Chicken update

I thought I'd just put a chicken update out there for all (ahem) to read. So, here goes:

1. My Sussex chickens have all been killed by raccoons. So, I'm going to have to start over, but only better this time. What to do about it? Well, I haven't yet fenced in my property entirely, so I'll either have to do that or keep my flock within a smaller area of electric fencing; also, some raccoons must (will) perish.

2. I've finally become a member of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, and they'll be able to help me with my Sussex breeding program.

3. I'm almost through with my annual chicken slaughtering; all my Buff Plymouth Rocks are in the freezer, and I'm starting on my Delawares. I've had some communication problems with my farmers' market, so I may have them all to myself instead of selling most of them like I intended. It's too bad, too: I raised the birds well, and they've been tasting GOOD.

4. I've made a tentative list of chicks to buy in the early spring: mostly Sussexes, but I also plan on getting a Dominique or two and a Dorking.

On New Years Day...

...myself and two companions attended the Slow Food (Triangle) Terra Madre Recap event in Durham, North Carolina.

The event took place in one of the nicely-renovated Golden Belt Tobacco Company buildings. The event went well in my opinion, and the food was amazing (thanks to the people working the event and to the sponsors, such as Anson Mills of South Carolina).

The crowd there were mostly non-Southerners (a quick poll was taken by a show of hands; I think it was maybe 5%!), and everyone seemed to be quite friendly -- although a few people were hogging the "family-style" dishes of food and not passing them around. I was also a bit put off by the group of children that had turned the area behind my table into a racetrack of sorts, as I couldn't hear the announcer when he or she spoke due to the noise from the kids feet stompng.

Ok, negatives out of the way, the people running the event did a spectacular job, and the food was friggin' amazing. They ran out of collards quite quickly, but there was enough other food to fill the void. The cornbread, rice, and beans were all heirloom products from Anson Mills, and everything had pork in it (there were a few vegetarian options, but I'm thankful the food wasn't focused on that). Drinks were provided (water, tea, coffee), but it was BYOB (and many people did, including the Wine Authority guys who made me envy their line of bottles of wine they were sharing with friends and family).

I went expecting a more "Terra Madre experience" (I for some reason thought it would be local vendors, farmers, and etc., all at tables talking to visitors about their products), so it wasn't a "typical" Slow Food event experience I guess... but it was damn good and I wasn't disappointed. Post-meal, several Slow Food people talked about their experiences at Terra Madre in Italy, but I wasn't able to hear well due to the kids stomping around.

Thanks again to those who sponsored, hosted, and worked the event.

Oh! bama

On Wednesday, President-elect Barrack Obama appointed former Iowa governor Thomas Vilsack as his USDA chief. And previously, Obama appointed former Monsanto vice-president Michael R. Taylor to his transition team.

There's just not many positives to having either of those two creeps in this administration... I guess Change™ doesn't apply to our food chain. Perhaps next, Richard L. Bond will be made head of the FDA.

(Update: and then there's this article, written by Obama's chief adviser on agricultural issues, Marshall Matz. It's all "blah, blah, industrial agricultural is so great, blah blah..." yikes.)

Disappointing to say the least. I expected better this time around, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see what comes of it (and hopefully it won't kill us or give us cancer).

Yes,

... it's been awhile

You stupid donkey... yes?!?

I've become totally obsessed with several of Gordon Ramsay's television shows lately: Hell's Kitchen, The F Word, and Kitchen Nightmares.

I've been watching Hell's Kitchen on T.V. mainly, but catch-up on any missed shows on Hulu. The F Word I've been watching in cut-up episodes on YouTube (since it's only on BBC television and I can't seem to find it in any of my local video stores), and Kitchen Nightmares also on Hulu. Hulu's a great website that has high-quality, full-length T.V. shows and movies (even though it has commercials), and although it can sometimes take awhile to find someone who has posted quality videos on YouTube, it's well worth hunting around.

Man, Gordon Ramsay definitely has balls. He definitely appears to have earned every bit of his success, and likely has an amazing team of people surrounding him that assist him in fulfilling his vision(s) of providing great food in an amazing environment. I have learned so very much about cooking, about food, by just watching him in action in his shows. One of his cookbooks will likely be my next food-related book purchase.

