As 2011 comes to an end, we are revving up our important campaign to Safeguard Organic Standards: getting genetically engineered ingredients out of certified organic baby food, so...

Since 2006, Martek Biosciences, owned by multinational biotech giant DSM, has been selling its DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid), synthesized versions of the essential fatty acids that are naturally found in breast milk, to companies manufacturing organic infant formula, baby food, other food products.

Now the National Organic Program says the 2006 approval was illegal and they're conducting a formal review of the Martek products for the first time. READ MORE...

Tell organic baby food brands to stop using GMOs!

"Eggbeaters whirl, spoons spin round in bowls of butter and sugar, vanilla sweetens the air, ginger spices it; melting, nose-tingling odors saturate the kitchen, suffuse the house, drift out to the world on puffs of chimney smoke." Truman Capote, "A Christmas Memory"

The holidays are a whirlwind of activity and indulgences. Shopping at the co-op becomes a bit more more hectic than usual, but you'll find plenty of warmth and good cheer within our store. If you've forgotten the ginger, or need some more eggs, or a special last minute gift, we'll be here until 4 pm on Christmas Eve. And don't forget Co-op Gift Cards--share your values with the gift of Good Food.

Celebrating the opening (on Dec. 21, 1844) of the co-op store that became the model for the modern co-operative movement.

Then I would be slap-dashing home, the gravy smell of the dinners of others, the bird smell, the brandy, the pudding and mince, coiling up to my nostrils... -Dylan Thomas, A Child's Christmas in Wales

We may all have different holiday traditions, but the excitement of a special holiday meal is universal. Perhaps you're just starting your menu planning, or you may have been putting up and putting away special treats for months. Every year, I make a small batch of red currant jelly, just for one special Christmas cookie recipe! Whatever your menu plans call for, we're happy to be of help. If you can't find something you're looking for, please ask. And If you need some ideas or tips, our staff loves to cook, eat, and party! -kp

Are you ready to start baking?

Choose organic and natural ingredients. Use the best, freshest ingredients available.

Hungry Hollow Co-op offers many ingredients for special diets, such as dairy-free shortening, gluten-free baking mixes, carob powder, and alternative sweeteners.

Local eating doesn‘t end in the fall. We carry a wide selection of local and regional dairy products for your sweet or savory baking needs, as well as local flour and corn meal in bulk.

Also in bulk, a wide selection of nuts, dried fruit, Fair Trade spices, and nut butters--all organic.

We have a selection of Fair Trade sweeteners, vanilla, chocolate--even Fair Trade olive oil.

Other ingredients on your list may include honey, maple syrup, and organic cooking oils. We even carry organic flavorings and sprinkles!

Pressed for time? We carry Immaculate Baking ready-to-bake cookies, crescents, and pie crust, and Dr. Oeteker‘s baking and frosting mixes.

Are you ready to start baking? Hungry Hollow Co-op’s got everything on your list.

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend an average of about $700 per person on holiday season shopping this year and, despite the hype surrounding Black Friday, the busiest shopping week immediately precedes Christmas. But rather than enduring long lines and sparse service at chain stores, we urge you take a different approach: seek out your local independent merchants and service providers, meet your neighbors and fully integrate your values in your purchasing decisions. READ MORE...

Drumroll, please!
Congratulations to the winners of the My Co-op Rocks Video + Photo Contest! We’re just blown away by your creativity, your style, your mad camera skills, and most of all, how much your co-ops rock.
Video Category

• First place – Wheatsville R.O.C.K.S. by Shane Shelton.
• Second place – OMG! by Natt McFee.
• Third place – Ozark Natural Foods by Tony Gray.
• Congratulations also goes to Love in Bulk by Mike Cuseo. Although technically rated third place in the video category, Mike was awarded second place in the photo category since each entrant is only eligible for one prize.

Photography Category

• First place – F R E S H by Amy Neussl.
• Second place – Bananas!! by Mike Cuseo.
• Third place – Local Farmers by Patrick Kouba.
• Find out who among you has really impressed the crowds—check out the winning videos and photos at MyCoopRocks.coop.

Hungry Hollow Co-op makes beautiful baskets for holiday gift-giving. Just select a theme and dollar amount, and Eri will do the rest. Know someone that loves to cook? Pick up a cookbook you think they'd enjoy, bring it in, and we'll create a basket around it, incorporating spices and ingredients specific to the book. How about a Local Flavors gift basket? Tea lover, holiday nibbles, bodycare, whatever. We've got good stuff.

The world can feed itself, without corporate America's science-experiment crops and expensive chemicals.

It may be the Wall Street banks that are controlling our lives, or it may be Monsanto, Cargill, DuPont, Kraft, or Tyson's. The system isn't working.

(photo: Brennan Cavanaugh / Flickr)
Farmers have been through this before — our lives and livelihoods falling under corporate control. It has been an ongoing process: consolidation of markets; consolidation of seed companies; an ever-widening gap between our costs of production and the prices we receive. Some of us are catching on, getting the picture of the real enemy.

When Occupy Wall Street (OWS) welcomed the Farmers March to Zuccotti Park in New York on December 4, a natural rural-urban alliance — the Food Justice Movement, gardeners, farmers, seed growers, health care workers, and union members — was formed at Wall Street's back door. READ MORE...

Without labels on genetically engineered food, you have no way of knowing what you're eating for dinner. You have the right to know what's in your food. Tell the FDA to label genetically engineered food. Just Label It!

Free Webinar with Jeffrey Smith next Tuesday 12/6, at 8:30 pm EST

In 2012, the Institute for Responsible Technology and a coalition of groups will seek to protect infants and babies from GM baby food and infant formula, and raise awareness of parents nationwide about the importance of raising children on non-GMO food. If you wish to be involved with this outreach effort, join Jeffrey this Tuesday. He will share our ideas and key talking points, solicit feedback, answer questions, and discuss ways you can get involved.

To register for this free webinar, please sign up at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/172743024

USDA recently released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) proposing a full-scale deregulation of Monsanto’s genetically engineered (GE) Roundup Ready sugar beets and is accepting public comments until 11:59pm EST on December 13, 2011. Unfortunately, it is clear that the USDA continues to dismiss the serious concerns of non-GE farmers and consumers regarding the environmental and socioeconomic effects of such an action. Genetically engineered sugar beets threaten the environment through transgenic contamination and weed resistance; threaten consumers by inhibiting the fundamental right to choose, and; threaten organic and non-GE farmers by placing the burden for contamination prevention on them instead of on the producers of the GE crop. READ MORE...

Send your comment to USDA today and urge them not to approve the deregulation of Monsanto’s genetically engineered, “Roundup Ready” sugar beets!

Our entry in this year’s My Co-op Rocks video contest is in a close race with another excellent video from the Wheatsville Co-op. Natt and Eli (who won the People’s Choice award for us last year) have outdone themselves. Click HERE to watch our new video. And remember to vote - you have to register (if you didn’t last year) and login but it only takes a minute.

In Mark Bittman's most recent column, he offers a long list of things and people (food-related) that he is thankful for. (Thanks for the shout out to food co-ops, Mark). We'd like to recognize everyone on that list, and add a few more near and dear to us:

1) Rockland County's own Joan Gussow, who we recognize as on of the early leaders of this food movement.
2) Rockland Farm Alliance and the farmers of Cropsey Farm, for helping keep farming viable in Rockland County.
3) Animal Welfare Approved and Cornucopia Institute for their work in maintaining high organic and animal husbandry standards.
4) Edible Hudson Valley and its sister publications for shining a light on local food scenes and issues.
5) Everyone who has had a hand in assisting farmers and others who were devastated by storm related-flooding this summer.

There are many many more people doing great work in getting good food to all, and we thank the farmers, activists, educators, distributors, writers, eaters and especially you, our friends and customers. -kp

Thanksgiving is the biggest food holiday of the year; though Christmas and Easter aren’t far behind! In the cook/bake/eat marathon that is going on this week, we need to take a pause.

We all have much to be grateful for, including the friends we have made along the road. At GoodFood World, we want to say “thanks” to old friends, new friends, and friends we have yet to meet! All the best of Thanksgiving to you!

We also need to recognize that there are many millions of people for whom good food is a luxury. In fact, it’s getting to be a stretch for even middle income families. More consumers are looking for safe, healthy and nutritious food, and yet “purists” with fat pocket books are paying huge sums for overly-hyped birds like these, which sell for $14 a pound – that’s $350 for a 25 pound turkey: READ MORE...

For me, the whole point of asking people to dinner is that you are inviting them into your life. They show up for a true reality show, for a moment when they discover who you really are. Your friends may not get a faultless meal in a fabulous house, but they do get the pleasure of knowing that you trust them. If you want a cleaned up version of the truth, you can always hire a caterer and a phalanx of servers and be assured of a perfect evening. But perfect evenings rarely lead to great friendships. -Ruth Reichl, author and former editor-in-chief of Gourmet.

If you have yet to order your fresh delicious organic turkey, and are even considering picking one up at the supermarket, please read the linked piece below. On Thanksgiving, we honor the harvest, and the its Source. We are not honoring the Source of our food, or our farmers, or our Earth, when we put a factory-farmed turkey on the table. Educated and informed eaters can surely do better than that charade, and there are many other creative possibilities if cost is an issue, as it is for many of us. We are well aware of the hunger and lack of access to good food in this country, so if this comes off as elitist, you may be missing my point: we are all free to reject Thanksgiving "traditions" that don't align with our values, or with what the spirit of the day means for us.

