A friend shared this with me today and it blew me away! Why can't we do this everywhere? I'm not going to talk a lot about it - just watch, and we'll come back to it again later!
Showing posts with label food policy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food policy. Show all posts
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Changing Your Diet Series: Raw Milk
I have a friend that can't drink pasteurized milk - it gives her an allergic reaction. She hadn't had any in years until she tried some of my raw milk - and had no issues. The pasteurization and homogenization processes seem to create problems in our digestion, part of the reason many people buy it directly from the farm.
There's an underground movement that moves an enormous amount of raw milk around north Texas every day. Since most of the dairies are outside the DFW area, groups purchase milk and carry it back. Texas law requires that raw milk be sold to the consumer on the farm. No farmers markets, no delivery, no store sales - just straight from the farmer to the buyer. And while it would be nice to get my raw milk from the store, I've learned so much from having to head to the farm every few weeks. I have a better understanding of what it takes to get food from the farm to my refrigerator.
I think the FDA likes to think that raw milk drinkers are free spirits who live in communes and are out of touch with the real world. Read: fringe. Not mainstream. It couldn't be farther from the truth. The members of my group are lawyers, health care professionals, and entrepreneurs concerned about the food they eat.
All of us have arrived at this place in our raw milk journey from a different starting point. Personally, I have an issue with joint pain. For a time, I was very concerned about arthritis, although that doesn't really seem to be my issue. Raw milk contains something called the Wulzen Factor, which is an enzyme that appears to help combat inflammation and the type of joint pain I have. That sold me - my doctor told me to take an NSAID - but I'd much rather eat a food that did the job. In case you're wondering why I can't get this from pasteurized milk, the Wulzen Factor is inactivated by pasteurization. Does it work? My joints are better. Not perfect, but I don't need a painkiller and I've actually been able to start running again.
The web has tons of information about the benefits of raw milk, but you need to come to your own conclusion as to the benefit to your family. Friends tell me organic milk is too expensive - I agree. $6 for a gallon of UHT, homogenized liquid is way too much. I actually pay more than that for the milk I get from the farm, but I know I'm getting my money's worth. Another option is locally-sourced low-temp pasteurized non-homogenized milk, which you can find if you look for it. Here's a local option available in some stores in the DFW area.
So...how do you find raw milk? How do you find a farmer? The place to start is www.realmilk.com. Do your homework and call several of the farms listed in your area - and visit them as well. You'll get a feeling for what you're looking at, even if you're not familiar with it. If the farms don't like visitors, cross them off your list, no exceptions. A good farm will offer references and walk you through their process, and maybe even provide access to a rideshare contact that will let you join a group.
The farm that's been feeding my family for the past few years is about 45 minutes north of me. It has about ten cows, a few hogs, chickens, and a grass-fed steer once or twice a year. They also market lamb from another small farm, which I've purchased several times and been very satisfied. Traci, my farmer, makes it so easy. Everything is on the honor system; order a few days ahead - if she doesn't call you back, come get it. And leave a check in the cooler. Sadly, Traci and her husband are closing their farm down in June and selling. We are heartbroken, not only at the loss of access to the wonderful food they provide, but at the loss of our farmers who have become friends over the past several years.
I wanted this raw milk post to be about how, not why, since the why is is pretty clear if you read any of the real food blogs online. If you're not ready for raw milk, that's okay. Finding a farmer isn't just about milk. It's about access to real food.
Some things to think about:
...raw milk is a real food and changes with the seasons, unlike store bought milk. Right now in the spring it's a gorgeous light yellow from all the new grass the cows are eating, and the taste is amazing.
...sometimes things happen and you don't get your milk. I've driven two hours to the farm, only to find them sold out. When farmers lose cattle their milk production can drop drastically to where they can't keep up with demand.
...sometimes people scheduled to pick up milk just don't feel like it that day, and the farmer has to feed the milk to their hogs. You can't have a grocery store mentality if you choose to support a farmer this way - because that's exactly what you're doing - supporting a farmer.