Another cool thing about watching the F Word is that I was introduced to the work of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, of River Cottage fame, and purchased his Meat book.

Meat madness

Wow... South Korea's government has been almost wiped out by a mass "resignation" of ministry officials from the public outcry and protests over a deal to allow U.S. industrial beef imports to resume. I was feeling rather chagrined when I found out that the U.S. had pushed industrial beef on to the unsuspecting Korean people as part of a trade agreement. But... apparently, they weren't as unsuspecting as I thought, as the Korean government has found out, much to its chagrin. Too bad the average U.S., consumer won't stand up to its own government and protest the lousy meats that are forced upon him or her; you'd think with all the current health problems and the massive meat recalls that people would finally realize what's going on and say no to industrial meat. But oh well...

In other news, perhaps caused by industrial meat contamination: tomatoes recall. But, at least it's apparently prompting the FDA to finally want to do its job, and the government to financially support the FDA so that it can do so.

Perhaps the FDA will be able to head off what appears to be the next major food disaster before it wipes out too many people. Stay tuned for MRSA.

Follow the organic food trail

Philip H. Howard, Assistant Professor of the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies at Michigan State University, has a really informative website that charts out the relationship(s) of various organic food-producing companies (brought to my attention by Anna Lappe's blog).

Check it out here.

Humane Foie Gras?

I just watched a video excerpt of British chef Gordon Ramsay's TV show The F Word on You Tube.

A woman, noticing that Chef Ramsay served foie gras at all of his restaurants on every menu, attempted to get Ramsay to change his ways and serve an ethically-produced foie gras that she had heard about from Spain.

After visiting a foie gras farm in France (the traditional one), and the one in Spain (the ethical one), she tasted both and declared that the Spanish farm's product has "all the taste and none of the cruelty" of the traditional French method.

However, in a blind taste test, Ramsay noted that the ethically-produced one had a different (and less-desirable) taste and texture than the one he normally serves. He did state that the geese that supply his livers for the foie gras were "half-forced" fed and treated humanely. I'd like to see a video of his supplier's farm, though, to compare!

The video of the French farm certainly didn't seem to treat the geese humanely, as they were kept indoors in a small pen, and the force-feeding definitely appeared to be cruel. The livers that came out of the geese were huge!

At the Spanish farm, the geese were clearly raised humanely, living outdoors in an orchard (definitely free range); I believe they may have even been semi-wild geese, as they appeared to be free to fly/migrate away if they were to so choose. The livers that came out of those geese, however, were much smaller (by at least half to two-thirds) than the French geese. But, this shows to me that the farmer was more concerned with the ethical treatment of his animals than a larger potential profit on his product.

I'm not sure if I've ever even eaten foie gras, but it does sound tasty. I'd like to see if it is available locally in its humane form. It does have that ethical dilemma, however, hanging over the product, much like veal (which can be raised humanely, just not by CAFOs).

The TV show is excellent, by the way, in that it shows the process of [humanely] raising livestock (tukreys, pigs, and sheep) all the way through to the slaughter of them; even PETA supported the showing of the entire process on the show. It will definitely make you a vegetarian if you can't stand it. One can only imagine the horror of a industrial slaughterhouse...

Recipe of the Month (May)

Almost forgot to post one this month! D'oh!

Anyway, I've decided to post one for Blackberry jam. The blackberry bushes on my property have for the most part dropped their blooms and the berries are starting to form, so it got me thinking about jam like my family traditionally makes...

Here's a basic recipe, mostly taken from Ball's Blue Book but also with some tips from various websites.

What you'll need:

- blackberries (fresh picked is best, but if unavailable, frozen will work)
- pectin
- organic sugar
- canning equipment (jars, lids, rings, etc.)

Jam can only be made in small batches (about six cups) at one time so the jam will "set" properly. It takes about eight cups of berries per batch.