But if a fresh organic turkey is part of your Thanksgiving tradition, mosey on down to the co-op this week-end and order yours. We care about food, and we care about people. -kp

The Farm Bill, which is renewed every five years (2008 was the most recent) could reach the legislature a year earlier than it should.
The so-called super committee, whose so-called job is to cut $1.2 trillion from the national deficit, has as their deadline November 23, the day before Thanksgiving. The Farm Bill is on the chopping block. If the Farm Bill passes in its current form, commodity crops will continue to receive support through subsidies, and they may receive additional insurance as well. Funding for conservation and nutrition would be reduced or eliminated. Please let your representatives know that you are opposed to the "secret farm bill" and support the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act.

Small farmers and urban poultry owners alike are threatened by the USDA's new proposal for animal identification. The agency has proposed a rule that imposes costs and paperwork burdens on farmers, ranchers, backyard poultry owners, sale barns, vets, and state agencies in order to track animals that cross state lines.

The proposed rule is a solution in search of a problem. The USDA has failed to identify the specific problem or disease of concern, and the real focus of the program is helping the export market for the benefit of a handful of large corporations. LEARN MORE / TAKE ACTION

If you are one of the many who haven't yet given Thanksgiving much thought, it's time. Start by taking inventory of what's in the pantry, freezer, root cellar, etc. You can save money by using what you already have. This week-end (or sooner) sit down and plan your menu, then make a shopping list. You can make your pie dough (store in freezer) and cranberry sauce over the week-end. There's still time to ask guests to bring a dish. You can view our sales flier on line; Hungry Hollow Co-op has lots of great sales, including many unadvertised specials. We carry lots of local produce and grains. And yes, we still have some turkeys available, but if you haven't ordered one yet, don't put it off much longer. -kp

As part of our 17th annual Farmers’ Festival this year, we decided to raise money to help Lucky Dog Farm (one of our local organic produce suppliers) recover from damage resulting from hurricane Irene. We held a special screening of Farmageddon and raffled off a Co-op gift basket. We were able to send a check for over $600 to Lucky Dog! A few days ago we received a letter from Richard Giles the farmer/owner:

Dear Hungry Hollow Co-op,
I pulled your great donation out of the mailbox this morning. It’s beautiful. What a great Halloween surprise.

This is a real help for Lucky Dog Farm, and I hope you understand what a value it is to us that you think of engaging in the support of this small farm beyond just purchasing our vegetables. There is a great chance - and I think the time has never been better - that we can build a much better food system. And because the returns to our community will be much greater than the returns to any individual, this will necessarily be a community enterprise. Thanks for understanding that value. READ THE ENTIRE LETTER...

We're told we should be back on by midnight Wednesday. But it’s a good idea to call before you come. If the call goes straight to voicemail or to a message about the party you are calling not being available, you’ll know we’re not ready for prime time yet. I hope all of you who are sharing our fate are staying warm and enjoying reading by candlelight and going to bed early as much as I am. -pw

No kidding. The rules say everyone can vote once each day until November 30th. Our video, OMG!, is in a tight race for first place with another excellent entry from the Wheatsville Co-op. Your support is crucial. Login (you have to register if you haven’t already, but it only takes a minute) and vote - every day. Thanks!

Federal law requires that organic food products be produced promoting ecological sustainability, without the toxic inputs and genetically engineered ingredients common in the conventional food system.

Increasingly, organic products are forced to compete with products that claim to be "natural".

There are no guidelines or restrictions for foods labeled "natural". The term often indicates nothing more than meaningless marketing hype promoted by corporate interests seeking to cash in on the consumer desire for food produced in a genuinely sustainable manner.

A new video from the Cornucopia Institute explores the vast differences between organic cereal and granola products and so-called natural products, which contain ingredients grown on conventional farms where the use of toxic pesticides and genetically engineered organisms is widespread. READ MORE...

We were disheartened to learn this week that Nancy Stoner, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) acting assistant administrator for water, is an advocate for water privatization. Hearing a top government official in charge of protecting one of our most essential shared resources laud a scheme that has been linked to the degradation of municipal water supplies definitely makes us wonder where our government is placing its priorities. Across the U.S., privatization has been linked to deteriorating water quality, rate hikes, job force reductions and poor customer service. READ MORE...

It’s been a busy month: Non-GMO Month, Fair Trade Month, and Co-op Month, as well as the growing Occupy Wall Street Movement. That’s a lot of important ground to cover in a short time. I invite you to think about the role Hungry Hollow Co-op plays in your life, because your co-op is more than a conveniently located grocery store. Your co-op is not just about food, it’s about community; it’s about small family farms, organic and biodynamic agriculture, local economy, regional food systems, and more. We work together with local and national organizations to get important information to you about food, the environment, and other related issues, as well as getting healthy food on your tables. Working within the co-operative model, rather than the corporate one, allows us to pursue more than just ever-increasing profits; we support what you support. We are part of the community, and are here to serve you. -kp

The food and farm bill – a mammoth piece of legislation that sets the rules for the American food system every 5 years – is being decided now. The Agriculture Committee leadership proposed to rewrite the farm bill in just a few days behind closed doors. This is usually a year plus process with hearings, circulated bill drafts, mark-ups, and amendments that is being decided without your input unless you act now. Please act today for a chance you have only once every 5 years to reform our food and farming system and protect our natural resources.

If you care about the health of America’s soil, water, and land; promoting organic practices and conservation; helping a new generation of struggling small and mid-sized farmers get their start; rebuilding local and regional food systems; or developing new markets and healthy food access – now is the time to speak up. If you want to see a healthier, more secure, environmentally sustainable, and prosperous America – now is the time to speak up.

According to published accounts, the leaders of the Agriculture Committees are proposing cuts of $6.5 billion to conservation programs, $5 billion to nutrition programs, and $15 billion to commodity subsidy programs. The conservation cuts would be on top of the $2 billion already made by Congress in the appropriations process.This proposal would wipe out over 40 percent of the funding increases for conservation and environmental initiatives achieved in the 2002 and 2008 food and farm bills, setting the clock back and “un-greening” the farm bill. Moreover, it is unclear what the proposal would do to the fair and healthy farm and food system programs won in 2008 with your help, but in need of being renewed in the new farm bill. It could potentially wipe out all of those gains as well.

Will you stand up at this critical moment for family farmers, the environment, and a healthy and fair food system?

Today is the first celebration of Food Day, a day to celebrate healthy, delicious eating and to solve local communities' food problems. Six Food Day Principles are:
Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods.

Support sustainable farms and limit subsidies to Big Ag.

Expand access to food and alleviate hunger.

Protect the environment and animals by reforming factory farms (reforming? how about eliminating?-kp)

Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids.

Support fair conditions for food and farm workers.

Hungry Hollow Co-op is always working for these important principles and more. Today we are collecting non-perishable food for Rockland People to People in recognition of Food Day. Please drop something in the cart if you're in the store today! -kp

Stop Genetically Engineered Salmon!

AquaBounty is seeking approval for a genetically engineered animal that their own data shows would create allergies, increase cancer risks and reduce nutrition.

Public revulsion at the idea of eating a salmon-eelpout combination that could never occur in nature, and the logistical nightmare of trying to figure out how to prevent this Frankenfish from escaping and wiping out wild salmon populations, has made the research, development and regulatory process slow.

After $67m and 16 years, the company is running out of cash. That is, it was, until the USDA gave it a half-million-dollar National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant.

The $500,000 grant to AquaBounty is a bail-out for the firm's main investor, the business tycoon and former economics minister of Georgia, Kakha Bendukidze. Over the years, AquaBounty has received some $3m from the US government and some $6m in funds from Canadian government.

Millions in corporate welfare for a company that can't even prove they have a safe product and a viable business model?!

It's just one more reason to stop GMO salmon!

LEARN MORE...

Apparently, in some states, it's National Bulk Week. Although NY State is not participating, we cannot let this opportunity pass to shine a light on our bulk department and the wonderful work Mary, the bulk manager, has done. We have local flours,grains,beans, and pasta; dried fruit, nuts, sweet treats, granola, coffee, nut butters, and herbs and spices. Featured today, Mary's newest addition--Fair Trade spices, just in time for the holidays. Come in and check out the wide selection (soon to be expanded) and don't forget to wish Mary "Happy Bulk Week"! -kp

In recognition of Bulk Week, we thought we'd share the recipe for awesome granola we used to make in the co-op bakery. The smell of it baking would have customers on Cloud 9. Sadly, we are not making it these days, but for those of you that remember it fondly, here's the recipe. Be mindful that this is a large quantity and you may want to halve the recipe if it won't fit on your baking sheets. And be sure to use rimmed sheets. You may have to adjust baking time for your oven. Enjoy!

Hungry Hollow Co-op Granola
4 quarts rolled oats
1 quart coconut
4 cups cashews, chopped
2 cups walnuts, chopped
1 cup flax seeds
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup lt. brown sugar
3 Tbsp vanilla
15 oz melted butter (or coconut oil)
1/2 cup agave (or maple syrup)
4 cups raisins
2 cups dried cranberries

Heat oven to 300.
Combine first 5 ingredients.
Combine next 5 and whisk to combine.
Pour over oat mixture and stir to coat.
Bake on two large sheets, 15 minutes.
Stir, bake 15 minutes longer.
Cool, add fruit.