...farmers deserve to make a living wage. A dairy farmer milks twice a day, seven days a week, with no time off for good behavior. All so that I can have fresh, nutritious milk on my table.
I got milk from the farm today. And I'm going to shake it up and have a glass right now!
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There's an underground movement that moves an enormous amount of raw milk around north Texas every day. Since most of the dairies are outside the DFW area, groups purchase milk and carry it back. Texas law requires that raw milk be sold to the consumer on the farm. No farmers markets, no delivery, no store sales - just straight from the farmer to the buyer. And while it would be nice to get my raw milk from the store, I've learned so much from having to head to the farm every few weeks. I have a better understanding of what it takes to get food from the farm to my refrigerator.
I think the FDA likes to think that raw milk drinkers are free spirits who live in communes and are out of touch with the real world. Read: fringe. Not mainstream. It couldn't be farther from the truth. The members of my group are lawyers, health care professionals, and entrepreneurs concerned about the food they eat.
All of us have arrived at this place in our raw milk journey from a different starting point. Personally, I have an issue with joint pain. For a time, I was very concerned about arthritis, although that doesn't really seem to be my issue. Raw milk contains something called the Wulzen Factor, which is an enzyme that appears to help combat inflammation and the type of joint pain I have. That sold me - my doctor told me to take an NSAID - but I'd much rather eat a food that did the job. In case you're wondering why I can't get this from pasteurized milk, the Wulzen Factor is inactivated by pasteurization. Does it work? My joints are better. Not perfect, but I don't need a painkiller and I've actually been able to start running again.
The web has tons of information about the benefits of raw milk, but you need to come to your own conclusion as to the benefit to your family. Friends tell me organic milk is too expensive - I agree. $6 for a gallon of UHT, homogenized liquid is way too much. I actually pay more than that for the milk I get from the farm, but I know I'm getting my money's worth. Another option is locally-sourced low-temp pasteurized non-homogenized milk, which you can find if you look for it. Here's a local option available in some stores in the DFW area.
So...how do you find raw milk? How do you find a farmer? The place to start is www.realmilk.com. Do your homework and call several of the farms listed in your area - and visit them as well. You'll get a feeling for what you're looking at, even if you're not familiar with it. If the farms don't like visitors, cross them off your list, no exceptions. A good farm will offer references and walk you through their process, and maybe even provide access to a rideshare contact that will let you join a group.
The farm that's been feeding my family for the past few years is about 45 minutes north of me. It has about ten cows, a few hogs, chickens, and a grass-fed steer once or twice a year. They also market lamb from another small farm, which I've purchased several times and been very satisfied. Traci, my farmer, makes it so easy. Everything is on the honor system; order a few days ahead - if she doesn't call you back, come get it. And leave a check in the cooler. Sadly, Traci and her husband are closing their farm down in June and selling. We are heartbroken, not only at the loss of access to the wonderful food they provide, but at the loss of our farmers who have become friends over the past several years.
I wanted this raw milk post to be about how, not why, since the why is is pretty clear if you read any of the real food blogs online. If you're not ready for raw milk, that's okay. Finding a farmer isn't just about milk. It's about access to real food.
Some things to think about:
...raw milk is a real food and changes with the seasons, unlike store bought milk. Right now in the spring it's a gorgeous light yellow from all the new grass the cows are eating, and the taste is amazing.
...sometimes things happen and you don't get your milk. I've driven two hours to the farm, only to find them sold out. When farmers lose cattle their milk production can drop drastically to where they can't keep up with demand.
...sometimes people scheduled to pick up milk just don't feel like it that day, and the farmer has to feed the milk to their hogs. You can't have a grocery store mentality if you choose to support a farmer this way - because that's exactly what you're doing - supporting a farmer.
...farmers deserve to make a living wage. A dairy farmer milks twice a day, seven days a week, with no time off for good behavior. All so that I can have fresh, nutritious milk on my table.
I got milk from the farm today. And I'm going to shake it up and have a glass right now!
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Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Helping
I went to visit some family in Oklahoma City over the weekend who are very active in their church. They volunteer monthly in the food pantry their church supports, and because I was there I decided to help and see how their small pantry worked.