Steps:

1. Wash jars, lids, rings, etc. so they'll be ready when you need them
2. Wash the berries
3. Crush the berries (and/or mill them if you want less seeds and less chunks in the jam) and put them in a large/suitable pot
4. Add the pectin (mix about 1/4 cup of sugar with it for easier mixing) into the berries
5. Cook on medium-to-high heat, stirring often enough so it doesn't burn (It should take about five to 10 minutes to get to a full boil)
6. Add the sugar; the recipe calls for four cups (!), but I use between two and three usually. (And don't forget you added 1/4 cup already with the pectin!)
7. Continue boiling for about one minute
8. Sterilize the canning jar lids and rings (again, so they'll be ready when you need them)
9. Skim the foam off the top of the pot (it's harmless, btw, but skim it off anyway)
10. Remove from heat
11. Test for jelling; use a cool spoon (one kept in a glass of ice water works), and scoop some of the jam out and see how long it takes to jell. If it isn't as thick as you like, add some more pectin and boil it again for about one minute
12. Let stand for five minutes, and stir (this step is optional)
13. Add to canning jars, put on lids and rings, and process (water bath) for five-to-ten minutes. Some people add a small squirt of lemon juice per jar at this point to raise acidity
14. Let cool. Listen for the lid pops!

Mmmm... can't wait for the blackberries to be pickable (mid-June or so in my area).

Soylent Green, the sequel?

Yikes... instead of eliminating or bypassing CAFOs and the associated animal suffering, environmentally-hazardous waste disposal, overuse and misuse of antibiotics, and etc., by raising humanely-raised livestock on small family farms, some people seem to want to go the other way: to growing meat in a laboratory. I can't think of anything more repungnant, except maybe eating Soylent Green (which actually, and scarily, isn't all that different according to what happens in the movie, minus the human element as raw material, of course).

Read these articles and decide for yourself:

Will Lab-Grown Meat Save the Planet?

Tastes Like Chicken: Growing meat without growing animals

Farmers, consumers, and organic food

I also came across two articles online regarding farmers, consumers, and organic food.

The first article, Natural Response: As prices of organic foods rise, plain old fruits and vegetables suddenly look better, shows not only the fickleness and apathy of the average consumer, but also that when it comes down to it, many (if not most) farmers want to make money over doing what is right for the consumer and the environment.

However, as I feel organic foodstuffs are overrated in many ways anyway, I'm glad to see that locally-produced foodstuffs are being preferred by consumers as they tend to be cheaper (mainly due to almost zero transportation costs) and fresher (and may be organic anyway, or perhaps even "beyond organic"). The second article, Shoppers Choosing Local Over Organics in Produce, addresses this issue/these issues.

One interesting statement from the second article is that "33 percent [of consumers] are concerned about the safety of organic produce." Is it because USDA organic standards have been lowered in many categories and also been manipulated by producers, or is it due to anti-organic propaganda like when organic spinach was blamed for the E. coli outbreak in late 2006, when in fact it was conventional bagged spinach?

Natural selection

I came across this article in a local newspaper: Drought takes toll on Leyland cypress trees. I had to smile while reading it, as I despise the tree, and feel that it symbolizes all that is wrong with mediocre (design-wise) and unsympathetic (to their environment/s) housing and landscaping.

The tree is apparently drought-sensitive, and Robert Jackson, a professor of global environmental change and biology at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment, speculated that "a fungal disease may have contributed to the death of the trees," and that "extreme temperatures and drought can weaken trees, making them more susceptible to pathogens."

A landscape architect and urban forester at the Chapel Hill Public Works Department "recommended that landowners instead plant the Eastern red cedar, a native tree that looks like the Leyland cyprus but is hardier." So, it turns out that a native tree is replacing a tree that is unsuitable for the local climate... imagine that.

Chillin' at the mill

Just got back from a two-day [semi-marathon] road trip through South Carolina, and one of the things I finally did (after putting it off for three years) was visit Anson Mills off Gervais Street in downtown Columbia.

They have a very cool set up, with several types of mills (several are from Meadows Mills in North Wilkesboro, N.C.) and a whole lotta chest freezers (in which they freeze their pre-ground corn and their finished products) throughout their warehouse.

I was able to obtain some buckwheat flour, oat flour, blue grits (made from Cherokee Blue corn), and rice grits.

Can't wait to cook with them! First, I think I'm going to make Anson Mills' recipe "Carolina Gold Rice Grits with Shallots and Celery" as a side to a "Poulet Rouge" chicken from Ashley Farms/Joyce Foods. Mmmm...