While it looks like a done deal, the approval of Aquabounty's genetically engineered salmon is still meeting with resistance, including Alaska's senators, who are (rightfully) concerned about the possible impacts on wild Alaskan salmon. Please make yourselves heard--contact your elected officials and let them know about your strong opposition to genetic engineering of foods. As this article states, "Some, frankly. just aren't comfortable with the idea the government thinks it can improve on nature by genetically altering Alaskan wild salmon." Or any food. -kp

Co-ops work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies accepted by their members.  This is a foundation of the co-op movement.  Instead of profits disappearing into far-away pockets, as with the corporate model, co-ops invest in their communities. There is a deep commitment to the health of the community, beyond just donations and support of local events. Community-owned businesses don't just up and leave for greener pastures;  they contribute to the longevity and sustainability of their communities.

While remaining independent and autonomous, co-ops work together. There is no hoarding of information or competitive motivation. Building the co-operative economy is important; willingness to share and extend a helping hand are part of what makes co-ops different from for-profit businesses.

Photograph by: Ward Perrin, PNG, Vancouver Sun

Alternative business model called mechanism for democratizing the economy.

"Co-operatives are a reminder to the international community that it is possible to pursue both economic viability and social responsibility," UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon said on the UN website. Read more...

Co-ops offer education and training for their members, employees, managers and elected representatives to enable them to contribute to the development of their co-ops. They also inform the general public about the nature and benefits of co-operation. Additionally, we at Hungry Hollow Co-op strive to educate our members and customers about a wide range of food, farming, and health-related issues.

Co-ops are controlled by their members, not by outside shareholders (which is just one of the ways co-ops are not like Wall St.). If co-ops enter into agreements with other organizations, it must be done in ways that ensure co-operative autonomy and continued member control.

Short and sweet: Support your co-op or it will disappear. When you shop at your co-op, your dollars go back into the local economy. They also support small family farms and lots of other people and things you care about.

In 1844, at the time of the founding of the founding of the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers (the first successful modern co-op), open membership and democratic control were pretty radical ideas. In England, only about one in seven men had the right to vote, and women were about 75 years away from attaining political franchise. The co-op offered membership and voting rights to all.

Membership of a co-op is voluntary and open to all without religious, social, political or other discrimination. Anyone willing to accept the responsibilities of membership can make use of its services.

Co-ops are based on values, like democracy, honesty, and social responsibility. Additionally, most co-ops adopt the Seven Co-operative Principles.

They serve as guidelines to provide a democratic structure for co-ops everywhere. They are: voluntary and open membership, democratic member control, member economic participation, autonomy and independence, education, co-operation among co-ops, and concern for community. For the next seven days, we will focus daily on one of these principles.

Joel Salatin's new book about our "Star Trek" food culture, the rise of alternatives, and freedom of choice.

Buy one hardcover book for $24.99 and get the 2nd book at half price!

An estimated 60 to 70 percent of processed foods contains genetically modified organisms, but unlike 50 other countries, the US doesn't require labeling. READ MORE...

Wall Street and Ethanol Cause Starvation, Say Scientists
by Christopher Mims at grist

Today's supervillains are soooo boring. If only they'd wear tights and touch entrapped damsels’ hair in a way that made us uncomfortable, we'd be up for patriotically pistol-whipping them, Captain America style. Instead we find out that Wall Street and ethanol -- a diffuse network of trading computers and a colorless inebriant, respectively -- are the reason billions are going hungry in the developing world. How are we supposed to launch a hideously expensive vendetta-war against that?

The takeaway from Brandon Keim's excellent writeup of a study conducted by researchers at New England Complex Systems Institute is that if you want to model the extraordinary run-up in food prices worldwide, you have to include both large dollops of speculation by financiers and the increasing diversion of farmland and corn to ethanol, which is now consuming more than half of America's corn crop. Read more HERE and HERE...

Photo by Co-op staffer Ariel Corenthal at #Occupy Wall Street.
If food and agriculture don't spring immediately to mind when you think about the Wall Street Occupation, read this article from Common Dreams. The market does not view food as a human right, but as a commodity, and speculation drives price increases and volatility in agricultural markets. The price is paid by farmers and the world's poor most profoundly, but ultimately we all pay. -kp

Genetically engineered foods are required to be labeled in the 15 European Union nations, Russia, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries around the world. The United States is one of the only countries that doesn’t require labeling of GE food! It's time to remind President Obama about his campaign promise to label GM foods. Go to Food Democracy Now to sign the petition. Better still, call the White House. Write letters. Get out in the street. Demand labeling of GM foods.

The Right 2 Know March is underway. (Here's a picture this morning, enroute to Scotch Plains, NJ) Join this historic mobilization if you can--tomorrow the marchers will arrive in Princeton, and the next day they will be in Philadelphia. See the route HERE...

The United Nations has declared 2012 International Year of Co-operatives. Hungry Hollow Co-op joins co-ops around the US in kicking it off in October (Co-op Month) 2011. Follow this blog to learn about what sets co-ops apart from for-profit businesses. For information about International Year of Co-operatives, go to the ICA website. And remember to show your co-op some love and vote for HHC’s video “OMG” at My Co-op Rocks.

October is a busy month for food activism and food related issues. It is Fair Trade Month, Non-GMO Month, and Co-op Month. Check out Hungry Hollow Co-op’s blog for news and information about these important topics--we’ll have daily updates. To begin, October 1st kicks off the Right 2 Know March in New York City. This 313-mile march will end at the White House on October 16 (World Food Day). Hungry Hollow Co-op supports truth in labeling, and we agree with R2K that Americans have a right to know if the food they are buying and eating has been genetically modified or contains such ingredients.

"One question means one career." This was the harsh warning of UC Berkeley Professor Ignacio Chapela for those daring to conduct independent research on genetically engineered foods and crops. "You ask one question, you get the answer and you might or might not be able to publish it; but that is the end of your career." Both he and biologist Arpad Pusztai dared to asked questions and do the research. And then all hell broke lose.

Using stunning visuals filmed on three continents, veteran German filmmaker Bertram Verhaag tracks the fate of these two scientists at the hands of a multi-billion dollar industry that is desperate to hide the dangers of their genetically modified organisms (GMOs). LEARN MORE...

Americans’ right to access fresh, healthy foods of their choice is under attack. Farmageddon tells the story of small, family farms that were providing safe, healthy foods to their communities and were forced to stop, sometimes through violent action, by agents of misguided government bureaucracies, and seeks to figure out why.

Join us for what Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times calls “...an eye-popping wake-up call revealing how the USDA and FDA have increasingly waged war on America’s small farmers even when they can prove they are contributing healthful products to our food supply.”

RULES:
Sweet pies only (any sweetener may be used)
Pies must be made from scratch (including crust)
The main ingredients must be organic
You must provide a complete list of ingredients

1st Prize: $75 Co-op Gift Card
2nd Prize: $50 Co-op Gift Card
3rd Prize: $25 Co-op Gift Card

Entries must be dropped off at the Co-op between 11 am and 2 pm Sat, Sept. 14 with a filled out entry form. Winners will be announced at 3 pm at the Farmers’ Festival.

We've been so busy getting ready for FarmFest 2011 that this almost got by us, but check out the link for Slow Food's $5.00 Challenge. Take back the "value meal". Get together with family, friends, and neighbors for a slow food meal that costs no more than $5 per person. I'm making chili and corn bread. kp

While it is not our usual practice to respond to the media hype around weather events (we have stayed open through many predicted “extremely dangerous” snowstorms that didn’t live up to their billing) it seems that in the case of hurricane Irene it would be prudent to make an exception. Although Irene’s claim to fame is size not strength, she is doing a pretty good job of throwing her weight around. After all, the MTA is shutting down the entire New York City subway system for the first time in its history. So we’re going to follow the trend on this one even while we’re hoping it doesn’t turn out to be as bad as the hype. Whatever happens we hope our members, customers, staff, and friends all remain safe and sound with loved ones, homes, and livelihoods unharmed. And we expect to be open Monday morning for business as usual.

There's a whole lot more than just GMO seeds. Let's take a quick look at some of the biotech giant's most dubious contributions to society over the past century. CLICK HERE for the Top 5.

What could be better for a quick and easy summer supper than locally made pasta and pesto? This afternoon we’ll be sampling Flour City’s Tomato and Pesto Pasta (made in Rochester, NY) and everybody’s favorite Tony B’s Pesto Alla Genovese (made in Hurley, NY). Don’t miss it!

Nanotechnology is a powerful new set of technologies for observing, taking apart and reconstructing nature at the atomic and molecular level. This level is measured in nanometers and 1 nanometer (nm) is equal to 1 billionth of a meter. For reference, a molecule of sugar measures 1 nanometer (nm), which is about as big in relation to an apple as the apple is in relation to the earth. A human hair is huge by comparison, about 50,000 nm wide.

Nano means more than just small; the radical reduction in size means that seemingly ordinary materials may behave completely differently than in their larger bulk or macro form. In recent years, nanoscale ingredients have been incorporated into more than 1,300 consumer products like baby bottles, cutting boards, food containers, food packaging, computer parts, curling irons, hair brushes, cosmetics and sunscreens. However, studies show that the unique properties of nanomaterials can create unpredictable and potentially hazardous risks to human health and the environment.