We arrived a half hour before the doors opened and there was already a line of twenty people. A lady close to the front of the line handed me a bag, telling me a man had dropped it off as a donation and asked her to turn it in.
We headed into the building and I received a tour of the "pantry". It was actually well appointed, with six large freezers and lots of shelving. Initially, it didn't appear to me that there was very much food on the shelves...and some of it was indeed junk food. Individuals requesting help are given "pantry bucks" to spend based on the size of their family and their reported income. Volunteers take the "bucks" and escort each client around the pantry with a cart, showing them what is available and letting them pick the products that fit within their "pantry buck" budget and their eating habits.
There was an enormous amount of meat, which had been donated by Walmart and was all past its sell by date. All of the freezers were full. One held nothing but frozen vegetables - corn, sliced zucchini, carrots and yellow wax beans. In the process of helping the clients, I couldn't help but think about what I would select if I were in their position. What I saw was very interesting.
The hispanic clients were very structured - meat, vegetables, rice, beans, and very little processed food. They looked for cuts of meat we consider less desireable - thighs rather than boneless skinless chicken breasts, and they were also the only group that selected whole chickens and gizzards, which a young boy translating for his mother told me were wonderful in soup. The other ethnic groups were not so focused on nutrition, choosing instead potato chips, soda, ramen and pasta. I realize that food pantries carry whatever is donated to them and rarely have the opportunity to choose the food that lines their shelves, but it bothered me to have the junk food drawing attention away from better choices when these people had so little to start with. I wondered if the individuals really understood the difference good nutrition could make in their health...or even what good nutrition was.
One gentleman told me he had no access to a kitchen or even a freezer, meaning he had to forgo the frozen meat and vegetables and opt instead for canned goods and dry cereal. This was a circumstance I hadn't really thought about before...that even when nutritious food is available and accessible, it's not always feasible for the individual to accept it.
We served 68 clients in two and half hours that evening. The shelves were almost cleaned out of dry goods, and they needed to restock for the following day. I left feeling that I had done some good, but also that it was the tip of the iceberg. But that is another discussion.
We arrived a half hour before the doors opened and there was already a line of twenty people. A lady close to the front of the line handed me a bag, telling me a man had dropped it off as a donation and asked her to turn it in.
We headed into the building and I received a tour of the "pantry". It was actually well appointed, with six large freezers and lots of shelving. Initially, it didn't appear to me that there was very much food on the shelves...and some of it was indeed junk food. Individuals requesting help are given "pantry bucks" to spend based on the size of their family and their reported income. Volunteers take the "bucks" and escort each client around the pantry with a cart, showing them what is available and letting them pick the products that fit within their "pantry buck" budget and their eating habits.
There was an enormous amount of meat, which had been donated by Walmart and was all past its sell by date. All of the freezers were full. One held nothing but frozen vegetables - corn, sliced zucchini, carrots and yellow wax beans. In the process of helping the clients, I couldn't help but think about what I would select if I were in their position. What I saw was very interesting.
The hispanic clients were very structured - meat, vegetables, rice, beans, and very little processed food. They looked for cuts of meat we consider less desireable - thighs rather than boneless skinless chicken breasts, and they were also the only group that selected whole chickens and gizzards, which a young boy translating for his mother told me were wonderful in soup. The other ethnic groups were not so focused on nutrition, choosing instead potato chips, soda, ramen and pasta. I realize that food pantries carry whatever is donated to them and rarely have the opportunity to choose the food that lines their shelves, but it bothered me to have the junk food drawing attention away from better choices when these people had so little to start with. I wondered if the individuals really understood the difference good nutrition could make in their health...or even what good nutrition was.
One gentleman told me he had no access to a kitchen or even a freezer, meaning he had to forgo the frozen meat and vegetables and opt instead for canned goods and dry cereal. This was a circumstance I hadn't really thought about before...that even when nutritious food is available and accessible, it's not always feasible for the individual to accept it.
