these bees come from?" He reminded us that honey bees were imported from Europe less than 200 years ago. Who pollinated the flowers before they came along? Well, these fly/bee things and other insects. How profound!
While I share the world's concern for our cute and friendly pollinators, I find it somewhat comforting that even if they disappeared, the NATIVE pollinators would then have a fighting chance at their own proliferation. Because it's all based on nectar. They pollinate, yes, but what they're really after is food for their hive. And so are thousands of other species of insects.
---------
On a related note - eating local honey helps reduce or eliminate allergies (in case you didn't already know). For Austin, the best honey is Round Rock honey, which has the most diverse pollen profile of any of the local honeys.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Greenling listed in Women's Health Magazine
actually it's womenshealthmag.com. But, I think they got their entire list from our site. I had someone here research all the delivery companies in the nation and we put them on our site so people who found us outside of Texas could still use us as a resource to find one near them......their list looks a little too familiar. Aren't they supposed to ask for it? At least reference us? Not mad, just wondering. In fact, i'm flattered and am very happy that the list is getting out there. Everyone deserves access to Local and Organic goodness and I hope one day everyone can get it:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/lose-weight-faster-0?page=4
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/lose-weight-faster-0?page=4
Uservoice launched - You tell us how to be better!!
This is one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time. Gustin, our prodigal developer passed this on to me. If anyone has studied Emergence at all, this makes perfect sense. It does to me. Study after study shows the wisdom of crowds far exceeds the wisdom of individuals. Here's your chance to tell us how to get better and the best part is that the site helps figure out which ideas are best. Vote for your favorite idea, add your own, or just add product suggestions:
http://greenling.uservoice.com/pages/general
http://greenling.uservoice.com/pages/general
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Ah, the little things
I was having lunch yesterday with Corey from vcfo at el Meson on Burleson (apparently they're actually really famous for their mole sauces, but I can never get past the cochitin pibil). they make tortillas fresh daily and everything there rocks.
Anyways, we're ordering food and Corey asks for a coke. 'you want Mexican Coke or regular?' she says, not speaking a lot of english. What's the difference he asks and she replies in a cute, thick accent 'high fructose corn syrup.' Are you kidding? Here we are in a tiny Mexican restaurant on the southeast side of town in the middle of industrial-Austin and she knows the difference between good ole cane sugar and HFCS.
I was so impressed.
Anyways, we're ordering food and Corey asks for a coke. 'you want Mexican Coke or regular?' she says, not speaking a lot of english. What's the difference he asks and she replies in a cute, thick accent 'high fructose corn syrup.' Are you kidding? Here we are in a tiny Mexican restaurant on the southeast side of town in the middle of industrial-Austin and she knows the difference between good ole cane sugar and HFCS.
I was so impressed.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
US Agriculture & Climate change
A supposedly (only say cause I haven't fully investigated, though it's run by a Democrat Senator with some conservative researchers...so seems likely) non-partisan research group called 'Resources for the Future' published a report on the affects of climate change on Agriculture. Here's the summary and 3 main bullet points:
Summary
Despite its relatively small role in generating carbon dioxide (CO2), agriculture is frequently discussed in the context of climate change - for several reasons. First, agriculture is one of the key sectors of the economy that may be strongly affected by climate change. Second, while relatively unimportant for CO2 emissions, the agriculture sector is a major source of other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, notably nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). Third, agricultural practices provide opportunities for soil-based carbon sequestration, potentially a relatively cheap mitigation option. Fourth, the recent biofuels boom is transforming U.S. agriculture in ways that have implications not only for GHG emissions and energy production, but also for agriculture and the food sector as a whole. This issue brief brings together each of these aspects of the connection between agriculture and climate change.1
IB 13
Climate Change and U.S. Agriculture
Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture
* Climate change is not expected to materially alter the overall ability of the United States to feed its population and remain a strong agricultural exporter. Generally, climate change is predicted to have overall positive but relatively modest consequences on agricultural production in the United States over the next 30 to 100 years. Longer term consequences are less well understood.
* At the regional level, however, projected effects on agriculture are considerable. Climate change is expected to reduce agricultural output in the South but increase production in northern regions, especially the Great Lakes.
* Predicting changes in precipitation patterns, extreme weather effects, pest populations, plant diseases, and other production risks is inherently difficult. Current assessments do not fully account for potential effects on agriculture from these climate impacts.