Currently, companies do not have to identify or test their products for containing nanoscale ingredients and they don’t have to submit nano-specific safety data.  In the absence of labeling and nano-specific safety data, neither consumers nor the EPA know what products are using nanotechnology and if those products are safe.

Tell EPA to begin protecting consumers now – don’t put off public safety any longer!

Flour City (aka Rochester, NY) Pasta will be gracing our new bulk section this weekend. I discovered this gem at a Farmer's Market located within a music festival. The overflowing bins of colorful, beautifully shaped, and intriguing flavors had Hungry Hollow Co-op written all over them! I learned that the company sources most of their flour from New York State and flours not grown in New York, such as durum semolina, they network with small farms within the US. We will be starting with a lemon garlic orzo and sweet potato orzo, both great for chilled pasta salads on these hot summer evenings. For the pasta blend, which they have dozens to choose from, we will have a tomato pesto pasta. I'm going to try that one with the Tony B's pesto ASAP. Check out their website and let me know if there is flavor you would like to see in our bulk bins. Wasabi linguine, anyone? -MARY

For decades, family farmers and ranchers who raise livestock have endured abuses from corporate giants that control the market. But, you can help level the playing field for independent farmers and ranchers.

Today, just four companies own 83.5% of the beef market, 66% of the hog industry and 58.5% of the broiler chicken industry. These giant meatpackers and poultry processors have enjoyed unchecked market power, allowing them to control prices, issue unfair contracts with farmers and bully, intimidate and abuse farmers who stand up against corporate power.

Click here to tell your U.S. Senators it's time to stand firm against corporate greed and abuse. Tell them it's time to stand up for family farmers and ranchers and support the USDA in protecting them.

A new rule is being proposed for spinach, lettuce, and cabbage by a “marketing agency” that doesn’t have food safety jurisdiction or staff. But that’s not the worst of it.

The most powerful “Big Ag” players in the leafy green industry are pushing the National Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (NLGMA) despite the fact that we already have food safety rules. We passed them last year in the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Because of your input from the grassroots we made sure those food safety rules included alternative compliance measures appropriate for small and medium-sized farms. This new Marketing Agreement, dominated by Big Ag, could do an end run around these protections, and keep the family farm voice out of the process.

Oh, and there is even worse news to report…

After the E. Coli outbreak in 2006, these same industry associations in California came together to create a “marketing agreement” to help improve their image. Without any scientific basis, the CA agreement prompted the indiscriminate and unnecessary removal of conservation buffers and wildlife habitat deemed to be “incompatible with food safety.” Small family farmers also had many problems trying to comply with drastic rules designed for large-scale operations. The CA model illustrates just how ineffective and reckless this tool can be.

Now they want to take this failed model to the national level.

This confusing and duplicative rule could effectively shut small and mid-sized farmers out of the leafy greens market.

Tell the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to withdraw their unnecessary and confusing rule.

Thank you for taking action to protect our family farmers.

Congratulations to Barbara Lopez whose name was randomly drawn from among all the entries that were submitted. There’s lots of great outdoor barbecuing weather left this summer for her to enjoy the Weber One-Touch grill that we were able to give away thanks to the folks at Woodstock Farms. We’d also like to congratulate Karen Coe, whose name was drawn second, and who will be receiving a copy of The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook by Shannon Hayes courtesy of the Co-op. Thanks to everyone who participated, and even though you didn’t win the grill, you might want to give Woodstock Farms Natural Lump Hardwood Charcoal a try. No coal, no fillers, no chemicals means you'll enjoy the true flavors of your barbecue favorites.

Don't forget to come in and enter our Weber Grill contest. Entry forms are at the register, so fill one out soon. The drawing is on Thursday, July 14th - Bastille Day! We will have the drawing at 1:00 pm, along with some Bastille Day treats, so make sure you get in on this! (Winner does not need to be present at drawing.)

Why We Need to Get GMO Labels on the Ballot

Reason #1 - The Voters Agree: If Genetically Modified Organisms Are Used to Produce Food, the Food Should Be Labeled "GMO"!

Reason #2 - We Need to Bypass the Federal Government Given that Monsanto Has Bribed Politicians & Infiltrated Regulatory Agencies

Reason #3 - We Need High-Profile Statewide Campaigns to Wake Up Consumers Who Don't Even Know What GMOs Are

Reason #4 - Winning GMO Labels in Even One Big State Could Change Food Labeling Practices Nationally and Drastically Reduce GMO Crop Acreage

READ MORE...

The Unseen War on American Family Farms  
Farmageddon Opening Night Reception & Movie

5:30pm Friday, July 8 - New York City

Jimmy's No. 43 Restaurant at 43 East 7th Street

Join Filmmaker, Kristin Canty and other foodies this Friday to celebrate the New York Premiere of Farmageddon--the Unseen War Against American Family Farms, an important film about our rights to healthy food, followed by a brief Q&A!

Tickets and more details are available at
www.FarmageddonNYC.eventbrite.com

Farmageddon is playing July 8-14 at Cinema Village Theatre. If you are unable to make Friday's event, please take a group of friends to the movies! Group sales will be the secret to box office success, and getting the film into wider circulation.

Cinema Village Theatre
22 East 12th Street
New York, NY 10003
212-924-3363
www.cinemavillage.com

Basil Lemonade

2 cups packed basil leaves
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
5-6 pieces lemon zest (3" long)

Boil together in saucepan. Let stand at room temperature for an hour, then chill for an hour. Strain, pressing on leaves, and discard solids. Syrup will keep in refrigerator about a week.

For lemonade, add 2 cups syrup to 2 cups water and 1 1/4 cups fresh lemon juice. Stir, add ice, and serve garnished with basil leaves or slices of lemon.

Farmageddon - Movie Trailer from Kristin Canty on Vimeo.

Americans' right to access fresh, healthy foods of their choice is under attack.
Farmageddon tells the story of small, family farms that were providing safe, healthy foods to their communities and were forced to stop, sometimes through violent action, by agents of misguided government bureaucracies, and seeks to figure out why. LEARN MORE...

Drawing of Bloom by Joyce
Mr. Bloom ate his strips of sandwich, fresh clean bread, with relish of disgust, pungent mustard, the feety savour of green cheese. Sips of his wine soothed his palate. Not logwood that. Tastes fuller this weather with the chill off. -James Joyce

Today being June 16, the day commemorated by James Joyce in his novel Ulysses, we think a passage from the book is in order. One of my favorite parts is when Leopold Bloom takes lunch in a pub with his friends. It's full of rich descriptions, leading me to wonder what kind of Food Safety standards, if any, there were in Dublin in 1904. My Google search didn't turn up anything in Ireland, but I found this interesting piece about the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904 (which was two years before the publication of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle):

Both companies (Heinz and Schlitz), along with many others represented at the Fair and in Fair advertising, emphasized the wholesomeness of their wares as American anxiety over food and drink, especially those not produced by local farmers but by vast corporations, reached its peak. Indeed, late 19th Century advances in food science actually heightened consumer anxiety....science also afforded food manufacturers new tricks to make food look better and last longer, without regard to actual wholesomeness, safety, or flavor.

Seems like the more things change, the more they stay the same. We have more regulations today, but the manufacturers have more tricks (and lobbyists). -kp

When The Cornucopia Institute, a farm policy research group, officially launched in April 2004, one of its primary issue areas was what it referred to as "The Corporate Attack on Organic Agriculture." At the time, Cornucopia's focus was on the father and son team of Dennis and Alex Avery at the ultra-conservative Hudson Institute’s campaign to discredit organics. Now, in 2011, after seven years of successfully exposing the genesis of Hudson's ire, and greatly diminishing its effectiveness, a new generation of "Trojan horse" naysayers has emerged.

The latest attacks come from Mischa Popoff, a Canadian who purports to be an advocate for organics and is publicizing his self-published book entitled Is It Organic? The author misses few opportunities to impugn the integrity of the organic label, or USDA oversight, while simultaneously defending biotechnology and the industrial agriculture system that organics seeks to replace.

"Addressing the potential damage from attacks by the Hudson Institute, and other right-wing think tanks such as the Hoover Institution, the Heartland Institute, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute, was relatively easy," said Mark A. Kastel, Codirector at the Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute. "Every rebuttal that we published, or preemptive media advisory we issued, was put into context by including the corporate agribusiness funding base for the work of these entities." READ MORE...

Investors are involved in massive land grabs in Africa that may cause destabilization of food prices, mass displacement and environmental damage. US and EU investors -- including US universities, pension funds and investment firms -- are involved in unprecedented land grabs currently taking place in Africa, according to a series of investigative reports released on Wednesday by the Oakland Institute. READ MORE...

"Steps Towards Discovering the Intrinsic Nature of Water,” a hands-on, experiential conference, will offer participants an opportunity to experience water and the language of its fluid nature. The modern view of water as a commodity is often detrimental to people and nature. This conference will explore how we see water, and how we can allow it to teach us. The conference runs from July 31-August 5, at the Water Research Institute of Blue Hill (Maine). For more info, call 415-254-9567, or visit their website.