We served 68 clients in two and half hours that evening. The shelves were almost cleaned out of dry goods, and they needed to restock for the following day. I left feeling that I had done some good, but also that it was the tip of the iceberg. But that is another discussion.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Food Policy
I'm sure that title just makes you want to read this post! That's the problem with food policy...we don't really know what it is or how it affects us. We think the FDA or USDA or some other acronym that we don't feel connected to will take care of it. We don't see a connection we can affect, or even why we should care. How wrong that is...
My friend Marie has a 14-acre urban farm in Balch Springs, where she grows vegetables, raises chickens and holds a bi-weekly farmers market. She doesn't get an agricultural exemption on her property taxes because she's within the city limits. Each dollar she has to pay the city for property taxes adds to the price of her vegetables. This is food policy.
Other friends who live in Carrolton would love to have chickens, not just for the eggs, but for the manure so they could use it on their vegetable gardens. Not in Carrollton unless you live on more than an acre, but it's okay in Dallas, as long as you don't have a rooster. This is food policy.
Because I am concerned about my family's health and the effect of industrial production on our food, I regularly drive an hour north of Dallas to pick up my raw milk from a farm, because Texas doesn't allow it to be sold off the farm. This is food policy.
DISD has been providing breakfast for every student this year, which I thought was paid for by my property taxes. And I guess it is - but Walmart provided funding for the start up costs. Who decides what they get to eat? Did they have to fire teachers to pay for ongoings costs of this program? This is food policy.
When you can't sample the fruit at a Farmer's Market because the city won't allow it, thank your city council and mayor. All of this is food policy. It happens at every level of government, and can be strongly influenced by an active constituency that knows what it wants. If we don't care or don't pay attention, someone is going to tell us what we can eat, how we can eat it, and from whom we can get it. This is the slippery slope, and we are already sliding.
My friend Marie has a 14-acre urban farm in Balch Springs, where she grows vegetables, raises chickens and holds a bi-weekly farmers market. She doesn't get an agricultural exemption on her property taxes because she's within the city limits. Each dollar she has to pay the city for property taxes adds to the price of her vegetables. This is food policy.
Other friends who live in Carrolton would love to have chickens, not just for the eggs, but for the manure so they could use it on their vegetable gardens. Not in Carrollton unless you live on more than an acre, but it's okay in Dallas, as long as you don't have a rooster. This is food policy.
Because I am concerned about my family's health and the effect of industrial production on our food, I regularly drive an hour north of Dallas to pick up my raw milk from a farm, because Texas doesn't allow it to be sold off the farm. This is food policy.
DISD has been providing breakfast for every student this year, which I thought was paid for by my property taxes. And I guess it is - but Walmart provided funding for the start up costs. Who decides what they get to eat? Did they have to fire teachers to pay for ongoings costs of this program? This is food policy.
When you can't sample the fruit at a Farmer's Market because the city won't allow it, thank your city council and mayor. All of this is food policy. It happens at every level of government, and can be strongly influenced by an active constituency that knows what it wants. If we don't care or don't pay attention, someone is going to tell us what we can eat, how we can eat it, and from whom we can get it. This is the slippery slope, and we are already sliding.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Driving...
Today I drove north to pick up my raw milk from a local farm. The farm is about an hour's drive from my home, but this is something my family is committed to because of the health benefits that stem from drinking raw milk. We try to purchase as little processed food as possible, but sometimes it's more difficult than others. And when we run out of milk, well...sometimes we just wait until we can get to the farm.
The first thing I did when I got home was shake up that jug (it's not homogenized, so the cream floats to the top) and pour myself a big glass. The taste is fabulous, and I'm reminded why I've added this three-hour task to my to-do list.
Hopefully, Texas will loosen the restrictions on this wonderful food and make it more readily available. The downside of this is that if you buy it from a grocery store you never meet the farmer. Either way, I'm very glad I've found a farmer I can trust.
 |
| Note the cream line... |
Hopefully, Texas will loosen the restrictions on this wonderful food and make it more readily available. The downside of this is that if you buy it from a grocery store you never meet the farmer. Either way, I'm very glad I've found a farmer I can trust.
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