I found it very interesting that they don't think the next 10-30 years of climate change will affect overall production. It makes sense that northern areas will have longer growing seasons and produce more to offset the reduced production in the south. But the latter point is troubling for those of us who live in the south. It seems there's not much we can do about this either. Misters for our crops? Huge pergola's or shade cloth? I guess it means we'll at least be able to grow some more tropical plants. My mom mentioned she doesn't have to bring her begonias in for the winter anymore. They do just fine.
The most interesting point, though, is about carbon sequestration. I sincerely hope people pay attention to the studies out there showing 15%-28% higher carbon sequestration in Organic soil than conventional soil. Healthy soil not only produces healthy plants & healthy food, but it also helps absorb more carbon! If all of the US acreage of Corn and Soy were farmed organically, the dirt..all by itself, for free..would absorb about 290 million tons of CO2 each year. Sometimes the simplest answer also happens to be the best.
Summary
Despite its relatively small role in generating carbon dioxide (CO2), agriculture is frequently discussed in the context of climate change - for several reasons. First, agriculture is one of the key sectors of the economy that may be strongly affected by climate change. Second, while relatively unimportant for CO2 emissions, the agriculture sector is a major source of other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, notably nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). Third, agricultural practices provide opportunities for soil-based carbon sequestration, potentially a relatively cheap mitigation option. Fourth, the recent biofuels boom is transforming U.S. agriculture in ways that have implications not only for GHG emissions and energy production, but also for agriculture and the food sector as a whole. This issue brief brings together each of these aspects of the connection between agriculture and climate change.1
IB 13
Climate Change and U.S. Agriculture
Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture
* Climate change is not expected to materially alter the overall ability of the United States to feed its population and remain a strong agricultural exporter. Generally, climate change is predicted to have overall positive but relatively modest consequences on agricultural production in the United States over the next 30 to 100 years. Longer term consequences are less well understood.
* At the regional level, however, projected effects on agriculture are considerable. Climate change is expected to reduce agricultural output in the South but increase production in northern regions, especially the Great Lakes.
* Predicting changes in precipitation patterns, extreme weather effects, pest populations, plant diseases, and other production risks is inherently difficult. Current assessments do not fully account for potential effects on agriculture from these climate impacts.
I found it very interesting that they don't think the next 10-30 years of climate change will affect overall production. It makes sense that northern areas will have longer growing seasons and produce more to offset the reduced production in the south. But the latter point is troubling for those of us who live in the south. It seems there's not much we can do about this either. Misters for our crops? Huge pergola's or shade cloth? I guess it means we'll at least be able to grow some more tropical plants. My mom mentioned she doesn't have to bring her begonias in for the winter anymore. They do just fine.
The most interesting point, though, is about carbon sequestration. I sincerely hope people pay attention to the studies out there showing 15%-28% higher carbon sequestration in Organic soil than conventional soil. Healthy soil not only produces healthy plants & healthy food, but it also helps absorb more carbon! If all of the US acreage of Corn and Soy were farmed organically, the dirt..all by itself, for free..would absorb about 290 million tons of CO2 each year. Sometimes the simplest answer also happens to be the best.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Staez Energy Drink
I just noticed something that I found to be very cool! I get so frustrated when in convenience stores and you are forced to choose between HFCS drinks and aspartame drinks if you want a little caffeine. If I have a long drive or just didn't get enough sleep, I usually try to get a little caffeine. I don't drink coffee and any drink with coffee in it needs to be incredibly watered down and with lots of sugar and milk. I am usually just fine with a Tea for lunch or the likes to get me through a day when I'm tired. "Energy Drinks" are normally way too loaded with caffeine and sugar for me. I bounce off the walls. All I need is a little pick-up. And we won't go into the controversies over Taurine and other ingredients.
So, I'm wandering my office...feeling tired, wondering if there's anything that can help. Usually an apple or something can give me that little boost, but today I knew I needed something more. I'm looking at our shelves and pick up a diet Steaz. Now, for reference, it's about 10:30am when I do this and if I have too much sugar in the morning it usually leads to a big crash in the afternoon no matter what I eat for lunch. So, I can't have anything with a lot of sugar. And by the afternoon I can't have caffeine or energy stuff if I want to go to bed at night. So I normally don't pay much attention to even organic energy drinks. But I look at the diet Steaz ingredients and it still has some sugar, just not much. Perfect! I don't have the guilt associated with consuming artificial sweeteners and I avoid the afternoon crash from too much morning sugar. Seems almost genius to me. And it tastes good. I don't really want a super sweet drink. I want a little sweetness and a little caffeine. Diet Steaz to the rescue!
http://www.steaz.com/index.html
And I would be remiss not to mention that we sell Steaz and diet Steaz for the same prices as the grocery stores.