Ocean Conservancy has organized annual clean-ups, world-wide, since 1989. These clean-ups are documented. On a September day in 2008, 6.8 million pounds of trash were collected by 400,000 volunteers in over 100 countries, predominantly from the ocean’s edge. The Top Ten categories of debris (accounting for 83% of the total) are as follow:
1) Cigarette butts
2) Plastic bags
3) Food containers
4) Caps and lids
5) Plastic bottles
6) Paper bags
7) Straws and stirrers
8) Cups, plates, eating utensils
9) Glass bottles
10) Beverage cans

When the weather turns warm, water seems to be in our thoughts more frequently. If you grew up in the suburbs like me, you may remember the sting of cold water as you danced around under the sprinkler on a hot day, or crashed into water from the high dive at the town pool. These days, I love to go down the shore early Sunday morning and have breakfast at the water's edge. And there's nothing as refreshing as splashing through a cold brook on a hot sweaty mountain bike ride. Our relationship with water is always strong, but it really beckons us in the summer. It's a good time to give some thought to the importance of that relationship, and just how vital clean water and healthy oceans are to life on earth. -kp

7 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 lb rhubarb, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup a/p flour
1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp molasses

Melt butter in 10" ovenproof skillet. Remove and reserve 4 Tbsp melted butter. Add brown sugar, stirring to dissolve. Add rhubarb and cook at moderately high, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes
Combine remaining dry ingredients in bowl.
Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, molasses, and remaining butter.
Add wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. Pour over rhubarb in skillet, spreading into even layer.
Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes (until cake tester comes out clean).
Place a serving platter over pan and quickly invert. If some rhubarb sticks to the pan, just scrape it out and spoon onto cake.
Serve warm or room temperature, with ice cream or a dusting of powdered sugar.

1 stick of butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup creamy almond butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup sliced almond
1 cup dries cherries, sliced
3 cups oatmeal
1/2 tsp salt

Combine butter and brown sugar; add honey, nut butter and vanilla. Mix well and add dried fruit and almonds, followed by oatmeal. Bake in a lightly buttered 9x13 pan at 350 for about 15-18 minutes. (It will be soft, but will firm up when cool.) Cut into small bars or squares. Wrap individually or put in plastic bag. Store in refrigerator. Senor Energia loves these! -kp

Germany announced Monday it would become the biggest industrial power to completely give up nuclear energy following the crisis at the Fukushima plant in Japan, saying that all nuclear reactors would be shut by 2022. READ MORE...

We are closed in honor of the day - see you tomorrow.

DOUBLE DIPPING DANGER from NO GMO on Vimeo.

Watch this two minute video, produced by Alex Bogusky, and then CLICK HERE to read about new evidence showing even more harm from genetically modified foods.

The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee has adopted a government funding bill that if passed would turn back decades of progress to achieve a more sustainable and just food and farming system

This 2012 bill makes a second round of steep cuts to conservation, extension, research, renewable energy, and rural development programs. And just like in fiscal year 2011, none of the cuts are directed at crop subsidies, the largest federal agricultural spending item. Learn more...

If passed this bill will endanger our nation’s supply of clean water, increase the already alarming levels of soil erosion, and sell our farmers out to multinational meat and poultry conglomerates ... to name just a few.
 ACT NOW! Tell the Senate to Reject this Reckless Bill

June 2 Public Meeting on Indian Point:
Tell the NRC What Really Matters

TELL THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WHY INDIAN POINT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK! WE CAN REPLACE THE POWER - WE CAN’T REPLACE THE LIVES.

Join Riverkeeper on Thursday, June 2 and tell the NRC in person what you think about Indian Point. It’s the public’s last chance before the relicensing hearing in the fall to make sure the NRC, and our local elected officials, hear loud and clear about our concerns following the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The NRC has gamed the system long enough! It’s time for us to turn up the pressure on the NRC at this critical time, and the best way to do that is to show up and speak out!

The forecast for Thursday is mostly sunny and about 80, which sounds like ideal conditions for the first ever Hungry Hollow Co-op / CCI Racing group bike ride. Come on out and join Paula and Kathey for a ride along the Hudson. We'll start at Nyack Beach Park and head north to Haverstraw (unless the group opts to head south to Piermont). It's a beautiful trail, good for mountain bikes and hybrids as well (no road bikes) and it's a nice little ride. We won't kill you on this one. Hungry Hollow will provide some light snacks, but bring your water bottle, and your helmet. Ride is at 4 pm on Thursday/26th. (Rain-date is Saturday/28th at 10 am.) -kp

Now, a very great man once said
That some people rob you with a fountain pen
It didn’t take too long to find out
Just what he was talkin’ about
A lot of people don’t have much food on their table
But they got a lot of forks ’n’ knives
And they gotta cut somethin’

Ciclovida: Lifecycle is a narrative documentary film that follows a group of subsistence farmers as they traverse the South American continent by bicycle (6,000 miles) on a mission to rescue natural seeds. The travelers document how crops for biodiesel production are taking over the countryside and displacing millions of small farmers and indigenous communities. Subsistence crops and forests are being replaced by green deserts of genetically modified monoculture where nothing else, plant or animal, can survive the toxic sprays.

Join us Monday, May 23rd at 8 pm for a special screening of Ciclovida, followed by Q & A with Ivania de Alencar, Inacio do Nacimento, and Matthew Feinstein. There will be music, conversation, and camaraderie. Don’t miss it! T-shirts and DVDs will be available for purchase. Come and show Ivania and Inacio fellowship, solidarity and support. They leave for home (Brazil) Tuesday morning and this is their last night in the US. Let's show them some love!

The screening is at Brookside Building, 285 Hungry Hollow Rd., Chestnut Ridge NY. $10 suggested donation to help cover expenses. Call or email Kathey for more info: 845-356-3319 or kp@hungryhollow.org.

May is a little grey and gloomy this year, but it's still National Bike Month, and there are plenty of rides and events to get you out on two wheels. Transportation Alternatives is a hard working NYC-based organization that's doing great things and deserves support. Check out their website and join them for an event or as a member. -kp

Make every day a Fair Trade Day. Look for Fair Trade certified products; consider the fact that by spending a few dollars more you can profoundly improve the lives of the women, children and men whose hard work has made available the goods you want to purchase; choose not to buy from companies that are known to engage in dubious labor and trade practices around the world and here in this country. It’s our world, not Walmart’s or Wall Street’s - let’s make it work in accordance with our values, not theirs. -pw

Check out this video from People For Bikes--and please don't rag on them about the people in the video not wearing helmets. It's a piece of art and it's sweet. And help People For Bikes make the world safer for cyclists by visiting their website. When we ride, good things happen. -kp

This Friday, May 13th, we will be hosting a Fair Trade Breakfast With Equal Exchange, from 9-12. Manju from Equal Exchange will be here, so stop in for some coffee and treats. Saturday we will have a sampling of Once Again Nut Butters, and some treats made with their butters. Join us in celebrating World Fair Trade Day, and look for Fair Trade items through-out the Co-op.

In celebration of Mother’s Day we put up a bulletin board at the beginning of the week and invited folks to write a note to their Moms. Over 50 Dear Mom notes were on the board today! We took them down, put them in a big bowl and drew the winners of the three Weleda gift baskets. Congratulations to April Schoenherr, Shelley Freuman, and Willa F.

What could be a better gift for Mom that a bouquet of beautiful roses that have been ecologically produced and ethically sourced? Our bouquets come from One World Flowers, a leader in improving the lives of the workers, mostly women, who grow the flowers for the global floral industry.

Fair Trade Certification means farms that grow flowers are given a fair price for their produce, workers enjoy safe working conditions, fair living wages are paid to workers, and environmentally friendly growing practices are used. It is a commitment made by each company in the supply chain to maintain higher standards in our business practices, even if it costs a little more. In short, everyone can benefit from Fair Trade – from the worker in the field, to the company that owns the farm, the environment, and even you! By caring for the people first, Fair Trade ensures that the local environment and the local economy are also protected and built up. LEARN MORE

I’m in Minneapolis for an NCGA conference, and what's the first thing I notice on my way to the hotel? Bikes. Cyclists. Bike Lanes. And check this out-a bicycle co-op!! How cool is that? -kp

May is National Bike Month, and what goes together better than bikes and organic food? After all, the quality of your fuel is important, and what fuels your ride better than real, honest-to-goodness organic food? Sure, those gels and bars are good in a pinch, but for the long haul, your food is your energy source. Check out this link about organic food being served at the velodrome in Trexlertown, PA (aka Valley Preferred Cycling Center). What a great idea--we'd like to see more availability of organic foods at events. In the meantime, keep asking for it, and keep packing it for your rides and post-ride picnics. And come by and tell us what fuels your ride!

The Locust Tree in Flower
(second version)

Among
of
green

stiff
old
bright

broken
branch
come

white
sweet
May

Again

-WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS

Good meat comes from animals that had a good life and one bad day.