(The other foodie highlight in S.C. was Cooper's Country Store in/near Salters, where I bought two BBQ turkey sandwiches, a bag of boiled peanuts, and some salt and vinegar pork rinds for my dinner; they are "famous" for their country hams, which I assumed are produced on premise, but may not be -- they are also somewhat mysteriously "famous" for their rice cookers/steamers. Their meat counter made me seriously drool.)

The agro-industrial complex

An important independent report, Putting Meat on the Table: Industrial Farm Animal Production in America, by the Pew Charitable Trusts and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has been released, concluding that "Industrial animal farming in the United States needs to make many major reforms in order to protect public health and the environment."

+ The report criticized "the agro-industrial complex" in regards to:

+ their over-and mis-use of antibiotics

+ the pollution created by overcrowded factory farms

+ the spread of disease in overcrowded feedlots

+ the inhumane treatment of confined animals

+ the industry's influence on agricultural research and governmental regulation

... amongst other things

Read the report in its entirety here: http://www.ncifap.org/_images/PCIFAP%20FINAL%20REPORT.pdf

The more you know...

Did you know that the word "organic" is not federally regulated for personal-care products? I was just reading one of my favorite websites (Grist) and saw this article: Word of Bronner: Dr. Bronner's says competitors aren't really organic.

It appears as if several personal-care companies are "not sure why we would have to follow a standard set" by, in this instance, Dr. Bronner; perhaps the government should set some standards, then?

"Raise hell, not corn"

(From Grist)

A great article about how one should definitely contact one's politicians (especially since it's time to vote again!) and take action on the sorry state of the industrial food system.

"When nearly 75 percent of the U.S. market spinach crop is grown in one valley in California and repeated bacterial contaminations ensue, we need to question our reliance on the corporate food system.

When millions of pounds of beef are recalled due to bacterial contamination and when, by the count of the Centers for Disease Control, 76 million Americans get food poisoning and 73,000 cases of e coli infection and 63 deaths occur in the U.S. each year, we need to question our reliance on the corporate food system.

When the World Health Organization tells us that some 60 percent of the adults and nearly 13 percent of the children in America are obese, we need to question our reliance on the corporate food system.

When scientists from around the world tell us the vitamin and mineral content of our food has fallen significantly over the past 60 years, we need to question our reliance on the corporate food system.

When groundwater nitrate levels climb year after year because industrial size farms raise too many animals producing too much manure on too little land, we must question the industrial concentration of our food system. "

'nuff said...

Important things happening

A few major U.S. policy news articles:

"Losership, not Leadership"

"Very little progress"

2008: The International Year of the Potato

Just read a (rather wittily-named) Reuters article As Other Staples Soar, Potatoes Break New Ground, and it just happens to coincide with my planting of potatoes for the year (well, I'm going to this weekend).

The article basically talks about how since other commodities like wheat and corn are becoming too expensive for many consumers to buy, the potato can be the cheap (and more healthy and productive) alternative.

here's some more information:

The International Potato Center

A Swiss stamp commemorating the potato (PDF)

Recipe of the month

No-knead Bread

I came across this recipe in a New York Times article: The Secret of Great Bread: Let Time Do the Work.

Ingredients:
- 3 cups bread flour (but all-purpose flour is ok to use), plus extra for dusting
- ¼ teaspoon (instant) yeast
- 1 & ¼ teaspoons salt
- Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

- In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 & 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 18 hours at a warm (about 70 degrees) room temperature.

- Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface [I like wood, but granite or marble work well] and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

- Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth; a flour sack-type dish towel is perfect) with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran, or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about two hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

- At least a half-hour before the dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enameled, glassware, or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, remove pot from oven (don't forget it's hot!). Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake an additional 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is browned. Cool on a rack.

Yields one 1½-pound loaf.

The latest on farm subsidies

Personally, I'm outraged that my tax money goes towards farm subsidies. Now, don't get me wrong, I want to see the [legendary] "family farm" succeed, but farm subsidies tend to go to the larger, super-profitable, monoculture farms whose products don't benefit many Americans (unless you own stock in Monsanto, Cargill, et al.), and can in fact hurt consumers through their land-use policies and GM/GMO and E. coli-ridden products.

Here's some articles that should interest you:

Farm subsidies: Beyond Simplistic Outrage

Farm Lobby Beats Back Assault On Subsidies

Betting the Farm

If you, too, are pi**ed off, contact your agricultural committee state representatives.