So, I'm wandering my office...feeling tired, wondering if there's anything that can help. Usually an apple or something can give me that little boost, but today I knew I needed something more. I'm looking at our shelves and pick up a diet Steaz. Now, for reference, it's about 10:30am when I do this and if I have too much sugar in the morning it usually leads to a big crash in the afternoon no matter what I eat for lunch. So, I can't have anything with a lot of sugar. And by the afternoon I can't have caffeine or energy stuff if I want to go to bed at night. So I normally don't pay much attention to even organic energy drinks. But I look at the diet Steaz ingredients and it still has some sugar, just not much. Perfect! I don't have the guilt associated with consuming artificial sweeteners and I avoid the afternoon crash from too much morning sugar. Seems almost genius to me. And it tastes good. I don't really want a super sweet drink. I want a little sweetness and a little caffeine. Diet Steaz to the rescue!
http://www.steaz.com/index.html
And I would be remiss not to mention that we sell Steaz and diet Steaz for the same prices as the grocery stores.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Sustainable Food Center
I joined their Public Policy Task Force on Wednesday and I sat in on their Board of Directors meeting tonight. I think food security is an incredibly important issue and that Austin should be a model community for others and so I'm very interested in the work and progress of SFC.
I'm always interested to learn more about organizations before I get involved. I love to encourage and praise organizations with a good mission, but when it comes to my time or money I also like to see if they live their mission or not and how efficiently they work towards their mission. I have been very impressed with the SFC, their organization, leaders, and work. They are really passionate about their work and they have a very smart and talented group of people working there! It's such a great thing to see.
I don't really like the competitiveness that seems to be ubiquitous throughout food organizations in town and I saw some of that with this group, but it's rare to find a group that doesn't have some of that so I'm not complaining. Just hoping that everyone eventually sees we've all got the same goals - improving nutrition and security in our food system. If we all worked together, this town would be such an amazing place. And as long as each organization was providing real value for the community, they would be fully supported. I prefer to not worry about competition and worry most about if my organization is doing the best it can to provide that value.
So, check out their farmers markets, browse their website at www.sustainablefoodcenter.org and volunteer!
Also, volunteer at Green Corn Project...I love what they do, too.
I'm always interested to learn more about organizations before I get involved. I love to encourage and praise organizations with a good mission, but when it comes to my time or money I also like to see if they live their mission or not and how efficiently they work towards their mission. I have been very impressed with the SFC, their organization, leaders, and work. They are really passionate about their work and they have a very smart and talented group of people working there! It's such a great thing to see.
I don't really like the competitiveness that seems to be ubiquitous throughout food organizations in town and I saw some of that with this group, but it's rare to find a group that doesn't have some of that so I'm not complaining. Just hoping that everyone eventually sees we've all got the same goals - improving nutrition and security in our food system. If we all worked together, this town would be such an amazing place. And as long as each organization was providing real value for the community, they would be fully supported. I prefer to not worry about competition and worry most about if my organization is doing the best it can to provide that value.
So, check out their farmers markets, browse their website at www.sustainablefoodcenter.org and volunteer!
Also, volunteer at Green Corn Project...I love what they do, too.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Consummate Produce
As local food grows legs and gains attention across the world, there is this notion to hold it in the highest regard possible. While farming is one of the most noble professions on the planet I feel I need to remind people that someone growing vegetables next door to you can just as easily dump pesticides and herbicides on those vegetables as someone 1000 miles away.
We all love local food, but don't trust it beyond reproach. Know your farmer or let Greenling know them for you. Michael Pollan describes it as surrogates for getting to know the farmers. Remember that Peaches are the most polluted fruit available (meaning even after washing them there are more pesticides found in a peach than any other fruit or veggies - up to 96 pesticides were found in test samples). So those yummy Texas peaches you enjoy may be loaded with chemicals. They might not be, but you'd have to ask the farmer. Greenling's Texas peaches, of course, were certified organic this year so they had absolutely no chemicals applied to them. They sure were good!
We all love local food, but don't trust it beyond reproach. Know your farmer or let Greenling know them for you. Michael Pollan describes it as surrogates for getting to know the farmers. Remember that Peaches are the most polluted fruit available (meaning even after washing them there are more pesticides found in a peach than any other fruit or veggies - up to 96 pesticides were found in test samples). So those yummy Texas peaches you enjoy may be loaded with chemicals. They might not be, but you'd have to ask the farmer. Greenling's Texas peaches, of course, were certified organic this year so they had absolutely no chemicals applied to them. They sure were good!
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