How did you learn about factory-farming and CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations)? Certainly not from the industry itself; they have nothing to gain and everything to lose by openness and transparency in their operations. Now Big Ag is going after whistle-blowers and undercover investigators (aka "agro-terrorists") in an effort to keep the public in the dark. Three states (Iowa, Minnesota and Florida) have pending legislation which would make filming and photography in factory farms a crime. Incidentally, the Minnesota law would also punish those who distribute said photos and films. As with the lack labeling of genetically engineered foods, consumers are denied freedom of choice. In a recent poll, the overwhelming majority of citizens said products containing GMOs should be labeled as such. The majority of people also believe that farm animals should be treated humanely. In an economic system that touts the Free Market, why is Big Ag so opposed to letting the Market function? A picture is worth a thousand words, and probably lots of dollars, too. Wouldn't you rather buy your meat from a farm that allows you to drop by and see the conditions under which that animal is being raised? -kp

The seed, the source of life, the embodiment of our biological and cultural diversity, the link between the past and the future of evolution, the common property of past, present and future generations of farming communities who have been seed breeders, is today being stolen from the farmers and being sold back to us as "propriety seed" owned by corporations like the US-headquartered Monsanto. Vandana Shiva

Read the whole article HERE

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. A concrete sarcophagus, in place over the reactor that exploded, was to last 30 years. It is falling apart, slowly but surely, and the money to build the new one is not there. An area 30 km in circumference remains a no-man’s land, off limits to humans. High levels of cesium remain undiminished., and machinery, tanks and busses in the area remain highly radioactive. Physicians for Social Responsibility held a press conference this morning jointly with the Institute for Policy Studies, on the ongoing impact of Chernobyl, the continuing catastrophe in Fukushima, and lessons for US public health and safety. Dr. Jeff Patterson, PSR past president, called the use of nuclear power an experiment carried out on unknown and unknowing populations around the world. There is no safe level of radiation. Please consider attending the Discussion on Indian Point tonight at 7 pm at the Nanuet Library. -kp

The disaster in Japan -- nuclear reactors dangerously close still to meltdown -- has raised questions about the risks we Hudson Valley residents face with Indian Point nuclear power plant in our area.

* Americans in Japan within 50 miles of the Fukushima nuclear reactor have been advised to evacuate. Why, then, are Americans living with only a 10-mile evacuation zone?
* With 20 million people living within 50 miles of Indian Point, is a 50 mile evacuation even conceivable?
* With the spent fuel pools outside containment structures at Fukushima remaining out of control, many are now questioning the
safety of spent fuel rods at Indian Point.
* Would leaks from the plant impact Rockland’s drinking water if plans to desalinate the Hudson for drinking water move ahead?
* How crucial is the power from Indian Point?
* What can we do to shut the plant down?

Longtime environmental advocates Marilyn Elie, Susan Shapiro, and Maureen Ritter will moderate the discussion.

For more information, email pkurtz9@gmail.com or deby1012@verizon.net or call 845 358-3386.

There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

In ecology, as in economics, the law is intended to warn that every gain is won at some cost….Because the global ecosystem is a connected whole, in which nothing can be gained or lost and which is not subject to over-all improvement, anything extracted from it by human effort must be replaced. Payment on this price cannot be avoided; it can only be delayed. The present environmental crisis is a warning that we have delayed nearly too long.         Barry Commoner, The Closing Circle, 1971

Domesticity and wildness are in fact intimately connected. What is utterly alien to both is corporate industrialism--a displaced economic life that is without affection for the places where it is lived and without regard for the materials it uses.

Wendell Berry, from the essay Conservationist and Agrarian.

It's been one year since the tragic avoidable accident in the Gulf (aka the BP Disaster, or The Well From Hell). It's not over. Do not believe those paid commercials that BP has been airing, telling you how they've cleaned up and made things right. They haven't. Why is the environment always second to our energy appetite and the economy? Eleven men died from the explosion, countless sea creatures and birds died and continue to suffer, and the people of the Gulf Coast are still suffering. We must demand accountability, transparency and commitment to long-term scientific monitoring. Read 10 Reasons to Still Be Pissed at BP

Dinner was really good too; they said it took 5 different distributors to get all the local food in here that they needed for the meals!

After the keynote speech by Kathleen Merrigan [Deputy Secretary of the US Dept. of Agriculture], I got to ask her, or actually tell her, that while I applaud the work she's doing, as well as Michelle Obama's, many of us are disappointed with the administration's approvals of GM crops, especially the alfalfa, and that while there is good concrete work being done (re: sustainable & organic farming), it doesn’t seem that the administration is really behind those efforts. It got applause! And I didn't really want an answer, I just wanted to put it out there. So, mission accomplished. -kp

Kathey Piedl, our Member Services / Outreach Manager, is attending this conference. She’ll be sending blog posts when she has a chance. All we know so far is that the lunch served today was one of the best ever at a hotel/conference venue. (The food service, surprisingly, is often a weak spot at conferences of this sort.) How did they do it? By working with Real Time Farms. Click here to see the menu.

When April pours the colors of a shell
Upon the hills, where every little creek
Is shot with silver from the Chesapeake
In shoals new minted by the ocean swell,
When strawberries go begging, and the sleek
Blue plums lie open to the blackbird's beak,
We shall live well--we shall live very well.

Elinor Wylie, from Wild Peaches

Friday after work I joined Ben and Paula Williams (co-op members and owners of Clockwork Construction Inc Racing Team) for a leisurely bike ride from Nyack north to Haverstraw. The trail runs along the Hudson, and it was my first time there, so I was really taken with how beautiful it all was, especially the river. My experience of the Hudson River has been either viewing it from a bridge at the various upstate crossings, or the non-experience of driving through a tunnel under the river. Oh, and one of those cruises around Manhattan. So it was a real treat to see it up-close and personal--kind of like the first time you actually see a painting you love, in a museum, within touching distance. Breathtaking. So naturally, all of this got me thinking about all the toxins that have been dumped in this jewel of a river, and about Indian Point, which is (or should be) on everyone’s minds these days. I thought I’d share one of Riverkeeper’s Top Ten Reasons To Close Indian Point:

#10: Indian Point Storage Pools are overfilled with spent fuel rods from the past 40 years. These pools are leaking radioactive water into the ground and the Hudson River.

Go to Riverkeeper’s website for the rest of the list, and please support the work they do. -kp

Recommended Reading: Four Fish: the Future of the Last Wild Food
by Paul Greenberg

“When these accountants from these companies call me and tell me that they are raising their prices on me again, I look forward to the day when they will have nothing to eat. That will be some kind of day. And you know what I’ll say at that point? I’ll say, ‘Eat your computer. Eat it. Eat it right now.’” Thanasis Frentzos, speaking with Paul Greenberg in Four Fish

If you eat fish, this is a must read. -kp

“The insatiable demands of a materialist technology have somehow crucially diminished our reverence and compassion for various forms of life and thwarted our understanding of the web of interdependence that weaves our own life together with the other kingdoms.” Toward Saving The Honeybee -Gunther Hauk

By now, most people know about the plight of the honeybees, as well as how much our food supply depends on them, as well as other pollinators. In the introduction to his book, Gunther posits that it is not merely a mite, such as the varroa mite, or some other invader, but rather our whole approach to the bee’s existence that has weakened it, causing its health to deteriorate. The exploitation of bees happens on such a large scale, without much regard to their true nature and role in agriculture, that it’s very likely that we’ve had a hand in their decline. “The honeybees' very existence is threatened by humanity's efforts to capitalize on their largesse. We have been overriding the bees' natural rhythms and intrinsic needs for the last hundred years.” Learn more at Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary’s website. -kp

Recommended reading: The World is Blue: How Our Fate and the Oceans’s Are One by Sylvia Earle.

“Even if you never have the chance to see or touch the ocean, the ocean touches you with every breath you take, every drop of water you drink, every bite you consume. Everyone, everywhere is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea.” Sylvia Earle

The ocean makes life on earth, our lives on earth, possible. We’ve long held the view that the ocean was limitless, bottomless and endless, as far as our needs were concerned. We are finding out just how wrong we were. Besides over-harvesting marine wildlife and drilling for oil, we’ve also regarded the ocean, as Sylvia Earle says, “the ultimate Dumpster”. The ocean is not infinitely resilient, and as we’re learning from our recent disasters in the Gulf of Mexico and Japan, we are closer together than we realize, though miles of water may separate us. -kp

“The same year as Reagan’s inauguration, 1980, a little-known but important law was passed, The Bayh-Dole Act. For the first time in our history, patents were allowed on the results of research done with public money at public universities. This law increased special interest research and allowed corporations and the universities to keep the patents, and profits, even though the intellectual infrastructure and talent for this innovation was supplied by the public and paid for by taxpayers. The Bayh-Dole Act is just one example, but it’s a major reason why biotechnology has come to dominate food and farming, as it allowed corporations to take over our research institutions….the very public institutions that should be protecting public health and interests.”

Farmer Jane: Women Changing the Way We Eat -TEMRA COSTA

The Farmer and the Horse
A Special Screening to Benefit The Pfeiffer Center
Plus a Q&A With the Director
Sponsored by
Hungry Hollow Co-op
Friday, April 8, 8:00pm

The issue, however, is not simply whether we recognize that diversity is the actual basis of productivity, but whether we understand that diversity has an intrinsic value and should therefore be saved. Only then will it be unthinkable to regard biodiversity as raw material for the uniform fabrications of the genetics industry. The conflict of between the two concepts--diversity as an intrinsic value and diversity as a material resource--touches on issues of power, control, and property. Many people in all cultures share the opinion that life is not something that one can own, and that any exploitation of living things has to be governed by respect. The notions of modern science and biotechnology are irreconcilably opposed to such respect. -Vandana Shiva

April Woods: Morning

Birth of color
Out of the night and the ground.

Luminous the gatherings
Of bloodroot

Newly risen, green leaf
White flower

In the sun, the dark
Grown absent.

-WENDELL BERRY

Today’s blog (or rather, tonight’s) is late because, well, what an amazingly beautiful day it is! After the winter we’ve had, it was such a pleasure to be outside, hanging laundry on the clothesline and checking out what’s growing in the backyard. The nettle is bright green and coming on strong, the rhubarb has poked through the dead leaves, and my tiny patch of ramps is a little bigger than last year. On a day like this, Nature is at her best--so much wiser and more powerful than we humans, yet just quietly carrying on in her gentle way. I hope y’all got outside today and didn’t spend the day at the mall! -KP

If the energy crisis of the 1970s was temporary, today’s energy crisis seems about to be permanent. However much oil prices fluctuate in the short term, the long term is probably closer than we think. -Joan Gussow

Anyone old enough to remember the 1970s probably remembers the long gas lines, the “layered look”, the high prices (especially food prices). You remember Jimmy Carter and his solar panels on the White House. Was Carter a forward-thinking environmentalist? I don’t know, but when was the last time anyone in the White House called on Americans to make any kind of sacrifice? Wars, environmental disasters, terror attacks, whatever-it’s business as usual. Let’s not change our lifestyles, just keep on shopping and watching reality TV. Perhaps if Carter’s initiatives had been taken more seriously by subsequent administrations, we’d be much further along today, and not still talking about “high” gas prices and newer, better nuclear plants. The “long term” may indeed be closer than we think. -kp

Tuesday, April 5, Hungry Hollow Co-op is hosting a NOFA-NY Membership Drive. NOFA-NY(Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York) is New York State’s preeminent organization devoted to organic and sustainable food production. NOFA-NY members receive many tangible benefits, but being a member is so much more. NOFA-NY provides a mechanism for members to come together for networking, education, information sharing and advocacy. It links you to the larger organic movement.

Please consider joining NOFA-NY. Annual membership is normally $40.00. During Hungry Hollow Co-op’s NOFA Membership Drive, first-time members will receive 75% off their membership fee--that’s just $10.00! Laura O’Donohue (owner of Snow Hill Farm in North Salem NY and NOFA board member) will be here from 11 to 3 on Tuesday. Stop by for a chat and pick up a great membership deal while you’re picking up your groceries.

FRI, MAR. 25, 11am-2pm
Sophia Fonseca, Senior Skin Care Therapist with Dr. Hauschka, will be here offering complimentary skin care consultations. No appointments necessary. Sophia was recently featured on Get Fresh With Sara Snow on the Discovery Health Channel. Here’s a video clip.

Friday, March 18, 7:30 - 9:00 pm
Joan Dye Gussow, EdD, is Mary Swartz Rose Professor emerita and former chair of the Nutrition Education Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she has been a long-time analyst and critic of the U.S. food system. In her classic 1978 book The Feeding Web: Issues in Nutritional Ecology, which tracked the environmental hazards of an increasingly globalizing food system, she foreshadowed by several decades the current interest in relocalizing the food supply. The New York Times calls her a "matriarch of the eat-locally-think-globally food movement".

Her subsequent books include The Nutrition Debate (1986), Chicken Little, Tomato Sauce and Agriculture (1991), and This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader (2001), the latter based on the lessons learned from decades of working toward growing her own food. Her 2010 book, Growing, Older, is as it’s subtitle suggests, a garden-based collection of “reflections on death, life and vegetables”.

Tonight, Joan will read from her most recent book Growing, Older. A discussion and book signing will follow - the book will be available for purchase if you don't already have a copy. Light refreshments will be served. Plan to arrive early - seating is limited.

Wednesday, March 16 - Capitol Hill
The National Small Farm and Ranch Grassroots Lobby Day & Legislative Reception
With passage of the recent food "safety" bill, it is more important than ever that we be a presence of food freedom and sanity in Congress.

PLEASE INVITE YOUR LEGISLATORS!

Call and email or fax your Representative and two Senators to invite them to the Reception.

Help reveal to Congress the disastrous ramifications of the recent "food safety" legislation and provide them the real food safety solution: unregulated local trade direct from producer to consumer. True food sovereignty means food security and national prosperity.

Weleda’s entire selection of facial care products is on sale at 20% off regular prices for the month of March in our Body Care Department.
Cleansers/Toners
Sensitive Skin
Youthful Skin
First Lines
Aging Skin NEW
Specialty Care

Four workshops in the heart of the Blue Ridge mountains; presented by Gunther Hauk, teacher, lecturer, biodynamic gardener and beekeeper for over 35 years. CLICK HERE to view and download the brochure and application form.

When the Food & Drug Administration took public comments on genetically engineered salmon last Fall, 21,095 Organic Consumers Association activists sent letters urging the FDA to block Frankenfish. We expect the FDA to release an environmental assessment of the GM salmon any day now, and when they do, we'll have another 30 days to submit public comments, but FDA approval seems all but certain.

Thankfully, there are members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, who are committed to stopping GM salmon, even if Obama's FDA gives it the green light. These Congresspersons know that GM salmon just isn't safe. Worse than even "normal" factory farmed fish, which are often deformed and disease-ridden, GM salmon is less nutritious, more likely to trigger allergies, and could increase cancer-risks in the people who eat it.

Please contact your Member of Congress and urge them to cosponsor H.R.521, Rep. Don Young (R-AL)'s bill to ban GM salmon, and vote for H.R.1 Amendment No. 491, Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)'s effort to include a ban on GM salmon in the 2011 Continuing Resolution.

Take Action: Tell Your Member of Congress to Cosponsor H.R.521 & Vote for CR Amendment No. 491!

Despite public opposition, the USDA recently approved Monsanto's Roundup Ready, genetically engineered alfalfa for commercial planting in the absence of sound science to prove that contamination can be prevented or that it is safe for human health or the environment. Alfalfa is primarily used as animal feed in dairies. Now that GE alfalfa has been cleared for commercial production, dairies need to hear from you that you will not purchase dairy products from companies that allow GE alfalfa!

Fluffy Chocolate Chip Scones

2 cups a/p flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips (better yet--chop up a 3-4 oz bar of your favorite dark chocolate)
1 ¼ - 1 1/3 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp sweet butter, melted
1 Tbsp sugar
Preheat oven to 425.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and add chocolate chips.
Stir in cream with fork until dough holds together (will be sticky) If necessary, add 1 or 2 tablespoons more cream.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead several times. Pat into 9” round. Cut into 8 wedges.
Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet, 2” apart.
Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden. Best on day made. Can be frozen. (Heat 15-20 minutes at 350.)
Serve with raspberry butter and/or fresh raspberries! -kp

After deregulating GE alfalfa a couple weeks back, the USDA last week gave GE sugar beets a thumbs-up in the form of a "partial deregulation".

Monsanto and KWS, the two companies which developed the genetically engineered beets, pressured the USDA to allow them to be planted this spring, and not wait for the completion of the Environmental Impact Statement. (The EIS is not expected to be finished until spring of 2012.)

Why the hurry? GE beets account for 90% of the sugar beet crop harvested last year. In August, their approval had been revoked, pending results of the EIS. Because of a likely non-GE seed shortage, the government was projecting (gasp!) a possible 20% reduction in American sugar production. World sugar prices are high because of weather conditions in cane-growing regions, which would have made the importation of sugar to fill the gap more costly. So the bottom line is that the needs of industry outweigh the health of the citizenry. Aren't we being told to consume less sugar, anyway? -kp

Statistics released last month by Brattleboro-based Organic Trade Association showed double-digit growth in organic produce sales in 2009, despite the recession, and there are indications that the category continues to defy economic hard times. Last October, for example, had an 8% growth rate for organic sales overall. Since 2000, when the National Organic Program rule was published, sales of organic fruit & vegetables have grown from 2.6 billion to 9.5 billion dollars currently. "People who buy organic foods," said Simcha Weinstein of Alberts Organics, "are linked by their values and not by demographics." Organic purchases seem to reflect the level of education, as well as a wider world-view, more so than income levels.

Here’s a nice treat for a winter day. Judging by the volume Cascadian Farm frozen berries sold whenever they go on sale, many of you probably already have everything you need to make this. -kp

2 cups frozen blueberries
4-5 cups frozen raspberries
½ cup sugar
Zest of an orange (or lemon)
2 Tbsp flour

3 cups old-fashioned oats
½ cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Zest of an orange (or lemon)
2 sticks sweet butter

Preheat oven to 400. In large bowl, combine ingredients from oats through zest. Cut butter into small pieces and add, squeezing with fingers to incorporate into dry mixture until crumbly.

Combine sugar, zest and flour; spoon over berries and gently toss together. Place in 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Scatter oat mixture over the berries and transfer to oven to bake for about 35 minutes, until topping is browned and fruit is bubbling.

Despite the risks, the USDA has now made it clear that they are not interested in regulating Monsanto’s GE Alfalfa. They approved it January 27th for planting this spring by farmers with no restrictions.

Tell President Obama that you don’t want organic and conventional agriculture contaminated by GE Alfalfa, and that you have a right to eat meat, dairy, and eggs from livestock who consume non-genetically engineered crops. Read more and take action.

Mini Meatballs for Superbowl Sunday

1# ground beef
1 egg
1/3 cup broth
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tsp salt

Combine well and form into 1" balls (I used a small melon-baller). Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil or lard in a skillet, and add the meatballs in batches (do not overcrowd) Roll them around a bit while cooking, to make sure they are done on all sides and cooked through; cook about 7 or 8 minutes. Serve with sauce.

Combine 1/4 cup Sriracha hot sauce with 1/4 cup peach preserves. Blend well. Add more hot sauce if you like. -kp

Superbowl XLV is this Sunday. I am not much of a sports fan, especially football, but I do usually watch the Superbowl; I like the commercials, I like beer, and I like snacks. I look forward to someday watching the Jets play in the Superbowl--maybe in 2014 when the Superbowl comes to Giants Stadium in NJ! Anyway, if you're hosting a party this Sunday, what are you serving? Here's a link to a chili recipe on Obama Foodarama, where you can follow White House Food Initiatives and other Bipartisan Bytes of Food Politics. Serve Obama-style, with lots of hot sauce. (I'd love to sit down with him and tell him what I think about GE alfalfa, and see which of us uses more hot sauce!) -kp

By Ronnie Cummins, Organic Consumers Association, Jan 27, 2011

In the wake of a 12-year battle to keep Monsanto's Genetically Engineered (GE) crops from contaminating the nation's 25,000 organic farms and ranches, America's organic consumers and producers are facing betrayal. A self-appointed cabal of the Organic Elite, spearheaded by Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm, has decided it's time to surrender to Monsanto. Top executives from these companies have publicly admitted that they no longer oppose the mass commercialization of GE crops, such as Monsanto's controversial Roundup Ready alfalfa, and are prepared to sit down and cut a deal for "coexistence" with Monsanto and USDA biotech cheerleader Tom Vilsack.

In a cleverly worded, but profoundly misleading email sent to its customers last week, Whole Foods Market, while proclaiming their support for organics and "seed purity," gave the green light to USDA bureaucrats to approve the "conditional deregulation" of Monsanto's genetically engineered, herbicide-resistant alfalfa. Beyond the regulatory euphemism of "conditional deregulation," this means that WFM and their colleagues are willing to go along with the massive planting of a chemical and energy-intensive GE perennial crop, alfalfa; guaranteed to spread its mutant genes and seeds across the nation; guaranteed to contaminate the alfalfa fed to organic animals; guaranteed to lead to massive poisoning of farm workers and destruction of the essential soil food web by the toxic herbicide, Roundup; and guaranteed to produce Roundup-resistant superweeds that will require even more deadly herbicides such as 2,4 D to be sprayed on millions of acres of alfalfa across the U.S. Read more about this critical issue and take action!

"In part, what I see as the continuing attack on good, sound eating and traditional farming in the United States is a political issue".
--Mark Bittman, NY Times, January 26, 2011.

On January 27th, the USDA approved the unrestricted commercial cultivation of Monsanto's Genetically Engineered alfalfa. A "controversial"  compromise that would have offered organic and non-GE farmers a degree of protection against contamination, by way of geographic restrictions and isolation distances, was withdrawn after pressure by the biotechnology industry and some members of Congress.  A spokesman for the National Cotton Council, for example, concerned that such restrictions could be extended to other crops, said, "It's like a Pandora's box." 

In fact, it is bioengineering that is the Pandora's box. We are all going to suffer losses because of the biotech companies disregard for public health and environmental concerns and their unwillingness to allow sound science to get in the way of potential profits.  Some of the individuals and organizations that had supported a complete ban on GE alfalfa are now backing down, advocating peaceful coexistence and calling for other measures to be put in place, like compensating organic farmers if their crops are contaminated.  But, what compensation will there be for the eating public?  Not to be dismissive of any losses of small organic farmers (or any small farmers--conventional farmers have also voiced opposition to GE alfalfa) but how can you possibly compensate for the loss of 100% organic food?  The ubiquity of alfalfa in food production and the fact that it is a bee-pollinated perennial essentially guarantees that, in the long run, no farmland and thus no food will remain free of Genetically Modified Organisms. This is about destroying organic agriculture, taking away your choice regarding what you eat, and giving control of our food system over to Monsanto, Dow, Bayer and the other biotech profiteers.

Do not go down quietly---call the White House, call your elected officials, raise hell, write letters, go out in the streets---make your voice heard!   In truth, I never paid enough attention to the GMO issue because I thought one could avoid it simply by choosing organic.  GE  alfalfa has the potential to undo everything we've all been working for, for so long: clean, healthy food, and the freedom to grow it, buy it, and eat it. Without GMO labeling, which is not required in this country (as it is in the European Union) the only way you can be reasonably sure that your food is not genetically engineered is to buy organic. We now stand to lose even that possibility if we do not succeed in pressuring the USDA to reinstate a full ban on the cultivation of GE alfalfa.   -kp

     
This week-end, NOFA-NJ's Annual Conference is taking place in Princeton on Saturday and Sunday. It's a little closer than Saratoga Springs, if that kept anyone from attending NOFA-NY's conference last week-end (or could the temperature have had anything to do with it?) and there are even more great places to eat in Princeton. Check out this link for the schedule and registration. -KP

Beating out a host of corporate criminals, including BP and Chevron, Monsanto garnered 38% of the vote to win the 2010 spot in the Corporate Hall of Shame. Read More

This week-end is NOFA-NY's annual winter conference, taking place in Saratoga Springs January 21st-23rd. There are great workshops, socializing and networking. Saratoga Springs also has some great places to eat. Definitely worthwhile. Register on-line, by phone, or on-site. Check out the link for all the offerings. -KP

In a precedent-setting final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the planting of Monsanto’s genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) acknowledges for the first time that GE contamination of organic and conventionally grown crops presents a huge problem in the U.S. Yet, the document falls woefully short of proving that GE alfalfa is safe for the environment or that it will afford all farmers their fair share of the US agricultural economy. In fact, the EIS sorely lacks the type of rigorous scientific data and analysis that the public expects from the Agency to justify going forward with any type of deregulation of GE alfalfa.

Click here to tell U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack that the science doesn’t support the agency’s proposed measures to prevent GMO contamination. The only way to fully protect farmers, consumers and the environment is to deny approval of GE alfalfa and adopt a moratorium.

After a day like this, how about some delicious easy mac & cheese for dinner? Here's what I made last night: I bought a piece of Woodcock Farm's West Wind Cheese, a little over a half pound, but a good sharp cheddar would be fine.

8 oz elbow macaroni
8-12 oz cheese, shredded
1 can evaporated milk
2 eggs
butter
mustard powder, hot sauce, salt

Cook pasta; drain, return to pot, and toss with about 4 Tbsp butter. Whisk eggs into milk. Add about 1 tsp mustard powder, a tsp of salt, and a splash (or two or three) of hot sauce. Combine well and pour over pasta; add cheese. Stir over low heat until cheese is melted and sauce is thick, about 5 minutes. You could stick it under the broiler for a minute if you like the top browned, or top with some toasted bread crumbs, and more hot sauce. Yum! -KP

In the 1990s, Monsanto found an ingenious way to sell large quantities of its broad-spectrum toxic herbicide RoundUp to farmers. The company's scientists gene-spliced corn, soy, cotton, and canola with foreign DNA, enabling these "Frankencrops" to survive massive doses of RoundUp. Farmers could now repeatedly spray their fields with RoundUp, killing weeds but not the crop. Unfortunately, the collateral damage of heavy RoundUp spraying includes groundwater pollution, toxic residues in crops, and destruction of essential soil microorganisms. The Genetically Modified (GM) crops themselves create herbicide-resistant Superweeds and spread genetic pollution to organic and non-GMO crops as well as plant relatives. Last but certainly not least, Monsanto's GM foods have been linked to serious health damage - not only for animals, but humans as well.

Today, a major portion of cropland in the US is sown with Monsanto's "RoundUp Ready" corn, soy, cotton, canola, and sugar beets. Eighty percent of these GM crops are then sold as animal feed to the nation's 125,000 factory farms or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) that produce most of the non-organic meat, dairy, or eggs sold in grocery stores or served in restaurants, schools, and hospitals. The other 20% of Monsanto's Genetically Modified Organisms are laced into non-organic processed foods (soy lecithin, corn or sugar beet sweeteners, cooking oils, etc.) that are found in every grocery store aisle.

There is a direct correlation between our genetically engineered food supply and the $2 trillion the US spends annually on medical care, namely an epidemic of diet-related chronic diseases. Instead of healthy fruits, vegetables, grains, and grass-fed animal products, US factory farms and food processors produce a glut of genetically engineered junk foods that generate heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. Low fruit and vegetable consumption is directly costing the United States $56 billion a year in diet-related chronic diseases.

Monsanto's GM crops are highly profitable for the food industry, turning cheap, federally subsidized, genetically engineered crops and GE-fed animals into cheap, ubiquitous, junky foods. But from the standpoint of public health and environmental sustainability, Monsanto and their factory farm collaborators are nothing less than merchants of disease and death.

A critical mass of consumers would turn away from GMOs and Factory Farmed meat, dairy, and eggs - if they knew what they were eating. Please join and support OCA in our new Truth-in-Labeling campaign.

Learn More